PDA

View Full Version : Lens Repair: My lens elements have separation



alpenhause
12-Mar-2012, 09:36
Need a bit of help, I am looking for a repair shop that can repair lens element separation, I have a 135mm f3.5 Schneider Xenotar large format lens that need to be re-cemented.

I am thinking of doing this repair myself so any repair tips would be most appreciated and of course repair shop referals.

Louis Pacilla
12-Mar-2012, 10:01
Here is a link to "Focal Point".


http://www.focalpointlens.com/fp_intro.html

petrochemist
14-Mar-2012, 00:44
Xylene (Xylol) will apparently dissolve the balsam usually used to cement the lenses together, so this should remove the traces of the old cement allowing you to redo it. Good luck!!!

Steven Tribe
14-Mar-2012, 02:35
This is an older lens with 4 elements and just one balsam layer - perhaps with non high tech mounting and collimation?
Should be OK for the methods described in the balsam threads.

E. von Hoegh
14-Mar-2012, 09:18
Need a bit of help, I am looking for a repair shop that can repair lens element separation, I have a 135mm f3.5 Schneider Xenotar large format lens that need to be re-cemented.

I am thinking of doing this repair myself so any repair tips would be most appreciated and of course repair shop referals.

If you don't have any experience with this, it would be best to practice on some "junk" lenses. It's too easy to turn a good lens with a separation issue into a trashed lens. Recementing isn't very difficult, just requires some experience and familiarity.

You could pick up one or two old RR lenses, if you are lucky, two lenses will give you four cells to practice on. You could wind up with two perfectly good RRs to resell, as well as the requisite experience to recement your own lenses. (smiling smiley)

Steven Tribe
14-Mar-2012, 09:47
Agreed. The learning curve falls quickly, though! I can do a balsam job now in between preparing vegetables in the kitchen. The only really danger events are removing from the cells and handling.

Jason Greenberg Motamedi
14-Mar-2012, 09:51
Often the hardest part of cementing is getting the elements out of the barrel. This shouldn't be too hard with a modern lens like the Xenotar, but many earlier lenses had their elements burnished in, and bending back that strip of brass can be difficult.