Hello Everyone,
It has been a long time since our last update in September 2024. Over the past months, we have dedicated countless days and nights to overcoming challenges and pushing forward. Now, we are proud to announce a major milestone in our development—we have successfully implemented an industry-standard spring-loaded cam mechanism.
This system is widely used in high-end rehoused lenses that cost two to three times more than our previous pricing. The technical complexity of this mechanism is immense, requiring extreme precision in both design and manufacturing. After two years of rigorous R&D, exploring every possible approach, we are now confident that this is the future of our rehousing process.
The Technical Breakthrough
In a basic cam follower mechanism, precision-made followers ride on at least two cam tracks. These followers are typically cylindrical and must be manufactured with extreme accuracy—too large, and they create excessive friction; too small, and they introduce backlash. Even when machined to exact tolerances, wear over time is inevitable, causing instability in the focusing system.
The solution lies in a spring-loaded mechanism that applies a precise amount of force to keep the follower engaged with the cam track at all times. This force must be strong enough to eliminate backlash but not so strong that it increases friction or wear too much. However, implementing this requires a complete redesign of both the followers and cam tracks, utilizing highly advanced machining techniques and custom components. The development of this system has been an immense challenge, demanding significant time, resources, and expertise.
This is just one of the many complex aspects of the new design. Every part of the rehousing system had to be reconsidered, redesigned, and re-engineered. This is why high-end rehoused lenses using this mechanism come with a premium price tag—the research, development, and technical challenges involved are at the highest level.
What This Means for Our Clients
This breakthrough fundamentally changes our approach to rehousing. The new system virtually eliminates backlash, making focus movement incredibly smooth, precise, and repeatable. It also enables advanced features such as non-linear cam tracks, allowing for better focus mark spacing—expanding marks at longer distances while compressing them at closer distances.
Additionally, this innovation significantly improves our ability to rehouse lenses with floating elements and supports our ongoing development of the NEO LOMO SF Anamorphic series. Maintenance and servicing will also become more straightforward, extending the longevity of the rehoused lenses.
While this is a significant leap forward, it is just the beginning. The focusing system is only one part of a fully rehoused lens, and we are continuing to refine every aspect of our designs to deliver the best possible results within the resources available to us.
Our New Direction and Pricing Structure
Since the start of TK LENSES, our goal has been to provide affordable rehousing services. For the past three years, we have maintained that mission. However, as demand for more durable and rental-ready rehoused lenses continues to grow, we cannot remain on the same path.
Moving forward, we are setting our sights higher, aiming to push the boundaries of what is possible. This shift comes with a necessary pricing adjustment. To simplify the process, we are eliminating the additional costs for bearing selection and optical block removal. Every rehoused lens will now include precision bearings, and any required optical block removal will be factored into the base price. While the overall cost has increased, it remains lower than any other rehousing provider using the same advanced focusing system.
A Thank You to Our Clients
We want to express our deepest gratitude to our clients who have waited patiently during this challenging period. As a token of appreciation, all lenses currently in our queue will receive the newly developed focusing mechanism at no additional cost—even though the price they originally paid is significantly lower than our new rates. We believe this is the fairest way to acknowledge and reward the trust they have placed in us. None of this would have been possible without the support of our early adopters.
Thank you for being part of our journey. We are excited for what lies ahead and look forward to bringing you the best lens rehousing technology available.
Regards,
TK LENSES Team