Two Industar 61's out of focus on Leica iiif

<p>I picked up a Leica iiif to use with my small collection of LTM lenses. It is a great little camera, but there is one issue. I have two Industar 61 lenses, and neither can focus to infinity and neither focuses properly. Images taken with the Industars are very soft. My Leica 90mm f4 focuses to infinity with no problem on the Leica iiif and give sharp results. The Industar focuses properly on a FED 5, but the Leica 90 focuses "past" infinity on the FED. I am more inclined to trust the calibration on the Leica lens than the Industar.</p>

<p>Is there a decent way to fix the Industars to work on the Leica iiif? </p>

<p>Here's the only information I have:<br /> http://www.dantestella.com/technical/compat.html</p>

<p>If you scroll down, there is discussion of the long-rumored "incompatbility" of Soviet M39 lenses and real Leicas.</p>

<p>There is some information here about getting inside an Industar:<br>

http://www.jay.fedka.com/index_files/Page325.htm</p>

<p>They may well be assembled on the wrong start of the threads. Or maybe you are a victim of fine Soviet "quality control". Perhaps they were made on Hangover Monday?<br>

<a href="http://mattsclassiccameras.com/industar_relubing/index.html">Here's a great page</a> on Industar-61 maintenance.</p>

<p>The Industars focus perfectly on the FEDs, so they are meant to be that way. I took one lens apart to try to rewind it on a different helical, but the lens appears to be at it's limit already and does not seem to be able to go any further back. I guess I will have to start saving up for a collapsible summitar. </p>

<p>My Industar 61 L/D focussed well on my Leica IIIc <em>and</em> my Zorki 1. But any minute now we shall be treated again to that hoary "joke" about the vodka ration, of which some jokers will never tire. Makes one think that the workers at Leitz and Zeiss never heard of schnapps or lager.</p>

<p>Mukul, this reminds me of my late grandmother. She owned a bakery and specialized in wedding cakes. For intricate or delicate piping, she would get up at 4-5am and start drinking beer to prevent her hands from shaking. This turned out to be a clever solution to a real problem. We Cajuns are known for just these kinds of clever, homespun solutions. </p>

<p>Considering the success of my grandmother, I think that a case could be made that better lenses and cameras were made under the influence of beer, schnapps, or vodka.</p>

<p>You might have something there, Jim. For a quarter of a century I was seldom sober, but camera shake was not a problem. A one-time girl friend used to say to people, "If he can stand, he can take a picture." I drink a great deal of coffee now and am surprised when I hear that that can lead to shaking hands. I routinely make confident exposures at 1/8 sec. and sometimes even 1/4 sec. -- although for some time I have been using the Staticfix brace that Robert Hooper sent me in a fit of generosity.</p>

I should look into the brace. I have a bit of a shake in my hands. I stopped drinking years ago: rigorous meditation

made me more aware of my body and I soon noticed that alcohol felt bad, even when tight. A similar thing happened to

me recently with coffee so I stopped drinking that too. I hoped that the shakes would abate after I stopped drinking

coffee but not so. A brace might be just the thing I need...or to start drinking again.

 

 

I am impressed that you can shoot at such slow speeds. I imagine you must have good technique.

<p>There's lots of advice on the Net about holding cameras steady.</p>