Good News Bad News Industar 55mm f/2.8

[aoresteen]

I just got my Industar 55mm f/2.8 lens from DAG. Smooth as butter and the focus is dead on. Don did a great job fixing the lens.

When I sent it to him it would unscrew when you tried to focus it. The aperture ring was very stiff. Now it is as good as any of my CV/Leica lenses.

That's the good news. Now for the bad.

I got the test roll back and I have a light leak in my Leica IIIf RD. It is in the center of the left frame edge:

Also note the darker left edge of the frame.


Guess I'll have to send it to Don for a tune up.

 

[LKeithR]

I got the test roll back and I have a light leak in my Leica IIIf RD. It is in the center of the left frame edge:

Also note the darker left edge of the frame.

Guess I'll have to send it to Don for a tune up.

Or start shooting square frame only. 😀😀😀

I have a Mir 37 that is "really" soft on the LH side but works great in square format...

 

[Krosya]

I just got my Industar 55mm f/2.8 lens from DAG. Smooth as butter and the focus is dead on. Don did a great job fixing the lens.

When I sent it to him it would unscrew when you tried to focus it. The aperture ring was very stiff. Now it is as good as any of my CV/Leica lenses.

.

You paid DAG to CLA a Russian Industar? Wow. Wouldnt it be cheaper to buy another one? Or did he do it for free?

 

[aoresteen]

You paid DAG to CLA a Russian Industar? Wow. Wouldnt it be cheaper to buy another one? Or did he do it for free?

No, I paid him. 😀

The problem with just buying another one is that you don't know what you will get. This way I know the lens will be right.

As it turned out the focus was way off. Took Don a while to get it fixed. It is now dead on by looking at my test roll.


I wanted a Tessar f/2.8 type lens for my IIIf. I had a 52mm f/2.8 Industar that was excelent but it was a nasty beat up chrome job so I sold it and got a black 55mm. Much better build but it needed work. It was gummed up so bad I never took a picture with it as it would unscrew when you turned the focus ring. I had it for 4 years and forgot about it. Found it in a box last Oct and decided to get it fixed.

 

[ray*j*gun]

I have had the same experience with FSU lenses.....I now own some beauties but I now only buy them from members that I trust.......that's getting harder since FSU's are getting more popular.

 

[MC JC86]

As long as it was a relatively OK sample to begin with, sending it out (to Don if that's your preference) makes perfect sense. It usually is not any more economical to buy copy after copy trying to find one that works well, especially with older cameras and lenses. Sucks that your camera isn't working right, I've got a IIc body that is outta whack and will be going out this month. Good luck!

 

[aoresteen]

My Industar seems to be very sharp. Here are some more photos from the test roll (Fuji Superia X-TRA 800 film - Wal-Mart processing & scan)

Full frame @ f/8

Cropped center

Croppped center right edge

When these lenses are properly collimated, as a Tessar formula they do very, very well. While the Elmar f/3.5 is no doubt a better lens, for the price these are hard to beat.

 

[roresteen]

Bro - why get it fixed?...you now have a German Holga! Your pics are now fine art...