Given my profession of servicing lenses and the nature of such a precise vocation, I’ve become somewhat compulsive over the past decade. Some might even argue that I’m just downright anal about details. I wouldn’t disagree with that at all. I can’t stand imperfections or flaws. I feel compelled to perfect every minor detail that is within my capacity and even sometimes beyond my capacity, either succeeding or failing, but always learning. This became something of a curse when I started collecting cameras and lenses a while back. I would buy cheap “junk” off of eBay that looked pretty good in the auction photos, but upon arrival, the items were almost always worse than they appeared in the photos, which I came to expect. I couldn’t spend a ton of money on mint condition collectors items as my fiancé would be rather upset if $1000 was used to purchase a 25 year old film camera or lens. So I did my best to find good deals and restore them. It has become quite a painstaking hobby. I consider these dirty, beat-up old cameras and lenses a challenge. I wish I had taken more photos of the equipment I’ve restored prior to their make-over but I really didn’t think much of it at the time. I just wanted my collection to be clean and tidy. The tools and techniques I use on a daily basis have proven to be most valuable to such restorations, allowing me to cleanse, machine, anodize, and essentially re-engineer parts that were otherwise ugly and useless.
One specific item I recently restored was a beat up old Angenieux 1″ f/0.95 prime lens. Equivalent to a 25.4mm, developed in the mid-1950’s, the lens was a breakthrough in aperture speed and was adopted by the Bell & Howell camera system. It uses a somewhat outdated C-mount which can still be found on some surveillance cameras, but not much else. The flange depth of C-mount lenses, at 17.52mm is too shallow even for Micro 4/3 applications. The lens can be mounted, but obtaining infinity focus is almost impossible on anything other than a C-mount camera. On top of the flange depth issue, the lens only produces an image large enough to cover 16mm film, also smaller than Micro 4/3. Regardless, this little gem is a testament to the ingenuity and devotion to the craft that Pierre Angenieux dedicated all those years ago. These lenses can be found in like new condition all over eBay since most of them stayed in their original boxes and weren’t used. This particular lens had quite a bit of exterior scoring and grime jammed in the edges of the barrels. The focus appeared to have been impacted at some point, leaving the focus rotation uneven and rough. On top of that, there appeared to be signs of previous moisture contamination in the form of grey spots around the edges of the elements where it should have been dark black. Most of the engravings had lost their paint and were almost illegible. Certainly not the most devastated lens I’ve seen, but far from good. condition.
I began by completely disassembling the lens. Every lock-ring, element, barrel, and screw were removed. Each part was de-greased and dipped in the ultra-sonic cleanser to remove all the loose particles. I restored full, smooth travel to the focus helix by lapping the focus threads. One of the lock rings that held in the front optics was corroded so I machined the surface down to new material to give it a nice smooth finish, then oxidized the bare aluminum to give it a non-reflective finish. After all the parts were clean and moved freely, I re-lubricated everything with modern Angenieux grease and re-assembled the components. The glass was all cleaned and calibrated/collimated on an Angenieux vertical collimator. I cleaned up the surface of the exterior barrels and re-painted all of the engravings. The lens was better than it was when it came from Angenieux and performed great on my test projector. Another successful restoration to add to my cabinet.
Very impressive! I have a question: I found a 610mm Kodak Aero Ektar lens at a flea market but it has a lot of fungus on it. I don’t know much about these lenses but was wondering how much work/difficulty there is to taking them apart and cleaning if possible the fungus. Trying to weigh the sellers asking price and the work needed. Here is one photo on my Flickr stream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/philipgreene/6341587044/in/photostream
Not sure you see enough from the photo?
Thanks!
Philip
hello Philip. I recently got the same exact lens with an horrrible fungus infestation throughout the lens element and the blades as well. I really would love to fix it or find someone able to do that if you can suggest. Plese let me know.
And thank you for your precious information.
Hi Tommaso, Not sure I can be of any real help. There was a little more discussion of that lens here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/philipgreene/6340837783/in/photostream/
with a link to how to clean lens fungus. In the US I have heard Paul Ebel lens service is good and in Europe I am not sure. I have seen a guy named Hans Kerensky on Flickr do a lot of camera work and he may be of help. I think in some cases if the lens has too much fungus people use a compound paste to clean the lens which may take off any lens coating before polishing it. I think it is worth a try. I did not restore that lens. Someone else bought it and later broke it according to the seller. The asking price was $135.00 and it would have been worth buying. Hope that helps and good luck with your lens!
Philip
Hi Matt,
I have a c-mount elgeet cine lens that has a very stiff focus ring. The lens is very inexpensive and not worth getting it professionally cleaned. I never opened a lens before but am thinking of giving it s a try myself. Do you happen to have a few more pictures at intermediate stages, that you could upload?
Unfortunately I don’t have any additional photos. Sorry.
-Matthew
Ballpark- How much would this cleaning and restoration cost?
I have the same lens and use it quite a bit on Micro Four Thirds.
Drop an email to FrontDesk@DuclosLenses.com for a quote.
I have one of these lenses that I picked up for next to nothing. Can you give me a few hints on how the break down of the lens works? How does the group under the front element come out? I assume it is threaded in, but there is no locking ring and no indents or anything to get at it with a spanner wrench. Is this where a set of rubber tools is needed? The lens has some internal fungus. If it is the same fungus as the front element then it is going to clean up nicely… I just need to get into it.
Any help here would be greatly appreciated.
Hello there!
I have an Angenieux 50mm f/1.5 Type S21 lens that is in dyer need of SERIOUS help. Blades are oily, there is some fungus on the inside, lots of internal dust, some dirt and grime… Aperture does close down and open properly.
Angenieux 135mm f/2.5 Type P2 lens. This one is even worse. LOTS of dirt and grime, LOTS of internal hazing, SO much internal dust, oil on aperture blades, etc.
Kilfitt Makro Type D Kilar 4cm f/2.8 lens. Oil on blades, some internal dust/haze. This one would porbably be the most difficult to disassemble and work on.
Please let me know if you would be interested in repairing and FULLY restoring these lenses. I would love to be able to put these lenses back into active use on my SLRs.
Please contact me as soon as possible!
info@ajholmesphotography.com
Service is certainly possible, but our rates would almost certainly exceed the value of the lens. Our technicians and labor rates are tailored to cinema lenses.
hey im fixing up an old halina 35x super.. could you point me in the right direction to start disassembling the lens please … thank you
Do you take jobs? I have a Cien-Kodak Special with a variety of lenses (Anstigamatic) that, like the camera, I want to put into use.
Hi, this looks absolutely lovely.
Have you disassembled an Angenieux zoom? I’m buying a 17-68 zoom which is said to have some fungus, and doesn’t focus to infinity (on a BMPCC with a MFT adapter) when zoomed to 68mm.
I have the tools to open a lens (spanner wrench), and I’ve cleaned out a Pentax 200mm f/4 and a Pentax 28mm f/3.5. So I’m thinking I’ll try to tackle the Angenieux 17-68mm, but I have trepidation that it will be beyond me! Any inklings of thoughts or advice in preparation of it’s arrival would be appreciated! 🙂
All the best!
Hi Matthew, yes I’m one of those cheapskates that bought a cheap vintage lens on ebay and am googling trying to find advice on how to restore it: But forget that. Reading your post made me appreciate the skill, the craft and labour of love it is, and had to say ‘wow’, lots of respect to you, and as the man behind the scenes who has restored the lenses for many a fine shot whether for stills or the moving image, thank you sir. Can I say it again please? Thank you.