What's new
Medium Format Forum

Register a free account now!

If you are registered, you get access to the members only section, can participate in the buy & sell second hand forum and last but not least you can reserve your preferred username before someone else takes it.

Third PartyLenses Repair & Adaptation

E

evanjoe610

Member
I have several 3rd Party lenses that I bought over the years. All lenses were 3rd party option for the 1000 series. I would like to have (2) of these lenses (Kalimar 52mm) CLA and adjusted for Infinity focusing. The other lens is a Schneider 105mmF3.5 that would require 1 or 2 locking set screws installed to hold the lens in position in its mount. Regarding a Zeiss 80mm Tessar that I bought, I guess if I could find someone to either re-polish or replace some or all of the elements within its group. This lens appears to have had some fungus damage or scratches that would result in soft images.

Any advice from here regarding whom can undertake this type of work?
I have (2) other 3rd party optics that are fine. CZJ PreSet 180mm Olympia and a Meyer Piester 135mmF3.5. I guess that I should look around for a good Zeiss 60mm or are there any other choices of 60mm lenses that could be adapted to the 1000F? If so, which oneis a good choice and who can do this?

Thanks in advance,

Evan

PS - I have in Zeiss, 80mm, 135mm (remounted for Mamiya 645) and the 250mmF5.6.
 
Evan,

My lens guy can do all work only thing is he is in Europe.
He charges quite friendly rates, he serviced the 80 mm Ektar for my 1600F
for 65 USD. The lens is as new, in good working order now. So is the 1600F!

I would not spend any money on the 80 mm Tessar.
This lens is rather common and can be found in good usable condition around 120 USD.
I would be interested to buy that Tessar if the rear element is good.

It seems in a big country like the US it is quite difficult to find good repair centers for older equipment.
This also goes for less common Hasselblad gear like the 200 series lenses and bodies.

Send me a pm if you think it is worth the trouble to have the lenses serviced over here.
Shipping is about 60USD one way with USPS. Fast and reliable.

Paul
 
If the front element of the 80 mm Tessar is also good I'd like to join the deal. Yes, there are quite a few of these lenses out there, replacement is not a big problem. BTW, these would not be the first lenses for Hasselblad 1000F/1600F being sent to Europe for repair as there seem to be no repairmen for these in the US.

Ulrik
 
Ulrik and Paul,

Thank you for your response. Yes, its a bit of a shame that I am unable to find a reliable camera repairman who has the right equipment for repairing mechanical cameras and also lens collimination equipment. My former Kiev repairman does not have a shop any longer due to the economics of paying someone else rent. The repair business has changed due to electronics and digital.

I would really hate to send my lenses over to Europe for a simple CLA and Infinity focusing alignment, but I am finding out to have the Kalimar 52mm and the Schneider 105mm fixed here in the states near to impossible. The Schneider needs just 1 or 2 set screws to hlod the lens in position.

The Zeiss 80mm lens, I can not tell which element(S) are rendered bad due to scratches or fungus etched damage. The metal parts are all good, its just the glass thats bad.

Would any of your repairmen be able to convert the Kiev/Salyut optics to work on the Hasselblad 1600/1000F? Trying to find a good inexpensive Zeiss 60mm is near to impossible. My Zeiss 135mm is mounted on a custom Mamiya 645 mount. The glass is superbly sharp. I just have to get out to test it a bit more.

I guess I would have to reconsider if I should try harder to find a repairman here in the USA. If all fails, then I will get back here to you guys.
 
Evan, fear not sending your lenses overseas if that is what it takes to get the desired result. I was in the position of wanting one of my lenses adapted and the only possible resolution was to send it to Europe. The result was very positive and was only achievable by this action. There are some real craftsman over there, make use of them!
 
Hi Terry,

Which lenses have you adapted and for which platform was it for? Was it for the 1600/1000 series or for the 2000/200 series?

I am curious as to which focal length and lenses you had done. Can you tell me which technician you used?

Thanks,

Evan
 
I had a 350mm F lens converted to FE status with parts that I bought from Paul, installed by his technician in the Netherlands. Paul was kind enough to act as the middleman in this transaction.
 
Hi Terry,

I was referring to some 3rd party lenses that I bought over the years for use on the 1600/1000f bodies. Try to find some of the original Zeiss optics for the 1600/1000 bodies, its near impossible!!
 
Evan,

This may turn you red with envy but keep in kind I do not mind sharing my repair facilities with you or any other forum members.

