Repair guide for blocked "Leica Leitz OTZFO (or 16464K) focusing adapter for VisoFlex"

Copyright © (2009) by nilum.com

Disclaimer: This repair guide is provided as is. I'm a dilettant. I describe what worked for me. Use at our own risk.

You need a quality set of watchmaker screwdrivers and some fine mechanical work experience, a lot of patience and a positive mind.

In case the distance (focus) ring of your OTZFO is blocked, i.e., if it can no longer be retracted completely into infinite position, this repair guide might help you.

To open the barrel, first remove 4 screws under the thin black plastic ring - if your OTZFO has one (it is clued at the m-mount side which is usually easy to remove by sliding a pin under a small cut-out on the m-mount side) to loosen the below support from the m-mount side.

Remove the 2 screws on front barrel cover, then the cover.

Remove the screw on the side of the distance ring and unscrew the distance ring and the thin metall ring.

Wind out the front barrel.

Wind out the inside barrel, to free access the two plastic side sliders (which serve to wind at the same time the front barrel, when turning the distance ring on back barrel; the sliders themselves have no direct mechanical contact to the inside barrel windings, they are kept by two supports screwed together with the belows at the m-mount side and turn the front part windings via their cut-out).

Check if the two screws, one each under each slider, are firmly fastened; they shouldn't stay in the way to block the slider while moving in their barrel cut-out.

Reinsert one or both sliders into their cut-out. (a slider once outside the cut-out, which mav have occured due to improper use) will block turning the distance ring long before reaching infinite position.)

Reassemble in reverse order. Pay attention to two points: 1) mount the aperture scale at 12 o'clock relative to the red dot at 9 o'clock (when viewed from front of the lens), otherwise the scale ends up on the bottom of the lens when attached to the M-body, and 2) before putting the 4 screws back, turn the distance ring to infinite to the shortest position and also turn the front barrel so that it completely enters the outer barrel, but don't apply any force at the end. Now turn out the inner barrel only 1 or 2mm until the bellow support holes (it has more than 4 holes for nearest adjustment of infinite focus) match the m-mount holes.

The black protective thin plastic ring must carefully be cleaned from old glue before applying a very small amount of new glue to keep the ring in place.

Good luck!