Soligor 4.5/135 Argus Screw Mount Lens Cleaning

[farlymac]

Got this yesterday, and it was somewhat dirty on the inside, with specks, and what looked like the start of a fungus invasion. It cleaned up nicely though, and now I'm just waiting for the paint to dry good before putting it back together.

Complete set of photos with narrative at the link.


Soligor 4.5/135 Argus Screw Mount by br1078phot, on Flickr




Rear Specks by br1078phot, on Flickr




Before Cleaning by br1078phot, on Flickr




Lens Element Group Repainted by br1078phot, on Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7699588@N07/sets/72157635925323556/


PF

 

[farlymac]

Here is the lens back together, and mounted on an early model Argus C-3.


Top View by br1078phot, on Flickr

Now to go film test it.

PF

 

[ZeissFan]

That's rather cool. I didn't know that the lens on a C-3 was interchangeable.

I'll be interested in seeing the results from that lens, and also hearing about your experience using it. What are doing for a viewfinder?

 

[farlymac]

I took it out today, but it's so cloudy, I just gave up on the idea. Good thing I took the digicam with me, as the gasoline was not a total waste.

I've got the clip-on finder for the 35/100 Sandmars, and was either going to just eyeball it using the 100mm setting, or mask it with tape to get the proper view.

PF

 

[farlymac]

Test Results

Test Results

I posted the results in the Argus RF forum, but if you want to see the complete test, go to http://flic.kr/s/aHsjK5vWYT The focus on the lens was so far out, infinity came at the twelve foot mark on the lens barrel scale.

I made an error in two parts. First, I didn't determine the proper orientation of the 5th lens element before removing it from the barrel, and when it came tumbling out, it was anyone's guess as to which way it was supposed to face. But going on my experience so far on lens construction, I put it back in with the convex side to the rear. That was not right.

The second part was when I decided I had the lens back together properly, so I didn't need to do a film plane check of the focus. It would have saved me eight frames of really out of focus photos. I reversed the element today, and did the focus check, now all I have to do is film check it again.

Funny thing about this is that normally, when one flips an element, usually the center of the photo will be in focus, and then become gradually out of focus as it gets towards the edge of the frame. With this lens, the whole frame was out of focus. However, when set at it's closest focus of eight feet, the background from about twelve feet on was in focus. So that led me to think the lens wasn't mounted properly, creating a longer flange to film distance. But what I thing happened is the flipped element actually increased the focal length of the lens, thus moving it's plane of focus that much further to the rear. Fixing that may also clear up the heavy vignetting I got on the test shots.

PF