My Zenitar lens won't come off my ME camera!

Erik · 03-04-2009, 04:38 AM

Help! I put my Zenitar 16/2.8 on my new ME and now it won't come off!

If I keep it at 2.8 and hold the lens release button it twists about 1/8 of the way around but won't come off. It turns gradually less as I stop it down towards f/22 at which point it can barely be moved at all with the lens release down. What's going on?

I didn't really know whether to post in this forum or the lens forum, but the Zenitar has always come off my K100D fine so I figure this is something with the ME..?

Wheatfield · 03-04-2009, 06:32 AM

I think you are going to find that the aperture lever on the lens has engaged the wrong side of the aperture lever on the camera. Most likely, the lever on the lens is a bit short.
You can confirm this by opening the shutter on bulb and looking at the back of the lens to see if the engagement of the levers is correct.

Erik · 03-04-2009, 08:18 AM

Originally posted by Wheatfield

I think you are going to find that the aperture lever on the lens has engaged the wrong side of the aperture lever on the camera. Most likely, the lever on the lens is a bit short.
You can confirm this by opening the shutter on bulb and looking at the back of the lens to see if the engagement of the levers is correct.

This must be correct. The camera doesn't stop down the lens at all when I press the shutter. Thanks for the diagnosis -- now what do I do? Is there any plausible way to get this off without opening the lens or camera?

stevebrot · 03-04-2009, 09:44 AM

I wish I could offer a solution. I had a similar problem with my first copy of the Zenitar 16/2.8. The mount on the Zenitar was defective (along with a few other things). The end result was permanent damage to the aperture coupling and mirror box of a Ricoh XR7.

Does your ME have DOF preview? You might try removing the lens with the DOF preview lever depressed.

Steve

stevebrot · 03-04-2009, 09:47 AM

It just occurred to me that you might also try removing the lens with the shutter depressed in Bulb mode. (If you have that option)

Steve

Erik · 03-04-2009, 10:08 AM

Thanks for the suggestions, but the ME doesn't have DOF preview, and the shutter being depressed or not doesn't seem to matter. It just won't come off. I really don't want to break my lens or my camera

Ratmagiclady · 03-04-2009, 10:18 AM

Hrm. I wish I were more familiar with these mounts. Are the Zenitars K-mount lenses, or M42-with-adapters?

My thought is, if you can see the troubled levers through there, with the shutter open, maybe you can get something in there to push one of them aside and free them. (A bamboo skewer from the kitchen is my tool of choice for anything like this.)

Oh, wait, I have an unloaded ME Super right here.

*peering*

Hey, it looks just possible, might take a different shaped tool than a stick, but if what you have in there is similar to what I see, this just might be doable.

Last edited by Ratmagiclady; 03-04-2009 at 10:30 AM.

Erik · 03-04-2009, 10:28 AM

They are available as both M42 and K, but this one is K-mount. Never had a problem with it on my K100D. I will try to poke the lever with something. Thanks for all the help!

EDIT: Oh man, I can see what I need to do, looking through the back of the camera, but I'd need three or four arms to pull it off. I need to hold the shutter down in bulb mode, stop the lens down to f/22, then press down the camera's aperture lever as far as it goes, then turn the lens aperture to f/2,8 and then I should be able to release everything and it should click into place. HOW can I do this

Ratmagiclady · 03-04-2009, 10:37 AM

Originally posted by Erik

They are available as both M42 and K, but this one is K-mount. Never had a problem with it on my K100D. I will try to poke the lever with something. Thanks for all the help!

EDIT: Oh man, I can see what I need to do, looking through the back of the camera, but I'd need three or four arms to pull it off. I need to hold the shutter down in bulb mode, stop the lens down to f/22, then press down the camera's aperture lever as far as it goes, then turn the lens aperture to f/2,8 and then I should be able to release everything and it should click into place. HOW can I do this

Hrm, I was thinking think an assistant might be needed. Perhaps a tripod and a locking cable release would free up a bit of the need-more-hands factor?

Erik · 03-04-2009, 10:46 AM

Originally posted by Ratmagiclady

Hrm, I was thinking think an assistant might be needed. Perhaps a tripod and a locking cable release would free up a bit of the need-more-hands factor?

Yeah. Locking cable release, don't own it. I will have to McGyver rig something here.

stevebrot · 03-04-2009, 10:53 AM

Originally posted by Erik

They are available as both M42 and K, but this one is K-mount. Never had a problem with it on my K100D. I will try to poke the lever with something. Thanks for all the help!

