Sick of buying lenses that need work

Chris Nielsen · Nov 17, 2012

KEH is soooo far away, if they were closer I wouldn't buy from the local auctions. The sellers always want top dollar but when they arrive the lenses I have been buying always have something wrong with them.... I need to get them pulled to bits and serviced. Making me grumpy

The latest two lenses I have bought have issues. The 35 2.8 Zuiko has a haze on the front element and a focus ring so stiff I can barely turn it. The 24 2.8 Zuiko has a stiff aperture ring and a focus ring with a large amount of free play.

Getting sick of this but at least it keeps my repairman's children fed and clothed. And probably through college too the way I am going

So does anyone think those two lenses will be expensive to fix?

okto · Nov 17, 2012

Focus and aperture rings are problems you can fix yourself, if you know how to operate a screwdriver.
Google around and you'll find plenty of info on disassembling and lubricating manual-focus lenses.

The haze on the front element may actually require the services of a professional, and it may not be fixable if it's really bad. I assume you've tried to clean it yourself already, at least the front surface?

Chris Nielsen · Nov 17, 2012

I try to avoid much more than fogging with my breath - all the lens cleaning products I have ever used just end up with a horrid purple film on the glass. I assume it will be easy for a pro to fix

Re the lubrication - I am loathe to pull the lenses apart, I would probably have screws left over when I am finished.

illumiquest · Nov 18, 2012

Vinegar works great for haze and fungus. Lubricating the focus is usually very simple as well, most of them you can get some lube in without having to pull the helical apart.

brucemuir · Nov 18, 2012

Chris, keep your eyes peeled right here at the apug classifieds.
Some wont post to aus but it's worth a shot.

The wtb works better than you might think.
I've had good luck with some "want to buy" posts.

Good luck mate!

Chris Nielsen · Nov 18, 2012

Thanks everyone!

hoffy · Nov 18, 2012

Chris, I feel your pain. I have had my fair share of lenses 'in good condition', that have:

had fungus (granted, one ebay seller gave me the whole purchase price back, but that was the only one).
Sticky aperture blades - I have fixed most of them myself, but it's always a fiddly job
one didn't fire the flash (Bronica SQAi) - I didn't find out until around 6 months after buying it

I suppose this is the joys of buying second hand. But, with the way that ebay prices have gone of late, I have given up on it and will buy further gear from known sellers on here (or LFF), KEH or FFordes.

Chris Nielsen · Nov 18, 2012

I would love to buy from KEH. The freight cost plus exchange rate usually means I have to buy something substantial to make it worthwhile. It's then tempting to buy stuff locally but I am getting burned every single time now.

Stephanie Brim · Nov 18, 2012

I just bought this.

I'm one of those people who can't resist a project. Lord knows I now have enough of them.

Chris Nielsen · Nov 18, 2012

I love that. "Dustproof". Seems to not have worked 100%

You are definitely braver than I !!!

MFstooges · Nov 18, 2012

Stephanie Brim said:
I just bought this.

I'm one of those people who can't resist a project. Lord knows I now have enough of them.

that thing looks like a product made by a blacksmith

Stephanie Brim · Nov 18, 2012

It's a Wollensak triple convertible, if my eyes don't deceive me, likely of a design that will cover at least 4x5. Hoping for 5x7, but I'm not going to hold my breath. Needs a good cleaning, but if the shutter at least functions I can probably get the thing back to working condition without having to do *too* much taking it apart. We'll see.

That board is going to have to go, though. I'm crossing my fingers that it will actually fit the Speed Graphic board I just found. If so, I'll likely use it as the shortest focal length for that particular camera.

hoffy · Nov 18, 2012

The thing with that one there Stephanie, is that you knew what you bought! Half the time, the rubbish I buy off the bay looks like what's in a B&H catalogue when listed, but looks like that when it arrives!

PentaxBronica · Nov 18, 2012

I don't really mind the fungus, stiff focus or sticky aperture assuming that the seller warned about the problems. What drives me to despair is when the lens has clearly been fiddled about with by someone who didn't have a clue what they were doing. I've even found greasy fingerprints on internal elements before now (after noticing that the front element group wasn't screwed in properly and investigating further).

My repaired lenses are usually capable of very decent results, inevitably they end up with a little fine dust in as there's no way to avoid this without a clean room and moonsuit. But no fingerprints or smears. I keep meaning to go back to one of my first major projects (Pentax 28-50mm riddled with fungus) and see if I can get it a bit less dusty. It's not bad, but could be better. Also noticed a tiny speck of cotton or something in there, amazingly it still takes perfectly good photos!

al.b · Nov 18, 2012

hi Stephanie

that lens should cover a 5x7. i have one almost the same its a seneca duo dustproof.

it came on a competitor view. Made by seneca camera mfg. co. Rochester n.y. u.s.a.

I think mine was made around 1908 . mine is a 5x7.

al.b

tkamiya · Nov 18, 2012

Buying from reputable dealers do not guarantee you'll get the item as described, either. Used gear dealers don't check large amount of inventory they have to a degree we would. It may have been a good unit when they got it but in storage it can deteriorate. In shipping it can get knocked around. A lot can happen to gears. I had many pieces that had to go back for refund or exchanges.

