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Explore the world of vintage lenses through repair notes, real test shots, and detailed archive threads packed with images.

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Industar 26m in Contax Rangefinder mount
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Posted: Sat May 16, 2015 4:35 pm
Post subject: Industar 26m in Contax Rangefinder mount
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Posted: Sat May 16, 2015 4:35 pm
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Can anyone provide information on this lens? I can find loads on the internet on the LTM version but not a word about this mount.

Thanks,


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Posted: Sat May 16, 2015 6:14 pm
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Posted: Sat May 16, 2015 6:14 pm
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This is a FED lens, it could either be the lens block put into a Jupiter 8 mount or it was made for the TSVVS. Unlikely the latter as mainly they were putting Zeiss lenses or Jupiter 8's on them.

TSVVS from Princelle's 2nd edition:



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Posted: Sat May 16, 2015 6:30 pm
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Posted: Sat May 16, 2015 6:30 pm
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Any photos?


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Posted: Sat May 16, 2015 6:48 pm
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Posted: Sat May 16, 2015 6:48 pm
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Dummy me. I should have posted them up first.






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Posted: Sat May 16, 2015 10:49 pm
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Posted: Sat May 16, 2015 10:49 pm
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I do recall reading some lenses being swapped around...
Your lens seems to fall in the PT4370 design.
http://www.sovietcams.com/index.php?-1557141558
Your filter ring looks to have been filed off.


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Posted: Sat May 16, 2015 11:24 pm
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Posted: Sat May 16, 2015 11:24 pm
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Lightshow wrote:
I do recall reading some lenses being swapped around...
Your lens seems to fall in the PT4370 design.
http://www.sovietcams.com/index.php?-1557141558
Your filter ring looks to have been filed off.


I think you are right. It is so well made I never thought it might have been a modification. Besides, who would take the time and effort to modify an I-26m, it really isn't that good of a lens.

The name ring and aperture ring are spot on for the PT4370. The filter ring might have been filed down but professionally as there are no tool marks on the remaining ring. Another tip is the base ring for the aperture has a second engraved black triangle registration point 180 degrees from the aperture scale but there aren't any numbers on that side to line up with it, as if it is a part from another lens.

Finally, the Contax base is chromed brass where the aperture ring is aluminum.

I wonder if it is unique enough to be more valuable than a standard M39 I-26m?

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.


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Posted: Sun May 17, 2015 2:07 am
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Posted: Sun May 17, 2015 2:07 am
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What is the point to put a Kiev mount onto a FED/Zorki body? I only can imagine faster mounting by bayonet as by thread, but with no other existing lens with internal Kiev mount as the 50 mm what is you could exchange it?


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Posted: Sun May 17, 2015 2:28 am
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Posted: Sun May 17, 2015 2:28 am
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I ask myself the same question. From what I have seen and read the I-26m was a fairly mediocre lens. There were better Industar 50s that might have been used, and this is a professional job, not a hobbyist kitchen conversion.
Add to this the fact that the Contax mount did not come from a Soviet aluminum lens. It is chromed brass which most likely came from a German lens.
The lens came to me as a free 'throw in'. A Russian vendor selling a Contax to NEX adapter included this 'free fast 50' in his Ebay auction.


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Posted: Sun May 17, 2015 4:41 am
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Posted: Sun May 17, 2015 4:41 am
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The most obvious answer is the transplant of a more desirable Contax/Kiev mount lens(Jupiter 8 or possibly a Contax lens) onto the M39 helicoid(Industar 26M), and the leftover parts joined and sold off at some point.
As to value? I doubt it's worth much if anything more, Zeiss 50/1.5 in Contax are much cheaper than their M39 siblings.


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Posted: Sun May 17, 2015 7:00 am
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Posted: Sun May 17, 2015 7:00 am
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Lightshow wrote:
The most obvious answer is the transplant of a more desirable Contax/Kiev mount lens(Jupiter 8 or possibly a Contax lens) onto the M39 helicoid(Industar 26M), and the leftover parts joined and sold off at some point.
As to value? I doubt it's worth much if anything more, Zeiss 50/1.5 in Contax are much cheaper than their M39 siblings.


