Lens repolishing/recoating on the cheap

[wkh]

Sadly, they do not have a website, but here's their profile on Ukrainian equivalent of eBay:

https://lenses.olx.ua/#about_us

You'll have to register to write a message, but the registration is fast. If you'll have any difficulties contacting them, contact me and I'll be happy to help

Dear LeoniD,

Just wondering whether the Arsenal link you shared still do lens polish/recoat/(recement?). I have a Rolleiflex 2.8C Xenotar with worn coating and balsam separation that needs some helps...

WK

 

[LeoniD]

Dear LeoniD,

Just wondering whether the Arsenal link you shared still do lens polish/recoat/(recement?). I have a Rolleiflex 2.8C Xenotar with worn coating and balsam separation that needs some helps...

WK

I think yes. My friend got the frontal element of his Rolleiflex restored recently. It's kinda hard to see bc he didn't take an intentional "before" pic(photo 1), but it's kinda worn and scratched, and pic 2 is "after".

 

[wkh]

I think yes. My friend got the frontal element of his Rolleiflex restored recently. It's kinda hard to see bc he didn't take an intentional "before" pic(photo 1), but it's kinda worn and scratched, and pic 2 is "after".

That looks great. I also have a Nikkor-O 35mm f2 ai lens with badly worn front coating which can certainly use a good recoat.

How do I reach out to them to initiate the repair estimate? Does the older link you provided still work? Is there anything that I should be more considerate about send things to and from Ukraine now there is a war going on?

Many thanks in advance for your help!

 

[LeoniD]

That looks great. I also have a Nikkor-O 35mm f2 ai lens with badly worn front coating which can certainly use a good recoat.

How do I reach out to them to initiate the repair estimate? Does the older link you provided still work? Is there anything that I should be more considerate about send things to and from Ukraine now there is a war going on?

Many thanks in advance for your help!

It does seem to work, yes. There's also the phone number of the guy +з8о95о754594 (replace the letters with numbers, I know he has a Telegram account, probably Viber too)
Regarding the being more considerate part-well, there's always a chance that your lens will be destroyed by a russian missile, but not any higher than it being lost by your postal office

 

[wkh]

Many thanks and I do hope that you are safe in this unfortunate war.

I have taken the front group apart last weekend and confirm the defects (1st lens coating wear and two point balsam separation in the 2nd/3rd doublet).

I have emailed Foto Olbrich in Germany based on the recommendation of other Photrio members and they referred me to Dr. Prenzel in Optik Labor instead but with some stark warning regarding the risk of lens cracking during re-cementing and recoating.

Personally, I think the lens cracking warning is a bit overstated. The most dangerous part is probably heating up the doublet to separate the glasses. However, I believe that due to the flat gluing surface of the Xenotar lens the differential expansion stress should be minimal. There is of course risk of stress cracking during polishing, but I would assume any optical technician with reasonable skill would know to avoid that. However, it would be good to hear from someone who actually have it done before to see whether my assumptions are reasonable.

I will try to reach out to Arsenal guy this week to see what he say...