Aperture ring on OM-system zuiko 50mm lens doesn't turn

Hello everyone! I just bought my first film set-up, an OM-1 and a zuiko 50mm lens. I was reading through the manual and testing everything in it when I came up on aperture ring. It's currently stuck on f16 and won't budge. I've tried turning it both in the body and out of the body. Could this be user error? Or, is there a malfunction in the lens?

I should add I went into my local camera shop to buy a battery and some film and had them take a quick look at it. They were puzzled and said there were no signs of damage.

The blades move properly as well. When I press the aperture preview button on the side of lens the blades move quickly and accurately. Sorry that this isn't condensed into the OP. I wasn't think about all the info y'all would need when I made the thread.

If I had to guess I'd say that some piece of grit or sand has gotten into the mechanism and jammed it. I've also heard that there's a ball bearing that's responsible for the click you hear when selecting an aperture setting and that it can get dislodged. I don't think I've had that happen.

 

If it is dirt, you might try some compressed air in the gap between the ring and the lens. If you're desperate and not willing/able to disassemble the lens, the you could try some penetrating oil. I say this only because if it's a 50mm 1.8, they are relatively inexpensive on eBay and other places if you need to get another one.

 

I've had one apart before and I don't remember the details of the innards but it's not hard to disassemble if you have the right tools. If you don't you risk scratching things you don't want to scratch.

If I had to guess I'd say that some piece of grit or sand has gotten into the mechanism and jammed it. I've also heard that there's a ball bearing that's responsible for the click you hear when selecting an aperture setting and that it can get dislodged. I don't think I've had that happen.

 

If it is dirt, you might try some compressed air in the gap between the ring and the lens. If you're desperate and not willing/able to disassemble the lens, the you could try some penetrating oil. I say this only because if it's a 50mm 1.8, they are relatively inexpensive on eBay and other places if you need to get another one.

 

I've had one apart before and I don't remember the details of the innards but it's not hard to disassemble if you have the right tools. If you don't you risk scratching things you don't want to scratch.

Thanks, I watched a video on the disassemble and I don't have the tool they recommend a spanning wrench. I got the lens from KEH so I sent them an email and I'll see what they say.

Thanks, I watched a video on the disassemble and I don't have the tool they recommend a spanning wrench. I got the lens from KEH so I sent them an email and I'll see what they say.

I have one of these lenses that was a bit fungusy. Since I had nothing to lose, I tried taking it apart. You don't need the spanner to get the name ring off; you can use a very small jeweller's screwdriver. The video I saw had a different style than my lens. I think the guy used a spanner on the one in the video. Mine has three screws. The ball bearing fell out at some point, and I didn't know where it went back. There's a sheet metal tab with a hole in the middle, and when I put the ball bearing there and put the lens back together, the aperture ring wouldn't turn. Maybe the ball bearing goes underneath the tab?

 

Anyway, I have a spanner coming from Amazon. I can use it for other things. When it arrives, I'll play with the lens some more.

Oh I wouldn’t try doing surgery on the yourself. It’s Keh, they’ll replace it for you - but if you take it apart maybe they won’t honor their warranty.

Oh I wouldn’t try doing surgery on the yourself. It’s Keh, they’ll replace it for you - but if you take it apart maybe they won’t honor their warranty.

Oh, definitely. If you have a warranty, use the warranty. In my case, I don't even remember how I got the camera and lens. (The camera is an Olympus OM10; not one I would have sought out, as I have an OM-1n and an OM-4.) My options were to throw the lens in the trash, or to see it I could use it as a learning experience.

I don't see how Keh can ship out a lens without as least checking to see if the aperture ring turns.

I don't see how Keh can ship out a lens without as least checking to see if the aperture ring turns.

It’s unlike them, but I know screamingjazz from another unrelated place and I talked about it with him and can’t think of any reason the aperture ring would behave like that. It could be a jostled-during-shipping issue.

KEH has been very responsive when I've occasionally (not often) received something which didn't make the grade or work properly upon receipt.

I don't see how Keh can ship out a lens without as least checking to see if the aperture ring turns.

