# I Repaired my own 50mm 1.4, and so can you!



## Emil (Sep 5, 2013)

My trusty 50mm 1.4 stopped focusing the other day, and I couldn't even focus manually by turning the ring. I googled the issue and found that many others had experienced the same thing. I never dropped my lens or anything. It seems that all it takes is a bit of pressure on the front focusing element, and a metal part inside will get bent. This can cause the focus mechanism to get stuck.

I got a lot of help from following this guide:
http://image23photographic.blogspot.no/2012/04/fixing-stuck-focus-ring-on-canon-50mm.html

Getting the lens repaired here in norway was close to the cost of a brand new lens, so I figured I had nothing to loose. I have never repaired a lens or anything similar before. If I can do it, odds are you can do it too!


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Sep 5, 2013)

Welcome to CR Emil.
Post some photos and tells us about your photographic interests.


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## BozillaNZ (Sep 6, 2013)

Mt Spokane Photography said:


> Welcome to CR Emil.
> Post some photos and tells us about your photographic interests.



Don't be so harsh, we are in the 'Gear' sub-forum, yes? :-X

Also most of the photographers can't do any fixing job themselves, they will cream OMGWTH have you done?!?! Send it to Canonnnnn haxxorz!!


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Sep 6, 2013)

BozillaNZ said:


> Mt Spokane Photography said:
> 
> 
> > Welcome to CR Emil.
> ...


 
What are you on?? Must be good stuff. 

That was a friendly post welcoming a new member, and trying to encourage him to tell us more about his photography and interests.


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## BokChoiTV (Sep 6, 2013)

Popcorn sounds good right about now.


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## Deleted member 91053 (Sep 6, 2013)

Emil said:


> My trusty 50mm 1.4 stopped focusing the other day, and I couldn't even focus manually by turning the ring. I googled the issue and found that many others had experienced the same thing. I never dropped my lens or anything. It seems that all it takes is a bit of pressure on the front focusing element, and a metal part inside will get bent. This can cause the focus mechanism to get stuck.
> 
> I got a lot of help from following this guide:
> http://image23photographic.blogspot.no/2012/04/fixing-stuck-focus-ring-on-canon-50mm.html
> ...



Well done you!


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## KyleSTL (Sep 6, 2013)

Welcome, Emil, I also enjoy fixing my own gear. I have repaired about 2 dozen bodies and about a dozen lenses. In fact, just today I received a broken 24-105mm that needs a new aperture. I'm excited, as this will be my first L lens fix. Glad your first foray into DIY lens fixing was successful. I hope you have many more successes in the future.


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## risc32 (Sep 6, 2013)

BozillaNZ said:


> Mt Spokane Photography said:
> 
> 
> > Welcome to CR Emil.
> ...



what the what? (as my 4year old is prone to saying)


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Sep 6, 2013)

I usually don't get set off so easily.

I apologize to the group, sorry to spoil your popcorn.


I also repair lenses as a hobby, but its mostly the old MF ones unless its something simple like a lube job. I've had a bad 50mm that performed as noted, after it was fixed, the focus was so far off that it had to be sent to Canon for adjustment.


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## rpt (Sep 6, 2013)

risc32 said:


> what the what? (as my 4year old is prone to saying)


I like that phrase. May I have your 4 year old's permission to use it when appropriate? 




Emil said:


> My trusty 50mm 1.4 stopped focusing the other day, and I couldn't even focus manually by turning the ring. I googled the issue and found that many others had experienced the same thing. I never dropped my lens or anything. It seems that all it takes is a bit of pressure on the front focusing element, and a metal part inside will get bent. This can cause the focus mechanism to get stuck.
> 
> I got a lot of help from following this guide:
> http://image23photographic.blogspot.no/2012/04/fixing-stuck-focus-ring-on-canon-50mm.html
> ...


That is some piece of work! Congratulations! Welcome!


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## KyleSTL (Sep 6, 2013)

rpt said:


> risc32 said:
> 
> 
> > what the what? (as my 4year old is prone to saying)
> ...


"What the what?" Is a popular catch phrase of Liz Lemon (played by Tina Fey) on NBC's 30 Rock (a personal favorite of mine).


