Takumar 135/3.5 preset, slight play in mount

asharpe · Joined: 17 Dec 2007 Posts: 9

Hi folks,

I have a Takumar 135/3.5 Preset (M42, all black), and it has developed a slight play in the mount section (tube) that telescopes under the focusing barrel. I have removed the back retaining ring, and see two more concentric retaining rings around the back lenses, but they seem tight. The helicoid guides' screws, on either side of the interior barrel, are tight, and the guides slide smoothly, with no wobble. There is enough play that, when mounted, I can, very slightly, move the lens up and down. I've looked at the other disassembly instructions on the net for this lens, but there doesn't seem to be a pictorial (or even text) for the preset version of the lens. It has a 6 digit serial number starting with 799, if that helps for the vintage. The lens works pretty well, even with the slight wobble, but I work in macro with extension tubes, and even a slight bit of wobble is difficult to handle. I haven't attempted to go in through the front, but I'd rather not unless someone can tell me that the back mount tube can be (or must be) tightened from the front. Has anyone done maintenance on this lens enough to know how to tighten the back mount and tube? Thanks for any advice.

Andrew

Lloydy · Expire: 2022-01-01

Looking at mine, I suspect that you will have to remove the two guides if it is the focusing helicoid that is the problem. Looking in the back, when you adjust the focus the whole optical block moves, I suspect it will be a simply designed lens.
Mine is rock solid, but I'm very lucky that this lens is good enough to call mint and I'm not inclined to dismantle it, although I'm sure someone else here has. .