Always a really nice surprise when there's any kind of breakdown like this available. The fact that you're talking us through it and it's really well filmed are bonuses. Thanks for your work.
11:52 - my lens is a 50mm f/1.4, probably similar inner workings. The diaphragm has stopped working. Are these springs a common failure point? seems like they gave out and caused this issue.
Hi, I have an 50mm f1.8 f zuiko with an aperture ring stuck on f1.8. I’ve followed your instructions down to removing the front objective but my copy doesn’t seem to have the spanner slots that yours does. Any tips for removing the front objective without those spanner slots.
I love these kinds of videos. When i started fiddling around with repairing camera stuff i often ended up breaking them. Today i succesfully removed a nasty dust particle right in the middle of my 50mm zuiko f1.4, with no damage to the lens.
Got this beauty for $10 today. It's in minty condition, but was a bit dusty inside. Your video was very thorough, easy to follow. Now the lens are virtually dust free. Thank you!
Hey Matt, You look quite young, but Your lens repair skills are absolutely above average. Keep the good work on! Cheers from fellow colleague from Czech Republic. :)
Hi Matt. thanks for that video very well described strip down. I would say however....please encourage viewers to use the correct tools for the job. I have seen so many lenses damaged by people using a flat head screwdriver to do what should be done with a lens spanner. The proper tools are cheap to buy today. Also it would be useful make a point of telling viewers the correct cross head screwdrivers to use. They are not a standard Philips type.....they are JIS crosshead screwdrivers that are designed for camera and lens repair. Attempting to use an ordinary Philips screwdriver will damage the screw heads and it won't remove them. The JIS screwdriver are also not too expensive. You can buy a lens spanner and a set of the correct high quality screwdrivers for £25.00 - £30.00 for both at todays prices 20/10/2021. Thanks again for sharing.
First step of removing the name ring is proving difficult. The lenses focusing bogs down and is hard to turn so I wanted to see if breaking it down and cleaning might help come loose but if the name ring wont move what can I do to get it to move? Blasting it with penetrating oil seems like a no no but I could dab a little in each divot maybe?
Thank you for this, you helped me work on a lens for my Olympus pen ft which had fungus on the rear lens. Which is almost the same, after taking it apart the small spring on the fell on the floor. That was so much fun looking for that on a shag floor but after a few slow swipes with a magnet and afterwards a few drinks. The lens works great. Again thank you very much.
Yes... every workshop that repairs and services precision equipment should have a shag rug floor. I don't have a shag rug, but I have done repairs on pieces with tiny screws that fall to the carpeted floor. Then, out come the flashlights and the magnets, and sometimes the prayer books to the gods of lost tiny mechanical parts.
Hi Matt, I've to disassemble the front element that you show at 3:35 to pull out the glasses and clean some condensation. I tried out everything in the past days but I was not able to understand HOW to free it from the metal support. From Argentina, spanish please. if you can, if not in English
thanks heaps man. Applied it to my G. Zuiko f1.4, not everything was identical of course, but it was very similar. now i've only got a stiff focus ring to deal with
I've seen a few of these with fungus for very decent prices. Looks like dismantling and cleaning the optics is definitely viable. Thanks for the detailed upload
I know it's late af in the night but I just attemped this and my lens opens differently. It has 3 screws as soon as you remove the first logo screw. Then the first part of the lens drops out. A random tiny spring and ball fell out from the bottom of the lens. I flipped the back removed the screws and cleaned the next part. Thanks for the video btw
Dear Matt, I was looking for a zuiko lens disassembly in TH-cam since 2013 as I have a oily aperture and foggy front lens element 50 1.8.didn't find any then.Now I stumble upon your video today and think I can do it myself.Very clear and organized demonstration.hope you Will keep continue it this way.Will you make a CLA video of OM 1n as well plz!!! Much appreciated.
I have a similar lens that the aperture doesn’t return opened after pushed the open control on the lens (stop downl level doesn’t return in position), it looks like there isn’t the return of blades. In you opnion could be easy to solve without diasassembly all aperture mechanism?
Is there any way to take apart the first "saucer" shaped optic? The lens I have works fine. There is fungus in the first optic. I want to take it apart to clean. Great video! Thank you.
@@JamesE707 What a coincidence! After taking a closer look at it, I'm not too sure that optic can be taken apart. There might not be much hope for our lenses, unfortunately. If you do find a way to take it apart, please let me know. Cheers!
The only potential way into the 'doublet' would be through the rear - it looks possible, but until I receive and use my lens ring removers I cannot know for sure if the rear element is secured by what appears to be a screw on 'cap'. In a few days I'll know for sure. Good job these lenses are pretty cheap now on ebay! ;o)
I wonder if the front element can be removed from that dual lens assembly? Mine appears to be glued on, although it is not obvious. I'd like to attempt a removal of the fungus behind the front element using hydrogen peroxide at 6%. It's been successful method for my Nikkor lenses.
Mine has a real 'blob' of fungus on the inside of the rear element. Back came off easily but your 'spinning' off the rear lens no - it will not budge at all! Anyone got any ideas, a solvent or something maybe?
I know this reply is way later but for those who might need this. I have had success using a small rubber strap wrench from the auto parts store. Snaps it loose in one quick motion with zero damage.
Hi, I have tried to take apart front part of zuiko 50mm f1.4 It has similar element like here which looks like doublet. Is there any chance to disassemble that? Not sure it is glued. I soaked it in hydrogen peroxide to remove small fungus and realized the liquid has penetrated between two glasses somehow. It waporated in few hours but some haze still there. Thanks
Hi Matt, I have a problem... I basically stopped after the first two minutes because my 50mm 1.8 does not have the little holes to remove the name ring. I actually have two 50mm 1.8, one of theme has the holes, the other doesn't. The lens without he hole could be the older version of the lens? And if so, do you have any pis on how to screw the name ring? Thanks in advance!