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## Emil (Sep 6, 2013)

Thank you for the warm welcome guys! I have been browsing this forum occasionally for a while, but I never took the time to register. I am looking forward to posting and reading more in the future. I think this forum has a great mix of both humor and professional advice.


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## paulc (Sep 6, 2013)

You can bend that piece back a couple of times and then you have to replace the barrel. It's easier to just always leave the hood on and to develop the habit of just setting the focus to past infinity when you stow the lens.

Also worth noting is that for as deep in as you dug, you're not that much further from being able to replace the focus motor and gear train assembly (it's all one part). The motor burns out and the gears can tear up.



The Ballad of Brave Sir Fifty

Bravely bold Sir Fifty rode forth from Calumet
He was not afraid to die, O brave Sir Fifty!
He was not at all afraid to be killed in nasty ways,
Brave, brave, brave, brave Sir Fifty!

He was not in the least bit scared to filled with fungal growth,
Or to have his aperture fail, and his blades broken;
To have his casing split, and his motor burned away;
And his gears all hacked and mangled, brave Sir Fifty!

His threads smashed in and his barrel torn out
And his switches popped off and his ribbons unplugged
And his electronics scraped and his mount fall off
And his primary--


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## risc32 (Sep 6, 2013)

Emil said:


> I think this forum has a great mix of both humor and professional advice.



i think so too. welcome. 
now if only we can keep mt spokane from flying off the handle. i kid.


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## Viggo (Sep 6, 2013)

This is what you get for posting on a friday ;D ;D

"what the what? " I like that. I'm stealing it for sure!

Welcome Emil, you a scandinavian?


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## AprilForever (Sep 6, 2013)

paulc said:


> You can bend that piece back a couple of times and then you have to replace the barrel. It's easier to just always leave the hood on and to develop the habit of just setting the focus to past infinity when you stow the lens.
> 
> Also worth noting is that for as deep in as you dug, you're not that much further from being able to replace the focus motor and gear train assembly (it's all one part). The motor burns out and the gears can tear up.
> 
> ...



The 40 mm lens may pancake, or the 135 focus softly, or the 90 shift and tilt, yet these are not strangers to our lands!


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## Pinchers of Peril (Sep 6, 2013)

Wow, hats off to you for doing this! I got nervous just reading the instructions on the link.


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## Emil (Sep 6, 2013)

Viggo said:


> This is what you get for posting on a friday ;D ;D
> 
> "what the what? " I like that. I'm stealing it for sure!
> 
> Welcome Emil, you a scandinavian?



Yes. I suppose I should give a brief introduction about myself.

I am a 23 year old student at the norwegian university of life sciences, who just started writing his master thesis in analytic organic chemistry. I used to spend most of my spare time playing music and learning new musical instruments. However, ever since I got my first DSLR(600d) about 8 months ago I have been spending a lot of time teaching myself the art of photography. I quickly learned the technical side of it, but I am still very much a novice when it comes to every other aspect of photography. I hope to learn a lot from this forum!


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## anthonyd (Sep 6, 2013)

Emil said:


> ... I quickly learned the technical side of it, but I am still very much a novice when it comes to every other aspect of photography. I hope to learn a lot from this forum!



and where is the link to your flickr page?


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Sep 6, 2013)

anthonyd said:


> Emil said:
> 
> 
> > ... I quickly learned the technical side of it, but I am still very much a novice when it comes to every other aspect of photography. I hope to learn a lot from this forum!
> ...


 
I had found him on Facebook, but I wasn't absolutely certain it was him at the time. (I was checking for a different Scandinavian Person) He sounded like a very astute person with a wide range of talents and impressive, which is why I orginally invited him to tell us more about himself.

https://www.facebook.com/oisang


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## Etienne (Sep 6, 2013)

Looking at the pics makes me think that the lens design is really bad. It would not take much of a bump to bend that thin bit a metal and ruin the focus.


