Old Helios 44 - problem? can it be saved?

[zenit55]

I am a general newbie in the field of photography and general, and particularly when it comes to old manual focus lenses on digital cameras.

An older Helios 44 came into my possession. The lens is in a bit of a rough shape - the focus ring requires some effort to move, the front element is covered in circular cleaning scratches and somewhere on the inside visible from the back of the lens there are some weird tiny dots which do not look like fungus or dust.

Here are some samples taken with the lens - it seems be very susceptible to diffusion around highlights and doesn't appear to be very sharp. Which brings me to a question: Is this due to dot-like gunk inside of the lens or cleaning marks on the front of the element? Can this lens be saved?

I am including some pictures to show some of the dotted marks and sample snapshots taken with this lens.

[zenit55]

for some reason the pictures will show up in preview but not post
here are the links

http://www.flickr.com/photos/86860678@N06/7990896359/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/86860678@N06/7990904676/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/86860678@N06/7990902710/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/86860678@N06/7990895151/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/86860678@N06/7990895481/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/86860678@N06/7990903776/

[Mos6502]

You have to have two posts before you can post pictures.

My latest Schacht Travgon has similar dots all over the front element. Not really sure if they can be gotten rid off. Lens cleaner, lighter fluid, and alcohol did not make them go away.

[Lightshow]

The forum blocks pictures and links for a members first post as an anti-spam measure.

I did a quick how-to on the 44 here http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1047535/0
It should help with the task, the design is pretty strait forward.

The elements do look like they need a good cleaning, just be sure to not reverse any elements when putting it back together, the rear element in particular.

[elliott]

The good thing is that front element imperfections have the least impact on your images. The image quality issues you are experience could have more to do with the nature of the lens itself than the little dots on the front element.

Here is an extreme example:
https://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2008/10/front-element-scratches

[Lightshow]

[zenit55]

[Pancolart]

I wouldn't like that many front element Putzspuren. Only if you want artistic glow. I think rear element is OK. Suggestion: get another Helios for few bucks. Combine parts to make one "perfect".

[Lightshow]

I assume it doesn't have the red P(Pi)
How many blades is the aperture?
8 is normal, 13 is the one to get for parts.

[SonicScot]

[zenit55]

[zenit55]

Well after all this I ended up disassembling the lens today and cleaning it up a bit. The dots were concentrated on the outside of the middle element (the side facing towards the diaphragm). They were dissolved after soaking the lens in some acetone for a while.

The problem came when I went to reassemble the lens. The tiny screws are made of such brittle metal, that the slots on some of the screws broke when I tried to screw them back in (with no force at all). Does anybody know where these screws can be sourced from?

Optically the lens now works a bit better, with less halos around the highlights, but still sometimes lacks contrast and does not appear to be very sharp. The lens also results in very warm colors, which I very much like. Maybe I should get an example of one of these in better condition.

here is an example of a better picture after surgery.


IMG_1690 by zenit55, on Flickr