EDIT: Oh man, I can see what I need to do, looking through the back of the camera, but I'd need three or four arms to pull it off. I need to hold the shutter down in bulb mode, stop the lens down to f/22, then press down the camera's aperture lever as far as it goes, then turn the lens aperture to f/2,8 and then I should be able to release everything and it should click into place. HOW can I do this

Cable release to hold the shutter.

Steve

ryan s · 03-04-2009, 11:01 AM

I could think of a way to do it involving holding the cam in between your legs while sitting, but it would be difficult to explain over the internet

Basically...use your right hand for "holding" and your left for "adjusting." Press the shutter button with your right finger, hold it...insert the stick/skewer with your left...hold it with your right, adjust aperture with your left...

Does that make sense?

I'm going to go put mine on the ME-S while it's unloaded...haven't tried it on there yet. Works fine on the MX but you never know...

Erik · 03-04-2009, 11:25 AM

I've figured out a way to do it, but it doesn't seem to be possible to make the levers go past each other, quite physically. I don't understand how it would help either (maybe it will, but I don't understand it. No offense to anyone) Can anyone explain: if I got the lens lever to go up and lock on to the body lever, how would that help? Neither of the levers is what is actually making resistance when I try to twist the lens off. They do not make any contact at any point.

Is it that on the lens, the "other side" of the aperture lever, where there's also a li'l moving metal thing that moves in correlation with the lever when you turn the aperture ring, is that what's getting stuck somewhere? I'm probably dumb but it's hard for me to understand what's actually physically happening. It doesn't seem to make sense that at f/22 I can not dislodge the lens at all while at f/2.8 it turns at least a little bit.

ryan s · 03-04-2009, 11:37 AM

Well, it could be the aperture communication pin. Does the cam meter correctly compared to your other camera?

That pin is held up towards the top with a spring. Getting to it might be something, though

Ummm...let me go look again and see if I can come up with anything...

ryan s · 03-04-2009, 11:41 AM

I've got nothing.

The lens is so tight to the body and the aperture pin is so recessed I don't see a way of even getting a feeler gauge in there.

Hopefully someone can help

03-04-2009, 04:38 AM	#1
Erik Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Umeå, Sweden Posts: 755	My Zenitar lens won't come off my ME camera! Help! I put my Zenitar 16/2.8 on my new ME and now it won't come off! If I keep it at 2.8 and hold the lens release button it twists about 1/8 of the way around but won't come off. It turns gradually less as I stop it down towards f/22 at which point it can barely be moved at all with the lens release down. What's going on? I didn't really know whether to post in this forum or the lens forum, but the Zenitar has always come off my K100D fine so I figure this is something with the ME..?

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03-04-2009, 06:32 AM	#2
Wheatfield Moderator Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: The wheatfields of Canada Posts: 15,976	I think you are going to find that the aperture lever on the lens has engaged the wrong side of the aperture lever on the camera. Most likely, the lever on the lens is a bit short. You can confirm this by opening the shutter on bulb and looking at the back of the lens to see if the engagement of the levers is correct.

03-04-2009, 08:18 AM	#3
Erik Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Umeå, Sweden Posts: 755 Original Poster	Originally posted by Wheatfield I think you are going to find that the aperture lever on the lens has engaged the wrong side of the aperture lever on the camera. Most likely, the lever on the lens is a bit short. You can confirm this by opening the shutter on bulb and looking at the back of the lens to see if the engagement of the levers is correct. This must be correct. The camera doesn't stop down the lens at all when I press the shutter. Thanks for the diagnosis -- now what do I do? Is there any plausible way to get this off without opening the lens or camera?

03-04-2009, 09:44 AM	#4
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	I wish I could offer a solution. I had a similar problem with my first copy of the Zenitar 16/2.8. The mount on the Zenitar was defective (along with a few other things). The end result was permanent damage to the aperture coupling and mirror box of a Ricoh XR7. Does your ME have DOF preview? You might try removing the lens with the DOF preview lever depressed. Steve

03-04-2009, 09:47 AM	#5
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	It just occurred to me that you might also try removing the lens with the shutter depressed in Bulb mode. (If you have that option) Steve

03-04-2009, 10:08 AM	#6
Erik Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Umeå, Sweden Posts: 755 Original Poster	Thanks for the suggestions, but the ME doesn't have DOF preview, and the shutter being depressed or not doesn't seem to matter. It just won't come off. I really don't want to break my lens or my camera

03-04-2009, 10:18 AM	#7
Ratmagiclady Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: GA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 13,563	Hrm. I wish I were more familiar with these mounts. Are the Zenitars K-mount lenses, or M42-with-adapters? My thought is, if you can see the troubled levers through there, with the shutter open, maybe you can get something in there to push one of them aside and free them. (A bamboo skewer from the kitchen is my tool of choice for anything like this.) Oh, wait, I have an unloaded ME Super right here. peering Hey, it looks just possible, might take a different shaped tool than a stick, but if what you have in there is similar to what I see, this just might be doable. Last edited by Ratmagiclady; 03-04-2009 at 10:30 AM.

