A couple of months ago I purchased a bargain-grade 17-28 Pentax Fisheye
Zoom from KEH. After receiving the lens and checking it out I wrote to
the list as it appeared to me to be mis-assembled (the lens, not the
list). It was focusing well past infinity at the infinity mark, and at
17mm zoom its minimum focus distance was ~5 feet as opposed to the
indicated 1.5 feet. At the 28mm setting it was a bit better but still
out past infinity for most of the available focus travel.
So I shipped it back requesting repair or replacement with another
bargain 17-28 they happened to have in stock. I received the other
lens as a replacement, and it exhibited the exact same symptoms! At
this point I was suspecting that I was the one who was having the
problem, not the lens. I kept it and have tested it and played with it
and partially disassembled and reassembled it several times and I'm now
convinced that it is indeed mis-assembled somehow; and not just because
I took it apart, I was convinced before I began taking it apart. I
have not been able to isolate the problem.
I have a theory, but before I spend a lot of typing a longer screed and
bore the vast majority of you, I was hoping that someone might have had
some personal experience taking this lens apart or know where a service
manual or exploded diagram (an intact diagram might be helpful as well)
is posted on the web or available for purchase, or at least can
commiserate with me on my experience and tell me this is a known
phenomenon. If there is such a person you may contact me off-list if
you like.
Thanks, Michael
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