High speed Nikkor focusing ring

[Frankly Unsharp]

Hi!
I'm doing some detective work, but I need some help, since my knowledge of Nikkor lenses is almost non-existing.
I bought a Nikon FM3a -body and a Nikkor 50mm 1:1.4 -lens (1293/2000 year of the dragon special edition). The problem is the focusing ring, it isn't loose, but it moves too fast, no friction or resistance.
Earlier I had a Nikon FE + 50mm lens which behaved in a similar way, but I can't believe that this is a Nikkor-problem, or is it? Both lenses came from the same seller, a company dealing with used photographic gear. They seem to be in contact with a repairman, who is probably squeezing his grease tube too hard, or using the wrong kind of fat (?)
Another theory would be that the lenses have some weak, fast deteriorating part which needs to be changed.
Anyway, the lens makes the whole camera feel cheap (No, it wasn't!). I'll take it to my usual repairmen, they will know how to fix it. I just wondered if there was an easier/cheaper way to solve this problem, but I guess there seldom is...

 

[snapguy]

Nikkor

I've bought Nikkor lenses since the early 1960 and still have a dozen including some from the 1960s and I never had a problem with a focus ring. I did have a Nikkor 20-mm f3.5 lens that was truly lousy but never a focus ring problem.

 

[Richard S. (rich815)]

Yeah, I got a load of 1960's and 70's Nikkor glass. If anything some are slightly stuff not too loose.

 

[jochen]

Hello,
I had this with two Nikkor Ai and AiS lenses: 1:2/35 AiS, two 1:1,8/50 AI and 1:1,4/85 AiS. Reason was dried lubricant, if I turned the focus ring fast, there was a squawk sound. You can easily influence the friction by type and amount of grease, even up to "no longer turnable". It is important to use only a very very small amount of a soft grease. You can dilute the grease with a little lighter fluid and apply it with a tiny paint brush on the thread of the visible part of the helicoid. Before relubrication you have to take off the bayonet flange, you can clean the thread before with a Q-tip soaked slightly in lighter fluid.

 

[John Koehrer]

Another one for "needs new grease"