@@andrewb6653 Hi guys. Same problem with mine F.Zuiko. no holes for unscrewing. So beeing pissed off, I just took a rubber glove to create a friction and grabbed something round. Placed this round thing (anything that you can hold well in hand, like a round LEGO rim :) ) of cca same diameter into the rubber glove, attached it and tried several time with a force applied and.....poop.....started unscrewing and I managed to remove it ! Today round two, cause I have also no notches to remove the front lens assembly. So I will need to use same principles.
@@martintomes2296 yes i confirm there are several version of this lense. This one is the most easy to service. The other ona got less,pieces which is not a positive point.
I find these videos really interesting and educational, but I'm far too cack handed to even attempt it myself. This, and my Sigma 18-35 f1.8, are my favourite lenses so if it ever needed repairs I'd send it to a company in Liverpool. That certainly isn't a reflection on your video, just my past history on trying anything like this, and it's always good to know how things work.
Many thanks for sharing ! Maybe this instruction video will help me for lens fungus removal of a nice OM ZUIKO 100mm f2.8 .... A very nice day dear Matt...
I am having some issues on reassimbling it back, it seems that the black metal gear is not capable anymore to close the diaphragm anymore. Any help or idea? It closes now only up to f4.
Hi what If the lens has a filter ring dent the front element are stuck in. you need to cut the damaged out or try to unbend the threads but they are often too badly damaged. There are no replacement front rings for sale?
+John Allen It depends on where the fungus is in the optic, and this can be difficult to tell without taking it apart. If it is on one of the element faces, you can at least access the fungus and try cleaning it off. But if it is inside of a bonded group, you cannot clean it without professional knowledge and tools. Start by removing the various rings/layers of the front optic, either starting at the front or back, depending on which appears closer to the fungus (I think the front is easier on this lens. For that, start with the inner grooved black ring and work back from there.) These are often difficult to remove, and are usually held in place with a small amount of adhesive. The small size and odd shape of the pieces doesn't help matters. This process should at least allow you to start examining the elements until you find what you are after. A warning however: only attempt this if the fungus is impacting image quality in a major way or the fungus is recent and you are concerned about it spreading. It's easy to introduce more dust and oil into the optics and end up making the problem worse, or even end up damaging the optics. And there is also no guarantee that the fungus can actually be removed, since it may be in inaccessible location or have etched itself into the glass. Good luck.
Thanks for the reply, Matt. Unfortunately, the haze is inside the front element assembly. I assume this element is what you call a bonded group. I was wondering if there is a way to take this apart to get at both sides of the lens elements. Apparently not.
Mine is a bit different inside. It's missing all the internal spanner wrench points and the internal rings are glued together. It's making getting to the inside a bit tricky. Are there other ways to access the aperture? My iris is fine, but both of the lens elements facing the aperture have fungus and I'm trying to get those surfaces cleaned.
+David Hancock i opened up the back part to remove some fungus, alot of small parts that were a bit different from the ones in the video, but i could unscrew it like in the video 6:37. mine was just plane zuiko and not f-zuiko. don't know if that helps you?
Patrick Mc Laughlin A little. Mine didn't have the ability to unscrew, that I found. I ended up selling it for parts. My hope is that whomever bought it has a better understanding of how these work than I do.
Hey! This may sound like a dumb question but what is the initial black piece at the back for? The one with the small screw attachments? I have this lens but am missing this piece. Seems to work fine but wondering if it’s important and if I should pick one up! Thanks for any comments!
Hi. Thanks for you're videos. I cleaned a OM 28mm and now it is perfect. I started to clean a OM 50mm 1.4 and had a problem. The third lens from the front broke while disassembling. Do you know if or where I can by spears? I'm desperate!!!! Thanks again
So with the OM40 in P mode the camera body mechanically changes the aperture f-stop setting by moving an adjustment arm? This has been perplexing me as I couldn't see any electrical contacts between the body and the lens! Thx
Any advice for taking out mounting plate screws that are stuck? I have a later Zuiko 50mm model. I ground down a Philips head screwdriver to be more JIS friendly and it seems to fit snuggly enough but the screws seem really stuck. Is it possible they may have used a bit of glue in the screw holes? I have heard others talking about this with other brands of lenses, but I am not sure about Olympus.
On my lens I got down to the front elements. The front elements won't budge if I put anymore pressure it's going to slip and hurt me or scratch the lens. Any hints for when it seems frozen like ths?
+FlyingRowan Same thing with me! The front part which Olympus on it DOESN'T BUDGE. Even using a small screwdriver to push it round won't do anything. Need HELP!!!
Very helpful thanks! I have the type with the lens elements that come apart from the front group assembly but at attempting to unscrew the last internal lens holder it is completely stuck, seems like it has never been serviced since I can see the original sealant at some points on the tread intact, I been trying to dissolve it with Ronsonol but without any luck, same situacion with the back group cover. Any ideas on how to loose them will be appreciated. Thanks.
Great video and really helpful. A few quick questions. 1) How easy is it to de-click the aperture on this lens? 2) Does the focus also need to be de-clicked? (I'm using this for video) 3) Do you know the thread size for attaching neutral density ND filters to this lens? Thanks so much.
Hi MattIs. Is there any way to take apart the first "saucer" shaped optic? The lens I have works fine. There is fungus in the first optic. I want to take it apart to clean. ( the previous question is wrong since I cut and pasted). From Argentina, spanish please. if you can, if not in English
Hi Matt! Have you ever open a RMC Tokina f2.8 28mm om mount? I think mine has a problem. I don't see difference in the aperture after between f5.6 / f8 but it still rotates to f16. Could you know what's causing this maybe? If you think it would be an easy fix I'd try to get some tools to repair it. Thanks in advance!
Im looking forward to buying this lens. However it doesnt state F.Zuiko. Does it still contain same number of elements and is the general quality same as in this one? Is it a model year thing or why doesnt every lens have a letter prefix?
