35mm summilux 1.4 Asph F/stop ring is loose and rotating Easily

[Manuello Paganelli]

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Hello Leica friends, the aperture ring on my 35mm summilux 1.4 Asph rotates easily without stopping anywhere unless I keep it on the right aperture. The blades open and close accordingly.  This started happening while I traveled to India for 6 weeks, where I had just returned from it. I shot over 150 rolls of Tmax 400, and when I developed it, it came out fine except for a few frames where I wasn't paying attention and it moved easily from f5.6 all the way to F/22 and vice versa.  Have anyone in here ever had that issue? I have been shooting M6 with Leica lenses since the late 80s and never encountered this problem with any lenses. TIA

[yukosteel]

From what you explain there is most likely malfunction of aperture click mechanics. It may be due to some dust or dirt migrating into the spring loaded pressing point that is holding aperture at place, or perhaps it got shifted inside. I was recently repairing Voigtlander 35mm F1.4 lens with similar symptoms, though in that case aperture ring jumped of it's place.

I plan to perform CLA soon for 35mm F1.4 Summilux ASPH per friend request, and will share more details about aperture ring area once have chance to look there closer.