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RE AUTO TOPCOR 2.8/28
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 06, 2013 10:06 pm    Post subject: RE AUTO TOPCOR 2.8/28 Reply with quote

Cleaned and lubed...

First sample shots.... See the M42 mount...

Beautiful lens ain't it ? .... i think it will give me good enough results.....















PostPosted: Wed Feb 06, 2013 10:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think they are all awesome shots. I can feel the cold air and long for my Nordic skis.


PostPosted: Thu Feb 07, 2013 12:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Looks nice, I really wish I won the auction for one last year.
How's the CA?


PostPosted: Thu Feb 07, 2013 8:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'll have to shoot with it a bit more to have an opinion...
There's not much info available about this lens...
we'll see...


PostPosted: Thu Feb 07, 2013 9:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

very nice, I'd like to know more about the conversion ?


PostPosted: Thu Feb 07, 2013 9:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pretty simple conversion..... non destructive...
see for yourself

the seller has pictures of the conversion.

see here


PostPosted: Thu Feb 07, 2013 9:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mir wrote:
Pretty simple conversion..... non destructive...
see for yourself

the seller has pictures of the conversion.

see here


I`ve used this conversion on my 2.5cm 3.5 it was very easy.Hope to order another three for a dsicount in a month or so and convert my other Topcors.

Some lovely shots here with the 28mm, it loves cold tones this lens!

Physically it bears more resemblance to the black 58mms than the 25mm. Like yourself it`s very tempting to collect them all if money and luck permit. Did you clean and lube it yourself, if so how easy/difficult was the job?


PostPosted: Thu Feb 07, 2013 9:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

A kind member of this forum gave me the information i needed for dissambly/reassembly...

After three 58/1.8, two 35/2.8, one 100/2.8, one 28/2.8 and one GN 50/1.4 i can honestly say that it's not
difficult, with proper pictures/notes/drawing .... mind you, cleaning the first one took a bit of time
and was a little stressfull..... they're not cheap ! but after a couple you'll get it done much faster.
Start with the cheaper/more available 58/1.8

And even though some were working pretty well, once dissasembled, the were all very dirty...
And it's very cool when your done and the thing works like new Very Happy
Some are 50 years old, after all....

Yes i will get me some more...
in fact i got an older 13,5cm/3.5 coming soon...


PostPosted: Thu Feb 07, 2013 9:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Does the aperture ring remain functional following removal of the internal aperture control lever?


PostPosted: Thu Feb 07, 2013 9:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes ^^


PostPosted: Fri Feb 08, 2013 12:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mir wrote:
A kind member of this forum gave me the information i needed for dissambly/reassembly...

After three 58/1.8, two 35/2.8, one 100/2.8, one 28/2.8 and one GN 50/1.4 i can honestly say that it's not
difficult, with proper pictures/notes/drawing .... mind you, cleaning the first one took a bit of time
and was a little stressfull..... they're not cheap ! but after a couple you'll get it done much faster.
Start with the cheaper/more available 58/1.8

And even though some were working pretty well, once dissasembled, the were all very dirty...
And it's very cool when your done and the thing works like new Very Happy
Some are 50 years old, after all....

Yes i will get me some more...
in fact i got an older 13,5cm/3.5 coming soon...


You may be the man I need. Do you have details on reassembling the 100/2.8? I've already got it apart, that was easy.


PostPosted: Fri Feb 08, 2013 1:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

woodrim please tell me you carefully marked where both helicoid came apart.... please...


PostPosted: Fri Feb 08, 2013 2:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Once all metal parts are clean, cams back in place, lube up
Fit helicals together exactly where they came apart (be gentle, fragile soft aluminium with sharp corners, will easily bend)
the fine threads between the rotating focusing helical and the mount of the lens only have one start, i think,
but i did make a mark anyway

Once every thing is screwed and cams are back in there slots, put back the stop screw
If you took note/measured how things were lined up at infinity, all should work out fine.

screw the barrel back, fit in the lens block, spanner ring

fit apperture mechanism and mount.

Put back chrome sleeve, name ring and rubbers...

good luck !


At first i took lenses apart easily but without taking note/pictures/measures......
I lost a very nice Primotar 50/3.5,
screwed up an Orestegor 200/4... had to buy a second beat up one for repairs on the first
screwed up a couple of enlarger lenses
(...)
Embarassed

Now i'm being very totaly crazy meticulous, when dissasembling any old lenses....
I'm so crazy i'll clean the smallest screw Embarassed

But then reassembling is easy !

What can i do.... i just love these old MFLenses...

Is there a shrink on this forum ?


PostPosted: Sat Feb 09, 2013 4:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mir wrote:
woodrim please tell me you carefully marked where both helicoid came apart.... please...