Hi. Does DSLR camera have any power sugre protection inside the body? I am just curious. For example, let's say I bought a new lens to my DSLR, but with damaged electronics. I put it to the body and .... the camera is damaged. It is possible?
Is it normal that the aperture ring feels loose after long use? It wobbles a little but it works fine, it clicks at each stop without no problem. But I’m highly annoyed by the fact that it’s slightly loose lol.
Hi, thank you for this video. I was given a beautiful om-2 few days ago and i am really fund of this camera. It camed with the 50mm f1,8 which aperture ring is really hard, i can stil feel the stops but almost can't hear stop clicks. Every thing seems to be working properly anyway, the shutter is not sticky at all when pressing the release button, so it's just a problem of turning the ring without leaving the skin of my fingers on it. What is it that you think i should clean? Thx a lot...
Sounds like an interesting problem, but I'm not sure what the root cause would be. Try going in from the back of the lens and progressively removing parts related to the diaphragm mechanism. At each stage, you should be able to move the mechanism manually to tell if it is operating more smoothly. Once you get the aperture moving well with the lens disassembled, try putting it back together progressively until you identify the piece/step that causes it to be hard to move. My best guess is that some internal component is hitting up against something, and the internal friction is making turning the ring difficult. You should be able to move the pieces back into the correct position. This misalignment or bending of internal pieces can sometimes happen if the lens has been dropped. Good luck, hope you find what's wrong with your lens and are able to fix it.
To tell the truth, i'm a bit afraid about getting the lens fully disassembled, but your method sounds like the safest way. I will make a new post in case i'm giving it a try. Thanks again.
I had to use the latex glove trick to remove the name ring. Then, i could realize that the lens was dropped or shocked because a small part of the diaph ring appears to be flatten a little. This is very subtle, but i guess this is enough. I could file the inside of the diaph ring and it turns now a bit more easily. I hope i did not cause any other problems like finger prints or dust....
Updated: Oh my, work paid of. Maybe I have to open it once but its working and Im learning. I uused something like 14hrs to this lens. Nice! Thanks for videos! Hi Matt! Im trying to fix Olympus OM 50mm 1,4 but every time that is time to put the back lid or the mounting system (silver) it seems to be that the levers are in wrong places. Those should be exact the opposite sides. Can you advise me?
Hi Matt, its an excellent presentation for repairing m.zuiko lens. I have a olymus pen with m.zuiko 14-42 mm lens. it seems the auto-focus is stuck somehow. So I am getting lens error when I turn the camera on. Other lenses work in this camera. I opened up the lens from back and front to a point when I see some gear teeth on the inner side but could not find a way how to get to that. Aperture working fine. Zooming function working ok. I hear a noise for something is trying to move but dont see any motion. As the lens is not completing the focus its giving me lens error. Can you guide me how can I fix the auto-focus? Should it be done from the front or back? Please help, Thank you
The flex ribbon cable will rip and stop functioning. There are two in the lens. one for focus one aperture. Removing is a pain but reassemble is worst. I also need video help but these cheap lenses do not have much demand.
Hi Matt, I have a zuiko 50mm 1.8 auto-s too; I've to disassemble the front element that you show at 3:35 to pull out the glasses and clean some condensation. I tried out everything in the past days but I was not able to understand HOW to free it from the metal support; it seems that my lense model is slighty different from what I commonly see on internet, because I didn't find an inner ring to unscrew..seems that the glass was directly screwed on the metal support...and I don't even know if it might be possible...:) Please I need your help...
I don't know as much about Olympus lenses, but I believe there are a few different versions of 50mm f1.8 Auto-S lenses, and these may differ in their internal constructions. For the copy I show in this video, if you don't have a spanning wrench, it may be very difficult to get enough leverage to unscrew the glass section. Positioning two small screwdrivers in the slots to create an improvised spanning wrench may help. But if there are no slots for a spanning wrench, as sounds like may the case with your copy, unfortunately, I can't offer very specific advice. I would try some further steps of the disassembly, maybe even attempting to go in from the back. That may reveal a way to loosen up the part you need. Or you may be able to at least access the back of the front element though the diagram that way. Good luck.
Hello Matt, I have one with serial 682632 and its' front ring does not have any slots for a screwdriver so do I need Vacuum Pad Lens Opener? Another problem is when I unscrew the back section of the lens, only a small ring with one len are out. I cannot unscrew the rest section. Do you have any suggestion? Thank you in advance!
Now I use pliers to open the front and it works! But the front optics are not grouped together (as you did in the video). It split into 2 rings which one is used to lock the optics and another one is used to separate two optics, and two optics are out but there still one optics that I cannot take it out. Is it possible that the Olympus 50/1.8 silver nose has more than two manufactures?
Thanks so much making this excellent video mate. I found it really helpful. One question..mine is a Zuiko MC 50mm 1.8 and is a little different to the F.Zuiko in your video. Are you familiar with the Zuiko MC? The mechanism looks quite a different design to what is shown here and it looks quite difficult to remove. Would you have any advice for a novice on this model? The job I need to do is to fix a sticky diaphragm .any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks :)
If the focusing ring is difficult to turn or gritty feeling, my best guess is that the focusing helicoids have a problem. The helicoids are the large screw like rings that rotate in each other to move the lens up and down for focusing. After disassembling the lens (around the 11 minute mark) there is a black section that holds the diaphragm. This has the helicoids in it. I don't think I separate the two helicoid sections in the video, but you should be able to. Or just try adding some lubricant to the helicoids while they are in place. If the focusing is gritty, you'll need to clean the helicoids and then relubricate them. The other thing that could be happening is some other sort of mechanical friction while focusing. I can't diagnose that without seeing the lens itself, but try focusing in and out with the lens in various states and see when the focusing becomes difficult. Adding lubricant or readjusting how things fit together usually can fix that. Good luck.