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## Rienzphotoz (Sep 6, 2013)

Emil said:


> I am a 23 year old student at the norwegian university of life sciences, who just started writing his master thesis in analytic organic chemistry. I used to spend most of my spare time playing music and learning new musical instruments. However, ever since I got my first DSLR(600d) about 8 months ago I have been spending a lot of time teaching myself the art of photography. I quickly learned the technical side of it, but I am still very much a novice when it comes to every other aspect of photography. I hope to learn a lot from this forum!


Welcome to CR Emil ... nice to have you here.
I'd like to check out how you fixed your lens, but unfortunately, for some reason, the link you provided (http://image23photographic.blogspot.no/2012/04/fixing-stuck-focus-ring-on-canon-50mm.html) is opening up some arabic blank page ... can you please check and see.
Thanks


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Sep 6, 2013)

Rienzphotoz said:


> Emil said:
> 
> 
> > I am a 23 year old student at the norwegian university of life sciences, who just started writing his master thesis in analytic organic chemistry. I used to spend most of my spare time playing music and learning new musical instruments. However, ever since I got my first DSLR(600d) about 8 months ago I have been spending a lot of time teaching myself the art of photography. I quickly learned the technical side of it, but I am still very much a novice when it comes to every other aspect of photography. I hope to learn a lot from this forum!
> ...


 
It works fine for me, try flushing your browser.


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## Viggo (Sep 6, 2013)

Alltid kult med andre nordmenn her 

I have tried a few shots of the university of Ås , really cool building !


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## mrsfotografie (Sep 6, 2013)

Interesting. 

By the way, metal becomes harder and stronger if you bend it a few times, so the resistance to bending improves. On the other hand it will also get more brittle so it will break more easily. 

Happy to see this, yet another confirmation that it's a good thing I got the 50 mm Sigma instead of this...


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## EOBeav (Sep 6, 2013)

I've got experience doing this myself. It's not a good experience, but it's experience. 

This same thing happened to me a year or so ago. I fixed it myself, but couldn't get the electronic connection back correctly. I ended up sending it to Alpine Camera in Spokane to have a lens guy work on it. In the end, it cost me 2x as much compared to if I had just sent it to them in the first place. 

I'm really good at taking things apart. Not so good at putting them back together again. 

So, buyer beware if you undertake this yourself. It's do-able, but just know the downside. Mamas, don't let your children make the mistakes I've done.


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## Rienzphotoz (Sep 6, 2013)

Mt Spokane Photography said:


> Rienzphotoz said:
> 
> 
> > Emil said:
> ...


Thanks ... I used google translate to find out what the Arabic text meant ... apparently it was warning me that this blog might contain some adult content etc ... so I just clicked a red button with some Arabic text (which apparently meant "I understand and wish to continue") and the page opened up 
Coming back to the subject, that is a nice step-by-step guide ... if ever my 50mm f/1.4 has a similar problem (I hope it doesn't) I'll try this out. Thanks for sharing Emil.


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## Leejo (Sep 6, 2013)

I followed the same instructions around two months ago, and it looks like I will have to do the same again having dropped the lens again :-(
I did use the one link (to the site in Romania for a few additional pictures)
The instructions could be marginally improved - e.g. step 7 better explained.
What is blatantly missing are the instructions for reassembly, as the odd step or two does require the pieces in the right position, and just how tight the screws should be etc.
Having had three disassembly and assembly operations goes before my lens worked first time though I have the details now in my head....
The steps - of unclipping the element and unattaching and feeding through the cable were the most scary/difficult.
I was forced out of necessity as well. I bought the lens used, and the repair costs would have been around the same cost - and I needed the lens for an upcoming wedding quickly (private not professional).
I was glad to have performed the task - even if it did take several hours.
I do have an engineering background and some experience in such things, so I was of course less nervous than some might be!


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## mrsfotografie (Sep 6, 2013)

Leejo said:


> ...
> What is blatantly missing are the instructions for reassembly, as the odd step or two does require the pieces in the right position, and just how tight the screws should be etc.
> ...
> I do have an engineering background and some experience in such things, so I was of course less nervous than some might be!



Well if you have an engineering background you must know that all screws, nuts and bolts must be tightened to the point where they make a sickening snapping noise. Then tighten it 1/4 of a turn more and you're fine! 

