90 tele EL repair...needed or not? IR-related

[Mikep996]

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A few years back I dropped my 90mm Tele El on a concrete floor. The sliding lens hood and the outer portion of the lens where the threads are (don't know what that's called) were dented. As a result, a filter cannot be screwed onto the lens. There was no damage to the elements or internal functioning of the lens. I reformed the sliding hood sufficiently so it would slide properly again but did nothing with the dented thread portion because I never used filters with my M3 or M6.

 

However, now, with my "new" M8 waiting for me in TX when I get there in March, I wonder if I need to get the lens repaired. I have read all about the IR issues and the need for IR filters. In its present condition, a filter cannot be screwed onto my 90. So...two questions...

 

If I understand the IR issue correctly, ALL lenses need to have filters to avoid the IR-influenced color changes that can occur with the M8 sensor. So the 90 would need an IR filter the same as my 28 and 50, (and my soon to be acquired 12mm Voigt) correct?

 

If that is the case, where should the lens be sent for repair? Leica NJ seems a logical choice but do any of the well-known Leica repair/CLA folks (Sherry Krauter, etc) do that sort of work?

 

Ok...a third question - I do a lot of antique clock/pocket watch restoration so I'm comfortable with repair work on fairly small, fiddly devices. I would consider disassembling the lens myself and trying to re-form or replace the threaded portion but I would first want some sort of disassembly instructions. Are instructions available anywhere? Well, a FOURTH question...If I could disassemble that portion of the lens and could NOT reform it, where could a replacement part be obtained?

 

Of course, if the general feeling is "It doesn't matter on a 90mm," that would be the best solution!

 

Thanks!

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[jaapv]

1. A repairperson would probably try to restore the dent enough to be able to mount a filter without disassembling

2. Yes you really need a filter.

3. You should send the lens to Leica, it may wel have unnoticed internal damage - this lens is prone to it, I found from experience.

[tobey bilek]

My M8 is a month old about. It came with one B+W 486 uv/ir cut.

 

You do not need them if you work outside and are willing to do a lot of photoshop work to get the colors correct. I tried generic remapping from photos made from color checker with limited success. The purple magenta blacks is pretty easy to resolve with the K tool set in ACR ( k is keyboard shortcut). Set saturation to zero. Set auto masking to "on". Paint offending area. takes 30 sec and it goes black.

 

Greens seem to be the worst in outdoor work. they go off color worse than others. Make a selection,move it to new layer, apply a green photofilter "clipped to that one layer, and adjust density as required.

 

Yup the pics now look normal or close. A big pain to do. Without photoshop you do not have a prayer.

 

Tungsten light. Forget it. They can not be fixed and there is no way to remap .

 

I ordered 3 more filter dues to arrive today, cost $300 +. Two lenses required the E60 which cost me $200 alone. They will share it.

 

Now WHEN YOU ADD THE FILTER, you get cyan corners. Corner fix is one solution. Photoshop is another by using vignette control in ACR and a red photofilter modified by a radial gradient and layer opacity IN PHOTOSHOP. The Action runs so fast I can not time it. By hand it takes a minute if you remember the settings and presave the gradient, black to transparent.

 

Or code the lenses. Look into self coding.

 

That is my opinion on the colors after weeks worth of work. Reinvent the wheel if you wish. It took all this to get them to look better than my Nikon colors.

 

Any repair man has a threaded expansion tool to bend the threads back into place. Leica will want to replace the component at a cost of big $. Go cheap to start.

 

Enjoy the M8. Wonderful camera once you get it set up.