So at 03:40... am I at the point whereby I can remove dust from front and back lenses? Going to further stages is beyond my scope... If I can clean at this point what lens cleaning fluid (if any) should I use... Thanks so much for the detailed video.
Hi Matt! Do you know if there is a OM to F Mount that work for this lens? I want to use this lens in a Nikon D5500, but all adapters and mount do not work on this lens. Thank you for any information you might know on the matter!
Not to my knowledge, at least if you are looking for a purely mechanical adapter the preserves all the optical qualities of the lens. The flange distances on the OM System and F Mount are almost the same, so there's no room for the adapter hardware. The adapters that FotodioX make here have to use a correction lens to work around this. The added optics reduce image quality and it also sounds like the FotodioX adapter only works for some OM lenses (the correction optic gets in the way on others). I'm not sure if it would work for this particular lens or not.
I guess the front glass is two glasses built together as I cannot clean my fungus and I can see the fungus is inside. I have tried to separate somehow but really look like it is only one glass. But how the fungus is inside than? Interesting.
Here's the mat I'm using: amzn.com/B0006SDOFO I can't say I fully recommend it for this type of work however. It looks nice in the videos, but does seem to absorb any oil or grease spilled on it.
I noticed that he was able to easily pull out the front and rear optics from the lens with ease but for some reason my optics won't budge, I can remove everything else except for those, and there's fungus inside them which was the reason I opened up the lens. Any help would be appreciated.
Take a look at this video of another lens disassembly around the 45 second mark: th-cam.com/video/Kg3KPJbm8is/w-d-xo.html To remove name rings that are stuck and don't have (large) slots for a spanning wrench, I have had some success using a piece of PVC pipe with gaffers tape rolls to provider traction. Even that does not always work, but it may be worth a try.
Probably not. Every lens is different, but lenses by the same manufacturer do often share common design elements or manufacturing techniques. Since you are dealing with a telephoto lens, there are going to be fewer common elements with this normal length lens.
Hi.! Dear Matt, I waiting for a zuiko lens disassembly in TH-cam so, I have a Huge dust and some hazy on front of lens element my zuiko 135 mm f2..8. lens,I didn't find any Post Video till now. I finish was your video today and think I can do it myself.Very clear and organized demonstrate and I hope you will make a CLA video of OM 135mm 2.8 Lens as soon as possible much more appreciated, that's I'm waiting for. Best Regards nyman111333
Hi Matt! My grandfather left me a few lenses and this was one of them. Any chance it can be used with other types of cameras? Or is the Olympus proprietary?
Steve Gribble It depends on the camera you are targeting. Most OM lenses are manual focus, without any electrical coupling, so there are plenty of simple adapters for Mirrorless camera system, basically tubes that both adapt the mount and sit the lens out at the correct flange distance. I use one of these adapters to shoot OM lenses on a Sony E-mount camera. The OM system had a 46mm flange distance, so any mount with a shorter flange distance should technically be adaptable this way. There seems to be a Canon adapter at least. Systems with longer flange distances take additional work. To use an OM lens with a Nikon F mount system for example, because the F mount's flange distance is longer than the OM's, I believe you would need an adapter with builtin optics.
Matt Bierner Thanks for the info! I've spent a month trying to decide between full frame Canon and Nikon...only to hear how great the Sonys have become. I may never decide. Ha!
Always a really nice surprise when there's any kind of breakdown like this available. The fact that you're talking us through it and it's really well filmed are bonuses. Thanks for your work.
I have just had to disassemble a 28 mm OM lens. The instructions in the video made the job very easy. Thank you for taking the time to make it..
11:52 - my lens is a 50mm f/1.4, probably similar inner workings. The diaphragm has stopped working. Are these springs a common failure point? seems like they gave out and caused this issue.
Hi, I have an 50mm f1.8 f zuiko with an aperture ring stuck on f1.8. I’ve followed your instructions down to removing the front objective but my copy doesn’t seem to have the spanner slots that yours does. Any tips for removing the front objective without those spanner slots.
I love these kinds of videos. When i started fiddling around with repairing camera stuff i often ended up breaking them. Today i succesfully removed a nasty dust particle right in the middle of my 50mm zuiko f1.4, with no damage to the lens.
Got this beauty for $10 today. It's in minty condition, but was a bit dusty inside. Your video was very thorough, easy to follow. Now the lens are virtually dust free. Thank you!
Hey Matt,
You look quite young, but Your lens repair skills are absolutely above average. Keep the good work on!
Cheers from fellow colleague from Czech Republic. :)
Hi Matt. thanks for that video very well described strip down.
I would say however....please encourage viewers to use the correct tools for the job. I have seen so many lenses damaged by people using a flat head screwdriver to do what should be done with a lens spanner. The proper tools are cheap to buy today. Also it would be useful make a point of telling viewers the correct cross head screwdrivers to use. They are not a standard Philips type.....they are JIS crosshead screwdrivers that are designed for camera and lens repair. Attempting to use an ordinary Philips screwdriver will damage the screw heads and it won't remove them. The JIS screwdriver are also not too expensive. You can buy a lens spanner and a set of the correct high quality screwdrivers for £25.00 - £30.00 for both at todays prices 20/10/2021.
Thanks again for sharing.
First step of removing the name ring is proving difficult. The lenses focusing bogs down and is hard to turn so I wanted to see if breaking it down and cleaning might help come loose but if the name ring wont move what can I do to get it to move? Blasting it with penetrating oil seems like a no no but I could dab a little in each divot maybe?
Thank you! Just fixed a mechanical problem with the aperture ring of my 50mm f/1.8 using your video.
Thank you for this, you helped me work on a lens for my Olympus pen ft which had fungus on the rear lens. Which is almost the same, after taking it apart the small spring on the fell on the floor. That was so much fun looking for that on a shag floor but after a few slow swipes with a magnet and afterwards a few drinks. The lens works great. Again thank you very much.
