Leica LTM Which FSU CV should be collimated?

Leica M39 screw mount bodies/lenses
Juancho said:
Hi everybody,
I would like to ask which FSU or CV lenses should be collimated for use in Leica LTM cameras?
Thanks!
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Any of them should work fine on the Leica without modification.
 
Thanks Colyn!
I've read in other thread thar J9 should be collimated, and I wonder if this is necesary with other lenses, mainly related to focus at infinity.
 
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FSU lenses will likely (but not certainly) need collimation if you plan to shoot wide open (f/2.8 or wider on a 50mm lens) at close distances. CV lenses should be fine.
 
CV lenses are made in Japan to the strict standards. They shouldn't need any adjustments.

FSU lenses, however, were not made to strict standards. As a result they made some work. It really depends on when the lens was made and, really, how motivated the technician was.
 
brachal said:
FSU lenses will likely (but not certainly) need collimation if you plan to shoot wide open (f/2.8 or wider on a 50mm lens) at close distances. CV lenses should be fine.
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I've been lucky I guess. None of my FSU lens needed adjustment. But then all of mine are early to mid 50's versions..
 
colyn said:
I've been lucky I guess. None of my FSU lens needed adjustment. But then all of mine are early to mid 50's versions..
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None of mine have needed work either. Maybe we've both been lucky. I think part of my luck is that I don't take pictures of newspapers taped to a wall at f/1.5 and 1 meter away ...🙂 The conventional wisdom, from people here who know a heck of a lot more about it than I do, is that most FSU lenses will need adjustment.
 
I have two J-3 which work perfectly (could even say better than if they were fitted on a FED or Zorki) with my Leica IIIc. Neither had to be adjusted. They worked fine in the state that they came.

About the J-9 (85mm), this lens too, shouldn't be in need of collimation IF it came as the factory put it together. Many J-9 have unfortunately been subjected to less than competent CLA which results in bad lens camming, which in turn leads to focusing errors. Even a servicing procedure as minor as the use of grease with improper viscosity can upset this lens.

Jay
 
I have several FSU lenses. Initially thought they were all junk/ severely needing collimation. Then... tried them on a known acurate Leica iiic. Results - except for a terribly soft J-12 35mm f2.8, the rest were bang on: I-22, I-61, I-61LD, J-8, J-9. The real problem - except for the J-12 - was the Fed and Zorki rangefinders!

A newly arrived J-3 may test differently, but except for the J-12 my FSU lenses have been OK.

Ken
 
The one FSU lens I had when I had my IIIc, an I-61 L/D, was bang on, even at closest focus and fully open aperture. I now have a J-12 too, but no IIIc on which to try it. Results on Zorki very pleasing, though.
 
There are some FSU LTM lenses to avoid though, for Leica use. The collapsibles from certain years aren't likely to work with real Leicas. For instance, all prewar FED 50 (I-10) lenses are found with non-standard mounts (threads much narrower than true LTM), and slightly different camming. The same can be said of such lenses made to until about 1950. One way to tell is that I-10 from these eras tend to look 'white' (uncoated) and use the 'old-style'
f/stop scale (ie, 3.5. 4,5. 6,3. 9....).

Otherwise, later FED-50/I-10 should have no fitting problems with Leica.

Another fly in the ointment is that some collapsible Industar -22 and -50, more so with the "22", have non-standard thread entry starts. Their focus tabs may stop right over one of the RF windows or even the slow speed dial of the Leica.

Jay
 
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