Moose said:
I'm not sure why one would ever need a new lever. I got a great deal on
an 85/2 with the DOF button stuck pushed in. One part of the problem
was that this lever was out of whack (technical term) and brushing
against something. It is relatively malleable and easily adjusted and
the lens works perfectly now.
--------------------------------
Hmmm. Yes, so I would have thought too. The 24mm f/2.8 in question was
purchased from a former listee and arrived like Moose's 85mm f/2 with
the DOF button stuck down. I should have simply sent it back since I
paid a good price for it but decided that the problem had to be simple.
Opening up the lens I discovered that the lever was also "out of
whack" and brushing against what, I assume, is a guide. I also assumed
that the lever was a piece of relatively soft steel and could simply be
bent back into position... after all it only needed a millimeter or two
to flatten it out again.
Upon applying relatively gentle pressure along the swing of its arc to
free it from the guide (not yet trying to bend it back into shape) the
lever fell into two halves. This could only have happened if the lever
had a pre-existing crack that was almost all the way through. I did not
notice any crack when I was first inspecting the lever and how such a
crack could have been there in the first place I haven't a clue.
However, steel levers don't ordinarily just fall apart.
I think the lever can be easily soldered back together using a
reenforcing brace but I haven't gotten that far yet. I still have hopes
of finding a replacement piece. The only saving grace is that one
almost never needs the DOF control on a 24mm. Maybe that's why, as he
said, the original owner never knew about the problem.
I'm reminded of a Sunbeam Alpine that I used to own that, at 6,000 RPM,
threw a fan blade through the upper radiator hose and attempted to pass
through the bonnet as well. After inspecting the offending blade it was
clear from the rust along the break line that the blade had been cracked
across 800f its width for a very long time before it gave way. No
rust on the OM piece though.
Chuck Norcutt
Woburn, Massachusetts, USA
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