Yes... every workshop that repairs and services precision equipment should have a shag rug floor. I don't have a shag rug, but I have done repairs on pieces with tiny screws that fall to the carpeted floor. Then, out come the flashlights and the magnets, and sometimes the prayer books to the gods of lost tiny mechanical parts.
I know this is an old video but i recently got a hold of a 28mm zuiko lense that is stuck, would the process to fix it be the same as the 50mm?
thanks a lot... how about the other 50mm1.8 MIJ version please...
Hi Matt, I've to disassemble the front element that you show at 3:35 to pull out the glasses and clean some condensation. I tried out everything in the past days but I was not able to understand HOW to free it from the metal support. From Argentina, spanish please. if you can, if not in English
that back lens screw is stuck for me... it would take hulk to get it unscrewed.
Just got one of these with fungus and dust inside. Good to know it should be possible to take it apart and put it back together without damaging it.
thanks heaps man. Applied it to my G. Zuiko f1.4, not everything was identical of course, but it was very similar. now i've only got a stiff focus ring to deal with
I've seen a few of these with fungus for very decent prices. Looks like dismantling and cleaning the optics is definitely viable. Thanks for the detailed upload
I know it's late af in the night but I just attemped this and my lens opens differently. It has 3 screws as soon as you remove the first logo screw. Then the first part of the lens drops out. A random tiny spring and ball fell out from the bottom of the lens. I flipped the back removed the screws and cleaned the next part. Thanks for the video btw
Dear Matt, I was looking for a zuiko lens disassembly in TH-cam since 2013 as I have a oily aperture and foggy front lens element 50 1.8.didn't find any then.Now I stumble upon your video today and think I can do it myself.Very clear and organized demonstration.hope you
Will keep continue it this way.Will you make a CLA video of OM 1n as well plz!!! Much appreciated.
Thanks for the video! My lens was making a rattling noise. Turned out that the front element wasn't tightened. Took 2 minutes to fix with no tools.
I have a similar lens that the aperture doesn’t return opened after pushed the open control on the lens (stop downl level doesn’t return in position), it looks like there isn’t the return of blades. In you opnion could be easy to solve without diasassembly all aperture mechanism?
Is there any way to take apart the first "saucer" shaped optic? The lens I have works fine. There is fungus in the first optic. I want to take it apart to clean. Great video! Thank you.
What timing, my thoughts exactly! See my above comment.
Cheers, James.
@@JamesE707 What a coincidence! After taking a closer look at it, I'm not too sure that optic can be taken apart. There might not be much hope for our lenses, unfortunately. If you do find a way to take it apart, please let me know.
Cheers!
The only potential way into the 'doublet' would be through the rear - it looks possible, but until I receive and use my lens ring removers I cannot know for sure if the rear element is secured by what appears to be a screw on 'cap'. In a few days I'll know for sure.
Good job these lenses are pretty cheap now on ebay! ;o)
@@JamesE707 were you able to open and remove the front lens? thanks
No, there's no non-destructive way in. If anyone knows otherwise, I've love to learn.
I wonder if the front element can be removed from that dual lens assembly? Mine appears to be glued on, although it is not obvious. I'd like to attempt a removal of the fungus behind the front element using hydrogen peroxide at 6%. It's been successful method for my Nikkor lenses.
Mine has a real 'blob' of fungus on the inside of the rear element. Back came off easily but your 'spinning' off the rear lens no - it will not budge at all! Anyone got any ideas, a solvent or something maybe?
I know this reply is way later but for those who might need this. I have had success using a small rubber strap wrench from the auto parts store. Snaps it loose in one quick motion with zero damage.
Hi, I have tried to take apart front part of zuiko 50mm f1.4 It has similar element like here which looks like doublet. Is there any chance to disassemble that? Not sure it is glued. I soaked it in hydrogen peroxide to remove small fungus and realized the liquid has penetrated between two glasses somehow. It waporated in few hours but some haze still there. Thanks
Thanks mate!
I accidentally damaged my lens this type and struggling to fix it.
This video is such useful :)
Hi Matt, I have a problem... I basically stopped after the first two minutes because my 50mm 1.8 does not have the little holes to remove the name ring. I actually have two 50mm 1.8, one of theme has the holes, the other doesn't. The lens without he hole could be the older version of the lens? And if so, do you have any pis on how to screw the name ring?
Thanks in advance!
Lorenzo Eusebi I’m having the Same problem it’s been 2 years since your comment so I was wondering if you solved it
@@andrewb6653 Hi guys. Same problem with mine F.Zuiko. no holes for unscrewing. So beeing pissed off, I just took a rubber glove to create a friction and grabbed something round. Placed this round thing (anything that you can hold well in hand, like a round LEGO rim :) ) of cca same diameter into the rubber glove, attached it and tried several time with a force applied and.....poop.....started unscrewing and I managed to remove it ! Today round two, cause I have also no notches to remove the front lens assembly. So I will need to use same principles.
@@martintomes2296 yes i confirm there are several version of this lense. This one is the most easy to service. The other ona got less,pieces which is not a positive point.
I find these videos really interesting and educational, but I'm far too cack handed to even attempt it myself. This, and my Sigma 18-35 f1.8, are my favourite lenses so if it ever needed repairs I'd send it to a company in Liverpool. That certainly isn't a reflection on your video, just my past history on trying anything like this, and it's always good to know how things work.
Many thanks for sharing ! Maybe this instruction video will help me for lens fungus removal of a nice OM ZUIKO 100mm f2.8 ....
A very nice day dear Matt...
3 years later, did you try to remove the fungus? Did you succeed?
I am having some issues on reassimbling it back, it seems that the black metal gear is not capable anymore to close the diaphragm anymore. Any help or idea? It closes now only up to f4.
