Rolleiflex lens separation?

[hlens]

I've got a friend in france that has a rolleiflex that's been sitting in the basement collecting dust for god knows how many years.

Correct me if i'm wrong but the lenses looks like to have some sort of separation?

 

[freecom2]

Absolutely classic Carl Zeiss lens separation, I'm afraid. Pretty bad as well.

 

[RaglanSurf]

Absolutely classic Carl Zeiss lens separation, I'm afraid. Pretty bad as well.

A sad sight but on the plus side it's now Lomo ready

 

[excalibur2]

You could try a film in it as it could still give very good results.

 

[hlens]

A sad sight but on the plus side it's now Lomo ready

thanks for the reply guys, its really a shame

do you guys know how much it usually cost to re-cement the lens? Since i will get the camera pretty much for free might aswell fork out some cash to save it.

 

[freecom2]

With re-cementing, it isn't just the price that is the issue - because of the process, there is a risk that the glass shatters completely. And I've only heard of re-cementing services in the US as well.

If you store it correctly, it shouldn't get any worse hopefully. Edge separation usually isn't too bad but separation across the element could cause some serious problems with sharpness - since the elements aren't correctly aligned.

 

[hlens]

With re-cementing, it isn't just the price that is the issue - because of the process, there is a risk that the glass shatters completely. And I've only heard of re-cementing services in the US as well.

If you store it correctly, it shouldn't get any worse hopefully. Edge separation usually isn't too bad but separation across the element could cause some serious problems with sharpness - since the elements aren't correctly aligned.

That's a bummer, Though sending it to the US going to be a pain so no rollei repairers in UK/EU that will able to recement it? I've sent an email to Brian Mickleboro and Newton Ellis see if they can do anything about it.

I'll do a few test shot and report back when i receive the camera next week but this doesn't look good.

ahh there goes all my excitement for nothing now. Well i guess on the bright side as Raglan said I could get into lomo

 

[TheGreatSoprendo]

Perhaps a lens transplant is easier...if you had a lens from an otherwise knackered one. Possible that one of the repairers has such a thing.

 

[freecom2]

Fixing lens separation and being a Rolleiflex repairman are very different things, really. I heartily recommend Brian, he's a professional and an absolute gent, but he's in the business of mechanics of the camera rather than the optical side.

 

[hlens]

thanks for all the replies guys, i asked my friend to take couple more pics of the lens and seems to be clear? Maybe it was just a coating reflection after all?
she said she cannot see anything with the naked eye, she even tried using a loupe. The lens is crystal clear with only few dust marks. Oh well i'll just have to wait and see when it arrives.

 

[freecom2]

The coating on my 3.5F Planar is a single shade of purple, from various angles - including the two angles you posted pictures from. I can't tell which 3.5 that is (it looks like a 3.5F though), but that rainbow pattern is classic lens separation, at least according to the pictures you posted.

It will look different from different angles, because of the way the light will bounce off the elements, but I'm about 90% sure you are not looking at a coating reflection. If you look at it straight on, separation may be difficult to discern - you need to look side on.

Also, with the description of how it has been stored, that increases the likelihood further that it is lens separation.

 

[hlens]

The coating on my 3.5F Planar is a single shade of purple, from various angles - including the two angles you posted pictures from. I can't tell which 3.5 that is (it looks like a 3.5F though), but that rainbow pattern is classic lens separation, at least according to the pictures you posted.

It will look different from different angles, because of the way the light will bounce off the elements, but I'm about 90% sure you are not looking at a coating reflection. If you look at it straight on, separation may be difficult to discern - you need to look side on.

Also, with the description of how it has been stored, that increases the likelihood further that it is lens separation.

ah i see, that explains alot yeah she took a picture from an angle and the rainbow effect is back Well thanks for all your help freecom2, reparing it is not an option anymore, so I guess i'll have to wait until the cameras arrives and do few test rolls.
Will report back with the results, fingers crossed!

What a shame though the rest of the camera is in a superb condition just needs abit of cleaning :bang:

 

[freecom2]

ah i see, that explains alot yeah she took a picture from an angle and the rainbow effect is back Well thanks for all your help freecom2, reparing it is not an option anymore, so I guess i'll have to wait until the cameras arrives and do few test rolls.
Will report back with the results, fingers crossed!

What a shame though the rest of the camera is in a superb condition just needs abit of cleaning :bang:

Yeah, run some rolls through it, you may even barely notice any problems when you look at the negatives. I noticed your thread at RFF, hopefully someone there can potentially suggest a recementing repairer (but as I said earlier, it's a specialised jobs and the risk of shatter is a big possibility).

 

[hlens]

Hi guys, a little update I received my camera back last week from John Van Stelten at Focal Point in the States, just to simply put it he did an amazing job!

The lens is now spotless! He even offered to do a CLA while he was at it to save me the hassle to resend it again to a second repairer, even though he does not do repairs on bodies anymore due to the work load he had on lenses!

So the camera is in perfect condition now!

did a few test rolls and its superb!

here's a crop

though i came across this while trying to do some bulb shots at night, not sure if its lightleak or the shutter release cable didnt release properly as It only happened on few frames. Any ideas?

edit: Actually i just tested it, i think the cable release is the culprit, sometimes the cable doesn't release all the way and the shutter is kept open doh!:bonk::bonk:

 

[RaglanSurf]

Blimey that's impressive and the crop's from the edge of the frame.

Dare I ask how much it cost to get repaired?

 

[hlens]

Blimey that's impressive and the crop's from the edge of the frame.

Dare I ask how much it cost to get repaired?

$295 for the separation (it was abit higher since it was the F series) and $195 for the CLA, so works about about £320 quid + shipping, though since i got the camera practically for free it was well worth it!

 

[RaglanSurf]

$295 for the separation (it was abit higher since it was the F series) and $195 for the CLA, so works about about £320 quid + shipping, though since i got the camera practically for free it was well worth it!

That's pretty reasonable when you consider what you've ended up with, it's a classic.

 

[freecom2]

For a serviced, re-cemented Planar lens 3.5F, that's pretty decent. Congratulations!