Jupiter 12 question

[colyn]

I found a 35mm f/2.8 Jupiter 12 57 vintage on craigslist today for $15. All in all it is in excellent condition after I cleaned out the old grease and re-lubed it.

However there is one thing I am wondering about. When attached to the camera it is a bit loose. I can slightly wriggle it side to side and in and out. My other J-12 fits fine. Is there a safe way to tighten it up and make it fit better?

It's a Kiev mount lens...

 

[KenD]

What kind of grease, and how much did you use? Did it wobble before? SFU lenses, it is said, use heavy grease to "fix" helicoid tolerances that are on the "wobbly" side.

 

[colyn]

What kind of grease, and how much did you use? Did it wobble before? SFU lenses, it is said, use heavy grease to "fix" helicoid tolerances that are on the "wobbly" side.

I use lith grease but the looseness isn't in the helicoid. It's in the mount which was loose before cleaning.

 

[40oz]

I'm guessing there was a reason someone on craigslist was selling a "perfectly good" j-12 for $15 🙂

I'd try it out, and then see if you could fix it. I have a Kiev that was obviously dropped by the P.O., prompting the sale. The lens was obviously mounted at the moment of impact, and as a result there is slight play in the mount (besides the dents in the filter ring and body). Of course the P.O. neglected to include this data in the ebay listing, but the camera and lens still take very fine pictures. You might find that the wobble is insignificant as I did. What's the depth of field on the film side of a lens?

You could always try to fix it properly yourself, and use it as a beater until you do.

 

[dll927]

In other words, the lens mount, being bayonet-type, got bent or jimmied some way. Under normal conditions I prefer bayonet to screw mounts, but my FSU collection has many of both, and either one can fairly easily be knocked out of play. Dropping cameras is not a recommended procedure.

Given the foibles of FSU cameras of just about any stripe, it's probably a wonder that they work at all when we buy them used. Which is a good reason to stick to Yuri at Fedka in NYC. He pretty well goes over what he sells and makes sure it's in operable condition.

 

[Livesteamer]

I would suggest that the mount was not machined accurately causing some movement. if it just shifts side to side or up and down it is probably OK. If the lens can move in and out in relation to the camera then you will have trouble maintaining focus. Try a roll of film, it may be OK. Russian camera designs were made to allow for loose tolerances and still work. Good Luck, Joe.