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Vivitar 35mm f1.9 - Focus barrel loose
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 22, 2018 8:33 pm    Post subject: Vivitar 35mm f1.9 - Focus barrel loose Reply with quote
Hi guys,

So i've recently bought a Nikon f2 Photomic and a Vivitar 35mm f1.9 lens (komine) to go with it as a starter lens. The lens came from ebay and I was aware of the focus lens being loose when I bought the lens, and the optical quality of the lens does not appear to be affected by the looseness of the focus ring. I thought it wouldn't bother me that much, but i'd like to try and fix it.

I've never attempted to fix an issue like this before, so an advice on how to fix it would be great.

Please see below for a photo indicating the part of the lens that is wobbling.

https://imgur.com/a/SjJOsYJ

Thanks.


PostPosted: Tue Oct 23, 2018 6:32 pm    Post subject: Re: Vivitar 35mm f1.9 - Focus barrel loose Reply with quote
Ibanez wrote:
. . .
I thought it wouldn't bother me that much, but i'd like to try and fix it.
. . .


Welcome, Ibanez.

I'm not familiar with your Vivitar, but I think I understand how you feel. Little issues can be very annoying! Yet, as with household plumbing, I've found it's often better to just live with small imperfections rather than risk creating new, larger problems. Wink

That said, I can offer some general advice about lens repair.
If the problem is just loose screws, you'll need a set of small slotted drivers. And if your lens has cross head screws, you'll want to get a set of small JIS (Japanese Industrial Standards) drivers. Phillips head drivers may work, but the JIS drivers will fit better and work more effectively. I bought my screwdriver sets on ebay. (I would've included links to ebay, but I can't seem to get that to work...)
My drivers aren't magnetic, but that would be helpful, too.

With caps on, I would stand the lens face up (rather than lying horizontally) to help the sections seat together. Start with any obvious, exposed screws. It appears there are some on the distance scale piece? If that doesn't help, there are sometimes screws hidden under the focus grip. I've used a small slotted screwdriver to (gently) pry up rubber grips. You might need some glue to secure the grip after you replace it.

If you find you need to dismantle the lens, work with a towel underneath the lens to keep screws and small pieces from falling on the floor and disappearing. You could also work with the lens in a pan for the same reason. Before removing any lens sections, take photos or make notes about orientation to ensure you can get them back in place correctly.

Regarding screws, first try backing them out a bit without actually removing them. If they don't need to be removed, that can save some headaches when reassembling. And if they're stuck, try heating them with a hair dryer. That has worked many times for me.
Solvents such as acetone or MEK will help if screws have been glued in place. But be very careful with those chemicals! They're nasty.

Also, if you remove the aperture ring, watch carefully for the ball bearing which gives the ring its click stops. It's easy to lose.

I wish you success!

Tim


PostPosted: Wed Oct 24, 2018 3:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I've repaired many lenses and I'd say that 55's advice is right on target.

Looking at the image you posted, given the section that you say wobbles, it appears to me that the front section, including the focusing collar and barrel are loose. This leads me to suspect screws that secure the front section of the lens to the rear section. Look for tiny grub screws that hold the barrel sleeve in place behind the focusing collar, and if you find any, back them out a bit -- you shouldn't have to remove them. This should allow the sleeve to move forward. I suspect if you can do this, you will uncover some largish screws, which will probably be loose. So tighten them down, and you should be good to go. If this doesn't work, then all I can say is you'll likely have to dig. But if you follow 55's advice, you should be fine.

The Vivitar 35mm f/2.8 is an astoundingly good lens. I have an earlier version with the all-metal focusing collar. Mine's in Canon FD mount, so I wasn't able to do much with it until I bought a mirrorless digital. I've found that mine renders very sharp images, and I'll wager yours will too.
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