What About Those Russian Lenses?

I was in the eighth grade in 1948 when I started snapping photos with an old box camera. Since then I've owned scores of cameras and captured many thousands of images. But now that old Father Time has caught up with me, I've switched from using cameras to collecting them. For a complete listing of my collection visit Collectiblend.
      Because I don't have an unlimited budget, I bought all the interchangeable lens cameras in my collection "body only." Then I added inexpensive Russian lenses to them.

    Truth to tell, I haven't been actively engaged in street photography for several years, but when I was, I used the Russian  Industar and Jupiter screw mount lenses with good results. And many times (horror of horrors), I mounted them on a Leica. Here are two images that I captured with an Industar 61 lens mated to a Leica M3.

   

      And here's one of several versions of the same lens. This is an Industar-61 with a focal length of 55mm and an aperture of 2.8. There are several other versions, as well as one that's retractable. Interestingly, of the more than three dozen lenses I've bought not one of them has been plagued by scratches or fungus.
      Of course, the build quality isn't up to that of Leitz or Canon L39 lenses,and there are many problems with quality control, but the low price makes up for that deficiency. At this writing, you can find these lenses for less than $25 (plus shipping) on eBay. Although shipping from Russia or Ukraine is costly, you can sometimes score one with free shipping. And you can get an even better deal if you buy in bulk. For example, I recently bought seventeen Industar 61s from a Russian eBay dealer for just $140 postpaid.
      And now for the bad news. Although the optics are good, it seems that much of the time these lenses arrive with focusing mechanisms that are gummed up with a lubricant that has hardened and makes it difficult to focus the lens. Luckily, however, the fix is easy--even if you're as mechanically challenged as I am.
      Here's how to restore a sticky lens to its original smoothness. At the bottom of the photo (above) you'll see a knurled knob with markings on it. This is the focusing knob. When you loosen the three small screws that hold it in place, you'll be able to slide it forward (up in the photo) and remove the gunked up grease. Then you can apply a drop of lubricant--I use mineral oil-- and your lens will function like new. If you want more detailed information about this process, you'll find it on the Internet.
P.S. If you run into  photographers who think that it's verboten to use anything but Leica glass on a Leica camera, please don't tell them about this blog.

COMING SOON: The rough, tough Zorki 3C