Fitting an Industar-22

[cfritze]

Got an Industar-22 recently, 50/3.5 in LTM, supposedly a Leica Elmar copy. It threads onto my Leica IIIf and Canon VI-T, but with a strong application of muscle, only threads on as far as the pic attached - leaving at least 1mm gap to the camera body. I dare not work it harder, even disassambled the lens, cleaned and lubed the threads, and tried again. No better.Needless to say, it does not focus properly on the cameras.

The second pic shows this lens next to a Leica Summar. With both with the lenses set to infinity the mounting faces are aligned, thus the lenses should be equally in focus at infinity IF the lenses were threaded fully on the lens mount.

The person I acquired the lens from says:

It is necessary to regulate,to adjust lens(working piece,working distance of lens)to your camera.A specialist know how to do it,he just put several extra rings...It is usual thing for soviet lenses,may be unusual for german lenses.It is the quastion of the standarts.

But that's not right, is it? My guess is the mounting threads were not machined properly. Shimming the mount with rings won't bring the helicoil any closer to the rangefinder cam. I've got a dud lens. Am I missing something?

 

[cfritze]

...pics

...pics

missing pics attached

 

[Livesteamer]

I suspect you got a bad copy. Cutting screw threads requires considerable precision and the FSU cameras are known for inadequate quality control. Get another I 22. I have two and they both perform well. Good Luck, Joe.

 

[flip]

From what I gather, there's also some difference in how the I50 and I22 mate to various barnacks. Fedka.com set me up proper.

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

I had this trouble the other way around. I've an Elmar from 1931 or '32 with problems. When I got it I had film in the Leica CL and so used a screw to M adapter and tested it without problem. Then tried it in a FED 1(G) and, again, no problems.

Tried it in the Leica II and it wouldn't go in for more than a half turn or so. Sent it to Malcolm Taylor and he said that the screw threads were probably damaged and then sorted out and whoever did it thought it should be 1mm pitch, which would make sense but Leica and FED/Zorki used the microscope standard pitch, set by the Royal Society years ago. Need-less-to-say, I had a URL saved about it but it has gone the way of all usefull articles...

BTW, the screw to M adapter was an anonymous, cheap and Chinese one marked "50" that brings up the 35mm frames in the M2 but which works OK with the CL as the CL is either 90mm or else the 40 & 50 frames. It may well be cut to the hybrid thread pitch based on earlier mistakes made by a Japanese firm who's name escapes me at the moment.

If your lens is OK optically, I'd get it repaired. Buying another can just start it off all over again and you know where you stand with the current one.

Regards, David

 

[Graybeard]

I'm afraid that you have a defective/mismanufactured lens and I wouldn't waste any more time with it.

A good I22 will thread snugly against the camera body as does an Elmar.

 

[cfritze]

Thanks for the helpful replies folks.