Servicing a Volna-3

[piticu]

I've had a full of dust and fungus Volna-3 and I wanted to remove the aperture (the lens is part of a custom home made tilt and shift). I dismantled it quite easily, cleaned the lenses with a ammonia based solution, cleaned and relubricate the helix and put it back togheter. It took around 3 hours all together.


Volna-3 at f2.8


Helios 44M at f2


Nikkor 50mm at f1.4

[maddog10]

I am pretty sure I could take it apart, it's the rebuilding I would have trouble with.

Did you take photos of the entire process, I would like to see them.

[piticu]

[LucisPictor]

[sichko]

You have my admiration piticu. I hope to get a Volna 3 in the near future. I expect that I shall have to clean and regrease the helicoids. But I hope that I don't have to go as far as you.

I note your point about not taking photographs. When I take a lens apart for the first time I like to get a complete mental picture of the construction. Although I take copious written notes, and make sketches, photographs are a distraction.

[Jesito]

Congrats, Piticu!!
Nice work, I'd love to see a step by step tutorial on it...

Jes.

[piticu]

I'd love that too
All I did was to unscrew every tiny screw, starting from bottom up. I stuck a little bit on top lens because the cover ring has no holes in it. And then I remembered i saw some rubber tools somewhere and so I used a piece of an old mouse pad who's under side is very sticky.
For my first lens dismantle i think i managed it well.

[thehive1]

Hi! This is Paris, from Mexico.
Congratulations for your success!
Today i got a Volna-3 lens and i want to clean it. I'm making a tilt-shift lens too.
It would be great if you could provide the dismantelation process.

[piticu]

Ola amigo
Unfortunately i didn't record the steps but it's not big deal: keep removing screws and rings until everything is on your table
Good luck and keep up inform about the process, ok?

[thehive1]

Thanks for your quick reply!
I'll try it, and i'll take pictures of the disassembly process, so i could go back on my steps. If I have some trouble, I'll ask for your help.
Thanks again.

[Throndor]

Is the Volna-3 known for its appropriateness to turn into a tilt-shift or is it just a coincidence that both you guys have used/will use it for that matter..

[piticu]

Me, I was just looking for any medium format lens and this one was that first that i got. For free, from a friend—it wasn't quite fungus and scratch free though

[thehive1]

I was just looking for any medium format lens, too.
There's a street on Mexico City's downtown where there are a lot of photography stores.
I was lucky. I found it in a little store of used equipment. I bought it for more or less $18 dollars.

[thehive1]

Piticu:
I tried disassembling the lens. I didn't fully disassemble it, now i got a problem. Hope you could tell me: which is the right order or the right way to assemble the following parts?



Thanks!

[piticu]

I don't know if it's a right order, sometimes there is only one way to assemble the lens, sometimes you can do it in many ways: just be creative

About your volna: i'd start cu no2 on no1, then no3 and finally the barrel. Watch for the two yellow "sticks" of no1 - they have to go precisely on the two tracks of no4.

I don't remember exactly how i did put it back - i was very excited and because of that i worked on "auto mode". But if you don't find a solution i'll open mine again, maybe i'll take some pics this time

[thehive1]

i haven't had time for trying to assemble my lens.
hope i had time later.
cheers from Mexico!

[thehive1]

Hi Piticu!!!
It seems that i finally could assemble the lens. There are only 3 screws to place.
I just have to find the rubber plunger to build my tilt shift.
A question: do you have another example of photographs taken with yout tilt shif?
Thanks!

[piticu]

ya, actually i just „improved“ the „design“ couple of days ago. i'll try to take some decent samples tomorrow and post them here but no promise. in the mean time you may want to check some old shots http://cezar.popescoo.net/main.php?g2_itemId=1898

[thehive1]

i tried to assemble the lens... but, i have some trouble... i can't make it work properly...
the rings don't do what they are supposed to do...

here's a little video of it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTSCqhuCYrg

your help will be appreciated
thanks!
cheers from Mexico

[thehive1]

Hi Piticu!

Just a question: is this piece alright?



thanks!

[piticu]

i don't remeber ANY bend piece inside that lens. that metal i guess should go inside the tracks you can see on the sides of your pic