tuck.kenney Posted July 14, 2014 Share #1 Â Posted July 14, 2014 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hi, guys, Â A weird question: if the focus tab is removed, will there be any negative consequences? Like exposing the lens' interior? Â I'm thinking about removing the tab from lux 50mm asph, because I find the tab annoying and I also quite like the handling of the cron 50mm's focusing ring. Â Lastly, if anyone has a picture of a Leica lens with tab removed, I would really appreciate you posting it. Â Thank you! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted July 14, 2014 Posted July 14, 2014 Hi tuck.kenney, Take a look here Removing Leica Lens Focus Tab. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Herr Barnack Posted July 14, 2014 Share #2 Â Posted July 14, 2014 To each his own, but I actually like the focusing tab on my lenses that have them. It would be great if my pre-ASPH 50 Summilux had one, but it doesn't. Â Bear in mind that if you grind off the focusing tab, you will cause a significant negative impact on the resale or trade-in value of the lens. Â You will also most likely introduce plstic or polycarbonate (or whatever material the tab is made of) dust and particles into the inner workings of your lens in the process of grinding off the focusing tab. JMHO, but that would be a deal breaker on doing this. YMMV... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DigitalHeMan Posted July 14, 2014 Share #3 Â Posted July 14, 2014 I've heard of people grinding them off before, but as Carlos said, the focusing tab is a mostly seen as a good thing. That's the main reason I purchased the ASPH over the Pre-ASPH. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 14, 2014 Share #4 Â Posted July 14, 2014 ... or an older version of the Summicron 50mm. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuck.kenney Posted July 14, 2014 Author Share #5 Â Posted July 14, 2014 thanks, guys! Â i'm not thinking about grinding it off. i was thinking about sending it back to leica or to a shop to take the tab off. but i was worried that removing it may leave some kind of holes or openings on the surface, which will expose the interior. Â now, thanks to you guys, i'm thinking about finding out if the lux pre-asph's focus ring will fit on the asph's lens. i hope leica has some spare parts around and will do a swap for me. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgk Posted July 14, 2014 Share #6 Â Posted July 14, 2014 Assuming that its bolted on then it shouldn't be a problem to remove and fill any holes with appropriate 'grub screws'. I know that Malcolm Taylor has fitted such screws to small holes for other parts so I don't see it being a problem. However it might be worth getting a specialist independent technician to do this as they are probably able to be more understanding of 'customisation' that Leica themselves;). If there is a different method of retaining it in place then I'm sure that someone will be able to come up with a solution. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
IWC Doppel Posted July 14, 2014 Share #7 Â Posted July 14, 2014 Advertisement (gone after registration) I preferred with tab for a while, but now find the choice of with of without is sensible (short throw low friction seem to have tabs most of the time) Â I'd be tempted to get used to it, there's a lot with tabs out there, in fact most I suspect Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsh Posted July 14, 2014 Share #8 Â Posted July 14, 2014 If you send the lens to Leica, they will remove the tab and fill the two holes where screws held the tab in place with two smaller screws. The tabs can be re attached at any time by Leica. Â I think the service is around 150.00 and will have no negative impact on the look of the lens. I have considered doing it myself. 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rafe Posted July 16, 2014 Share #9 Â Posted July 16, 2014 I find that for me, a focus ring is much more comfortable than a tab. I had DAG remove the tab from my 50 Summilux ASPH. He filled the holes. The 50 Lux ASPH has both a focus ring and a tab, so this worked out very nicely, whereas a lens with only the tab would not be a good candidate. 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
piblondin Posted March 22, 2015 Share #10 Â Posted March 22, 2015 I find that for me, a focus ring is much more comfortable than a tab. I had DAG remove the tab from my 50 Summilux ASPH. He filled the holes. The 50 Lux ASPH has both a focus ring and a tab, so this worked out very nicely, whereas a lens with only the tab would not be a good candidate. Â How much did you pay for this? I much prefer my lenses without the tabs and would be interested in having them removed. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter H Posted March 22, 2015 Share #11 Â Posted March 22, 2015 I find that for speed, the tab can be a great help. Â Learning more-or-less where the lens is focussed just by sense of touch as you raise the camera to your eye can be a wonderful thing.... Â (Apologies for not answering the question.) Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill W Posted March 22, 2015 Share #12 Â Posted March 22, 2015 Tabs/no tabs, I really never give it much thought and just use it regardless. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted March 23, 2015 Share #13 Â Posted March 23, 2015 For me a focus tab has always been important and I do not have fat fingers. I wonder how people focus without a tab. Tell me! Â I have an order with SK Grimes for a tab for a Summicron 50mm which is not moving through their queue. Dunno. I am about to engineer my own. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gberger Posted March 23, 2015 Share #14 Â Posted March 23, 2015 (edited) Okay, pico, Â If there is another way to focus, other than the tab, I use it. I'm a left eye shooter and left-handed to boot. I've found that focusing my Zeiss 21/2.8 is easy, as well as my Zeiss 35/2. Yeah, and the focus on my Leica 90 Elmarit is a dream. The tab on my son-in-law's 35 Lux Asph just gets in the way. Â YMMV, Just my two cents. Edited March 23, 2015 by gberger the 35 lus is my son-in-law's Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted March 23, 2015 Share #15  Posted March 23, 2015 Okay, pico, If there is another way to focus, other than the tab, I use it. I'm a left eye shooter and left-handed to boot. I've found that focusing my Zeiss 21/2.8 is easy, as well as my Zeiss 35/2. Yeah, and the focus on my Leica 90 Elmarit is a dream. The tab on my son-in-law's 35 Lux Asph just gets in the way.  YMMV, Just my two cents.  I have only three vital fingers on my left hand, and they are half-dead so a focus tab is very helpful. Glad all is well with you. . Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gberger Posted March 23, 2015 Share #16 Â Posted March 23, 2015 pico, Good for you!! You've got the willingness (and guts) to do what it takes to use your camera. Â Cheers, George Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
piblondin Posted March 23, 2015 Share #17  Posted March 23, 2015 For me a focus tab has always been important and I do not have fat fingers. I wonder how people focus without a tab. Tell me! I have an order with SK Grimes for a tab for a Summicron 50mm which is not moving through their queue. Dunno. I am about to engineer my own.  I had never had a lens with a focus tab before moving to Leica gear, so I had years of experience focusing lenses without a tab. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen a DSLR lens with a focus tab! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeBee Posted June 24, 2024 Share #18  Posted June 24, 2024 I hope you don't mind unearthing this thread. I would like to know if anyone has successfully removed the tabs from the lens through Leica and, if so, the cost and procedure for doing so. I have a couple of Leica lenses in mind, but the focus tab is a dealbreaker for me. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndreasG Posted June 24, 2024 Share #19  Posted June 24, 2024 Check here on Youtube, basically you need to open the lens to get access to the holding screw of the tabs  Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeBee Posted June 24, 2024 Share #20  Posted June 24, 2024 36 minutes ago, AndreasG said: Check here on Youtube, basically you need to open the lens to get access to the holding screw of the tabs I prefer to get this through Leica, or I might void the lens warranty. 🙂 Do you have any pointers? Do I need to contact the local Leica service centre for this or Wetzlar? I spoke to the Sydney store about this, and they did not know much about removing tabs. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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