In all seriousness, if you have a set of micro screwdrivers, the screws should never be tichtened more than you are able to achieve with the ribbed screwdriver between your fingers. Never use an extension or pliers to get more torque. All proper hand tools are designed with torque arms based on the average person's strength. Obviously this doesn't apply to adjustable spanners. Oh, and when in doubt don't overdo the torque but use a little loctite (the easy to loosen type).


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## dgatwood (Sep 6, 2013)

mrsfotografie said:


> By the way, metal becomes harder and stronger if you bend it a few times, so the resistance to bending improves. On the other hand it will also get more brittle so it will break more easily.



Out of curiosity, is there enough clearance that you could add a layer of solder to thicken the metal piece in question?


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## Valvebounce (Sep 6, 2013)

Hi, a good question but I would think that with solder being so soft a layer thick enough to actually have a reinforcing effect would be very thick. However if there is enough space a helper layer could possibly be fabricated from a similar metal and soldered in to place, solder would be strong enough in its intended use for this.
However I would not do this without looking at the mechanism from an engineering stand point as strengthening that part will impart more force to the next weakest link and cause that to fail instead. The next weakest point could be the gear teeth or some other part that is not bend back in to shape able! 

Cheers Graham.




dgatwood said:


> mrsfotografie said:
> 
> 
> > By the way, metal becomes harder and stronger if you bend it a few times, so the resistance to bending improves. On the other hand it will also get more brittle so it will break more easily.
> ...


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## ajfotofilmagem (Sep 6, 2013)

Canon 50mm F1.4 is an example where the lens hood prevents the front element is pressed, and damaging the autofocus mechanism. Never removed the lens hood of my.


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## KyleSTL (Sep 6, 2013)

As someone who has turned thousands of screws on cameras and lenses, be aware that although the screws look like Phillips head, they are in fact not. If you would like to prevent damage to screw heads and be able to properly tighten everything upon reassembly, a set of JIS (Japanese Industrial Standard) screwdrivers is recommended. I own an recommend Moody Tools in the USA, as they are one of the few tool makers still making JIS and supplying them in the US.

I went through 3 sets of Phillips micro screwdrivers before I said "enough" and special ordered a set of JIS on Amazon. After receiving them and using them, I question why it took me so long to take the plunge. If you intend to fix one lens one time, Phillips will do just fine, if you think you might start playing around with other broken cameras or lenses it's worth it to pick up a set. Magnetic handles are handy, JIS #0 and JIS #00 will take care of 99% of the screws in a camera or lens.

http://www.moodytools.com/MTI_CATALOG_PAGE_11.pdf


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## KyleSTL (Sep 8, 2013)

Thought I'd update the thread with my success today. I replaced the aperture in a 24-105L and it is working flawlessly. Total amount spent - $418.18. Not bad considering it was my first L lens. One thing I learned while disassembling it is that it has two apertures. One normal aperture for stopping down, and another secondary aperture that closes down based on focal length (to keep the aperture constant throughout the zoom range (without it I'm guess this lens would be a 24-105mm f/2.8-4). The standard aperture in the 24-105mm is 8-bladed, the secondary aperture is 9. Just thought you would all find that interesting.

EDIT: I used these two videos to help guide me through the process -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFR7ZG341kQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRUTrNoDD1M


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## mrsfotografie (Sep 8, 2013)

KyleSTL said:


> Thought I'd update the thread with my success today. I replaced the aperture in a 24-105L and it is working flawlessly. Total amount spent - $418.18. Not bad considering it was my first L lens. One thing I learned while disassembling it is that it has two apertures. One normal aperture for stopping down, and another secondary aperture that closes down based on focal length (to keep the aperture constant throughout the zoom range (without it I'm guess this lens would be a 24-105mm f/2.8-4). The standard aperture in the 24-105mm is 8-bladed, the secondary aperture is 9. Just thought you would all find that interesting.
> 
> EDIT: I used these two videos to help guide me through the process -
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFR7ZG341kQ
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRUTrNoDD1M



Thanks, that _is_ interesting because it answers a question that I had in the back of my mind for a long time, ie how a constant aperture zoom works. I always suspected that the aperture is stopped down automatically at the wide end but its surprising to me that there's a second aperture in there, actually!


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