ethics_gradient
19-Jun-2021, 03:46
I picked up a Yamasaki Congo 18cm f/4.5 for fairly cheap on eBay even after shipping from Japan - mostly because it has some light haze/fungus inside. I've had good luck servicing simpler lenses before and thought it'd be a good candidate for wet plate portraiture, but I can't tell if the front group is cemented or if the nameplate ring is just on there really good (to be fair I don't have a set of those rubber grip things, so just tried using the corner of a kitchen anti-slip mat after putting it in the freezer for a few hours).
It otherwise disassembles quite readily and I can get to the other surfaces without any issues.
Does anyone have any knowledge or tips? I could try putting the front group in the oven on a low setting and seeing if heat does anything, perhaps softens a threadlocker that might be on there?
I'd also be interested if anyone's got an idea how I could get a rough date for it. The serial number is 32493.
It otherwise disassembles quite readily and I can get to the other surfaces without any issues.
Does anyone have any knowledge or tips? I could try putting the front group in the oven on a low setting and seeing if heat does anything, perhaps softens a threadlocker that might be on there?
I'd also be interested if anyone's got an idea how I could get a rough date for it. The serial number is 32493.