J8 focus lever

[mike_j]

I find it all too easy to change the aperture on my J8 when focussing as it's not click stopped.

I have just done a simple mod and fitted a small focussing lever like the one the CV 35mm lens. I just drilled and and tapped a 1.5mm hole and turned up a little lever from some scrap. Works wonderfully. Even without workshop facilities it wouldn't be difficult to fit a little piece of scrap chrome bar and epoxy it in place. It makes the lens much easier to use.

Picture here. http:/www.stamcomms.eclipse.co.uk/smes/images/j8_lever.jpg

 

[clarence]

Would drilling a lens be dangerous? Might it cause the elements to separate?

 

[swoop]

It's a $30 lens. Buy another if it falls apart.

 

[clarence]

I realise that it's a 30USD lens, but if a hack or workaround ruins the object it's meant to improve, then the hack isn't so useful.

I'm thinking about using a hand-drill instead.

Clarence

 

[rxmd]

I'm thinking about using a hand-drill instead.

When I got my Yashica 12, the finder had been glued on and the ground glass was completely dirty. I lifted it off with a screwdriver to find that the original screw holes had been severely misused with little threading left and glue everywhere. So I cleaned them out with a Dremel with a 2mm drill and tapped new M2.4 threads in the brass. That did the job.

I guess any drill with which you can reliably drill a 1.5mm hole would be OK to use on a J-8, be it a hand drill, a Dremel tool or a drill rig.

Philipp

 

[mike_j]

There was little or no risk, I only drilled a 'blind' hole, that is one which didn't go all the way through the focus ring. It's only soft aluminium and the heat and vibration was absolutely minimal.

I would have been happy enough to do it with a Dremel type tool but in fact I used something more precise, the key thing though is a sharp drill bit.

Incidentally, I keep noticing that it is cheaper to buy a Zorki with a J8 than it is to buy a standalone J8. Odd isn't it?

 

[QUAsit]

Jupiter-8 is three dollar lens not thirty, also it is easy to buy good old white version of J-8 made in middle 50s-60s, which has focusing level by nature.

 

[manfromh]

Mine was two dollars 🙂 Though I havent had the problem of changing aperture while focusing yet. The aperture ring is quite loose, but it stays in place so far.