That makes a lot of sense. Thanks.


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Posted: Sun May 17, 2015 11:54 pm
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Posted: Sun May 17, 2015 11:54 pm
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Eugen Mezei wrote:
What is the point to put a Kiev mount onto a FED/Zorki body? I only can imagine faster mounting by bayonet as by thread, but with no other existing lens with internal Kiev mount as the 50 mm what is you could exchange it?


I think they were only used as 'gift' or presentation cameras using lenses from Zeiss after the war. These cameras weren't produced commercially and as you point out there is only one lens that would fit. This is a copy of the full page from Princelles guide detailing these rare cameras. There are a few posts on the rangefinder forum about these cameras too.

The subject lens is, as I suspected, an optical block transfered.



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Posted: Mon May 18, 2015 12:08 am
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Posted: Mon May 18, 2015 12:08 am
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No doubt about it, my lens is simply a standard Industar 26m modified to a Contax mount, for who knows what reason. A very professional job and the lens works well, but not related to the VVS camera. (I could only wish to be so lucky)


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Posted: Mon May 18, 2015 10:05 pm
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Posted: Mon May 18, 2015 10:05 pm
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An interesting piece though. You can pick up Kiev bodies dirt cheap if you think it needs a partner...


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Posted: Mon May 18, 2015 10:16 pm
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Posted: Mon May 18, 2015 10:16 pm
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Serial number is very interesting as well, suggest it to me this is factory made item!


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Posted: Mon May 18, 2015 11:41 pm
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Posted: Mon May 18, 2015 11:41 pm
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philslizzy wrote:
An interesting piece though. You can pick up Kiev bodies dirt cheap if you think it needs a partner...


It's a puzzlement as Yul Brynner would say. Already have a Kiev 4AM to stick it on though.


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Posted: Mon May 18, 2015 11:51 pm
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Posted: Mon May 18, 2015 11:51 pm
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Attila wrote:
Serial number is very interesting as well, suggest it to me this is factory made item!


Atilla, can you elaborate on this? It looks to me like the serial sequencing started with the PT4360 model as described in SovietCams.


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Posted: Tue May 19, 2015 1:13 am
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Posted: Tue May 19, 2015 1:13 am
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Don't know for sure really Sad


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Posted: Tue May 19, 2015 5:34 am
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Posted: Tue May 19, 2015 5:34 am
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My Industar 61 L/D in the same mount is all Aluminum, not Brass & Chrome, I would think that they would share a similarly built mount if they actually built the 26m in this mount, I'm not convinced they did.
YMMV of course.


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Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2021 4:14 am
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Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2021 4:14 am
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Hi Steve,

Not sure if anyone is still reading these threads but I have just purchased a Contax IIIa RF and it came with an almost identical Fed Industar-26M lens. Does this support the theory that it may have been a factory-made item. I have to say the components have a little give.

Regards, Brett (in New Zealand)


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Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2021 4:22 am
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Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2021 4:22 am
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Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2021 4:24 am
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Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2021 4:24 am
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Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2021 8:15 am
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Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2021 8:15 am
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I have seen Industars with Jupiter 8 lens blocks in them so no reason why it wouldnt work the other way. Though in my experience the Industar is inferior to the Jupiter


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Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2022 6:42 am
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Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2022 6:42 am
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Here's another one, came with a KIEW.
#1


#2


#3


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Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2022 7:06 am
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Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2022 7:06 am
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taunusreiter?! Now there's a name not heard in some time! Welcome back!


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Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2022 7:30 am
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Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2022 7:30 am
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I prefer to stay with LTM which is less hussle concerning adaption to digital.

A picture of my version, optically the same story, the little brother of the Jupiter-8. Wink



Early production from 1957 (PT4320).
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