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Experience with lens repair by Carl Zeiss

G

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Last evening my 28mm lens for my Contax G system fell on the floor :-( ... It doens't fit the body anymore (When I put it on the body, I cannot turn it around enough to 'click' the lens. It seems that something inside the lens is deformed and of course I'm not sure whether the optics are still OK...

I have two option: throw it away and buy a new one (approx. 300 euro second hand in good shape) or send it to Carl Zeiss for repair. Do you have any experience with lens-repair by Carl Zeiss? What did it they charge you?

Sander :-(
 
Man, that really sucks! I hate when I drop my stuff. I dropped the L bracket to my RZ67 and the gizmo gave out on me.

I'll tell you one thing............if you send it back to Kyocera to be repaired, don't wait by the telephone. I ordered an owners manual from them for my G2 well over a month ago. I'm still waiting. Imagine how long it would take for a lens repair?
 
Sander, which country are you in? There was a message somewhere on this forum a couple months ago and someone recommended a very good repairman who is recognized by zeiss historical (or was it by cz themselves?). I know he is in the US. I jotted down the name and contact details at the time, and if this is something you would like to check out, I will keep trying to find what I did with the details. (Otherwise maybe the original poster will write in again).

As a side note, I wish that good repair people would advertise on this site so we would know where to turn when we need good help. While I'm at it, I also wish that vendors of Contax / Zeiss used and new would advertise here too, it would make this such a complete resource.

-Lynn
 
HI, Sander I'm not the only one dropping things. Maybe you have to reposition the bayonet: with the lens of the camera turn the lens grip ring anticlockwise and the lens mount ring clockwise (holding the lens so you look at the front-element). See page 28 of instruction manual. Good Luck! Frank Lindeman
 
>Before you ditch the lens, make sure the mounting teeth haven't been jolted loose by the drop. This can prevent the lens from locking onto the body. You can adjust this by sliding the mounting teeth yourself. Hope this helps.

Chip >
 
Hi Guys,

Thanks for your respons. I live in the Netherlands, so a repairman in the US is not the way to go for me... I think the importer in the Netherlands will send the lens to Carl Zeiss in Germany.

Frank, the bayonet itself is ok. Ik can position the lens on the body, but I cannot twist it far enough to let it click because of internal friction (inside the lens). I notice the same effect when I try to twist the lens when not attached to the body.

Chip, I don't understand exactly what you mean (My English is pretty bad).. What do you mean by 'mounting teeth' ?

Thanks so far! And of course: more suggestions for fixing the problem myself are very welcom!

Sander
 
Hi Sander I did not drop mine (a 21 mm Contax G lens, but I have exactly the same problem.
I have phoned the licensed importer (Plasmas in Tilburg). They believe that with turning several parts of the lens viz. a viz. each other (I saw a similar advice earlier) the problem can be solved: the adjustment of internal parts can get lost when wrongly fitting the lens to camera (and maybe also by dropping). Plasmans will not make the lens themselves, for sure. And they have not indicated (don't want to) where they will send it to.
I am trying to find out a decent repair shop.
I have two addresses in Holland that have been advised to me by a very good camera shop in our village (on of the best in Eastern Holland, Henk van Heek in Wierden). He advises to consider the following repair options:

Kunee Instruments in Emmen and NCR reflex in Amsterdam. In fact van Heek thinks that Plasmans sends its Contax repair to NCR. Watch out he advises to take care with the pricing and cost of the repair for both the repair shops.

Actually Plasmans has indicated that the repair is a simple several minutes job (??)

So probably one can wait for it.
I will try to get more information in the following days.

I invite any other Dutch Contax user that has experience with Contax repair shops to share this information........


Peter
 
Hello,

I had to send in my Tessar 2.8/45 for repair in 1997. I shipped it to Zeiss directly. The adress is:
Carl Zeiss
Photoobjektive
D-73446 Oberkochen
Germany
Three days later I got a letter in which they told me that they've received my lens.
Another five days later I got a letter in which I was detailed told what must be done and what it will cost. I had to send a reply, if the repair should be done or not.
If the repair costs to much for you, you only have to pay for the look to your lens and returning. In 1997 this was approx. 20,- Euros plus tax.
The repair was done in another two days (!). I was glad to get my lens back via UPS. Everything was done with the original parts and it looked very fine!
I would send every repair to the original manufacturer. They've got all the know how and the parts.

Matthias
 
Thanks matthias, are you saying your repair cost you 20 Euro (excluding taxes and cost for shipping??

Seems like a jolly good performance. But I question if they will allow me to send it from Holland??

Peter
 
Thanks Matthias, are you saying your repair cost you 20 Euro (excluding taxes and cost for shipping??

Seems like a jolly good performance. But I question if they will allow me to send it from Holland??

Peter
 
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