8mm Forum: ST-1200 HD 1.3 lens doesn't zoom?

This is topic ST-1200 HD 1.3 lens doesn't zoom? in forum 8mm Forum at 8mm Forum.

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Posted by Akshay Nanjangud (Member # 2828) on August 04, 2012, 03:08 PM:

The lens on my ST-1200 HD reads "Elmo Super Zoom Lens 1:1.3 f=12~25mm Japan". The focus knob does move the lens front and back but I can't rotate the lens to zoom. Does this not zoom?

Posted by Hugh Thompson Scott (Member # 2922) on August 04, 2012, 03:38 PM:

Hi Akshay,if your lens states 12-30 then it is the zoom lens,it may
have "locked" and should come free with a twist.

Posted by Akshay Nanjangud (Member # 2828) on August 04, 2012, 03:58 PM:

In the quote of my first post, I typed what's written on the lens. From your words and what my lens says, it looks like my lens is 12 to 25. The lens is pretty beat up as you can see in the pic. However hard I twist, it doesn't rotate.

Posted by Joe Taffis (Member # 4) on August 04, 2012, 05:05 PM:

You're right Akshay, that is where its supposed to turn. Someone might have glued it.

Posted by Akshay Nanjangud (Member # 2828) on August 04, 2012, 05:26 PM:

With the current zoom setting, I still get the image size I want in my screening room. So it works for now.

Oh, this gives me an excuse to look for a 1.1 or 1.0 lens.

Thanks, Joe and Hugh. [Smile]

Posted by Tony Stucchio (Member # 519) on August 04, 2012, 08:30 PM:

Why on earth would someone glue a zoom lens so it doesn't zoom?
[Confused]

Posted by Joe Taffis (Member # 4) on August 04, 2012, 10:04 PM:

It was just a thought Tony. Someone may have taken it apart to clean and couldn't get it back together. We've seen stranger things in this hobby....

Posted by Winbert Hutahaean (Member # 58) on August 04, 2012, 10:54 PM:

Or maybe the previous owner has a permanent set up, so didn't need to change the screen size. With the lens glued he was only to worry with the focus. Just a thought.

Posted by frank arnstein (Member # 330) on August 05, 2012, 12:21 AM:

Hi Ashkay

Try heating the whole lens with a hair dryer or warm it up in the sun. The original lubricant in the zoom thread may have gone hard and caused it to become seized. This has happened to me and the jammed lens came loose again after I left it in the sun for a few hours.

worth trying.

dogtor frankarnstein [Wink]

Posted by Winbert Hutahaean (Member # 58) on August 05, 2012, 12:51 AM:

Frank, won't that leaving under the sun or give some heat create fogging on the lens?

Posted by Hugh Thompson Scott (Member # 2922) on August 05, 2012, 04:25 AM:

It shouldn't do Winbert,any fogging usually disappears when a
lens gets warm.I still feel the lens has seized and needs a bit
of help.

Posted by Vincent Zabbia (Member # 2453) on August 05, 2012, 11:28 AM:

Try lighter fluid. This stuff loosens almost anything....

Posted by Akshay Nanjangud (Member # 2828) on August 05, 2012, 06:05 PM:

I tried the hair-dryer trick, it didn't work.

Vincent, what do you mean by lighter fluid?

Posted by Vincent Zabbia (Member # 2453) on August 05, 2012, 06:32 PM:

It's called RONSONOL Lighter Fuel Made by Ronson.(used in Cigarette Lighters..Don't use near a flame...I've used it to loosen up old stiff binoculars I've collected through the years and works great. Has no lasting grease left behind. Dries up nice...

Posted by Akshay Nanjangud (Member # 2828) on August 05, 2012, 07:07 PM:

Thanks very much, Vincent. Will write back after I've tried it.

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