Rollei Schneider AF Tele-Xenar 180mm stiff focus

[Garb]

I bought a used AF Tele-Xenar 180mm for Rolleiflex 6008AF, used to work okay, but after having it for less than a year and putting about 40 rolls of 120 through it entirely in AF mode, the focus ring was getting stiff at certain points (but still loose in other distances), sometimes the AF motor couldn't move it past a particular distance. I could usually give it a turn to loosen it up and the AF motor once again worked, but it would start getting stiff again after a few shots. After doing this a few times, it's gotten stiffer, the AF motor can't move it at all, and even if I turn it manually, it doesn't loosen up anymore. When I turn it, the rubber grip is peeling off, that's how much effort it takes to turn it.

It's been mostly stored at 30% humidity in a camera dry cabinet. Not taken out in harsh weather / environments.

Looked online, one other person reported this issue after owning a brand new AF Tele-Xenar 180mm lens for 4 years, said it could be gummed up lube that would need to be removed and replaced. Although there were also some posters saying they didn't think it was gummed up lube. Haven't seen this particular issue on my AF Xenotar 80mm which I have had longer and used the same or more, so not some issue that is common across all Rollei Schneider AF lenses.

Wondering if this can be user-serviced easily? With the caveat that I've never opened up a lens before, seems like a pretty delicate process. I'm seeing things online about dripping lighter fluid into the focus ring and rotating. But I don't understand how the lighter fluid won't get into the glass.

I'm in Japan so sending it overseas to Germany or US Rolleiflex repair shops will be an ordeal. Is this the kind of thing a random camera repair shop (not specializing in Rollei/Schneider) can fix?

 

[m4rius]

Hi, i have this very same lens and very same issue using it on a hy6. It’s hardening lube.
Lucky to be here in europe, paepke still does it and it’s not a very expensive repair at around 200/250~ ish regarding the kind of lens it is.
Your best bet would be to find some rollei/schneider techs, i wouldn’t leave it to someone a little bit familliar with these lenses regarding how fragile and capricious the af can be on this system. Btw i have several other pqs lens af or not, never had any problem except with the 180

 

[Garb]

Thanks for the pointer to Paepke, I was not aware of them. I was hoping to avoid sending to Europe because the costs of shipping, uncertainty around lost/damaged packages, and the customs declaration process. If I'm going to send to Europe though, I might as well send to DHW Fototechnik? Unless they're prohibitively more expensive.

Good to know that you've only had problems with the 180, however, the AF 180 is my favorite lens and one of the mains reasons I'd use the 6008 system. Do you know if the non-AF 180 has the same lube issue?

Also, if I get the lens repaired, will the lube just go bad in a few years again? (i.e., is this a problem with the lens design that will cause any lube to dry up, or a problems only with the lube that it came with out of the factory with?) Thanks.

 

[RichardC]

A few years age, I had the same problem - the focus ring was intermittently stiff at a couple of positions, it quickly got worse to the point where I couldn't even move the focus ring by hand.
Not finding a good place to repair it, i decided to remove the outer shell and take a look.
There is a white plastic ring deep inside that a couple of metal pieces rub along.
It was broken in a couple of places so the rotating action was no longer smooth.
As I moved it back and forth to see if it would loosen up, it developed a couple more breaks. The plastic had turned brittle. Unfortunately some plastics turn brittle with age and crack.
The lens has been sitting in pieces since.
I can't say if your problem is the same, but it sounds like it could be.

 

[Pieter12]

FWIW, the plastic ring on both of my 80mm AF lenses broke and had to be replaced. Don't ask why I have two. I'm not sure myself.