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[OM] Zunow sad story, was : Looking for a 35-80mm f2.8 Zuiko zoom, mayb

Subject: [OM] Zunow sad story, was : Looking for a 35-80mm f2.8 Zuiko zoom, maybe also 21mm f2
From: Vick Ko <vick.ko@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 18 Jun 2013 08:57:59 -0400
Oh, I have to share my story of a Zunow lens.

I was vacationing in Vancouver, and there are only two camera stores 
that carry used gear these days.  So I always visit both of them.

So I walk into Leo's Camera, and browse through their Leica gear, and I 
spot this chrome LTM lens.  It is a Zunow 5cm f1.1.  Marked $650.  
Absurd.  I try it out on a digital camera, and it shoots fine.  I spot 
that an inner surface is covered with some stuff - not fungus, but some 
foggy coating.  Okay, the digi-cam shot fine with it and it focuses 
properly and it all checks out, so I buy it.

Months later, I'm obsessed with trying to clean out the haze and 
research on the web that this haze is quite characteristic of the 
Zunow.  Also characteristic is the extreme difficulty of disassembling 
the lens.  One of the foremost technicians on this lens, who has 
repaired many of them (so many that he is bored of doing them), advises 
me that there is a significant - more than 50/50 - chance of damage 
trying to disassemble the lens.

Well, I gambled and I lost.  No glass got fractured, but the lens mount 
and barrel were irreversibly damaged and distorted trying to take the 
lens apart.

I ended up selling it for parts and recovered my investment, but, am 
still sorry that it turned out so badly.

I still keep a search out for a Zunow, but anticipate that I will never 
get one at $600.  Perhaps if I had paid thousands for it, I wouldn't 
have attempted the repair.

...Vick



On 18/06/2013 8:02 AM, Piers Hemy wrote:
> Don't underestimate Vick's ability to find the gems, Andrew - for it was he
> who located a Zunow 50/1.1 for sale in Lochcarron, Wester Ross (pop. 923),
> and found someone relatively local to go pick it up.
>
> Shame it didn't work out in the end...
>
> Piers

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