2Bébèrt Posted May 2, 2008 Share #1  Posted May 2, 2008 Advertisement (gone after registration) I recently bought a second-hand Tele Elmar with some 20 years of life on the shell. Altough I was very pleased with the clean lenses and good condition, the focussing was all wrong. My other lenses focus like they should but this one was way off. Being a problem solver (for the worse and the better) I figgured out that the lens needed to get some adjustment and instead of sending it to a professional servide point, I adjusted it myself.  Here a short overview of my DIY session. (don't try this at home.. )  -part 1 Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/52101-focus-tele-elmar-1354/?do=findComment&comment=550329'>More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted May 2, 2008 Posted May 2, 2008 Hi 2Bébèrt, Take a look here Focus Tele Elmar 135/4. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
2Bébèrt Posted May 2, 2008 Author Share #2  Posted May 2, 2008 Part -2  after several file sessions (don't forget to remove all the dust) and focusing on a test chart,Nikon D70 Focus Chart I finnished up with a nice focusing Tele Elmar. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/52101-focus-tele-elmar-1354/?do=findComment&comment=550333'>More sharing options...
Stan Yoder Posted May 3, 2008 Share #3 Â Posted May 3, 2008 Does the distance scale now agree with the distance focused on? (I know, I know: never end a sentence with a preposition) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
2Bébèrt Posted May 3, 2008 Author Share #4  Posted May 3, 2008 Yes, the scale is more ore less representative to the actual distance. Lens focus is now right, for distend and near by objects. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
2Bébèrt Posted May 3, 2008 Author Share #5  Posted May 3, 2008 Before my "surgery" I had a close object at 1,70 meter (5.58 foot) and the lens when focussed in the rangefinder said almost 2 meter (6.56 foot). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeonardT Posted May 4, 2008 Share #6  Posted May 4, 2008 2Bébèrt,  You must really like adventure. I have taken apart this type of mount before and swore I would never do it again. I also found my Tele-Elmar back focused badly as well. It would not even focus to infinity on the M8. Like you I found the pad needed to be lengthened a bit. I found it wanted to be increased by the thickness of common Scotch tape or writing paper. I'm thinking maybe a very thin coating of liguid steel may work just fine and be a harder surface than solder. You did a great job that I'm too chicken to try. I currently have Scotch tape on mine.  Len   Len Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
2Bébèrt Posted May 4, 2008 Author Share #7  Posted May 4, 2008 Advertisement (gone after registration) Indeed, I like a bit of adventure . On the other hand, the idee of adding some tape played also wtih me but I feared it could get loose and that would not be a good catch for my shutter. Len, if you have good way to fix the steel, and to adjust it to the right lenght afterwards, let me know. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted May 4, 2008 Share #8 Â Posted May 4, 2008 Very interesting... I have the same problem with a Summicron 90, and thought the best way would be to adjust the coupling cam (I prefer not to operate on the body cam with the Allen key... fear too much that other lenses should be impacted). I don't know if I'll dare to operate with solderer, but the fact that someone hase made it with success is someway encouraging.... ... and appreciate also that someone has operated with layer(s) of scothch tape... me too have thought it could be a "no risk" way... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted May 5, 2008 Share #9 Â Posted May 5, 2008 Luigi, Â Interesting methodology of adjusting the focus cam but I am not sure it is necessary. I think you will find that the cam carrier (the square black bit below the triangular cam) can be undone with the 4 screws and the cam moved in and out relative to the carrier, for focus adjustment. Looking at the screws on yours, I wonder if someone has had a go at this before, which is why your 135/4 T-E was out of adjustment. Â Wilson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted May 5, 2008 Share #10  Posted May 5, 2008 Luigi, Interesting methodology of adjusting the focus cam but I am not sure it is necessary. I think you will find that the cam carrier (the square black bit below the triangular cam) can be undone with the 4 screws and the cam moved in and out relative to the carrier, for focus adjustment. Looking at the screws on yours, I wonder if someone has had a go at this before, which is why your 135/4 T-E was out of adjustment.  Wilson  Is it really like this ? I noticed the screws, and thought they could be used for fine adjusting, but till now I didn't dare to... but, thinking of it... I have an old (postwar) Hektor 135, no more used, that probably uses the same kind of assembly for cam operation... I 'll verify...could try with it to "experiment"; thanks, you gave me a good idea, I'll let you know... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbretteville Posted May 5, 2008 Share #11 Â Posted May 5, 2008 Well done for fixing it. It must be sample variation or the result of use, mine focuses spot on. - Carl Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted May 5, 2008 Share #12  Posted May 5, 2008 Well done for fixing it. It must be sample variation or the result of use, mine focuses spot on.- Carl  Yes - mine too and it is without a doubt the smoothest focusing of all my Leica lenses. I wish my nearly new chrome 50 Lux focused half as nicely.  