Zorki 1 - Transformation of an Ugly Duckling - The Lens

As you may have noticed from my previous post, the camera I received did not come with a lens. Fortunately, I have several Soviet m39 lenses that could work well with the Zorki 1, including the Jupiter 8, Industar 61, a rigid Industar 50-2, and Jupiter 12. However, to truly complete the Zorki 1, I needed a collapsible lens, which led me to search for an Industar 22 or its further development, the Industar 50. I didn't have a particular preference between the two, but some argue that the Industar 50 is sharper and can resolve more lines per millimeter. As an analog photographer, I don't focus on lines or pixels, as both lenses offer the same vintage feel and look to my photographs.

As a rule of thumb, when it comes to needing parts or accessories for a Soviet camera, the easiest solution is often just to buy another camera. In my case, I was fortunate to come across an old Mir camera that came equipped with an Industar 50 lens. Surprisingly, the cost of the entire camera set was lower than the price of the lens alone on eBay. Nevertheless, when purchasing a used vintage lens, there is always a degree of risk involved.

I was relieved to find that the lens I purchased fit my camera without any issues and focused correctly. Unfortunately, this isn't always the case, and I've had to rule out certain combinations of cameras and m39 lenses from my collection in the past due to varoius compatibility problems.

Upon closer inspection, I noticed that the front element of the lens had small cleaning marks, while the rear element had some haze that turned out to be separation. However, the lens barrel focusing mechanism seemed to be in good working order. While these issues could potentially pose a significant problem, I was fortunate that changes made to the Industar 50 over the years were limited to the lens barrel, leaving the optic part unchanged. With this in mind, I decided to swap elements with my rigid black Industar 50. Although there was a chance that this would work, success was not guaranteed. In any case, I needed to dismantle the lens to perform a CLA, as the aperture ring and focusing mechanism were both quite stiff.

In fact, the process of swapping the elements was relatively straightforward. There was no need to remove the front collar, as I simply had to remove the locking ring from the back of the lens and unscrew another ring behind it to access the optical block.

Additionally, I needed to remove a screw located in the middle of the lens barrel to release the optical block, which came out as a single unit. The process is similar when working with the Industar 22. However, it's important to be mindful of a small metal shim that may come out along with the optical block and ensure that it doesn't become lost or misplaced.

Next, I removed the locking screw and unscrewed the aperture ring, making sure to remember the position in which it was attached to the block to avoid any misalignment between the aperture indicator and the scale on the lens collar.

With the aperture ring removed, I was then able to unscrew the lens elements, which consisted of two pieces, and transfer them from the later version of the Industar 50-2. This was also an opportune moment to clean the lens elements.

During this stage, it was important to clean the old grease from the thread of the aperture ring and the optical block while being careful not to contaminate the iris blades. To accomplish this, I used small amounts of lighter fluid and cotton swabs.

After cleaning the old grease, I applied helicord grease to the thread of the aperture ring. Alternatively, Synco Lube or another PTFE grease can also be used, as it won't separate over time.

Now you can reassemble the lens. 

There is a lot of rubbish in the internet written about how to solve stiff apperture ring on those lenses including pouring some lighter fluid inside!!! Not worth the effort. 

Sticky focusing rings require cleaning and lubrication of the helicord. Since the helicord is not hidden inside the lens barrel, you don't necessarily need to dismantle it. Turning the focusing ring will expose different segments of the helicord, allowing for cleaning. I used dental floss and lighter fluid to clean the threads. Once the helicord grease is applied, I turned the ring several times to distribute the lubricant inside and removed any excess. As a result, the lens was clean and worked smoothly - just like new.

It took me about 1 hour to perform the procedure. I'm slow, patient, and precise - it's my relaxation and meditation :)