Contax Zeiss Distagon 21mm f2.8 Facts & Servicing (CLA)

The Carl Zeiss Distagon 21mm f2.8 C/Y mount lens, is a legendary lens, perhaps the most sought after Contax lens. With its value already very high and steadily rising, and less good copies being available, servicing these decades old lenses to survive modern use has been increasingly important.

I briefly introduce the lens and talk about some facts around this lens, its history and performance. Watch me as I take apart this beautiful lens with love and care, which has a stiff focus problem, haze under the front group, and a bent mount. I give it an overhaul, cleaning all its parts, correcting the bent mount, lubricating the focusing mechanism, cleaning the optics, and assembling the lens back while adjusting it for optimal performance. This lens also has a slight separation on one of its doublet, a common issue with the Contax 21mm f2.8 lenses, but since it doesn't affect performance in its current state, its owner followed my recommendation to not deal with it for the time being.

00:00 Introduction
00:53 Lens Introduction and facts
04:57 Side story
13:52 Lens Inspection
15:40 Lens Disassembly I
18:03 Bent mount repair
20:58 Elements Inspection and Haze Cleaning
22:46 Lens Disassembly II
24:45 Focusing Mechanism Cleaning & Relubrication
25:35 Reassembly
27:11 Outro

Common problems with this lens:
- Stiff focus
- Separation on the either of the two doublets of the front group
- Lightly hazed front group

Servicing inquires:   / areiamedia