Stuck aperture blades

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KayJay

Give us a Tena
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I managed to salvage a Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 2.8/50 m42 lens recently but it appears as though the aperture blades are stuck wide open. Has anyone had any experience with repairing such a lens or similar that could offer some guidance? Don't get me wrong, I like my DoF as much as the next person, but it'd be nice to have a fully functioning lens.
 
can you see any obvious way in there?

I've managed to screw the rear elements out of a lens drop a little liquid lighter fluid or 'the bloody good solvent which cannot be named' in there to dissolve the oil and free up the blades. The really nice 50mm f1.4 SMC takumer I bought with stuck blades was sent to a guy in scotland for a service, cost £36 I think and came back spot on.
 
This is a great lens when working properly. I recently bought one off that famous auction site, which had sticking blades. I returned it to the vendor because it wasn't as advertised. However, if you want to service the lens your self. The instructions can be found in the link below.

Good luck.


http://oomz.net/tessar/
 
After I had returned the lens, I decided I wanted to get a replacement. So, whilst on holiday in Scotland a month ago, I found it's replacement in a charity shop. It is in mint condition and came complete with a Praktica MTL 5B camera, all for £8! The photograph below was taken a week after purchase when we had moved on to Cumbria, which I felt was not too bad considering.

There is quite a steep learning curve using this type of equipment, but I feel that things will improve.

I am now trawling local charity shops searching for CZ 135mm lens.:)

The exif for this shot says f1.4, which is the default setting for a chipped adapter, but if I remember correctly was f5.6. Not ideal I know for landscape.


168.jpg Cumbria by killwilly, on Flickr
 
Thanks for the replies folks. There is an entry point at the back but the screws seem to be pretty well... screwed. They just won't budge and I don't want to force it. Apparently it's still gorgeous wide open. I actually bought a Praktica MTL5 from here specifically for this lens but the camera was sold as was. The camera was dead but the lens seems to still have a bit of life in it. I've noticed recently that the blades have started moving ever so slightly but no where near well enough to be considered full functional. I might just have to live with it and perhaps use it as a portrait lens wide open.

Will take a look at the link posted and see if that offers any help.

Thanks again.
 
killwilly said:
This is a great lens when working properly. I recently bought one off that famous auction site, which had sticking blades. I returned it to the vendor because it wasn't as advertised. However, if you want to service the lens your self. The instructions can be found in the link below.

Good luck.


http://oomz.net/tessar/
Click to expand...

Thanks Alan, this looks perfect. I might attempt this tomorrow.
 
It's not difficult to take a lens to pieces, it's putting it back together (as the bag full of bits lying in my drawer that used to be a 50mm f/1.4 Minolta illustrate) that's the tricky bit :lol:
 
Flash In The Pan said:
It's not difficult to take a lens to pieces, it's putting it back together (as the bag full of bits lying in my drawer that used to be a 50mm f/1.4 Minolta illustrate) that's the tricky bit :lol:
Click to expand...

ha ha, aye, that's what I was thinking. The guide that was linked in the thread states that there are some tricky parts of putting it back together. A quiet Sunday along should do the trick.
 
puggie said:
can you see any obvious way in there?

I've managed to screw the rear elements out of a lens drop a little liquid lighter fluid or 'the bloody good solvent which cannot be named' in there to dissolve the oil and free up the blades. .
Click to expand...

erm why can't you say Ronsonol :shrug:
 
the good stuff is trich'

awesome solvent but somewhat frowned upon these days :)
 
I too have a lens on the shelf, next to a tin with the 'bits left over' from my attempt :thinking:

I intend to get another lens to take apart to see how this one goes back together :lol:
 
Tricky69 said:
I too have a lens on the shelf, next to a tin with the 'bits left over' from my attempt :thinking:

I intend to get another lens to take apart to see how this one goes back together :lol:
Click to expand...

You will probably then have two on the shelf in the same state of disrepair.:lol:
 
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