Jupiter 3 servicing

Does anyone know of someone who might offer shimming and other calibration services for a Jupiter 3 lens. I have a lens whose f-stops don't line up with the indicator dot and would like to have that fixed along with ensuring the lens is in proper working order.

helios1014 said:

Does anyone know of someone who might offer shimming and other calibration services for a Jupiter 3 lens. I have a lens whose f-stops don't line up with the indicator dot and would like to have that fixed along with ensuring the lens is in proper working order.

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You might try Brian Sweeney.
I couldn't (easily) find a web/email address via Google but I did find this source of information http://aperturepriority.co.nz/2013/02/06/jupiter-3-f1-5-information-update/

You might try Fedka.com

I don't know of anyone else doing a CLA and setting the shim/focal length for the Leica standard these days. I talked to Youxin about it- but the problem is the amount of time required to custom set the shim to optimize a Russian lens for a Leica body is time consuming, and the cost for a professional to do it is prohibitive.

The last J-3 that I worked on went from Fedka to Australia, to me, and back to Australia. After working on over 200 J-3's, I'd never seen one with only one guide pin as the channel for the second was not cut properly and would cause a jam-up if the second pin was used. So someone just left it out. I carved the guide slot with an exacto knife ever-so-carefully to make it work. It took ~4 hours adjust/repair this lens, figure how much a pro would charge for that.

If anyone here is interested in picking up this service, I've made online instructions available and post notes on Leicaplace.com. I would be happy to participate in discussions here for optimizing Jupiters and other Russian lenses for the Leica 51.6mm standard.

http://aperturepriority.co.nz/50mm-jupiter-3-f1-5-information/

Some of the "Gotchas" are posted on Leicaplace, this thread.

Dead Link Removed

A pro would charge $400 to 500 for 4 hours of work. Makes modifying a J3 not very economical though I do see the attraction, I like my f1.5 Sonnar on my Contax IIa.

I don't know why it has to be comlicated. I did dozen or so FSU re-shimming and CLA. Thanks to Brian generosity.
I'm using different paper and same manicure scissors for shims. My J-3 is as smooth as Leitz to focus after it and sharp...

It's the "Can-of-Worms" lenses that I've run into that can be a problem. I've seen them glued together: required taking the lens apart from the outside going in, get the glass out, leave the fixture and inner helical soaking in nail polish remover for a week to correct. Someone quoting "flat rate repair"- would not be able to do it. The most common problem that can be very time consuming: the RF cam will not drive the RF of the camera to infinity. You have to drive the helical deeper into the mount, sometimes have to grind down the mount, position it to drive the camera to infinity- then tap out new holes for the set screws to hold the helical in and get the focus ring to index correctly.

Helical_in_deeper_to_mount by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

This one was full of metal shavings which made it a mess to focus, were there from time of manufacture. Now it is smooth as glass.

filings_inlens by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

focus_ring_new_taps by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

focus_ring_ready_for_drilling by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

This requires the use of triple-zero drill bits, a hand drill, and about 8 hours total for this one.

valdai_on_M9 by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

And- on this one, I BROKE the perfect front element getting it out of the lens. It was stuck, cracked coming out. Fortunately I had a PERFECT Zomz front element, and the lens was actually better after the replacement. I am never selling this lens- best Valdai J-3 I have ever seen.

L1007938-Edit by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

After working on more than 200 of these- you think you'd seen everything. You would be wrong! That's where a discussion for a repair would be nice.

SO! The OP's lens is made from a KMZ Focus mount with a 1975 Valdai Optics module in it... The KMZ focus mount has 1 set screw holding the helical in place, rather than 3 that hold in that of the later lenses. That's because the machining on the KMZ is such that the helical screws in tightly up against the mount, the others- the helical often screws past the index marks and needs three screws to hold steady in place. All that work- and they did not bother to change the shim used. Original shim was just over 1mm thick, replaced using two thin shims totaling 0.71mm. The lens was badly front-focusing, and would not focus past 10m as it was.

Jupiter-3's are king of like Cracker-Jacks, a surprise inside every lens.