[dude163]

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Hi there

I have some takumars and the glass is pretty much perfect on all of them, but one of the bodies is a bit grungy around the focusing rings indentations ( the parts that you grip with your fingers)

Whatsthe best thing to clean these with? a little bit of soap and water on a q tip?


also: I have a few soviet era lenses that have a silver exterior ( aluminium I suppose?) and they are a bit oxidized , what is the best method to clean and repolish those?

Thanks very much

RTW

[hangu]

I would avoid using water. I usually use rubbing alcohol and a soft cloth of q tip since it immediately evaporates and doesn't leave much of a residue.

The soviet era lenses are probably better off with a milder cleanser.

[georgweb]

I would avoid using water. I usually use rubbing alcohol and a soft cloth of q tip since it immediately evaporates and doesn't leave much of a residue.

The soviet era lenses are probably better off with a milder cleanser.

+1 and I might add look for a good quality alcohol (like pharmacy quality).

If that does not do it, you might try high quality zipper fluid (which does already do damage to some sorts of plastic, which the alcohol never does).

If that still does not work, it could be either vinegar (transparent and also concentrated) and/or dishwashing agent.

All that stuff has helped me cleaning lenses, including glass. Blank metal surfaces (no surface layer) can also be polished with toothpaste.

I like clean glass and a real rusty outfit, but that's a matter of taste.
Good luck with the cleaningjob,
Georg

[dude163]

Here is what I wanted to clean, but actually it doesnt look to bad now that I think about it, just a bit of dirt to clean up and the optics look excellent

thanks for the tips gang

[hangu]

Don't forget rubbing alcohol is never pure alcohol, they always add some other junk in there. It will always leave a residue so I would not recommend it for glass. It's fine for metal finishes though.

[dude163]

Next time Ill remember to post the link before hitting submit

Helios 40, 85mm/F1.5 in M42 mount, great condiotion on eBay.ca (item 150485339885 end time 05-Sep-10 15:14:45 EDT)

[hangu]

Christ, what the hell is up with the prices on the Helios 40s?

[stevewig]

Seems like a typical price for the Helios 40 for a while now??

[sherwood]

And it's cheaper than the Helios 40-2 !

[dude163]

I got a really good price on that lens , I was very patient and it took me a month to grab one that I thought was a good price in good condition

The problem is, I think I might have bought 2 by mistake!

A local guy has a helios 40-2 for 300 canadian ( about 220 Euros)

[hangu]

Should I be smacking myself for passing on a Helios 40-1 for $230 two months ago? I thought at the time that it was a ridiculous price to pay for a lens that resembled pudding on corners.

I feel like these prices are just stupid at this point. There's no reason why it should be that much more expensive than the Jupiter 9, or the vastly superior S-Tak 85/1.9, SMC Tak 85/1.8 and Vivitar S1 90/2.5. I do love the circular bokeh but I'll have to settle for the cheaper 44-2....

[sherwood]

Old lenses WORTH the prices people are ready to pay for. Emotional things are hard to explain...

[dude163]

The super tak 85s go for close to 400 bucks too! especially the 1.9

I think its expensive too, but I got one for 200 bucks less than I thought, and if I have 1 , its a win-win, if I dont like it I can at least sell it for what I paid, if not more.

Im also getting a Jupiter 9 for my wife, so I get to try em both out and see what I prefer.

re: pudding on corners, Im using a Cropped sensor camera so it isnt as pronounced , I also dislike using flash, so a big portrait lens that i can use in low light on my K-X is a great boon
especially with the low light /high ISO capabilities of the body and the built in shake reduction.

Plus, the H-40 was actually the lens that got me interested in MF lenses in the first place so I knew once i could afford it, i was going to get one , even if Itried it out and resold it!

[hangu]

I guess the currency exchange rate is to explain here. The S-Tak 85/1.9 can be had for $230-250 in the US and the SMC-Tak 85/1.8 runs for about $300-350. The Vivitar S1 90/2.5 is probably the sharpest of the bunch and will go for $350-400 with the macro converter.

I'm, of course, judging only the sharpness/contrast aspect of it. The Helios has its own unique qualities. I just don't think enough people appreciate it enough for its price to be so inflated. Then again, the same can be said of the Angenieux lenses that I can't stop buying.

I'm a bit wary of the Helios, the build quality isn't altogether there on many of them. A lot have oily aperture blades, dried helicoids or misaligned helicoids when someone tried to grease it up. It's harder to take apart than most lenses so misalignment is common. I hope your copy doesn't suffer from any of that.

[JeffJS]

The super tak 85s go for close to 400 bucks too! especially the 1.9


Plus, the H-40 was actually the lens that got me interested in MF lenses in the first place so I knew once i could afford it, i was going to get one , even if Itried it out and resold it!

I had a Helios 40-1 at one time, and the only way I was able to de-oxidize it was mechanically polishing it. No amount of cleaning fluids and alcohols would touch it.