Bad ebay Artar, any ideas?

[gbenaim]

Well, I seem to be having a run of bad luck w my ebay purchases. First my camera comes w rows of pinholes in bellows, now the 19in artar I got looks like a portrait lens! Seriously, fuzzy all over. It's an older uncoated lens, and there's a little haze, not much, but it's seriously soft. Could it be an element was put in inverted, or some such thing? Has anyone had a similar experience w this sort of lens? Next to my 300 apo ronar, well, it's just no contest. If I can't get it to work I'll probably just sell it as a portrait lens! Cheap, too. Anyway, all help greatly appreciated.

GB

 

[Roger Hicks]

Well, I seem to be having a run of bad luck w my ebay purchases. First my camera comes w rows of pinholes in bellows, now the 19in artar I got looks like a portrait lens! Seriously, fuzzy all over. It's an older uncoated lens, and there's a little haze, not much, but it's seriously soft. Could it be an element was put in inverted, or some such thing? Has anyone had a similar experience w this sort of lens? Next to my 300 apo ronar, well, it's just no contest. If I can't get it to work I'll probably just sell it as a portrait lens! Cheap, too. Anyway, all help greatly appreciated.

GB

Check cell separation. If it's in a shutter, or has been re-shuttered, this could be the problem. I once bought a 300/9 process lens that was about 1,2mm out in the separation (front and rear too close together). I shimmed it and the performance was transformed.

 

[gbenaim]

Roger, it's in barrel. I switched around one of the rear cells and it looks better, but of course I'm just tinkering. How do you know when it's on right?

 

[gbenaim]

OK, I switched the rear element and things look much better, but it still has a slightly dreamy look, maybe that's just the look of these lenses? I'm going by what I see on the GG only, not used it on film yet, but I'll try to describe the look. The colors are less saturated, the highlights tend to bleed, like there's some gauze over the lens. The amount of haze is really minimal on the lens, though that may be what's causing part of this. Even compared to the dagor 6.5 in I got, the dagor just sparkles w color and contrast. Does this sound like a problem w the lens or is this how it's supposed to look? It's a 7xxxxxx serial, btw. Thanks again,

GB

 

[gbenaim]

PS: What's the right way to lubricate iris blades? The ones on the dagor are a little stiff.

 

[Roger Hicks]

PS: What's the right way to lubricate iris blades? The ones on the dagor are a little stiff.

Sorry: can't really give any further help on the lens. It's not a matter of when it's 'right', more sort of 'least worse'.

The diaphragm is normally a matter of old, dried grease being stiff. Swilling it out with an aggressive solvent (without the cells in!) is normally all you need.