Removing rear lens element on Rolleiflex 2.8f

Hello All,

 

I have a Rolleiflex 2.8f TLR camera and it's taking lens (a Planar) would benefit from cleaning. The front element was a breeze - all you needed was a rubber tool to undo the front retaining ring. It is now pristine.

 

The rear element is a different story altogether. I can only see a fine, recessed locking ring between the rear lens and a tall collar that surrounds it. This design makes it impossible to use a traditional lens opening tools. A lens spanner is too bulky to fit in the slot between the lens element and the tall collar as there is very little clearance between them.

 

I have seen the you tube clip showing how to create a Rolleiflex 75mm 3.5f rear lens opening tool but because that tall ring is there it would not work. It must be a different design.

 

So has anyone successfully managed to get access to the rear lens element on a 2.8f? If so, what tool did you use?

 

Thanks,

 

All the best!

Pat

Needle-nose pliers?

But you have to be very careful they don't slip.

 

Maybe pack out the jaws with plasticene to stop them snapping shut.

 

Disclaimer: I've never dismantled a Rollei Planar, but I've used needle-nose pliers on plenty of other small lens retaining rings.

 

It also doesn't take much work to fashion a tool from flat metal sheet of the right thickness to fit in the slots of the retaining ring. A file and junior hacksaw is all that's needed.

Edited November 6, 2020 by rodeo_joe|1

Needle-nose pliers?

But you have to be very careful they don't slip.

 

Maybe pack out the jaws with plasticene to stop them snapping shut.

 

Disclaimer: I've never dismantled a Rollei Planar, but I've used needle-nose pliers on plenty of other small lens retaining rings.

 

It also doesn't take much work to fashion a tool from flat metal sheet of the right thickness to fit in the slots of the retaining ring. A file and junior hacksaw is all that's needed.

Special tool time Get filing.

The mark of a craftsman is that he leaves no marks. Make or buy a suitable tool that's not apt to slip.

Thanks.

 

I also came across a post where someone recommended removing the front element and opening the shutter in bulb mode (could be locked with the locking mechanism round the shutter release) in order to access the inner side of the rear element for cleaning / the back side of the rear element is accessible from the film bay anyway.

 

Slightly unnerving idea, imagine the shutter blades accidentally closing whilst you're 'poking' in there...

 

 

 

I suppose it could do the trick

The Planar lens has 5 or perhaps 6 elements. The chances of accessing the front surface of a rear element, by removing things from the front, seem remote to me.

 

To be honest, unless it's really bad, I would not attempt to remove the rear group. Especially if you don't have the special tools or knowledge required. How bad is the lens? In my experience it has to be pretty bad to affect the image quality.

Yes, one would only be able to clean the peripheral lens in the rear group, not the individual elements, through the open shutter. This is where most of the dust seems to be. I would not attempt to open the doublet / triplet itself.

 

Having cleaned the edge lenses in the front group, you really need to have it out to do it properly. It took a few times (pec pads and eclipse lens cleaning fluid) to get it crystal clean.

 

The surface dust is not visible in normal light, even direct sunlight does not reveal anything, only under LED torch, and only at a certain angle. The torch itself was merely used to make sure no fungal growths or separation have started and the lens looks perfect in that respect.

 

I would try it if there was a commercially available tool to do it (hence the post) but it sounds you would need to make a proprietary one and that process could be a can of worms. I might revisit the idea next time I send it for a CLA but will leave it for now.

 

Thanks again!

The surface dust is not visible in normal light, even direct sunlight does not reveal anything, only under LED torch, and only at a certain angle.

Then leave it alone!

 

The penlight-torch test is very revealing of any lens blemishes. Blemishes that won't affect the image in the slightest. And a few specks of dust are nothing to worry about at all.

Here's an example:

The Rollie F dates to a time that optical glass was prepared in crucibles a few ounces or pounds at a time. That process resulted in numerous inclusions which are easily visible in cross lighting, but have no effect on the image. Haze is another matter, and can result from deposition of volatile organics, or growth of mold on inner elements. I would leave disassembly and cleaning to experts.

The Rollie F dates to a time that optical glass was prepared in crucibles a few ounces or pounds at a time. That process resulted in numerous inclusions which are easily visible in cross lighting, but have no effect on the image.

 

That's interesting. The polishing process of the optical elements was done manually as well. The whole camera is quite an engineering feat!

 

For a little update, I could not help myself... Having tested the camera's shutter lock to make sure it will not close on its own, I went with the front element removal and opening the shutter in Bulb mode to access the rear lens. I used a cotton ear bud and attached a folded Pec Pad to create a swab 'paddle' that fits into the opening, to remove what looked like swirly grease marks (probably from inadequate cleaning) using a Zeiss lens cleaner. I then used Eclipse lens cleaner for the final clean. Result? The inner side of the rear lens group is now also crystal clear. :)

 

Not at all difficult in terms of access but you need to have the right cleaning tools to do it properly. The Eclipse fluid on its own would not remove the grease so it was a two stage process. Had this been fungus, requiring more aggressive treatment, I would definitely have this cleaned by a professional outside the camera body, though.