My number one man is a very experienced Hasselblad technician.
39 years with Kodak who used to represent Hasselblad and later with the Hasselblad import in Holland.
He is my most experienced and best equipped Hasselblad service specialist.
He has all factory tools some of which Hasselblad USA does not even have.
He is a fanatic. Whenever he saw special tools being used in the factory for production he just ordered those items.
After Hasselblad closed their service center in Holland he was given all these special tools for his excellent service for Hasselblad cameras.

My number two man has a large machine shop and can re manufacture most mechanical parts like gears, shafts etc.
His work is meticulous. His strong point is saving damaged lenses that were dropped for instance.
With good general knowledge of cameras and lenses he also does Linhof and other quality cameras.

My number three man used to do K... and S.... cameras.
I despise these two Russian made pieces of junk, sorry for that.
I convinced him to start repairing my 1000Fs and later also 1600F cameras.
He does an excellent job at very modest rates, thanks to the Russian j..k .
He not only repairs these items from Hasselblad history, he rebuilts and restores them last nut and bolt.
The 1600F that Simon in Australia uses was serviced by this guy.
It was a very good camera to start with thanks to Jürgen who has nothing but the finest in his collection.
I just helped to correct some minor flaws with parts from my stock fitted by my number three guy.

I do trips 2-3 times a month from Germany where I live to these guys in Holland to collect and bring lenses, bodies and filmbacks.
Most of those items are from my collection, some belong to other collectors and a few traders that I know well.
I do not make a fortune on this. The important reason is to keep these guys going and spread my travelling expenses.

I understand it looks strange to send Hasselblad stuff halfway around the world but keep in mind it takes a lot of good craftmanship and experience to repair fifty year old gear succesfully.
I use DHL/Deutsche Post for shipping they offer a reliable service at modest rates. Their partner in the USA is USPS.


Paul



ps

Thanks for joining this topic Terry.
BTW the first items I bought in the US are on the way to you.
Do not get your hopes high yet. It is not the 300 TPP lens.
That will have to wait a little.
 
Hi Paul and Terry,

Please don't misunderstand if my approach was offense in tone. It wasn't meant to be that way. We do have some very fine technicans here in the USA that are becoming very scarce due to the lack of advertising and also a loss of Hasselblad users and fine mechanical equipment users. Many has switched to digital and dumped their MF gear.

There are still some good repairmen, but most have retired and sold off their equipment with the demise of medium format equipment repairs. There were 2 very fine Hasselblad USA technicans who were well versed in the repair of the 2000 series, but it was the availability of parts and that Hasselblad USA had first crack at all of the inventory. SO when it filtered down to them, cost feastibility was a bit higher then if one used Hasselblad USA. It was the channel of distribution that killed off these guys.

Now finding a good machinist who is verse in camera repair IN ADDITION to manufacturing a part form scratch is a rarity. These type of guys, are the best type as they fully understand your needs and what you are trying to achieve.

I had access to 2 very good Ukrainian/Russian repairmen from the Arsenal Factory who can repair all mechanical cameras. One of these 2 guys can and Have repaired the Hasselblad 1600F and 1000F using parts from other broken Hasselblad. Getting new parts or fabricating new parts they can not do. However, this one individual has overhaul the (2) 1000F that I have to the point where it butterly smooth. The Salyut and Salyut-C are far better cameras then the later Kiev 80 and Kiev 88. Some of the Salyut optics are fine and tend to be faster then the Hasselblad 1600/1000 version. I have a later CZJ 180mm MC Sonnar that was fabricated to work on the Salyut-C that i have. These Salyut are the Eastern Bloc version of the affordable working class Hasselblad 1600/1000F.

SO Yes, I do agree with you that there are some fine technicans in Europe and I would take you up in the near future to have some of those 3rd party lenses CLA and refocused to Infinity correctly.

As anyone here converted any of the Russian/Ukrainian optics to fit and work correctly on the Hasselblad 1000F? I am somewhat interested in that aspect.
 
Hello Evan,
just to answer your last question. I did not bother with converting ukrainian lenses for Hasselblad 1000F/1600F. I bought an early Industar 80 mm lens to see if it fits the 1000F. It did not fit and would have required heavy machining to the lens barrel. As I did not want this to be done to a 50 year old excellent condition lens it joined the collection of "repairman No. 3". In contrast a 65 mm Mir did fit without any modification.

A word of warning. An adaptation of a lens is always a costly exercise. It may be better to wait a while until an original Zeiss lens surfaces. It was not too difficult for me to find Zeiss 60, 80, 135 and 250 mm lenses and 80 mm Ektars within a relatively short period. And there are also already converted lenses out there that can be had for little money sometimes.

Ulrik
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top