I apologize for missing this thread.
I have made ONE Helios-103 in LTM.
Required Pieces:
1) Helios-103 or Menopta 53/1.8
2) Leitz Close-up helical for the Elmar-Summitar-Hektor
Step 1: The stop-post on the helical has to be removed so you can separate the pieces. It is screwed in, and the back of the screw threads are "nubbed" so it cannot come loose. You need to drill the nub off so it can be unscrewed.
Step 2: Unscrew the inner helical. The Mount portion has an extension on the back that covered the inner helical. It extends well past the 39mm thread mount. Put the mount in a vice and cut the extension off. I used a dremel. Then, sand and polish down to the Mount. Get all of the filings off. I used an ultrasonic cleaner and then Q-Tips.
Step 3: Mis-Thread the inner helical back into the mount by ~1/4 turn. Believe it or not, the back of the helical will act as the RF coupling as it does on an Elmar. It will couple to about 20m for "infinity". Good enough for me. Otherwise, you have to build the "cam" up with a disk. Put the Post back in. Use some epoxy or Enamel paint to secure it. You drilled the nub off.
You now have a focus helical that goes from 3ft to infinity with a 120degree throw. It can be used for a Zeiss Opton Sonnar conversion, or for the Helios-103. Somebody else hacked a Sonnar. I saw it on Ebay for tons of money. No one did a Helios-103 that I've ever seen.
Step 4: take the optics module out of the Kiev mount. Two set screws hold it in. Save those shims.
Step 5: Cut the bayonet portion of the Helios-103 mount off. You'll see the concentric rings on the mount. Cut-off in just the mounting flange portion.
Step 6: File and Polish the mount down till smooth.
Step 7: Put the mount into a vice and GRIND about 2mm off of the circumference so that it will fit into the now RF coupled Focussing Mount.
Step 8: Once it fits, put the optics back into the mount using the Shims. F-stop lines up. GRIND and Polish the mount until the actual focus agrees with the RF coupling. I selected a target at 5m, and focussed the RF-coupled helical. I marked the spot, held the focus mount at that spot. Then ground the mount down so that the actual focus agreed with the RF coupling. I use a TTL viewer for this.
Step 9: Take optics out, epoxy the Kiev mount into the RF coupled Mount. Let dry. Put optics back in.
DONE. You end up with an RF-coupled, Helios-103 in Leica Thread Mount.
Easier Way? The Helios-103 Optics module is Big. It would fit into a Canon 50/1.4 mount, but that would be expensive. It might also fit into an SLR 50mm mount, then construct your own RF Cam.
If I do another, I'll photograph it. I was in Mad Hacker Mode with a Dremel for this one!
