Lens repolishing/recoating on the cheap

[Denis P.]

... but in Ukraine, so you have to consider the postage

Anyway, I've used ARAX foto in Ukraine (gevorg@araxfoto.com), after a satisfied customer posted his experience on rangefinderforum.com.

I had a hazy Summciron collapsible for my Leica - in fact, it was the coating - front coating was badly damaged, and the flaring was ghastly
Unusable outdoors....
Repair sources in the USA quoted from $120 and above, and I found a source in London for about 90 GBP (British Pounds). Still relatively expensive for me, taking into account postage, customs papers, etc...

Anyway, Gevorg (Vartanyan) from "ARAX foto" is great - he asks only that you remove actual glass and send the glass only (the lens element to be repolished and recoated).

I got the lens element back a few days ago, and I'm quite happy. Looks like new, and has a new bluish coating

Price?

$30 plus postage, which was $9 for me (from Ukraine to Croatia)....

And the lens?

The flare is gone

Just thought some of you might be interested - you can write to Gevorg at the e-mail quoted above.

Denis

 

[JG Motamedi]

Thanks for the suggestion Denis. In a similar search I sent the elements from a LF lens to London over eight months ago. I still haven't gotten them back, and the company won't answer my emails any longer.

Next time I will try ARAX.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Thanks, Denis. What languages does he know, and does he take credit cards? That could make it economical to have multiple surfaces of an uncoated lens coated.

 

[medform-norm]

Thanks, Denis. What languages does he know, and does he take credit cards? That could make it economical to have multiple surfaces of an uncoated lens coated.

Gevorg communicates in English, but I bet he knows Russian too, if that is any easier for you.

For payments, he uses the online system 2CheckOut and we've paid with our credit cards before. If you're used to PayPal, it takes a little getting used to this other system, but I have found it to be reliable.

Does this satisfy you?

Cheers, norm

PS I just noticed that another post I just made for this thread disappeared... don't matter, I was only recommending Gevorg - he's reliable, gallant and friendly - and very happy about the Orange Revolution!

 

[Mongo]

Denis-

I'd like to know how the lens coating holds up in normal use. Would you mind posting in a month or two to let us know how the lens is doing? (Obviously a month or two isn't very long in the life of a lens, but I don't find much value in asking you to post your thoughts in 20 years.)

I have an old German LF lens that is the perfect candidate for coating. It's uncoated, but otherwise a fabulous lens. I just have to figure out how to get the elements out of their assemblies.

Thanks,
Dave

 

[Tom Hoskinson]

I've also had good experiences with ARAX (Gevorg Vartanyan). He responds to English language inquiries in English.

It is very likely that the polishing and recoating (single and/or multilayer) are done at the Arsenal Factory in Kiev or at one of the Arsenal subcontractors. The ARAX lens coatings I have seen were of excellent quality.

 

[Denis P.]

I guess Tom H's response above might be on the right track. The coating looks absolutely OK and "original", if you know what I mean. So, I suppose it's quite possible that it was done at the Arsenal factory. I doubt that Arax has a dedicated professional lens coating facility - they would certainly charge more than $30 for recoating in that case
I haven't seen any recoating jobs done by other US-based repair facilities, but I can assure you that the ARAX coating looks quite professional - I's say about the same as on a brand new lens. It's definitely better than the original (50-ies vintage) Leica coating. I haven't tried the sandpaper test on it, though
Either way, I'm quite happy. BTW, Gevor communicates in English - no problems there.
He replies quickly, and his communication is to the point. Just send an inquiry, and you'll get detailed instructions.
It took about 5-6 weeks to get my lens element back - it was definitely worth the wait

Oh, and the price is the same for all lens (element) diameters, from what I understood.

Denis

 

[Ole]

That sounds great!

I have recently bought a 135/4.5 Rodenstock Eurynar from J. G. Motamedi - which has been coated by someone. It now shows itself as a wonderfully sharp little lens, it's main drawback when new was the poor contrast from the 8 glass/air surfaces; when coated it is visibly sharper than a contemporary Protar!

I think I may have a few candidates for coating - Heliar, Skopar, Xenar, Xenar Typ D, various Anastigmats, Aplanats, and Rectilinears...

 

[rulnacco]

Sadly...

Arax are out of the lens recoating business. I e-mailed Gevorg earlier this week, and here is his reply:

Unfortunately we no longer offer the polishing and recoating service.
Arsenal factory in Kiev sold all machines which works with optics.

I'm very sorry for bad news.

Damn!

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

Unfortunately we no longer offer the polishing and recoating service. Arsenal factory in Kiev sold all machines which works with optics. I'm very sorry for bad news.

Damn!

Double damn ...

New question - who has the machines now?

Lens polishing and coating is not an expensive process if one has the machines.

 

[Ian Grant]

In another thread about lens re-coating Mick Fagan gave me this link for a company he'd used in Tasmania.

I did get (there was a url link here which no longer exists), but never went ahead when I found the lens/shutter was much too big to fit the Patent Etui.

Ian

 

[rulnacco]

Anyone Tried Optil.co.uk?

