Question regarding Voigtlander 35mm f1.4

[sv.lad]

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The lens has this ring on the bottom, do you know what is the purpose of it? Can I use the lens safety without this ring (I just damaged mine 😣)? 

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[Ko.Fe.]

Most likely you are pooped. This ring is one of the part responsible for focus. Lenses are not like computers, they will not work if one part is removed.

[lct]

Not sure that ring plays any role in the focusing process or if its purpose is simply to protect the rear element. Can you still focus the lens accurately? If yes that ring is only protective i guess but i would ask our colleague Andy Piper ("adan") who's using that same lens IINW.

[sv.lad]

I can focus without it and cannot with, because I bent it a bit and l cannot return it to the normal state

[lct]

I would remove the ring then but the rear element is exposed to possible damages this way so better have the lens fixed ASAP IMHO.

[adan]

13 hours ago, lct said:

i would ask our colleague Andy Piper ("adan") who's using that same lens IINW.

Gee, thanks, lct!

This is not part of the focusing system. It is a protective ring for the back piece of glass.

If you do not get it repaired or replaced, as lct says, there is the possibility of scratching the center of the rear surface of the glass if you set the lens down 1) on the lens mount 2) without a rear cap in place, and 3) with the lens set to infinity. Without the ring's protective "feet" in place, the glass protrudes past the mount a fraction of a mm and can rub on a tabletop or such.

It is the kind of thing where you could go for years being careful (or lucky), and never have a problem, or make one slip and end up with permanent damage that would show in pictures as flare of various types, and require replacing the whole back glass element.

Here are a few places that offer Voigtlander repair service - depends on your location. There are probably others.

 

[FrozenInTime]

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It's a mystery why voigtlander have not  redesigned their rear M lens caps to something that does not fall off.so easily.

[250swb]

Contact Voigtlander and ask them to send a new ring.

In the meantime carry on using it, but be careful no to put it down on a belt sander or use a piece of rock instead of a cloth to clean the rear element. You might also want to do the Leica dance which involves running around waving your arms in the air in panic of what could happen, but on this occasion I think you have enough people already doing that for you. And if you get a mark on the rear element (which you won't because you are careful), it will cause flare, yeah, like that will change the characteristics of the Voigtlander 35mm f/1.4 Nokton, lol.

[sv.lad]

Thanks guys, looks like I fixed it, the issue was that the "sticking out parts" of the ring were in the wrong position, maybe because I twisted it somehow in a wrong way so one of these sticking part was preventing the movement of camera's focusing element. 

[trisberg]

Glad you got it fixed. Looking at my new Nokton 35mm f1.4 ii, I don't see these tabs, they must have redesigned the rear part of the lens.

-Thomas