I have a 135 2.8R lens (last version) which I bought with a slight balsam fault for almost nothing a year or so ago. I'm fond of the lens and of the focal length (especially for head shots). However, that mean old balsam fault has spread quite noticably (the rainbowing effect is closing in- maybe it's the cold weather). Apparantly, it's possible to re-glue them yourself - how insane would it be to try this? (last time I "fixed" a lens was to clean an element in a focotar oldish-style 50 4.5 which was engineered and built to withstand a direct nuclear strike - needless to say the diaphragm opening was never quite so circular again and I had to avoid caffeine for a few weeks.) I wonder whether I should sling it - it's just so beautifully made, seems a shame...

-- steve (stephenjjones@btopenworld.com), January 18, 2002

Answers

Steve

Leica can repair it for you. I suggest you get a quote. Pretty well anything M or R can be repaired by Leica, that is one of the wonders of the company. It might not cost as much as you think (on the other hand it might..)

-- Robin Smith (smith_robin@hotmail.com), January 18, 2002.

In the U.S., another outfit that repairs & refurbishes lenses is John Van Stelten's Focal Point (www.focalpointlens.com).

-- Chris Chen (Washington, DC) (furcafe@NOSPAMcris.com), January 18, 2002.

If (and *only* if!) you are down to throwing it out, take the plastic caps off (and the rear mount if there's a plastic baffle) set it in an oven at 250F for 1-2 hrs, turn the oven off and let the lens get back to room temp before touching it. *Sometimes* the balsam separation will heal itself. I did this with an old screw-mount 90 Elmar about 5 years ago and so far it's still fine.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), January 18, 2002.

Chris Chen gave you very good advice...VanStelten. Don't kae any chances trying to do something he has done thousands of. I doubt if it will even get into three figures. Good luck

-- George L. Doolittle (geodoolitt@aol.com), January 18, 2002.

John van Stelten has repaired Leica lenses for me in the past. His work is great and his prices reasonable. He can do amazing things with ugly lenses! They come back looking like new!

-- Muhammad Chishty (applemac97@aol.com), January 18, 2002.

Thanks for the responses. I wonder if it's worth shipping the lens all that way (from england)...

-- steve (stephenjjones@btopenworld.com), January 19, 2002.

Hi Steve, had the same thing on my lens and had it repaired (I guess they send it in to Leica Germany, but not positive). Costs were if I remember correctly about 250$ (not expensive enough to not have it done and not as expensive to buy a user). Since then it is fine. I was a littler disappointed, never happened to Nikor lenses I had... Get an appraisal. Take it easy and think you still have the best 135mm lens around.... Johannes

-- Johannes Fleischhauer (j.fleischhauer@vsao.ch), January 21, 2002.

Hi Steve, had the same thing on my lens and had it repaired (I guess they send it in to Leica Germany, but not positive). Costs were if I remember correctly about 250$ (not expensive enough to not have it done and not as expensive to buy a user). Since then it is fine. I was a littler disappointed, never happened to Nikor lenses I had... Get an appraisal. Take it easy and imagine you still have the best 135mm lens around.... Johannes

-- Johannes Fleischhauer (j.fleischhauer@vsao.ch), January 21, 2002.