Home · Register · Join Upload & Sell

Moderated by: Fred Miranda
Username  

  New fredmiranda.com Mobile Site
  New Feature: SMS Notification alert
  New Feature: Buy & Sell Watchlist
  

FM Forums | Leica & Alternative Gear | Join Upload & Sell

  

Archive 2017 · Repair guide/help for Distagon 35/2 ZF.2 ?

  
 
hmzimelka
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Repair guide/help for Distagon 35/2 ZF.2 ?


Hi all,

My Distagon 35/2 ZF.2 has developed a slight amount of play on the front barrel and focus ring. It's really annoying

I've opened the rear of this lens before to repair the CPU, where a crack had developed on the side of the CPU's plastic, which had separated slightly and caused it to fail. I glued these together and haven't had another issue since. Basically, I'm not scared to get in there, and I'm fairly confident that the parts that have become loose are not very deep and should be right behind the aperture ring. I just don't want to go in blindly and simply explore, unless the lens is really basic and not complicated.

Has anyone got some guidance for me please



Aug 17, 2017 at 05:43 AM
hmzimelka
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Repair guide/help for Distagon 35/2 ZF.2 ?


OK, so I just decided to wing it, and it worked.
The Distagon is easy to disassemble, and most of the hardest parts can be avoided completely for this fix.

I did it the long way, removing the mount, the mount's baffle, the CPU, the aperture ring (and its tiny click ball)...
The short and easy way is to simply remove the mount screws (careful, there are extremely thin washers/shims between the mount and the lens. They are important and they look like they can be damaged by just looking at them!)

Once the mount is removed one can see 4 screws, marked with red circles below. Note, the image shows how the lens looks like with the aperture ring, etc removed.
Loosen these 4 screws and the whole DOF scale ring, with aperture ring, will come off from the lens barrel in one piece.

You'll probably notice some infinity adjustment shims ( I had two, one thick and one thin). Remove these carefully as they are thin and susceptible to dirt. Under these shims are 2 copper helicoid guides. They are each held in place by two screws. Mine weren't particularly tight. I tightened these screws, assembled the lens, and the wobble/play problem was solved.

http://www.martinzimelka.com/sample_images/DistagonZF2_35f2.jpg



Aug 19, 2017 at 04:29 AM
lbloom
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Repair guide/help for Distagon 35/2 ZF.2 ?


Thank you for posting back with this.


Aug 19, 2017 at 07:55 PM
rdeloe
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Repair guide/help for Distagon 35/2 ZF.2 ?


You did well! Repairing my Distagon 21/2.8 by Zeiss cost me over $550 USD for a similar-sized problem. Ugh.


Aug 19, 2017 at 08:18 PM
hmzimelka
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Repair guide/help for Distagon 35/2 ZF.2 ?


Thanks. And I hope it can help someone save money for an issue that, in my opinion, shouldn't come about so early in a lens' time in service.

I've said it before, but Zeiss' build quality is extremely deceptive at first, but from the various ZF lenses I've owned, used and rented, it's become clear to me that these lenses simply don't have the build of the older Ai or Ais Nikkors. The Zeiss might feel better and smoother new, but thats where it ends. Alone the amount of CPU failures on ZF.2 lenses I've experienced, and seen others write about, is a bit concerning. Hopefully I'm alone in my experiences with Zeiss.



Aug 21, 2017 at 05:00 AM
Andre Y
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Repair guide/help for Distagon 35/2 ZF.2 ?


I've had the CPU chip fail on my ZF.2 35/2 as well. Thanks for the guide!


Aug 21, 2017 at 04:23 PM
hmzimelka
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Repair guide/help for Distagon 35/2 ZF.2 ?


Well, I was lucky to find the fault of the CPU failure... it started with intermittent interruptions where the camera didn't register a CPU, and I would for a time have to set the Non-CPU lens data and shoot with manual aperture.

At first I thought it was dirty contacts, but then eventually after two attempts at opening, cleaning and reseating I noticed a small crack down the side of the CPU casing. I used epoxy resin to glue it together again, and it worked. No issues for over a year.



Aug 23, 2017 at 01:58 AM





FM Forums | Leica & Alternative Gear | Join Upload & Sell

    
 

You are not logged in. Login or Register

Username       Or Reset password



This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.