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Best aperture to store Leica Lens to prevent Oil?


stephengv

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Thanks Carlos. I will have all 3 CLAd soon and I might buy some kind of dry cabinet.

I am frustrated (if you couldn't tell!) as its all a considerable additional cost. 60C is far beyond what these lenses will have experienced but the oil is still there.

Aside from this, all is well, just a frustrating issue I'd love to avoid.

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  • 2 months later...

I always store my lenses wide open but it seems the best way is to store them fully stopped down. I've read it many times but can't remember the exact reason.

 

The only way to be sure we're doing the right thing is this:   On even numbered days, change the aperture in each of your lenses to the maximum and on odd numbered days change it to the minimum aperture. :D

Edited by Carlos Danger
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I did eventually get two of the three lenses CLA'd to remove the oil. Both went to a 'cult' US-based service person and both subsequently returned with the same amount of oil on the blades!

 

I communicated prior to sending them to make clear the sole purpose was to have the oil removed. I was told when I got them back that the oil was removed but, now I see it there again, it must have returned before I put eyes on them and that is not possible to remove the 'excessive lubricant from the lens barrels' (that Leica put there), nor to 'prevent grease on the aperture blade tips to from becoming oil on the blades'! And that it is somehow impossible to fix and that's that, have a nice day.

 

Along with a 35 Lux v2 that was poorly serviced, I definitely won't be send anything there again. I'll refrain from naming names publicly but it certainly put me off the whole US 'cult of the CLA guru' thing they seem to have.

 

I did eventually find someone reasonably local that cleaned them correctly and clearly knows what they are doing. I still haven't got a dry cabinet though, I spent all my money on CLAs! :(

 

For now I continue to leave them stopped down but always use them as much as possible.

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Well usually well below 30 degrees celcius of say 25ish in the summer with occasional high 20's but today was 32 or more on my trip to London tucked away in a black A&A bag my 28 summicron blades look dry, thankfully.

 

I tend to leave the aperture where I left it I guess f4 for most daylight shots sometimes 5.6-8 but never over 8 tbh at night wide open or one stop closed

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Well usually well below 30 degrees celcius of say 25ish in the summer with occasional high 20's but today was 32 or more on my trip to London tucked away in a black A&A bag my 28 summicron blades look dry, thankfully.

I tend to leave the aperture where I left it I guess f4 for most daylight shots sometimes 5.6-8 but never over 8 tbh at night wide open or one stop closed

You shouldn't have any problem.

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The only way to be sure we're doing the right thing is this: On even numbered days, change the aperture in each of your lenses to the maximum and on odd numbered days change it to the minimum aperture. :D

Since I never had any oil problems I think my method must be the correct one. Regularly exercising the lenses keeps them in good shape and one has not to worry about how to store them :)

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