03-04-2009, 10:28 AM	#8
Erik Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Umeå, Sweden Posts: 755 Original Poster	They are available as both M42 and K, but this one is K-mount. Never had a problem with it on my K100D. I will try to poke the lever with something. Thanks for all the help! EDIT: Oh man, I can see what I need to do, looking through the back of the camera, but I'd need three or four arms to pull it off. I need to hold the shutter down in bulb mode, stop the lens down to f/22, then press down the camera's aperture lever as far as it goes, then turn the lens aperture to f/2,8 and then I should be able to release everything and it should click into place. HOW can I do this

03-04-2009, 10:37 AM	#9
Ratmagiclady Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: GA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 13,563	Originally posted by Erik They are available as both M42 and K, but this one is K-mount. Never had a problem with it on my K100D. I will try to poke the lever with something. Thanks for all the help! EDIT: Oh man, I can see what I need to do, looking through the back of the camera, but I'd need three or four arms to pull it off. I need to hold the shutter down in bulb mode, stop the lens down to f/22, then press down the camera's aperture lever as far as it goes, then turn the lens aperture to f/2,8 and then I should be able to release everything and it should click into place. HOW can I do this Hrm, I was thinking think an assistant might be needed. Perhaps a tripod and a locking cable release would free up a bit of the need-more-hands factor?

03-04-2009, 10:46 AM	#10
Erik Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Umeå, Sweden Posts: 755 Original Poster	Originally posted by Ratmagiclady Hrm, I was thinking think an assistant might be needed. Perhaps a tripod and a locking cable release would free up a bit of the need-more-hands factor? Yeah. Locking cable release, don't own it. I will have to McGyver rig something here.

03-04-2009, 10:53 AM	#11
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by Erik They are available as both M42 and K, but this one is K-mount. Never had a problem with it on my K100D. I will try to poke the lever with something. Thanks for all the help! EDIT: Oh man, I can see what I need to do, looking through the back of the camera, but I'd need three or four arms to pull it off. I need to hold the shutter down in bulb mode, stop the lens down to f/22, then press down the camera's aperture lever as far as it goes, then turn the lens aperture to f/2,8 and then I should be able to release everything and it should click into place. HOW can I do this Cable release to hold the shutter. Steve

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03-04-2009, 11:01 AM	#12
ryan s Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Madison, WI Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,383	I could think of a way to do it involving holding the cam in between your legs while sitting, but it would be difficult to explain over the internet Basically...use your right hand for "holding" and your left for "adjusting." Press the shutter button with your right finger, hold it...insert the stick/skewer with your left...hold it with your right, adjust aperture with your left... Does that make sense? I'm going to go put mine on the ME-S while it's unloaded...haven't tried it on there yet. Works fine on the MX but you never know...

03-04-2009, 11:25 AM	#13
Erik Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Umeå, Sweden Posts: 755 Original Poster	I've figured out a way to do it, but it doesn't seem to be possible to make the levers go past each other, quite physically. I don't understand how it would help either (maybe it will, but I don't understand it. No offense to anyone) Can anyone explain: if I got the lens lever to go up and lock on to the body lever, how would that help? Neither of the levers is what is actually making resistance when I try to twist the lens off. They do not make any contact at any point. Is it that on the lens, the "other side" of the aperture lever, where there's also a li'l moving metal thing that moves in correlation with the lever when you turn the aperture ring, is that what's getting stuck somewhere? I'm probably dumb but it's hard for me to understand what's actually physically happening. It doesn't seem to make sense that at f/22 I can not dislodge the lens at all while at f/2.8 it turns at least a little bit.

03-04-2009, 11:37 AM	#14
ryan s Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Madison, WI Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,383	Well, it could be the aperture communication pin. Does the cam meter correctly compared to your other camera? That pin is held up towards the top with a spring. Getting to it might be something, though Ummm...let me go look again and see if I can come up with anything...

03-04-2009, 11:41 AM	#15
ryan s Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Madison, WI Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,383	I've got nothing. The lens is so tight to the body and the aperture pin is so recessed I don't see a way of even getting a feeler gauge in there. Hopefully someone can help