[vladimiroltean]

Now that I am a Takumar smatterer, I would like to disassemble and regrease some of my non-Takumars too, particularly my Helios 44M, but also looking at the Industar 50-2 and the 61 L/Z.
I have disassembled the Helios, but the principle appears to be quite different from the Takumars I've seen. I had first looked at this instructional suggested by colleague stevebrot, and then took a dab at the lens myself. The symptoms were that it had a slightly stiff spot in the focusing ring, and also slight play. I did not manage to repair any of these, but I think I have reassembled it wrong.
First thing I did wrong, was unscrew the 3 screws that were holding the optical group and the main helicoid together. Bad move, because unlike Takumars, the tabs holding the optical block in the grooves are not locked by anything, and the optical group simply slid out. Before I could understand anything, I also moved the helicoid back and forth, losing notion of infinity focus.
Next thing I did, I unscrewed the small set screws (all 6 of them) that were holding the DOF ring and the focusing ring mounted on the brass part inside. I realized that the set screws should enter some special holes left in the brass, because as I missed correct entering position, the tips of the screws were simply left hanging out.
What I did to reassemble it was to place the DOF ring with the set screws in the proper holes, so now I had that as a reference. Then I connected the optical group to the helicoid, screwed that in, went outside and focused to infinity, then mounted focusing ring set at infinity, and tightened the screws. That sounds OK, but it isn't, actually, because as I said, the screws are not completely in (the infinity that I found did not coincide with the 3 holes already engraved in the brass piece).
My question is, basically, what's to be done, since I have lost all marks, I will have to assemble it the way they did at the factory.
I realize this is hard to follow, but if anyone has worked on these lenses, maybe they can shed some light on how it's supposed to be done

[MysteryOnion]

Bad move, because unlike Takumars, the tabs holding the optical block in the grooves are not locked by anything, and the optical group simply slid out. Before I could understand anything, I also moved the helicoid back and forth, losing notion of infinity focus.

First... are we talking a L39 lens or a M42?
Multiple helicoid grooves? That would mean three ways to set the lens.

If a L39, consider mounting the lens back on a body and adjust the focus ring until it is more or less infinity through the rangefinder and then return the group and see if any possible marking coincide with correct.

I did a similar thing to an old Jupiter lens and was able to work out near correct, but not factory. The factory marks were very wrong compared to sighting the lens via an opened chassis of a Zorki 1C.

If it is a M42 setup, then the trial and error method is all I know... sorry.

[stevebrot]

First... are we talking a L39 lens or a M42?

Helios 44M are all M42 with a simple helicoid.


Steve

[Lloydy]

For anything Russian this is the bible -

http://cccp.alien-planet.net/maizenberg-cameras1.pdf

it's a downloadable book, 600 pages so it might take a while, and gives excellent repair guides for lenses and cameras.

[jeffshaddix]

For anything Russian this is the bible -

http://cccp.alien-planet.net/maizenberg-cameras1.pdf

it's a downloadable book, 600 pages so it might take a while, and gives excellent repair guides for lenses and cameras.

Is it just me or is that site kaput? Any other way to get this monster repair manual?

[Lloydy]

Is it just me or is that site kaput? Any other way to get this monster repair manual?

The book is called "All You Need to Know About Design and Repair of Russian Cameras" by Isaak S. Maizenberg and is hard to find, but there are sites where it's still downloadable, although the one I linked to before has gone.

I just found a new link -

USSRPhoto.com - Russian / Soviet Cameras Wiki Catalog - Isaak Maizenberg - All You Need To Know About Design and Repair of Russian Cameras (ENGLISH, Downloadable)

it's worth downloading this book if you have an old Russian camera, the places that were offering downloads seem to be getting scarcer.

[stevebrot]

Thank you, Lloyd!

I have several FSU cameras and lenses and this guide will prove helpful!


Steve