I found the website above for Optical Instruments (Balham) Limited, which advertises this service...and, lo and behold, is only a couple of miles from me in Croydon, South London. I've popped an e-mail off to them enquiring about prices/services, but as it's Bank Holiday weekend, I won't hear from them for a couple of days.

Has anyone used them before? Comments on the quality/price of their work?

Ta!

 

[Ian Grant]

Balham Optical have an extremely good reputation, if you do a search here you'll find people who have used them, Roger Hicks is one. They are quite expensive, fine if you just need one surface repolished and coated but prohibitive for coating a complete uncoated lens. I had a quote from them a few years ago for repolishing and coating a scrathed Ross EWA Protar and it was very high.

Ian

 

[JG Motamedi]

I had a terrible experience with Balham Optical. I sent a lens to them for recoating and it took them over a year to get it back to me, after multiple calls and emails. They never managed to do the work (and never charged me), and came up with hundreds of excuses why. I would never send them anything.

 

[dhosten]

I have also been doing a bit of research on lens coating for my ancient 135/4.5 Anastigmat Skopars, and wonder if any substitute to Arax has been found?

 

[Iain Maclachlan]

In another thread about lens re-coating Mick Fagan gave me this link for a company he'd used in Tasmania.

I did get (there was a url link here which no longer exists), but never went ahead when I found the lens/shutter was much too big to fit the Patent Etui.

Ian

Glad I found this information! I have just emailed the company in Tassie to see if they can polish and multi-coat a Carl Zeiss 135mm f3.5 lens. Turns out that the guy who did is no longer with them and the service has ended.

 

[gone]

Focal Point Optics in the U.S. used to do this. They did a CLA and coated the front element of a Summar I had. It had lots of haze and fungus internally, so they got sent the complete lens. It went from being my worst lens to the best I owned. But since John died, I'm not sure they still do this, or are even around anymore.

 

[Ian Grant]

As the thread has been revived it's worth adding that Balham Optical/Optical Instruments (Balham) Limited went into liquidation in early 2010.

Ian

 

[LeoniD]

Sadly...

Arax are out of the lens recoating business. I e-mailed Gevorg earlier this week, and here is his reply:

Unfortunately we no longer offer the polishing and recoating service.
Arsenal factory in Kiev sold all machines which works with optics.

I'm very sorry for bad news.

Damn!

Turns out, they didn't sell all machines. I've had a lens on my Arsat polished and re-coated in 2020, cost me ~20$
I'll contact them and ask how people from abroad can contact them.

 

[Mackinaw]

Kanto Camera, in Japan, both coats and re-polishes lenses.

About Camera Repair

Jim B.

 

[Nodda Duma]

I have been repolishing / recoating optics - as well as fixing delamination aka balsam separation - for the past year or so, but I don’t advertise because I know I would get swamped.

 

[LeoniD]

Turns out, they didn't sell all machines. I've had a lens on my Arsat polished and re-coated in 2020, cost me ~20$
I'll contact them and ask how people from abroad can contact them.

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

 

[AgX]

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

About which firm you are talking? You commented, using the term "they", on a post about the Arax firm. I am confused now.


I am thinking of this firm:

ARAX lenses for medium format Kiev or different digital cameras.

Upgraded lenses for medium format film or digital photo cameras from Ukraine. Shipping to any country.

araxfoto.com

ARAX 6x6 Medium Format Cameras. Manufacturing, Repair & Service

ARAX 6x6 Medium Format Cameras. Manufacturing, Repair & Service. 3,568 likes · 6 talking about this. Araxfoto.com - medium format film cameras, lenses, tilt-shift adapters. Repairing, service, upgrading

www.facebook.com

info@araxfoto.com



As you already had different information on it than another poster, maybe you have it about a different firm and mixed them both up.

 

[LeoniD]

About which firm you are talking? You commented, using the term "they", on a post about the Arax firm. I am confused now.


I am thinking of this firm:

ARAX lenses for medium format Kiev or different digital cameras.

Upgraded lenses for medium format film or digital photo cameras from Ukraine. Shipping to any country.

araxfoto.com

ARAX 6x6 Medium Format Cameras. Manufacturing, Repair & Service

ARAX 6x6 Medium Format Cameras. Manufacturing, Repair & Service. 3,568 likes · 6 talking about this. Araxfoto.com - medium format film cameras, lenses, tilt-shift adapters. Repairing, service, upgrading

www.facebook.com

info@araxfoto.com



As you already had different information on it than another poster, maybe you have it about a different firm and mixed them both up.

I am talking about Arsenal factory, in both posts. Arax isn't Arsenal, it's a separate company that used Arsenal's services for polishing/coating. I don't know why Gevorg claimed that "Arsenal factory in Kiev sold all machines which works with optics." , as it is completely not true.

 

[flavio81]

I have been repolishing / recoating optics - as well as fixing delamination aka balsam separation - for the past year or so, but I don’t advertise because I know I would get swamped.

Ok, that's it. I will have to PM you sooner or later, for some advice... After all you're the most visible, amiable, lovable optical designer here.