Zeiss ZM lens wobble issues

Zeiss ZM lens wobble issues

  • None all my Zeiss lenses are rock solid

    Votes: 148 53.8%

  • 18mm f/4

    Votes: 1 0.4%

  • 21mm f/2.8

    Votes: 10 3.6%

  • 21mm f/4.5

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • 25mm f/2.8

    Votes: 21 7.6%

  • 28mm f/2.8

    Votes: 23 8.4%

  • 35mm f/2

    Votes: 21 7.6%

  • 35mm f/2.8

    Votes: 9 3.3%

  • 50mm f/1.5

    Votes: 22 8.0%

  • 50mm f/2

    Votes: 37 13.5%

  • 85mm f/2

    Votes: 3 1.1%

  • 85mm f/4

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    275
sanmich said:
It would be interesting to know if there is a correlation between reported built problems and the lens finish.

Chrome Leica lenses are built differently than black ones. IIRC they are all in brass while some parts in the black ones are aluminum.

Does someone know if there is such a difference with ZM lenses?
How could this be related to the built problems??
Click to expand...

I know that my chrome ZM lenses are finished to a higher standard than the black ones, but my first Sonnar was chrome and that wobbled.
So the finish does not seem to determine the likelihood of getting a wobbler.
 
My ZM 28 is the worst of the wobblers, having a dry, scuffy feeling in the focus ring. I removed the mount plate at the back, and there are several long scratches in the black barrel, winding around it. The scratches go down to the brass of the barrel, which disappoints me greatly. I'm concerned that my other Zeiss lenses may become like this if I don't get them fixed.
 
I would like to resurrect this thread since I am considering a 50 Planar 2.0 in chrome. Thoughts and experience would be appreciated.

Thanks
 
ray*j*gun said:
I would like to resurrect this thread since I am considering a 50 Planar 2.0 in chrome. Thoughts and experience would be appreciated.

Thanks
Click to expand...

I have one. It's a superb lens and a fantastic used buy. Going rate is about $600 private sale. Inspect it to make sure it doesn't wobble /have slack in the focusing ring/ has a dry focus feel. The first one I briefly had had all that.
If it wobbles in the future, it can be fixed for under $200. Most prob much under that unless the tech does a full cla.
 
Thanks Huss... I do feel the lens is a gem but have recent buyers of this lens had wobble issues or have they been addressed since the earlier years?
 
Olsen said:
On the Canon lenses they changed a plastic ring which tightened the construction. I have heard that it is something similar that is being done with the ZM lenses. It is a cheap fix.
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Reputation is already shot . Too late sorry.

Won`t even look at CV or Zeiss.
 
ray*j*gun said:
I would like to resurrect this thread since I am considering a 50 Planar 2.0 in chrome. Thoughts and experience would be appreciated.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Had to sell my copy at a bargain because the focus was too stiff even after repeated heating cycles and hours spent rotating the focus ring back and forth while watching movies. I am used to Leica and CV lenses that can be focused with one finger.

For comparison, I also have a 45/2 Planar for the Contax G. I thought the G lens had the upper hand in color rendering (sharpness too, but that could have been an AF vs MF issue).

As you might be aware, ZM lenses use 1/3 click stops on the aperture ring. Great on AE cameras, less so on classic Leica bodies.
 
Updates on my ZM lenses:

21mm f2.8. Bought secondhand from Hong Kong in 2010. No wobbles, perfectly smooth and silent focus ring, lots of use.

25mm f2.8. Bought secondhand in Melbourne in 2010. Slight wobbling, slight focus ring slippage. The focus ring now 'catches' a bit and feels like it's sliding against something inside.

28mm f2.8. Bought new in Hong Kong in 2008. Focus ring squeaks and makes a sliding noise, front barrel wobbles. The worst of the lot. I haven't touched it since 2014 when I opened it and found long curving scratches along the inside barrel, down to the brass.

50mm f1.5. Bought secondhand from Hong Kong in 2011. Focus ring moves up and down, makes sliding noises, and front barrel is a bit loose. This has remained the same since 2014, and I use it a fair bit.

The 28mm is going to the Camera Clinic in Melbourne first to see if they can fix it. If not, I'll be sending it directly to Zeiss in Germany.

As far as optical quality of these lenses goes, I could not be more happy. Build quality is a crapshoot, as far as I'm concerned.
 
ray*j*gun said:
I would like to resurrect this thread since I am considering a 50 Planar 2.0 in chrome. Thoughts and experience would be appreciated.

Thanks
Click to expand...

