WATCHES

Zodiac Super Sea Wolf 1000m (Ref. 506.54.43) – The “Buzz Saw” Diver

A black dial with big orange-framed markers, a thick toothed bezel and a caseback engraved “1000 meters”: this Super Sea Wolf is a serious tool watch that…
CAMERA Maintenance

Olympus H.Zuiko Auto-S 42mm f/1.2 Disassembly – Repairing Balsam Separation

The Olympus H.Zuiko Auto-S 42mm f/1.2 is the fast standard lens made for the Olympus Pen F series of half-frame SLR cameras. This one came to me with heavy…
CAMERA Maintenance

CONTAX Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4 Disassembly – Repairing Balsam Separation

The CONTAX Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4 is the standard fast lens for the Contax/Yashica (C/Y) mount. This one is marked “Lens made in Japan” on the…
CAMERA Maintenance

Leica Summitar 5cm f/2 Disassembly – Cleaning the Front Group

The Leica Summitar 5cm f/2 is a standard lens for Leica screw-mount (L39) cameras, engraved “Ernst Leitz Wetzlar” on the front. I worked on this one in…
CAMERA Maintenance

Nikon Ai-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.4 Disassembly – Trying to Repaint the Edges of the Front Elements

The Nikon Ai-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.4 is a fast, wide-angle prime for Nikon F-mount cameras. I serviced this one in September 2024. This post walks through the…
WATCHES

Zodiac Sea Wolf Professional 200m (Ref. 513.55.47) – A Compact White-Dial Diver

A bright white dial, a toothed steel bezel and a case just over 34 mm wide: this Sea Wolf is a small, easy diver that looks just as right at a seaside café…
CAMERA Maintenance

CONTAX Carl Zeiss Tele-Tessar T* 300mm f/4 (MMG) Disassembly – Cleaning Fungus from the Middle Group

This CONTAX Carl Zeiss Tele-Tessar T* 300mm f/4 is a long telephoto lens for the C/Y mount. It weighs about 1.3 kg and takes 82 mm filters. I serviced it in…
CAMERA Maintenance

CONTAX Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.7 (MMJ) Disassembly – Re-cementing a Doublet with Balsam Separation

This CONTAX Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.7 is the later MMJ version for the C/Y mount. It came to me with balsam separation, and I repaired it in July…
CAMERA Maintenance

Nikon Ai-S Nikkor 135mm f/2.8 Disassembly – Cleaning Oil off the Aperture Blades

This Nikon Ai-S Nikkor 135mm f/2.8 came to me with a very small amount of oil on the aperture blades. It was only a trace, but oil on the blades tends to…
CAMERA Maintenance

Nikon FM Disassembly and Restoration – Straightening the Finder and Cleaning Inside

Nikon FM 修理:ファインダーの歪み修正と内部清掃This Nikon FM had a noticeably crooked hot shoe and a distorted viewfinder frame. I disassem...