My Contax VS 100-300 needs repair - any service in EU?

aCIDfire7

Hello guys, I´d like to ask you for help with diagnose what´s going on bad with my Contax 100-300 Sad

I bought the lens from Thailand (eBay) in like new
condition before my vacation in Greece and it arrived one day before we leave so I didn´t test it before. From the shots on A7r II (with 2 adapters) it seeems there
is some of the lens elements not in it´s right position, images at 100% aren´t sharp as they should be from this lens, there are doubling lines and halo
around edges. I read similar post here with Contax 100/2 (http://forum.mflenses.com/repairing-c-y-carl-zeiss-planar-100-2-t75729.html). On my copy
there is no dent or some visible traces of use. I think the problem will be the same like from the thread with 100/2 but I don´t think I have enough skills to
repair the lens myself. Is there some reliable rervice of these Contax lenses in Europe or anyone with some personal experience with similar problem?
I´am going to write to Zeiss too if they can recommend me some service.
Thank you.

Here are some pictures with 100% crops on A7r II, pictures with wall/window are from A7 II from tripod.

100% crops:

At 125mm f/4.5 crop:

125mm f/8 crop - looks much better:

200mm f/8 crop:

200mm f/8 crop - center:

300mm f/8 crop:

calvin83 · Joined: 12 Apr 2009 Posts: 7554 Location: Hong Kong

Check if all the lens element are clean and clear(especially the rearmost element). If not, return it.

aCIDfire7 · Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2016 8:36 am Post subject:

Lens elements are clean looking at daylight and with flashlight..

calvin83 · Joined: 12 Apr 2009 Posts: 7554 Location: Hong Kong

This lens should be pretty sharp from wide open.

Have you enabled SteadyShot on your camera? If you have enabled it, turn it off and try again. If the problem still present, it should be defective.

aCIDfire7 · Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2016 8:25 am Post subject:

Hi, shots on the beach were handheld with A7r II and the wall with A7 II shots taken by my friend using tripod. Test with IBIS on/off. I think the
problem will be in some movement of lens elements, on the wall at 125mm at f/8 is part of the image sharp other not.

Rear element is clear:

I contact Zeiss and they recommend me to try one of independent repair services:

Germany:

http://wiese-fototechnik.de/Website/English/Start.html

http://www.arluewa.de/index.html

http://www.grah-optik.de/reparaturservice/kamera-reparatur/

http://classic-fototechnik.de/

USA:

http://www.baldmtn.com/

http://alpinecamerausa.com/repairs.html

Overview:

http://www.photoethnography.com/ClassicCameras/repair.html

I´ll try to contact them all.

ks73 · Joined: 14 Oct 2015 Posts: 45 Location: Kokkola, Finland

Marek · Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2016 8:08 pm Post subject:

Asking for a service from CZE is like to ask for a sand in the middle of Sahara desert - looks pretty lazy to me. I'd understand it from a guy based in India but not in the middle of Europe.

There are MF experts in literally every bigger Czech town, so to find one in Brno or Zlin might be a good place to start. If it doesn't help, then you may contact Zeiss, return or re-sell the item, or commit harakiri.

Plus here is still plenty of living former Meopta Prerov mechanics or former apprentices doing their jobs well. And they're cheap.

aCIDfire7 · Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2016 9:03 am Post subject:

aCIDfire7 · Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2016 5:37 pm Post subject:

Not good news for now and in general for other Contax users who need some repair too Sad

Germany:

http://wiese-fototechnik.de/Website/English/Start.html -- is out of office till October 24th, 2016

http://www.arluewa.de/index.html -- don´t have e-mail contact, need to call

http://www.grah-optik.de/reparaturservice/kamera-reparatur/ -- OUT OF GAME -- they repair items only till year of production 2015 ..

http://classic-fototechnik.de/ -- -- OUT OF GAME -- can´t repair the lens

I´ll try to contact some mechanics/service centers in Czech Republic and Austria too. If you have some idea or contact on a reputable mechanic,please
let me know. From recommendation (exaklaus) I tried to contact "Foto Service Bernd Troester" too - http://forum.mflenses.com/camera-repair-service-in-germany-t61002.html

kds315* · Expire: 2021-03-09

Bummer, I wanted to recommend http://www.grah-optik.de/reparaturservice/kamera-reparatur/
as I have very good experience with them, Did not know about that 2015 limit

aCIDfire7 · Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2016 7:35 pm Post subject:

Yes it sounds weird..year of production 2015..most of the products from this year are still in warranty covered by manufacturer so as a statement of 3rd party service center
it does not make sense.

aCIDfire7 · Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2016 8:53 pm Post subject:

Lens is going for repair to Wiese Fototechnik.

aCIDfire7 · Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2017 7:16 pm Post subject:

Hello guys, from the time I sent the lens for repair to Wiese Fototechnik (http://wiese-fototechnik.de) elapsed few months and I want to share my bad experience with them. I was in contact with them by e-mail. 2-3 months from sending the lens to them they were not able to send me information if they can fix it or not. After that they send me info that they didn´t find anything wrong with the lens. So I ask them repeatedly for sending me the lens back and that I´ll pay them for checking the lens/shipping costs. From this time they are not responding on my e-mails even if I tried different e-mail address to avoid going my email to spam box. I warn them that I´ll have to make a claim on Police if they will not respond, no reply. So I´d like to warn you befory this company, after the Easter time I´ll go to local Police station to make a claim on them and to send this claim to german police. Unfortunatelly it´ll end this way.

My copy was in great condition on first look - please note a serial number 7505619. It was sent for service without a removable tripod mount foot.