Want to Buy WTB: Miranda/Soligor PAD lens

[Terry Christian]

I just obtained a Miranda DR to go along with a Miranda A I have, and unfortunately the lens' aperture mechanism is shot. Attempts to revive it proved futile.

So, I'm looking to see if anyone here might have a Miranda or Soligor branded lens with a PAD (pressure activated diaphragm) -- the little sidearm, similar to those on Exaktas, that presses the shutter button on the camera. This isn't my photo, but illustrates what I mean. Thank you!

 

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[Yashinoff]

The diaphragms in all of my PAD lenses required serious cleaning to work properly. One of them needs to be cleaned again after a pretty thorough cleaning just last year. Common problem. Watch ebay, the 50mm and 135mm PAD lenses come up often enough.

 

[Jon Goodman]

I have a couple of the other style...the pin connect on the opposite side. Did you remove the lens elements to clean the aperture? As already mentioned, those frequently need cleaning.
Jon

 

[Terry Christian]

Jon, my skills at tinkering with lenses are few and far between. I wasn't able to remove the front element, but I was indeed able to remove the back element. Still, there's the question of the mechanism inside the PAD sidearm thingy, and I'm not able to get inside that, or the bulk of the lens body, to clean it all.

 

[Yashinoff]

Terry, the entire front of the lens unscrews as a unit with all front elements included. Simply grab the front of the lens with your hand and unscrew it, it probably isn't even very tight. I'll get a photo if that would help. Once the front is unscrewed you have plenty of access to the diaphragm leaves, but it might take an hour or more of repeated wiping with lighter fluid to get them clean enough to work freely. Let the lens dry over night before screwing the front back on.

 

[Terry Christian]

Thanks, Yashinoff. I'll try that tomorrow. I had merely tried using a couple of small screwdrivers as a spanner to try to take the front element out, but it was so tight I couldn't manage it.

 

[Yashinoff]

You won't need to remove the trim ring etc. Just get a grip on the front of the barrel ahead of the aperture ring. That's one of the nicer things about these PAD lenses.

 

[Terry Christian]

IT'S ALIVE! IT'S ALIIIIIIIIIVE! I was able to get the front element off just as you instructed, bathed both the fronts and backs of the aperture blades with lighter fluid, and lo and behold, even the PAD button is springing the leaves back to life again! Thanks, Yashinoff!

Oops, I spoke too soon. The lens is stopping down to the smallest aperture when the button is pressed, regardless of the f-stop set on the ring.

 

[Yashinoff]

I'll take a look at mine and see if I can figure out something that'd help. Checking simple things first though, are all the set screws around the aperture ring present, and does it click into stops?

 

[Terry Christian]

Yes it does. One of the set screws is missing, but I've made sure the other two are tightened down well. In the meantime I hope it'll behave differently once the lighter fluid dries completely overnight.

A portion of the inner wall of the lens, just behind the front element, seems to have a mechanism that controls how much the lens is stopped down when the button is pressed. Presumably it is controlled by the aperture ring; but currently no such connection, if there is one, is functioning.

 

[Yashinoff]

Ok. So the red arrow points to a lever which rides on a ramp. This controls how far the diaphragm opens when the button is pressed. If the lever has somehow slipped off the ramp then turning the aperture ring (which is connected to the ramp) will not change the diaphragm size. If this is the case get the lever to ride on the ramp and check that the lock ring (green arrow) is not loose.

 

[Terry Christian]

On mine, the aperture ring doesn't move the ramp or the inside sleeve that it is connected to (just inside from the lock ring, about where the tails of your arrows are). The lock ring is indeed not loose; I can't even get it to budge.

 

[Yashinoff]

Unfortunately I can't find my jewellers screw drivers to take mine apart any further. I suspect that if you loosen the remaining set screws on the aperture ring you can remove it, it should be engaging the sleeve in the picture that you mentioned via a screw or peg. It's possible somebody took it apart previously and just didn't put the parts back together correctly. Otherwise it's broken. That's all the help I can offer unfortunately.

 

[Terry Christian]

It isn't engaging that sleeve at all, so I assume it is indeed broken. I'll compare it to the lens on my other Miranda to confirm that. I'll continue to check on eBay for a replacement. Thanks very much for your help!

 

[binglebugbob]

You may already know it, but the "side arm" for the Miranda Sensorex series lenses does not mate up with the Sensomat series bodies (which are similar to the DR and other early models). The lenses will mount on both bodies, but the side arm on the lenses is NOT the same. Bottom line: If someone offers you the lens from a Sensorex, it can be used.... but you probably won't be thrilled.

I have a Miranda waist level finder near mint in original box that I could part with. It fits the Sensorex, but I don't know if it fits the DR or Sensomat series cameras.
bob

 

[Terry Christian]

Thanks, Bob. Is there an easy way to identify the non-compatible Miranda lenses? I only have early models: an A and a DR.

 

[Yashinoff]

A and DR predate the Sensomat line by a decade, so it should be obvious. Also the A and DR do not have meters either, so even if you mount the Sensorex lenses - there's no meter for them to couple to.