Thank you. I got myself in a right pickle and this video has saved the day! :)
Hi what If the lens has a filter ring dent the front element are stuck in. you need to cut the damaged out or try to unbend the threads but they are often too badly damaged. There are no replacement front rings for sale?
What are the numbers on the silver mounting ring around the red dot for?
Gracias Matt.
Hope you see this comment. Is it possible to take that front optical element apart so you can clean dust and/or fungus from between the lens elements?
+John Allen It depends on where the fungus is in the optic, and this can be difficult to tell without taking it apart. If it is on one of the element faces, you can at least access the fungus and try cleaning it off. But if it is inside of a bonded group, you cannot clean it without professional knowledge and tools.
Start by removing the various rings/layers of the front optic, either starting at the front or back, depending on which appears closer to the fungus (I think the front is easier on this lens. For that, start with the inner grooved black ring and work back from there.) These are often difficult to remove, and are usually held in place with a small amount of adhesive. The small size and odd shape of the pieces doesn't help matters. This process should at least allow you to start examining the elements until you find what you are after.
A warning however: only attempt this if the fungus is impacting image quality in a major way or the fungus is recent and you are concerned about it spreading. It's easy to introduce more dust and oil into the optics and end up making the problem worse, or even end up damaging the optics. And there is also no guarantee that the fungus can actually be removed, since it may be in inaccessible location or have etched itself into the glass.
Good luck.
Thanks for the reply, Matt. Unfortunately, the haze is inside the front element assembly. I assume this element is what you call a bonded group. I was wondering if there is a way to take this apart to get at both sides of the lens elements. Apparently not.
Mine is a bit different inside. It's missing all the internal spanner wrench points and the internal rings are glued together. It's making getting to the inside a bit tricky.
Are there other ways to access the aperture? My iris is fine, but both of the lens elements facing the aperture have fungus and I'm trying to get those surfaces cleaned.
+David Hancock i opened up the back part to remove some fungus, alot of small parts that were a bit different from the ones in the video, but i could unscrew it like in the video 6:37. mine was just plane zuiko and not f-zuiko. don't know if that helps you?
Patrick Mc Laughlin A little. Mine didn't have the ability to unscrew, that I found. I ended up selling it for parts. My hope is that whomever bought it has a better understanding of how these work than I do.
Hey! This may sound like a dumb question but what is the initial black piece at the back for? The one with the small screw attachments? I have this lens but am missing this piece. Seems to work fine but wondering if it’s important and if I should pick one up! Thanks for any comments!
Hi. Thanks for you're videos.
I cleaned a OM 28mm and now it is perfect.
I started to clean a OM 50mm 1.4 and had a problem. The third lens from the front broke while disassembling.
Do you know if or where I can by spears?
I'm desperate!!!!
Thanks again
So with the OM40 in P mode the camera body mechanically changes the aperture f-stop setting by moving an adjustment arm? This has been perplexing me as I couldn't see any electrical contacts between the body and the lens! Thx
3:30 Here mine does not have any dent, I've no idea what to do to unscrew it, any idea?
Any advice for taking out mounting plate screws that are stuck? I have a later Zuiko 50mm model. I ground down a Philips head screwdriver to be more JIS friendly and it seems to fit snuggly enough but the screws seem really stuck. Is it possible they may have used a bit of glue in the screw holes? I have heard others talking about this with other brands of lenses, but I am not sure about Olympus.
I haven't seen a better one 🤠
On my lens I got down to the front elements. The front elements won't budge if I put anymore pressure it's going to slip and hurt me or scratch the lens. Any hints for when it seems frozen like ths?
+FlyingRowan Same thing with me! The front part which Olympus on it DOESN'T BUDGE. Even using a small screwdriver to push it round won't do anything. Need HELP!!!
There’s glue?
Very helpful thanks! I have the type with the lens elements that come apart from the front group assembly but at attempting to unscrew the last internal lens holder it is completely stuck, seems like it has never been serviced since I can see the original sealant at some points on the tread intact, I been trying to dissolve it with Ronsonol but without any luck, same situacion with the back group cover. Any ideas on how to loose them will be appreciated. Thanks.
hey, same here. Have you got it figured out?
Hello. Tell me, can I clean the inside of the lens myself? DJI 15 mm
Have you ever found that fogging or fungus inside the front optical assembly and if so ca you take that apart. Thanks, MK.
Hi Matt, wondering if you do an virtual help? I disassemble my lens like an idiot and can't seem to put it back together :/
what a nice and useful channel. love your work
Thanks, my 50mm is back and clear as a bell.
Does any one know how to access the inner elements of the front optics that was removed ?
thank you very much for this video
What should i do if the rubbuer on focusing ring is sliding? Also the focusing is kinda stiff as if there was some sand in it
I am looking for a BRAND NEW 50 mm F 1.8 Zuiko lense, can you advise me?
What type of screw driver did u use. I got 135-35 I need to fix. And I don't mind cleaning my 50 and 28mm
Great video and really helpful. A few quick questions. 1) How easy is it to de-click the aperture on this lens? 2) Does the focus also need to be de-clicked? (I'm using this for video) 3) Do you know the thread size for attaching neutral density ND filters to this lens? Thanks so much.
I can only answer question 2 and 3, but the focus is very smooth, so it doesn't have to be de clicked, and the thread size is 49mm.
To de- click you just don t mount the little ball you see at 2:56.
Hi MattIs. Is there any way to take apart the first "saucer" shaped optic? The lens I have works fine. There is fungus in the first optic. I want to take it apart to clean. (
the previous question is wrong since I cut and pasted). From Argentina, spanish please. if you can, if not in English
Thank You! Simply lifesaver!
Great tear down. Thank you.
Could you leave the silver ring under the filter thread to SE declick the aperture?
Hi Matt!
Have you ever open a RMC Tokina f2.8 28mm om mount? I think mine has a problem. I don't see difference in the aperture after between f5.6 / f8 but it still rotates to f16.
