Refurbishing a Vintage Lens - Super-Takumar 55mm F/1.8

This is gonna be a long one....
Feeling freshly inspired by coming across the concept of putting vintage lenses on modern digital cameras, I decided to buy some classic Takumar lenses to clean up and restore.
I will be refurbishing a total of three of these Takumar lenses. I will keep the following videos a lot shorter, however.
Also, sorry about forgetting to add sample photos. With the photos that I took, there wasn't much difference in picture quality anyway. The biggest improvement was regreasing the focus and aperture rings/helicoils.
Enjoy!
Check out my other optics/photography videos here: • Optics & Photography
0:00 - Intro and Tools
5:25 - Disassembly
16:27 - Fix Focus Ring and Stick Aperture Ring
58:34 - Disassemble and Clean Lens Group

[@aelliott014]

thanks! I had the same thing happen with the focus indicator ring

[@alexiscuarezma]

Casey, thanks so much for showing this. Do you think this lens can be modified to be a globular lens? I have a spare copy and see if I can mod it. I would just need to put the front lens element backward. Do you think it would fit in like that?

[@samipso]

Interesting to see how that grease turns out over time.
Main concern is it that when it eventually spreads out it'll thin and stop filling the gaps between the 2 parts.
Second concern is that with that little grease there's nothing to keep dust and water from getting in.
Looking to do my own sometime. Got it in great condition but the distance scale is moving freely.

[@Casey_Schmidt]

Less grease is better here because you must avoid grease making its way into the optical assembly.

[@ohjajohh]

Wow, well done! Great job

[@Casey_Schmidt]

Thank you! For it being my first time working on a camera lens, I’d have to agree I was happy with the result.

[@lyallpurBlues]

can you please help me assemble the Konica 50mm 1.7, I have accidentally unscrewed it as the adaptor was stuck to the lens.

[@automaticraccon]

Hi Casey, do you have a tip how to remove a branding ring that is screwed on too hard or seized. My 28mm has the ring slightly recessed and it's very hard to get it undone. Any clues?

[@Casey_Schmidt]

Try putting isopropyl alcohol or hydrogen-peroxide on the threads to act like a penetrating oil and dissolve any deposits. Get a really good fitting and sticky rubber ring see if that works.
If worst comes to worst, drill two small pockets on opposite sides of the ring and to a spanner wrench. That may not work as well either, I haven’t tried it myself.
Good luck!

[@joseolea1001]

Could you put a link to Keneth's from Denmark tutorial videos?

[@Casey_Schmidt]

Simply look for the channel Mikeno62 and you’ll have no trouble finding it.

[@adonuff3338]

Thanks Casey, I am watching this & going to do mine shortly. I have subscribed to your channel. This is very helpful as my copy has lots of oil on the blades. As a matter of interest can you please tell me the name of the person you mentioned from Denmark as it was a bit unclear. I have a lot of old lenses and he may cover some others that I need to repair. Thanks in advance Andrew

[@Casey_Schmidt]

Thank you! His name is Kenneth but his channel name is mikeno62. His videos are wonderfully helpful!

[@Rayzer2368]

So what happens if you go through an airport with these lenses, do they trip the radioactivity alarms?

[@Casey_Schmidt]

They don’t have detectors for that. At least nothing that these would do anything for.

[@kawasaki4957]

great, what diamter gromets are you using?

[@Casey_Schmidt]

Each are 1” and 3/4” ID I believe. The dimensions aren’t super critical. I just bought a handful of different sizes at my local hardware store and used what fit best. Wiping them with alcohol helps them be stickier too.

[@anamorphicalan]

Hi Casey what is the diameter of the mechanism aperture and diameter of aperature itself?

[@Casey_Schmidt]

That’s a little tough to answer. I didn’t measure it when I had it apart but I’d give a rough estimate of 25mm. You could also try to calculate it based on the formula for focal length and aperture.

[@anamorphicalan]

@@Casey_Schmidt great idea! Mind telling me formula? I Do Not Know how to find it.

[@Casey_Schmidt]

@@anamorphicalan I know there is a formal but I don’t know what it is off hand.

[@dg3831]

Did they make one with 8 blades?

[@Casey_Schmidt]

I’m not sure. The Pentax Forums website has a lot of great information, you should check to see if it’s on there.

[@dg3831]

@@Casey_Schmidt k thx

[@DacMan777]

In the strictest sense, the difference between an antique and a vintage item is its age. Antiques are items which must be at least 100 years old.

[@Casey_Schmidt]

Don’t tell that to the antique stores…..