Luigi's bravery has encouraged me though, to take off my 135 bayonet sometime in the near future, to send it to John Milich to get a special milling job done. He is going to extend the locking slot so it provides a proper limit stop when I over-rotate the lens to get the 90 frame lines. Secondly he is going to mill coding pits so that they line up when the lens is over-rotated. The codes do not activate for 135, unless the frame lines are in the 90/28 position, which I believe is correct for a 135, when it has spectacles.  At the moment I have my 135 T-E hand coded as a 135 Elmarit but you have to push and hold the frame lever over, both to get the better 90/28 viewing frame and to activate the coding. I have not managed to hand code accurately enough in the over-rotated position to get that to work. I know coding is not required for a lens as long as the 135 but it is nice to have the focal length stored on the EXIF.  Wilson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted May 5, 2008 Share #13 Â Posted May 5, 2008 It is possible to overrotate without lengthening the slot, Wilson, just activate the release button and rotate the last bit against the stop. Coding is not really important on these lenses imo, but I agree, it is more elegant technically. Edit: I see now what you mean, handcoding should work shifted. But who am I to speak. I only manage to get handcoding to work in less than 50% of my attempts... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted May 5, 2008 Share #14 Â Posted May 5, 2008 It is possible to overrotate without lengthening the slot, Wilson, just activate the release button and rotate the last bit against the stop. Coding is not really important on these lenses imo, but I agree, it is more elegant technically.Edit: I see now what you mean, handcoding should work shifted. But who am I to speak. I only manage to get handcoding to work in less than 50% of my attempts... Â Jaap, Â That is what I have been doing but I am concerned that the lens is sitting against the end of travel on the frame change mechanism and that I may be straining it. If I have a new positive stop, either a new lock tab slot or an extension of the existing one, that would relieve any strain on the frame change mechanism. It was John Milich's idea rather than mine but I agree with him. It would also give a more precise register to the coding slots in their different position. I know how accurate they have to be as I have hand done them in the over rotated position. Sometimes I will get a lens detection but more frequently not. Â Wilson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted May 5, 2008 Share #15 Â Posted May 5, 2008 It is not sitting against the end of travel of the frame change (which is quite robust btw - see how stiff the spring of the old Tri-Elmar is) - it is sitting against the end of the travel that is in the banjonet, as a positive stop. But I do see what you mean with the exactitude of the coding when there is no positive click. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alberti Posted May 5, 2008 Share #16 Â Posted May 5, 2008 --I only manage to get handcoding to work in less than 50% of my attempts... For me handcoding turned out to be a cheap way to get a whole range of lenses - as the DNG file told me, that is... alberti Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
2Bébèrt Posted May 5, 2008 Author Share #17  Posted May 5, 2008 Wilson, I to noticed the 4 screws at the back that hold the carrier but the carrier itself seems to be made out of one piece of solid copper. Besides I didn't had the right screwdriver to loosen them. The solder and the copper give a real solid feel and with the little force that is applied to it when pushing the rangfinder arm (lens converting wheel) it should last a lifetime. This is one very sharp lens! (100% crop) Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/52101-focus-tele-elmar-1354/?do=findComment&comment=552136'>More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted May 5, 2008 Share #18  Posted May 5, 2008 Wilson,I to noticed the 4 screws at the back that hold the carrier but the carrier itself seems to be made out of one piece of solid copper. Besides I didn't had the right screwdriver to loosen them. The solder and the copper give a real solid feel and with the little force that is applied to it when pushing the rangfinder arm (lens converting wheel) it should last a lifetime. This is one very sharp lens! (100% crop)  2Bebert,  I was looking at those screws and the carrier using my LED illuminated magnifier sensor viewer (what a great tool - rarely used for looking at my M8 sensor but been used for all sorts of other purposes). I cannot see what other purpose they could have except to lock the tongue of the focus cam in its adjusted position. As you say what a great lens it is. I use it for macros where I need a really large image of small object. DOF can be a bit of a problem and you really need to focus bracket. Hope this one does not give people nightmares.  Wilson Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/52101-focus-tele-elmar-1354/?do=findComment&comment=552169'>More sharing options...
2Bébèrt Posted May 5, 2008 Author Share #19  Posted May 5, 2008 Perhaps it is just to hold the tongue and if needed to replace it.  How do you use it as a Macro lens, with a Visoflex, bellow , extension ring ..? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted May 5, 2008 Share #20  Posted May 5, 2008 Perhaps it is just to hold the tongue and if needed to replace it. How do you use it as a Macro lens, with a Visoflex, bellow , extension ring ..?  2Bebert  Macro - much simpler - the T-E focuses quite close, so just use it normally and crop the image = same effect as macro. I was going to buy a Visoflex as the front of the T-E unscrews to go into a focusing adapter on the Viso. However Viso prices seem to have rocketed in the last few months.  Wilson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.