leica on FSU?

[Wimpler]

Ok so here's the story. I own a fed 2 with 2 standard lenses. Never used it because I don't quite trust the speeds (I think exposures will be uneven).

I recently bought a 85mm f2.8 steinheil culminar and a 9cm f4 sun opt. lens. The steinheil lens needs lens elements and diafragm cleaned. The sun lens needs lens elements cleaned, diafragm cleaned and focus reset (focus ring doesn't turn all teh way to infinity, it stops at 20 meters...).

My questions:

1. Should/can I use them on the fed 2, or should I get a leica screwmount body to use these lenses (really don't feel like spending money...)
2. Does anybody have experience disassembling these lenses?
3. I've read a little about the steinheil lens, but the sun lens seems to be virtually undocumented. Any info?

 

[matt fury]

If you're worried about the performance of the Fed, why not just shoot a test roll and see what comes out?

 

[Kim Coxon]

Hi,
I don't know those particular but some of the longer lenses some of them do cause problems with the FSU cameras because of the shape of the RF arm. If the lenses have a circular cam operating ring there should be no problem. However, if they have a "tongue" they are likely to jam on an FSU camera. The sides of the togue will move a wheel type arm out of the way but not the funny shaped FSU one.

Kim

 

[mac_wt]

1. theoretically yes. But: the fed has a wedge shaped thinghie that communicates focus of the lens to the rangefinder. A Leica has a wheel thinghie. If the focussing cam on the lens goes all around the lens, as it does on all the FSU lenses, there should be no problem. If it is only a tab, it might not connect well with the rangefinder. I recently bought a 135mm lens with a tab-shaped focussing cam and it doesn't even connect well with the leicas. I'll have to adjust it.
2. and 3. Sorry, can't help you.

Wim

 

[Wimpler]

Thank you. I'll put a roll in it to check.

They mount and couple with no problem. They have a circular rangefinder cam (russian style). I am more concerned about them actually focussign correctly: http://www.dantestella.com/technical/compat.html

 

[mac_wt]

Mmm, yes, that has been discussed very often. It seems that FSU cameras and lenses where built to the Zeiss standard and not to the Leica standard. This appears the give some problems with the longer focal lengths.
It is also true that the manual of the FSU cameras states that when buying a new lens, you should take it together with your camra to your camera repair person to have them adjusted to eachother.
I wonder how much of the problems is due to wider tollerances in production, production errors, poor design, wear caused by (miss)use and (bad) repairjobs. And then you can also wonder if the problems are really visible in every day use.
I have a J11 that functions very well on my leica's, I have a J9 that doesn't function on FSU or Leica cameras.

I think you'll just have to shoot a few rolls of film to try it out.

Wim