It does guarantee you can return it and get a refund, however....

I have repaired relatively simple lenses like enlargement lenses. But it does take some finesse in doing so. If you are not comfortable with doing this or can risk the lens rendered completely useless as a result, I wouldn't try it. I have destroyed lenses in my attempts as well.

Mark Crabtree · Nov 18, 2012

I often find a very slight haze in lenses that are even just a few years old; plus it often returns every couple years. I've learned to work on my own as a way to keep this from driving me crazy. The faint haze I'm thinking of is hard to see, so I assume most sellers will just not notice it. The pro dealers use a small flashlight to check, especially when they are buying

But it is far too common to buy lenses that have obvious haze, fungus and other problems. It is certainly frustrating, and expensive. Nikkors are the least prone to these problems of any lenses I've seen, though obviously stuff can happen on anything 40 and 50 years old.

The Seneca lens linked above should be a fun project. It looks like a rapid rectilinear based triple convertible and looks to have Uniform System aperture markings. Hard to read the focal lengths. Is it 6"/14"/18". I hope we'll be seeing some great photos from it and the Olys.

Chris Nielsen · Nov 18, 2012

I also am hoping for great photos from the Oly lenses. I just got my first roll of Velvia back that I shot with the OM4 and it looks awesome, especially the shot I took of a car's engine bay using my T20 flash I used for the first time. Haven't had much luck with flashes but I squeed when I saw how well it had exposed the shot!

BrianShaw · Nov 18, 2012

When buying old camera gear I ALWAYS remember to add the following phrase to any sales description I'm reading: "considering how old as it is". Otherwise the expectations as a buyer of old camera gear get set too high.

As far as descriptions such as "freshly CLA'd","Like New", "Mint", "works perfectly... I pretend I never saw it. There are far too many things those phrases can mean.

BrianShaw · Nov 18, 2012

p.s. except for sticky shutters, major fungus/scratches, and sticky aperture blades in a SLR lens, most of the other afflictions are fairly innocuous in their affect on images.

ambaker · Nov 18, 2012

Chris Nielsen said:
...

Re the lubrication - I am loathe to pull the lenses apart, I would probably have screws left over when I am finished.

As I always tell my wife, after a repair "project". If I cannot put it back together with fewer pieces than the person who designed it, then I am no smarter than they are.

-Alex, spare parts is us, Baker

PS: if you want to know how much deterioration it takes to affect your images...

http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2008/10/front-element-scratches

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Stephanie Brim · Nov 18, 2012

tkamiya said:
Buying from reputable dealers do not guarantee you'll get the item as described, either. Used gear dealers don't check large amount of inventory they have to a degree we would. It may have been a good unit when they got it but in storage it can deteriorate. In shipping it can get knocked around. A lot can happen to gears. I had many pieces that had to go back for refund or exchanges.

It does guarantee you can return it and get a refund, however....

I have repaired relatively simple lenses like enlargement lenses. But it does take some finesse in doing so. If you are not comfortable with doing this or can risk the lens rendered completely useless as a result, I wouldn't try it. I have destroyed lenses in my attempts as well.

I have never regretted anything bought from KEH. It costs more, but it seems like they really do check. I tend to wait until I have multiple things I want, though, as buying one small thing ends up with ridiculous shipping.

Stephanie Brim · Nov 18, 2012

As to the Seneca, I'm more excited that it's a rapid rectilinear. When I saw it I was kind of excited, regardless of the condition, basically because I'll be broke for a little while now from buying the scanner I had to get to show you all my pictures. I had no money to buy another lens, really, and I have plenty of experience cleaning up equipment, so...

This should make for some fun shots. And if it does have a 6" focal length, it should also solve my 'this shot needs a wider angle lens than I have' issue about one of the photographs in the current project I'm working on.

hoffy · Nov 18, 2012

Stephanie Brim said:
I have never regretted anything bought from KEH. It costs more, but it seems like they really do check. I tend to wait until I have multiple things I want, though, as buying one small thing ends up with ridiculous shipping.

In the grand scheme of things, does gear from KEH REALLY cost more? When gear that I am interested in appears on ebay locally*, it is generally much more expensive then buying from KEH, even when you take postage into account. As for buying gear from Gumtree (our Craigslist) - I have yet to see much come up that I am interested in.

*Why the star? A bit of a rant - Asked a seller on here whether they would send to Australia. There response was 'Why don't you find a local vendor'.....there is a reason why us from Down Under are interested in buying gear internationally - WE CAN'T GET IT HERE!

Stephanie Brim · Nov 18, 2012

hoffy said:
*Why the star? A bit of a rant - Asked a seller on here whether they would send to Australia. There response was 'Why don't you find a local vendor'.....there is a reason why us from Down Under are interested in buying gear internationally - WE CAN'T GET IT HERE!

I have a policy: if you're willing to pay the shipping cost, I'm more than willing to take the extra five minutes of time to fill out the customs form. I sell yarn internationally now and, seriously, it's not that much extra time.

Sick of buying lenses that need work

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