Kiev 4am

[JWalker]

My 4am with J12 is not making sharp images! The scans show sharp film grain, but recorded images are showing overall blur. All images shot at f11 or 16. What gives?

 

[popavvakum]

The easiest way to find out the problem is to take strip tracing paper or matt glass and fix it on the film rails of your Kiev with the back cover taken off. With B setting you may turn the shutter release button effectively turning it to T setting. To close the shutter you press the button and turn it back until the two red dots are aligned, then release the button. This way you may check that the lens focusses at the same distance as does the rangefinder. If it does not, it most likely needs shimming.

 

[Valkir1987]

If the images are completely out of focus, even af F11 and F16. The lens has most likely been wrongly reassembled by the last person who took it apart. Perhaps to lubricate the helical.

The shimm in the Jupiter 12 is only 0.5 or 0.35mm thick. If it is too thick or gone the images will be sharp but out of focus.

Can you show us some scans?