[Leica] Damn near sh*t my pants last night, locking up a Midland Summarit

[vick.ko at sympatico.ca (Vick Ko)]

I had just bought a very nice Midland Summarit 5cm lens, and it had a 
slightly rough focusing action.

So, I thought I'd help the lubrication and must have gotten cleaning 
fluid into the inner focusing sleeve, an ingenious sleeve bearing that 
allows the lens to not rotate with focusing.  Well, at 1:30 am, it 
locked up solid.  In fact, it felt like a shaft seizing up with dirt.  I 
thought I had broken off a bit of debris and it had ground into the metal.

Solidly locked up.

So, I went to bed, and got this morning determined to take the lens head 
off.  Miraculously (and experimented first with a junker), I got the 
head off, and found the locked up sleeve.  It wasn't debris or damage, 
just that the cleaning fluid had washed out the lubricant on the 
sleeve.  I re-oiled it, and now the lens is as smooth as silk.

Man oh man, do I feel relieved this morning.


And I love my Midland Summarit, on my Midland IIIf.

Vick