Mamiya 55mm SX f/1.4 Lens: Cleaning and Regreasing the Focus Helix
Originally posted on Instagram. Notes from the repair bench, kept here as a searchable archive. View the original on Instagram
Repair on Mamiya 55mm SX f/1.4 lens. This particular lens, from around 1975, needed the focus helix disassembled, cleaned and re-lubricated. The focus ring also had some impact damage so it needed replacing along with the focus ring rubber. The only way to get a focus helix smooth again is completely removing all traces of old lubrication and sparingly applying the correct grease.
Although I like the Mamiya 35mm mount series of lenses, in general, they did not have the build quality of Nikon and Canon lenses of the time (the exception would be the Mamiya ES series for the short lived Mamiya XTL cameras and some of the Tomioka lenses) but they sold for less money.
