Since I just acquired an Olympus SLR, I needed a lens to go along with it. I was able to pick up an Olympus F.Zuiko Auto-S 50mm f/1.8 that needed a cleaning.
The F means the lens has … hmm, ABCDEF … 6 elements. It’s always handy to hunt down an illustration of the elements and groups, cause if you put them in the wrong order or flip one of them around, you ain’t got much of a good lens.
With this particular lens there was black flakes littered between most of the elements, so this means I need to take it apart.
From the back first … just to be different.
Ok, remove the three screws.
You can now lift the entire mounting ring off.
The rear element group is encased as a complete unit.
Unscrew it.
Hmm, in my case I could not get this to move … the last element is secured on by a threaded ring … unscrew this to get into there.
Since I could not get this group removed, I could not get to the inner element to clean it … so now I have to go in from the front.
The name plate ring has two notches … so unscrew that using a spanning wrench.
The inner ring pulls off.
Be aware of the ball bearing on the aperture ring below it … you don’t want to loose that.
You can see the holes where the bearing will sit.
These are the click stops for the aperture ring.
Note the little lip … it sits in a slot. Remember that when you put it back on.
Pull off the aperture ring … watch the bearing (not pop out and bounce around on your table).
Note the arm sticking out of one side … that arm couples with the aperture ring.
The front lens group is also encased as a complete unit … but, it is not so easy to get them out as one.
Use a rubber grippy tool to unscrew the group … do not grasp the outside as this will not move.
What might happen is that you unscrew the top part.
Then you have to unscrew the rest of it.
Here is where you should remember to look back at the first image in this post.
Warning: the middle element is not secured so it will fall out with a spacer. Best to loosen then flip over so everything doesn’t just fall out all over the table.
Note how the elements are arranged.
Now you can get to the front of the rear group.
Check out the aperture and mechanisms.
This Old Camera 