Question for 24mm Elmarit users

[Luke_Miller]

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I recently picked up a used 24mm Elmarit for my M8.2. I notice that its focus ring is much more damped than that of my 28mm Summicron that I bought new. Focus on the Elmarit is smooth, but the effort required to move the ring is noticeably higher than with my Summicron. The effort is consistant throughout its movement. Is this normal?

[wparsonsgisnet]

I find that my 24/2.8 is pretty easy to focus, more so, in fact, than my 50 'lux-a.

 

The lens I find hardest to focus among those I have is the 75 'lux. It is my "stiffest" lens.

 

Of course, the lens that needs the least focusing is the widest, no?

[Luke_Miller]

Thanks, Bill.

 

My used 24 Elmarit is much stiffer focusing that either of the lenses I purchased new (28 and 50 Summicrons). But since focus is smooth it does not impair operation other than the additional effort required. So I will accept it as-is. For zone focus work it may be an advantage as focus is not likely to accidentally shift due to handling.

[luigi bertolotti]

A certain difference in the "effort" one must apply to focus can be normal... is a torque which depends on the mass of the assembly you rotate: a lens with heavy glass elements and a chrome (=heavier than black) mount could be typical in this sense: my Elmarit 24 (chrome, new) is appreciably harder to rotate than my black Elmarit 28.

And my Elmarit 21 asph (chrome, too) is a bit stiffer than the 24, though the mount is apparently identical (but design is quite different, and the 21 has "more glass" in the moving part of the lens).

If you do not feel friction or irregularity in stiffness within the throw movement, don't worry.

[Luke_Miller]

Thanks, luigi

 

My lenses are all black, but your point concerning the increased mass of the lens elements increasing the resistance makes perfect sense.

[chrism]

Spend an evening twisting the focus ring back and forth. It will become as silky smooth as any other lens that has been through the process.

 

Chris

[peter_n]

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For a couple of years I had two 24 Elmarits, one silver and one black. The silver one was more heavily damped than the black, and I put it down to the brass construction, but I have a black paint 35 Summicron and 50 Summilux (also brass) and they're as light to focus as the black 24 Elmarit. Probably just sample variation. I've used a number of Hexanon-M lenses and they're all consistently fairly heavily damped, but then the QC at Konica is legendary.