Eh, let's pretend I didn't. Now what?


PostPosted: Sat Feb 09, 2013 4:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Put it back together, test it, if you don't have infinity
dissasemble and try a different "timing" reassembling both helicals...

Until you get it right...


PostPosted: Sat Feb 09, 2013 5:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mir wrote:
Put it back together


Oh, okay. Confused


PostPosted: Sat Feb 09, 2013 5:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Marking where the two helicoids come apart is probibably the most important part since there are over a dozen ways to put it together and only one right way, everything else has one or maybe two ways to go together.
I agree this lens is uncommon, with not much info out there.
So more pics please. Smile


PostPosted: Sun Feb 10, 2013 1:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

@woodrim:
I'm sorry i wasen't much help !

I tought you only needed a sequence summary and that you'd be
all right working backwards from memory to get it back together...

When i dissmantled all my Auto Topcors, there were marks (X's and lines) on
each and every one i opened... i did not beleive they were randomly made
by a DIY guy, but rather at the factory as they were all similar...


Maybe you could start by using those marks and see if they line up with something
to get the timing right with the helicals....

If i remember right... on all of them, infinity meant that the mount helical (thin threads)
was almost screwed all the way in. So screw it all in... unscrew it a bit until you see
the stop screw hole right next to where it butts..... that's infinity....

You can now put the brass cams on and get the other helicals together.
Some find it easier to put on the brass cams after you got the helicals turning together...
I put them on before and by twisting and turning managed to get them in there slots.... (gently)

We'll use the stop screw hole as reference... from one butt to the other (counterclockwise)
you are going from infinity to close focus..... if you continue about 1/4 of a turn,
that's where you'll be able to clutch the cams in there slots

Now that that's done..
when you turn the mount helical and watch the stopscrew hole run its course from one butt to the other,
during this time the cams must not get out of there slots...

When that happens, i presume (although i can't be shure) that you'll have found the right timing..... put on the stop screw...

I really hope this helps (and that my english is somewhat understandable)


PostPosted: Mon Feb 11, 2013 12:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks very much, Mir, that might help. I'll print out your instructions and have a go at it first opportunity. Common sense tells me to mark everything and take notes, but I seemed to think I wasn't going to disassemble as far as I did and kept thinking I'd put it right back together and remember how. Then a spring came off and I could,'t get it back on. Finally got it back on two weeks later and couldn't remember anything more. I hope to make this work as it's a very good lens. It was infinity in the first place that made me disassemble. Someone else must have been in there because it was very far off.

Thanks again.... although you may hear from me again.


PostPosted: Mon Feb 11, 2013 12:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Good luck!


PostPosted: Mon Feb 11, 2013 1:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

@woodrim,

i'll be around for a while longer as i have more pictures to upload on this thread....
even if there all snow white Rolling Eyes .... and i'll be glad if i can help.


and if you're really stuck, line the parts on a piece of paper, write a number beside
each parts, take a picture and PM it .... and we can work from there...


PostPosted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 1:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I really hope i'm not becoming a nuisance and that i'm not annoying anyone ...

I may not be the best image maker, i know that it's alot of snow and that some exposures are wrong,
but i thought that some of these casual pictures might help someone in his/her evaluation of this somewhat rare lens...
















PostPosted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 2:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you for posting more pictures, I think I like what I'm seeing with close focus shots(the branch as an example).
I'd like to hear more of your thoughts and feelings about it.

Mir wrote:

Yes i will get me some more...
in fact i got an older 13,5cm/3.5 coming soon...

I have a Topcor R 135/3.5 preset, great lens, if its similar, you'll be happy.


PostPosted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 3:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've only shot a Hoya HMC 28/2.8 that i sold and a Vivitar 28/2.5 (Kiron) that i like,
so i can't compare not having shot with anything "high-end"....

But i can safely say that this Topcor won't flare easily, that it's mechanicly a joy to use
and that i like it's colors and cold rendering... (or is it the snow...)

I'm not really a pixel peeper but i do think it's sharp enough for my use.
I should look at crops or make larger prints i guess....Embarassed

I haven't taken to many shots wide open, but up 'till now i don't find it's bokeh
to spectacular nor displeasing. It's close focusing ability is welcome and usefull (about 30cm)

Someone with more ability could push it to show CA i suppose, but i haven't seen
much of it since i've been using it...

My old Minolta D7 (CCD 6.1mp) would't do it justice anyway....

For me, it's pretty intuitive.... i like a lens or i don't...
In this case it's a keeper..... Very Happy

And i long for summer's colors.... Rolling Eyes


PostPosted: Fri Feb 15, 2013 1:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Some more for the pot, all taken on EOS 550D.

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5