Leica Showcase Canon 100mm F3.5, Black Version, 40mm filter thread

Brian

Product of the Fifties
Two of these were sent to me to use as parts, the owner being told the glass was damaged beyond repair. Basically- got lucky, took the coating off. In this case, we got lucky- one going back to Australia, one staying here.

Y2 Filter, Walz 40mm hood, wide-open.

by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

Not your Typical Brick test...
F5.6. Many of Joe Rosenthal's pictures are on display with the flag raised at Iwo Jima.

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Canon 100 F3.5, 8x
by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

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Canon 100 F3.5, 8x
by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

Monument to those that have fallen in Combat.
F3.5

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Canon 100 F3.5, 8x
by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr
 
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Big "Like" for the pictures.

How did you take the coating off? I have a black and silver 100mm that's moderately fogged. Nobody's looked at it, but John at focal Point told me that they are subject to permanent damage, he believes from humidity. Guess I need to send it to somebody, just to see if it can be cleaned .... if not, I thought I'd try to remove the coating myself.
 
On this one- Isopropanol Alcohol was all that was required. I suspect the coating was softened up buy oil. The rear element and element behind the aperture are held in with one retaining ring and a metal spacer between them. I marked the outermost surface with a Sharpie, and edges of the second element with arrows on the side to re-insert with the proper orientation. I've seen Canon elements where the glass itself is etched, and others where cement of groups has discolored. I think the oil outgasses through the linkage for the aperture, deposits on the glass on each side of the aperture blades. The Canon glass that was used for its low-dispersion, high-index of refraction rwacted badly to oil.

Two more, wide-open, from inside the museum.

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Canon 100 F3.5, wide-open
by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

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Canon 100 F3.5, wide-open
by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

The 100mm focal length is perfect for isolating the mannequins from the background.
 
On this one- Isopropanol Alcohol was all that was required. I suspect the coating was softened up buy oil. The rear element and element behind the aperture are held in with one retaining ring and a metal spacer between them. I marked the outermost surface with a Sharpie, and edges of the second element with arrows on the side to re-insert with the proper orientation. I've seen Canon elements where the glass itself is etched, and others where cement of groups has discolored. I think the oil outgasses through the linkage for the aperture, deposits on the glass on each side of the aperture blades. The Canon glass that was used for its low-dispersion, high-index of refraction rwacted badly to oil.
<Snip!>
The 100mm focal length is perfect for isolating the mannequins from the background.

Thanks!
 
My four photos below, taken today, were with the "going back to Australia" Canon f3.5 100mm Black Version Lens that Brian mentioned in his post. So skillfully resurrected, onya Brian and many thanks.
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I bought another Canon 100/3.5 in Leica Mount "cheap" from Japan, complete with case, caps, original packing and inspection sheet. The element behind the aperture was covered in oil, and completely blown. I also bought an R-Mount Canon 100/3.5 that was also missing parts. The results- after transplanting glass and shimming the lens. On the M Monochrom, with Yellow filter.
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I picked up another Canon 100 F3.5, cosmetically Mint condition- but the surface behind the aperture was etched.

I replaced it with one that has cleaned up well (not perfect) from a lens in "user" condition.

Wide-Open.

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Canon 100 F3.5 Test, Wide-Open
by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

I did not need to change the shim after replacing the one element. I've replaced glass on a lot of lenses, rarely a problem, On the fast lenses, like the J-3, I've had to adjust the shim slightly on some. That tends to be the exception.

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Canon 100 F3.5 Test, Wide-Open
by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

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Canon 100 F3.5 Test, Wide-Open
by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

The surface behind the aperture has some residual damage. Hard to find a problem in these images.
 
Well, I can report that the glass from the FL Mount Canon 100/3.5 is interchangeable with that in the RF lens. Found on on Ebay for $30, had to find out. The internal haze cleaned up perfectly- maybe Canon changed the caustic oil that they used. Anyway- the "mint" lens now has perfect glass, and I've ended up with 3 Canon 100/3.5 lenses in Leica mount. The R-Mount and FL-mount served as donors, but it is always reversible.
 
A heavy overcast day, but I took the Canon 100 F3.5 with the new element for a walk.

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Canon 100 F3.5, Wide-Open
by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

All wide-open.

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Canon 100 F3.5, Wide-Open
by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

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Canon 100 F3.5, Wide-Open
by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

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Canon 100 F3.5, Wide-Open
by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

I polished down the shim very slightly for all of the index marks to line up, same as it would have left the factory. The focus is perfect across the range, from 1m to infinity.

The front element and front group are original to the lens, the element behind the aperture is from the FL series SLR lens, and the rear element is from the R series SLR lens. Don't believe it when someone states that you cannot swap out glass on a lens, and that you must use a collimator if you do. Most lenses are made to be worked on, and have mechanisms for self-aligning the optics. This Canon uses a metal tube between the two rear elements, one retaining ring. Ridges are precisely cut to hold the elements in. It works.
 
These are beautiful lenses. Finding one with perfect glass is not easy. Finding a cheap FL mount lens with perfect glass is easier and cheaper than finding a Leica mount lens.

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by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

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by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

I "had" to know what this lens could do with perfect glass in it. The lenses with some "residual" coating damage are perfectly usable. Those that came with badly etched glass - like shooting through wax paper. Of course I can easily put the good glass back into the FL and R lenses, about a 10 minute job.
 
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At F4, with the Y2 filter. Final adjustment for this lens for use on the M Monochrom. I've parted out 2 SLR lenses now to get the best glass of 5 lenses into the 3 RF lenses. I'm biased.
 
Spring has Sprung, it's warm enough for taking nice walks in the neighborhood.
And I have the focus on this lens nailed. All at F4, with Walz Y2 filter.

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Spring has Sprung, the Butterflies are free.

Canon 100/3.5 at F4, Walz Y2 filter, Leica M Monochrom.

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Gamma curve added and pixels scaled to 16-bits, straight export using LR6 after that.
 
Hello Brian,
I just received a 100mm f3.5 black in very good condition with just some dust inside, focus and aperture rings working as new. BUT it does'nt focus properly at infinity, very very close but no way to get it.
From what I see on the kawakami pictures of the disassembly steps, I guess I could fix that even with my limited skills.
But I don't see how to separate the lens group from the focusing part ie, how to get from picture 1 to picture2.
I suppose the thread above the rear element of the lens part is screewed inside the focus ring and I don'see any screw that could lock the thread when screewed on.
Thus, do I just have to unscreew the glass part from the focus ring? I yes, where do I have to catch the front part for the unscreewing? I tried (though with quite moderate force) to catch the aperture ring, but nothing budges.
could you please help me and tell me in a few words how to proceed?

Thanks and regards

francis
 
Glad to help: I had to clean two of these again. The Optical Barrel should unscrew from the focus mount, there are no set screws holding it in place.

Images will be up in a few minutes. I just took one apart.
 
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