Could you know what's causing this maybe? If you think it would be an easy fix I'd try to get some tools to repair it.
Thanks in advance!
Im looking forward to buying this lens. However it doesnt state F.Zuiko. Does it still contain same number of elements and is the general quality same as in this one? Is it a model year thing or why doesnt every lens have a letter prefix?
Hi. Does DSLR camera have any power sugre protection inside the body? I am just curious. For example, let's say I bought a new lens to my DSLR, but with damaged electronics. I put it to the body and .... the camera is damaged. It is possible?
Is it normal that the aperture ring feels loose after long use? It wobbles a little but it works fine, it clicks at each stop without no problem. But I’m highly annoyed by the fact that it’s slightly loose lol.
Is this similar to the auto-w 28mm 2.8?
is it possible to clean fungas out the lens elements?
Ever try this with the 28mm f2.8? It doesn't seem to be accessible like the 50mm is.
Does anyone know if this tear down applies to the ‘made in japan’ variant?
Hi, thank you for this video. I was given a beautiful om-2 few days ago and i am really fund of this camera. It camed with the 50mm f1,8 which aperture ring is really hard, i can stil feel the stops but almost can't hear stop clicks. Every thing seems to be working properly anyway, the shutter is not sticky at all when pressing the release button, so it's just a problem of turning the ring without leaving the skin of my fingers on it. What is it that you think i should clean? Thx a lot...
Sounds like an interesting problem, but I'm not sure what the root cause would be. Try going in from the back of the lens and progressively removing parts related to the diaphragm mechanism. At each stage, you should be able to move the mechanism manually to tell if it is operating more smoothly.
Once you get the aperture moving well with the lens disassembled, try putting it back together progressively until you identify the piece/step that causes it to be hard to move. My best guess is that some internal component is hitting up against something, and the internal friction is making turning the ring difficult. You should be able to move the pieces back into the correct position. This misalignment or bending of internal pieces can sometimes happen if the lens has been dropped.
Good luck, hope you find what's wrong with your lens and are able to fix it.
To tell the truth, i'm a bit afraid about getting the lens fully disassembled, but your method sounds like the safest way. I will make a new post in case i'm giving it a try. Thanks again.
I had to use the latex glove trick to remove the name ring. Then, i could realize that the lens was dropped or shocked because a small part of the diaph ring appears to be flatten a little. This is very subtle, but i guess this is enough. I could file the inside of the diaph ring and it turns now a bit more easily. I hope i did not cause any other problems like finger prints or dust....
Updated: Oh my, work paid of. Maybe I have to open it once but its working and Im learning. I uused something like 14hrs to this lens. Nice! Thanks for videos!
Hi Matt! Im trying to fix Olympus OM 50mm 1,4 but every time that is time to put the back lid or the mounting system (silver) it seems to be that the levers are in wrong places. Those should be exact the opposite sides. Can you advise me?
How do I get rid of fungus? Just bought a 50mm 1.4 zuiko lens
please can you do a video on the standard Zuiko 50 1.8 instead of the F.Zuiko?
Hi Matt, its an excellent presentation for repairing m.zuiko lens. I have a olymus pen with m.zuiko 14-42 mm lens. it seems the auto-focus is stuck somehow. So I am getting lens error when I turn the camera on. Other lenses work in this camera.
I opened up the lens from back and front to a point when I see some gear teeth on the inner side but could not find a way how to get to that. Aperture working fine. Zooming function working ok. I hear a noise for something is trying to move but dont see any motion. As the lens is not completing the focus its giving me lens error. Can you guide me how can I fix the auto-focus? Should it be done from the front or back? Please help, Thank you
The flex ribbon cable will rip and stop functioning. There are two in the lens. one for focus one aperture. Removing is a pain but reassemble is worst. I also need video help but these cheap lenses do not have much demand.
Hi Matt, I have a zuiko 50mm 1.8 auto-s too; I've to disassemble the front element that you show at 3:35 to pull out the glasses and clean some condensation. I tried out everything in the past days but I was not able to understand HOW to free it from the metal support; it seems that my lense model is slighty different from what I commonly see on internet, because I didn't find an inner ring to unscrew..seems that the glass was directly screwed on the metal support...and I don't even know if it might be possible...:) Please I need your help...
I don't know as much about Olympus lenses, but I believe there are a few different versions of 50mm f1.8 Auto-S lenses, and these may differ in their internal constructions.
For the copy I show in this video, if you don't have a spanning wrench, it may be very difficult to get enough leverage to unscrew the glass section. Positioning two small screwdrivers in the slots to create an improvised spanning wrench may help.
But if there are no slots for a spanning wrench, as sounds like may the case with your copy, unfortunately, I can't offer very specific advice. I would try some further steps of the disassembly, maybe even attempting to go in from the back. That may reveal a way to loosen up the part you need. Or you may be able to at least access the back of the front element though the diagram that way.
Good luck.
Hello Matt,
I have one with serial 682632 and its' front ring does not have any slots for a screwdriver so do I need Vacuum Pad Lens Opener?
Another problem is when I unscrew the back section of the lens, only a small ring with one len are out. I cannot unscrew the rest section.
Do you have any suggestion? Thank you in advance!
Now I use pliers to open the front and it works! But the front optics are not grouped together (as you did in the video). It split into 2 rings which one is used to lock the optics and another one is used to separate two optics, and two optics are out but there still one optics that I cannot take it out.
Is it possible that the Olympus 50/1.8 silver nose has more than two manufactures?
Hi, I need to disassemble the Olympus M.Zuiko 40-150 mm micro 4/3. But I didn't find any video...anyone can help me?
Thanks so much making this excellent video mate. I found it really helpful. One question..mine is a Zuiko MC 50mm 1.8 and is a little different to the F.Zuiko in your video. Are you familiar with the Zuiko MC? The mechanism looks quite a different design to what is shown here and it looks quite difficult to remove. Would you have any advice for a novice on this model? The job I need to do is to fix a sticky diaphragm .any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks :)
Hi Matt, thanks for your video. I've bought the same lens but the focusing ring is too tough. How can I fix it?
