Olympus Zuiko MC Auto-Fisheye 16/3.5: Lens damage professionally repaired

[Andreas Thaler]

A rare fisheye in condition A, unfortunately with a damaged lens inside, namely the second element from the back.

Images shot with the lens were massively softened on the OM-4 Ti:

The damage was not on the lens surface, but underneath/in between.

I suspected a problem with the lens cementation:

Unfortunately, disassembling it didn't help, as I couldn't do anything else to repair the damage:

Professional help was needed

In Germany, the Optik-Labor is well known for its excellent and affordable services when it comes to lens repair.

New lens coatings, repair of lens separation, polishing, Dr.-Ing. Wolf-Dieter Prenzel and his team are doing amazing things.

For many users and collectors, the Optik-Labor is the last and at the same time the most promising hope

OPTIK-Labor

Since it is recommended to call Dr. Prenzel directly, I explained my problem to him on the phone.

He asked me to send the lens to his partner

Fotoservice Olbrich, Andrea Schönfelder

Foto Service Olbrich – Ihr Reparaturbetrieb für ostdeutsche Kamera- und Objektivtechnik

www.fotoservice-olbrich.de

who will remove the damaged lenses and assemble the lens after repair.

Dr. Prenzel and Andrea Schönfelder brought the piece optically back to new condition.

I am completely thrilled - nothing beats highly qualified specialist work!

In the optics laboratory were

• a meniscus lens polished and coated on both sides as well
• one cemented lens group separated,
• three lens surfaces re-polished,
• two lens surfaces tempered, lenses re-cemented and centered.

I would like to describe the price for this work as extremely fair.

The optical system is now “crystal clear” again and I’m looking forward to taking photos with it.

 

[ic-racer]

I always thought lens restoration like that would cost too much. They really did a great job. I suspect this is your own lens that you are fixing to use yourself.

I like fisheye lenses. I have a Zeiss 16mm and Yashica 15mm.

 

[Andreas Thaler]

I always thought lens restoration like that would cost too much. They really did a great job. I suspect this is your own lens that you are fixing to use yourself.

I like fisheye lenses. I have a Zeiss 16mm and Yashica 15mm.

Yes, this is one of my most interesting lenses, also because it is so small and light.

 

[Kino]

Thank you for this information. The businesses who perform this work are either too highly specialized (cine) and/or way to expensive for the vast majority of repairs I might need, but this sounds promising.

I have a Rolleiflex 3.5 with a heavily abraded taking lens that I might explore having restored.

 

[Andreas Thaler]

Thank you for this information. The businesses who perform this work are either too highly specialized (cine) and/or way to expensive for the vast majority of repairs I might need, but this sounds promising.

I have a Rolleiflex 3.5 with a heavily abraded taking lens that I might explore having restored.

I cleaned the oily aperture blades on a Nikkor AF 20/2.8 D. But a lens group that is cemented is heavily fogged.

This will also be a case for the Optik-Labor

 

[Flighter]

It's great to know that such a service exists

 

[Dali]

I also got a good experience with Fotoservice Olbrich, not for a lens but for a Praktica camera.

 

[Neofito]

I just spotted this Zuiko 135mm on ebay that looks a bit like what you are showing here https://www.ebay.es/itm/26652354592...krWYMWCTWG&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

do you think is worth the trying? how much is the service for the cemented lens?

(I live in Berlin even if the eBay link is on spain site).

 

[Flighter]

It can't be anything related to lens separation as the 135mm f2.8 lens doesn't use any cemented lens groups, it has five separate single lens elements according to this diagram http://omesif.moosemystic.net/om-sif/lensgroup/135mmf28.htm

It must be haze on the inner surface of the lens, whether it can be removed I don't know.

 

[Neofito]

It can't be anything related to lens separation as the 135mm f2.8 lens doesn't use any cemented lens groups, it has five separate single lens elements according to this diagram http://omesif.moosemystic.net/om-sif/lensgroup/135mmf28.htm
View attachment 354243
It must be haze on the inner surface of the lens, whether it can be removed I don't know.

mmmmm, this diagram has given me some confident. If is fungus, doesnt look like have eaten the coating. Maybe is just condensation from some water accident or rainy day. I think I will send an offer to the seller and cut the price down.

 

[Flighter]

It could also be outgassing from the lubricant used for the helicoid in the focus mechanism.

 

[Neofito]

It could also be outgassing from the lubricant used for the helicoid in the focus mechanism.

can be that corrosive?

 

[Flighter]

I don't know about whether it can be corrosive but I've come across lens elements in an old Olympusflex twin lens reflex which had haze on the surfaces of the two lens that were on each side of the shutter which I haven't been able to remove (I've tried isopropyl alcohol, acetone and naptha).

 

[Andreas Thaler]

It could also be outgassing from the lubricant used for the helicoid in the focus mechanism.

That is my impression too. Fungus should not produce an evenly distributed haze, any structures should be visible then. But the pictures are not clear to me.

 

[albada]

Retina IIa rangefinders with Xenon lenses often have haze on the two lens elements between the shutter. Nothing I've tried has removed it in any camera, so I believe it is coating damaged by humidity.

Mark