Servicing, shimming, and/or Calibrating the Jupiter-3

<p>Way back when, 12-14 years ago, one could buy one or more Jupiter-3 lenses from FSU sellers for ca. USD30. I did so and became the owner of four of these jewels, manufactured between 1957 and 1964.<br>

I tested each of them at f1.5, photographing a newspaper classified section at 1 meter with the camera on a tripod. The earlier two lenses, pre 1960 were OK/pretty good wide open; the other two 1961 and 1964 were hopeless, completely out of focus wide open.<br>

I am all thumbs when it comes to dismantling lenses and, due to these personal shortcomings and lack of ability, cannot make use of the available and very helpful web advice to DIY (re)shim my J-3's. I admit to having ruined a Jupiter-8 while attempting to replace its petrified lens lubricant (read really ugly blob of grease).<br>

Fast forward to 2014. I discovered a fellow offering lens service on eBay under the name : <a href="http://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/e11051.m44.l1181/7?euid=b2af21ec1617491db3012529c8e0d434&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fmyworld.ebay.com%2Fjenstarct%2F%3FssPageName%3DADME%3AX%3ARTQ%3AUS%3A1181&exe=10708&ext=25561&sojTags=exe=exe,ext=ext">jenstarct</a> <a href="http://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/e11051.m44.l1183/7?euid=b2af21ec1617491db3012529c8e0d434&loc=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedback.ebay.com%2Fws%2FeBayISAPI.dll%3FViewFeedback%26userid%3Djenstarct%26ssPageName%3DSTRK%3AME%3AUFS%26ssPageName%3DADME%3AX%3ARTQ%3AUS%3A1183&exe=10708&ext=25561&sojTags=exe=exe,ext=ext"> (1571<img src="http://pics.ebaystatic.com/aw/pics/icon/iconRedStar_25x25.gif" alt="Red Star" width="18" height="18" />)</a>. He offers to clean, relubricate, and polish the mechanics of Russian lenses, but much more importantly to me, check the lens focus on fixture that he made and adjust shims as needed. His prices were quite attractive to me.<br>

I sent him my two bad Jupiter-3 lenses and the were returned to me in "on the money" operating condition. The two lenses which formerly produced only a hopeless blur wide open and close now yield images wide open (f1.5) equivalent to a first generation Summicron at f2 (I have those too and can speak from direct observation).<br>

The same fellow has now worked his magic on all of my Jupiter-3s.<br>

I report this as a satisfied customer or a genuinely useful service offered on the web.</p>

<p>Good light all-</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Wendell -- thanks for your timely message. Very coincidentally, my J-3 sits next to me waiting to go on eBay since it needed the calibration/shimming work you mentioned. It was NOS when I bought it and is still in perfect condition. NOW ... different plans: I'm going to send it in and save myself the expense of replacing it with a CV 50/F1.5 option for $1000 ... thank you!</p>

<p>He's a technician, Wendell, not a "fellow". Even if he has many adjectives in praise of himself: "an incredible amount of classic lens design experience", "a vast degree of knowledge", "an incredibly meticulous and dedicated person".</p>

<p>What did he charge for his services?</p>

<p>I paid $30 for the mechanical cleaning, relube, and shimming. One of my J-3's needed internal cleaning of the glass and this was $10 extra. I paid postage both ways - not to bad for something as light as a J-3.</p>

I've traded notes with this repairman, he knows what he is doing. I'm glad someone is offering this service. He

uses a Russian camera adjusted to the Leica standard for adjusting lenses and has worked on them for a long time.

Just to add- some of the J-3's are real can-of-worms, you never know what it will take to repair some of them.

 

There are some things that are "last-ditch" efforts, I would only do with a lens that I own.

 

http://www.leicaplace.com/showthread.php?t=1053

 

Like pulling out all the glass and dropping it in acetone for hours. Took almost as long to get the loosened paint

out of the mechanism. Someone had really botched the focus, off 2m at 5m, then glued everything into place. It

was a rainy day and my daughter had homework.

Just found out that the Jupiter service guy jenstaret in Florida has recently closed up his lens fixing business. Pity.

Any one know of another?