If the focusing ring is difficult to turn or gritty feeling, my best guess is that the focusing helicoids have a problem. The helicoids are the large screw like rings that rotate in each other to move the lens up and down for focusing.
After disassembling the lens (around the 11 minute mark) there is a black section that holds the diaphragm. This has the helicoids in it. I don't think I separate the two helicoid sections in the video, but you should be able to. Or just try adding some lubricant to the helicoids while they are in place. If the focusing is gritty, you'll need to clean the helicoids and then relubricate them.
The other thing that could be happening is some other sort of mechanical friction while focusing. I can't diagnose that without seeing the lens itself, but try focusing in and out with the lens in various states and see when the focusing becomes difficult. Adding lubricant or readjusting how things fit together usually can fix that.
Good luck.
So at 03:40... am I at the point whereby I can remove dust from front and back lenses? Going to further stages is beyond my scope... If I can clean at this point what lens cleaning fluid (if any) should I use... Thanks so much for the detailed video.
yo matt... I really really need some help with an Olympus Pen F Zuiko f1.2 42mm... is there any chance I could ask you a question?
Thanks a lot, man!
I tried multiple times, multiple methods, multiple tools, still could not unscrew the first ring... I just wanna remove one large dust there...
Hi Matt! Do you know if there is a OM to F Mount that work for this lens? I want to use this lens in a Nikon D5500, but all adapters and mount do not work on this lens. Thank you for any information you might know on the matter!
Not to my knowledge, at least if you are looking for a purely mechanical adapter the preserves all the optical qualities of the lens. The flange distances on the OM System and F Mount are almost the same, so there's no room for the adapter hardware.
The adapters that FotodioX make here have to use a correction lens to work around this. The added optics reduce image quality and it also sounds like the FotodioX adapter only works for some OM lenses (the correction optic gets in the way on others). I'm not sure if it would work for this particular lens or not.
I guess the front glass is two glasses built together as I cannot clean my fungus and I can see the fungus is inside. I have tried to separate somehow but really look like it is only one glass. But how the fungus is inside than? Interesting.
Thanks for the very useful video. One question: what's the name and where can I buy these green surface where you are working on?
Here's the mat I'm using: amzn.com/B0006SDOFO
I can't say I fully recommend it for this type of work however. It looks nice in the videos, but does seem to absorb any oil or grease spilled on it.
Matt Bierner Thanks a lot. Even loving photography, I will use this mat for eletronics, soldering, etc...
Carlos Eduardo Araujo hi Carlos. You live. In Portugal?if so you can buy that mat from Staples.
If your lens has MC on the name ring do not attempt this!
The lens is totally different inside once you get the name ring off.
This should be top comment haha, stopped on the three glued screws
I noticed that he was able to easily pull out the front and rear optics from the lens with ease but for some reason my optics won't budge, I can remove everything else except for those, and there's fungus inside them which was the reason I opened up the lens. Any help would be appreciated.
Are you trying to remove the whole front/back optics, or trying to take apart the optics themselves to clean out the fungus?
Hello matt, I cannot complete step 1, removing the logo ring with a single screw driver. Can you help me ?
Take a look at this video of another lens disassembly around the 45 second mark: th-cam.com/video/Kg3KPJbm8is/w-d-xo.html
To remove name rings that are stuck and don't have (large) slots for a spanning wrench, I have had some success using a piece of PVC pipe with gaffers tape rolls to provider traction. Even that does not always work, but it may be worth a try.
Man you save my life. thank you so much ¡¡¡
The aperture clicker on my 50mm f1.8 doesn't function properly so the aperture band is a bit loose and can move. Anyone know a fix for this?
now you have a cine lens :)
Very nice. Thank you.
this is brilliant......
Would dis-assembly of my Oly 300mm F4.5 be basically the same?
I have oil on the blades.
Probably not. Every lens is different, but lenses by the same manufacturer do often share common design elements or manufacturing techniques. Since you are dealing with a telephoto lens, there are going to be fewer common elements with this normal length lens.
thanks man! this helped a lot! appreciate it :)
Hey does anyone know what lens cap you need to buy for this lens?
OM normally use a 49 mm The 50 mm 1.8 does for sure.
Thanks mate!!! 🥵❤️
Hi.! Dear Matt, I waiting for a zuiko lens disassembly in TH-cam so, I have a Huge dust and some hazy on front of lens element my zuiko 135 mm f2..8. lens,I didn't find any Post Video till now. I finish was your video today and think I can do it myself.Very clear and organized demonstrate and I hope you will make a CLA video of OM 135mm 2.8 Lens as soon as possible much more appreciated, that's I'm waiting for.
Best Regards
nyman111333
Hi Matt! My grandfather left me a few lenses and this was one of them. Any chance it can be used with other types of cameras? Or is the Olympus proprietary?
Steve Gribble
It depends on the camera you are targeting. Most OM lenses are manual focus, without any electrical coupling, so there are plenty of simple adapters for Mirrorless camera system, basically tubes that both adapt the mount and sit the lens out at the correct flange distance. I use one of these adapters to shoot OM lenses on a Sony E-mount camera.
The OM system had a 46mm flange distance, so any mount with a shorter flange distance should technically be adaptable this way. There seems to be a Canon adapter at least. Systems with longer flange distances take additional work. To use an OM lens with a Nikon F mount system for example, because the F mount's flange distance is longer than the OM's, I believe you would need an adapter with builtin optics.
Matt Bierner Thanks for the info! I've spent a month trying to decide between full frame Canon and Nikon...only to hear how great the Sonys have become. I may never decide. Ha!
THANK YOU!!
Very informative. Thanks for sharing :)