Reading a lot of posts about KEH both praises and complaints I actually think that they would shipping out stuff without checking. The fact that I saw so many posts saying the items received are in so much better condition than listed and the fact that KEH is so easy on accepting return I believe that they don't check their goods very carefully.

A couple of years ago KEH had a rep at a photo show I attended, and I watched their process, as he was evaluating gear people brought in to see if KEH was interested in buying it. As far as lenses, he basically evaluated the exterior cosmetics, checked for fungus,dust, element separation, scratches on the lens surfaces, did a twist of the focus mechanisms...put his numbers and the lens ID into a computer which gave him a quick & dirty estimate of what they would pay for the item. No it wasn't an exhaustive examination - it took about a minute, but OTOH they are relatively conservative in their evaluations, and more often than not items I've received from them have been in better shape than their grading system indicated.

A couple of years ago KEH had a rep at a photo show I attended, and I watched their process, as he was evaluating gear people brought in to see if KEH was interested in buying it. As far as lenses, he basically evaluated the exterior cosmetics, checked for fungus,dust, element separation, scratches on the lens surfaces, did a twist of the focus mechanisms...put his numbers and the lens ID into a computer which gave him a quick & dirty estimate of what they would pay for the item. No it wasn't an exhaustive examination - it took about a minute, but OTOH they are relatively conservative in their evaluations, and more often than not items I've received from them have been in better shape than their grading system indicated.

 

I've been buying from KEH since ~2005, and would hate to even estimate how much I've spent with them.

 

I've had a few issues over the years, but that's the nature of buying used camera equipment in the first place and also buying BGN grade stuff.

 

On the whole, I would say that over the past 15 years what passes as acceptable COSMETIC condition for BGN has slipped somewhat, but it's still sold as operational equipment and they stand behind it the same as they do higher grades of stuff.

 

The last time I really had a serious issue with a piece was probably 2 years ago, when a BGN F5 arrived with iffy AF(would often give two flashing arrows even in good light on a high contrast spot) and a missing lower AF-ON button.

 

I called them, and after a profuse apology they told me that they didn't have any other BGN F5s in stock, but would send me an EX- for no additional cost. The replacement was/is perfect(and I got a nice "bonus" of a split image focusing screen installed in it).

 

More recently-back I think in November-I bought a Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VR I that was advertised as having a Kirk foot instead of the factory foot(the Kirk foot otherwise functions like the factory one, but will fit an Arca-Swiss style tripod head directly without needing an intermediate QR plate). It was ~$30 more than one with a factory foot in the same condition. It arrived and had the factory foot installed. I called and explained the situation, and initially they told me that I could either return for a refund or they would refund the difference in price. I said that I'd really LIKE the foot if they could find one, but the second option would be okay if not. A day later, they called and said that they'd found one in the parts room, and had it on its way to me that day.

 

Many years ago, it took three tries to get a fully functioning Canon F-1n(I forget the problems with them-I know I had one dead meter in the bunch) but they were great to work with and I eventually got a camera that I still have today.

Hi,

 

Can you confirm the details of the lens, so just the white lettering on the front beauty ring will do, it sounds like someone may have dismantled in the past and not put it back properly, I'm in the UK and if it works for you I don't mind fixing it so feel free to PM me for posting address, if not I can give you some step by steps that may help but depends on the version which I can tell from the white lettering.

 

Let me know

Kind regards

P.S - Please don't squirt any oil anywhere as it will undoubtedly get onto the blades! :)

I would agree that if you got it from KEH then I would not try anything drastic on the lens. Send it back.

 

KEH and Robert's camera are two places I've gotten used equipment from and have been happy with both. Their prices are reasonably competitive with random eBay sellers and they have a generous return policy.

 

If you're going to try and make a business out of selling old camera equipment then you can't afford to spend too much time inspecting each item, - especially the lower priced ones or it'll cost more than you'll get for the item. At the same time, there are costs associated with having an item returned so they want to avoid that too.

 

So it makes sense to me that they'd both grade items conservatively and occasionally miss a problem.