[whojammyflip]

I've just received a nice M 2.8/35 in the post, bought for 40 quid including a ME Super, which I will then fix the seals and sell onwards, so maybe I've got the lens for something like 30 quid or less.

Sadly, the lens suffers from slightly sticky apertures (it exposes correctly at f11 on the ist DS, but the aperture lever feels stiff and I can definitely see it hesitate). I intend to fix this rather than send it back, as its hard to obtain the 35mm, and its in otherwise mint condition.

Please can people advise what grease I need for the job (I'm based in the UK, so stuff from places like Homebase would be good). Can I get into the lens from behind, as it were? I guess its just a case of a little lighter fluid on the aperture mechanism...focus is not sticky at all and glass is clean as a whistle.

Thanks a lot in advance.

[whojammyflip]

just taken the lens apart...really simple mechanism other than a spring which looks awkward to get back on. For anyone looking into fixing the M 35mm f2.8 its just a question of a bit of grease on the ring with the aperture lever.

Any advice on appropriate grease much appreciated, otherwise its a visit to the bike shop for some light lithium grease for me this afternoon.

[jolepp]

I don't really know what specfic brand/quality you shoud use, but I suppose keeping reasonablly viscous as time passes and in higher temperatures would seem like properties to look for so that it doesn't eventually work its way on the shutter blades (or even lenses). I seem to remember reading that this could happen when e.g. leaving a lens in a car on a sunny day as the lubricant turns more liqud.

[wlachan]

The aperture mechanism should be grease free. I used Nyogel 744VL on focusing helical but I am uncertain if you can buy in the UK.

[whojammyflip]

Thanks for the advice, in case this helps anyone else out, I think this is an easy fix, as I have the lens back together and its moving as freely as my other lenses. Wlachan is right...no grease required.

The root cause of the problem is that the silver mount is married to the body of the lens with some grease inbetween the two surfaces. The circular aperture carrier (not even in the diaghram really) runs between these two surfaces, in a gap, and the grease works into that gap. Just taking the lens apart at the rear and cleaning the gap out has worked wonders. All you need is a #0 philips screwdriver, some cotton buds and lighter fluid.

I was a bit daunted by this, having read some negative comments about the grease leakage on Stans photography webpage. But its really an easy fix. The only potentially tricky bit is getting the spring back onto the circular aperture lever carrier thing. To do this, I bent a pin into a hook shape (using a couple of coins), et voila, one perfectly working M 2.8/35

[boriscleto]

All you need is a #0 philips screwdriver, some cotton buds and lighter fluid.

Lenses made in Japan don't actually use a phillips-head, they use the JIS (Japanese Industrial Standard). You can easily strip a tight screw if you use a Phillips screwdriver.

JIS - Japanese Industrial Standard