I know it's a bit late on this one (and an old thread), but I recently had a 50mm f/2 Planar ZM apart and can provide some further info.

This lens copy (bought used) displays some wobble from the focus ring forward, some fore/aft play, and rotational play of the focus ring. Very slight, but also very noticeable and accompanied by clicking noise as the hardware wiggles back and forth in its own play.

Tightening the rear lock ring helps a little, and in some cases seems to fix the issue if it's loose. However, in this case it didn't solve the problem. So, I removed the rear lock ring which allows the lens cell to come away from the focus portion of the assembly. I then removed the focus ring, outer barrel base (the part used to grip by on mount/unmount of the lens), and the mount itself. I was left with just the helical, which exhibited the wiggle and play which caused my problem.

This goes along with the referenced thread from photo.net and Gus Lazzari's comments. I doubt there's a fix in this case that doesn't involve replacement of some of the parts involved in the helical assembly. Some new grease might dampen it a bit, particularly the noise, but little else.

Chris H
 
I understand there are different kinds of wobble problems. My ZM 2.8/28 started to wobble and eventually I could lift the aperture ring by some 2mm. Tom A. advised me to loosen and re-tighten the black ring inside the bottom of the barrel of the lens clockwise. I could do this by hand...no need for a screwdriver. As a result, the wobble of the aperture ring was completely cured. The lens is tight again and the focus and aperture rings are smooth.

Cheers, Peter
 
I had both the 21 SEM and 28 get loose and require a trip to DAG. It's not uncommon for internal screws to get loose on hard use.

He told me: lens should travel without weight on top. I should mount holding near base.
 
Archiver said:
Updates on my ZM lenses:

25mm f2.8. Bought secondhand in Melbourne in 2010. Slight wobbling, slight focus ring slippage. The focus ring now 'catches' a bit and feels like it's sliding against something inside.
Click to expand...

The same "catching" problem happened to my 35mm c-Biogon. Eventually, the lens seized and a rattling sound could be heard when shaking the lens. The lens is now in Germany for warranty repair.

Two years ago, my Planar 50mm came apart. It also ended up in Germany and has been fine since it returned. However, the repair was a $250 "touch" and the lens was away for three months.

FWIW, both of my ZM's were very lightly used before they cratered.
 
I have ZM 18 and 35/2. Both have been used alot. So far so good. If they go I won't be sending them to Zeiss, as DAG and others are cheaper and have fast turn arounds for these simple issues.
 
I understand there are different kinds of wobble problems. My ZM 2.8/28 started to wobble and eventually I could lift the aperture ring by some 2mm. Tom A. advised me to loosen and re-tighten the black ring inside the bottom of the barrel of the lens clockwise. I could do this by hand...no need for a screwdriver. As a result, the wobble of the aperture ring was completely cured. The lens is tight again and the focus and aperture rings are smooth.
Click to expand...
That was 2 years ago. The wobble has returned and the lens is now unusable.
 
Zeiss 35mm f2 biogon bought new from japan in January 2020. Felt good out of the box but after about two weeks and 4-5 rolls shot the focussing ring developed a small amount of play. It was a small amount but instantly noticeable because I’ve never had an m-mount lens with play in the focussing ring before. I noted the amount of play increased when then camera and lens were pointed toward the ground, and the inclusion of clicking noises in the close focusing range of the ring. I also noticed a slight wobble in the front lens group. Sent it back. Disappointing because I loved the lens otherwise. I would want to know that the ZM range has been properly fixed before I bought another one. Never had a problem with any of my other Cosina built lenses.
 
Zeiss 28mm f/2.8 Biogon ZM Lens Wobble

Zeiss 28mm f/2.8 Biogon ZM Lens Wobble

A few weeks ago I bought a used Zeiss 28mm f/2.8 Biogon T* ZM lens that has the "wobble."

I spoke with the seller, and we agreed to send it to Youxin Ye for repair. Youxin took a look at it, and couldn't remove the wobble.

Now I'm sort of unsure what to do next. If the seller agrees, we could send it to Zeiss, but I've now read a few posts about Zeiss being unable to fix the wobble, or charging huge sums to do so. I don't want to keep paying for shipping.

I could also send it to DAG, but I don't want to send it to another person and have them be unable to fix it. He said that he could, but so did Youxin.

Any suggestions? I'm about ready to send it back. I got an okay price on it because it had a few small issues with the coating on the front lens. But this wobble is not pleasant to deal with, and I have no sense on whether or not it gets worse over time.
 
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