I dropped my lens and has an alignment issue! Please help!

rustyair · Jul 5, 2016

Hi,

I dropped my Pentax SMC 105mm F2.4 lens and I think it has an alignment issue! When I turn the focusing ring all the way to the right, it 'only' focuses at very close distance (approx 40 inches). When I start to turn the ring to the left, it just gets blurrier. Light meter, shutter speed and everything seems to be working fine with the Pentax 67II body and AE Prism. Does anyone recognize this issue? Is this a serious issue? Does anyone know where can i fix this? I hope I don't need to get another one.

Thanks in advance.

Kirks518 · Jul 5, 2016

Looks like you can replace the lens for under $200, so I doubt it would be worth sending out for repair. This would be a good time to teach yourself lens repair basics, and if it works out, great. If it doesn't, it wasn't too expensive.

Good chance there is a section that is out of round, or as APUGuser19 said, an element got knocked out of place. If you can take it apart, you may be able to put the element back where it belongs, unless something got really mucked up.

God luck!

rustyair · Jul 5, 2016

Kirks518 said:
Looks like you can replace the lens for under $200, so I doubt it would be worth sending out for repair. This would be a good time to teach yourself lens repair basics, and if it works out, great. If it doesn't, it wasn't too expensive.

Good chance there is a section that is out of round, or as APUGuser19 said, an element got knocked out of place. If you can take it apart, you may be able to put the element back where it belongs, unless something got really mucked up.

God luck!

Thanks for your reply. The older Takumar 105mm model goes for under $200 but the late model (no Takumar text) I have is selling around $400-500ish on ebay. I'm not sure what's difference between two models. Does anyone know?

I have no clue what to look for and never done it but I will try to take it apart now.

Kirks518 · Jul 5, 2016

rustyair said:
I have no clue what to look for and never done it but I will try to take it apart now.

You'll know it when you see it.

shutterfinger · Jul 5, 2016

This link http://www3.xitek.com/bingqiku/pentax/120lens/67lens/67-sdmtele-fig.htm shows the optical layout. Be careful not to scratch an element especially the rear ones.
I suspect you've knocked the focusing off rather than knocking an element out of position.

Patrick Robert James · Jul 5, 2016

Did you drop the lens or the lens and the camera?

It would be very odd for a lens element to come loose. shake the lens and see if anything rattles. If you dropped the camera though it could be the mirror is out of place or the focussing screen is loose. Do you have another lens to put on the camera to check it?

rustyair · Jul 5, 2016

Patrick Robert James said:
Did you drop the lens or the lens and the camera?

It would be very odd for a lens element to come loose. shake the lens and see if anything rattles. If you dropped the camera though it could be the mirror is out of place or the focussing screen is loose. Do you have another lens to put on the camera to check it?

I only dropped the lens and I do hear the rattle sound inside of the lens. I could't find the small screwdriver set so I'm going to have to order one.

paul ron · Jul 6, 2016

is it possable the barrel is lose? retaining ring needs to be tightened? side screws on the barrel? elements dont come lose that easily. Front cell out of alignment maybe but not an element.

have a pic of the lens to see how and where it hit the ground?

Poisson Du Jour · Jul 6, 2016

Grab the lens mount with one hand, and the focusing barrel with the other. Pull sharply. Compression or dislodgement of the focusing helicoid is common when lenses are dropped, and this is one method to "pop it out", a bit like fixing up a dislocated shoulder. Any rattling indicates something more severe e.g. a cracked element (this is not repairable) or some other mechanism that has come adrift. Rather than fret and experiment and possibly make things worse, take the lens in for repair. Be aware there is a 95% likelihood though that repair will exceed the net worth of a lens like this.

rustyair · Jul 6, 2016

Thanks everyone. I found out one of my local camera shop does lens repair so it is in their hands now. Let's see what happens!

paul ron · Jul 6, 2016

thats no fun!

I dropped my lens and has an alignment issue! Please help!

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