Lubitel TLR focus align/CLA/Repair guide

[@reading2495]

You have to know this camera and love working with it, then everything will work out. Supporting that statement is this video. "TLR Lubitel 2 cameras, Lubitel 166U examples of black and white photos" Thank you for publishing!

[@lordfabulous6018]

Needed to adjust the focus of my Lubitel 166b and your video helped me tremendously. Thanks a lot!

[@kodan82]

Спасибо большое, добрый человек! Благодаря Вашему видео, я смог исправить выдержки на Любителе!

[@Ruspill]

Спасибо вам за такое подробное видео! Не думал, что там настолько простая конструкция. Видимо люфты просто количеством смазки можно выбрать.

[@oldcameraguy]

Упрощали до невозможности - сразупослевоенное время обязывало... Спецом крутил камеру в мыслях о том, как сделать ещё проще - вообще ничего на ум не приходило. Даже защёлки и те - заменили подпружиненными язычками. P.S. Ну и допуски конечно там... Не немецкие.

[@Ruspill]

В простоте конечно свою плюсы есть, тем более в то время. Прямо из комиссионки, я его зарядил и поехал на Алтай, ломаться там просто нечему (cla подождет). Но пока я отснял пару пленок и не понял: нравится или нет. Ему наверно больше характерна художественность на открытой, чем резкость на закрытой.

[@haezeematera7671]

Thank you so much ! Exactly what i was looking for !

[@christiangarcia5446]

Thank you for this I have a different camera but this pretty much gave me the idea of how to focus mine

[@nissesphotography]

Hi and thank you for the guide, I struggled a bit in the end but it seems to work now, gotta test now with matte glass and shoot one roll of film!

[@Alcofibrasnasier]

Thanks a lot for sharing your knowledge. I got mine and passed a film roll through it already, i'm not sure if the focus is off or i just missed it, if the second roll comes out blurry i'll be sure to be back to this video ! I saw you have oder videos on soviet cameras, do you happen to know of to fix a Kiev4a shutter ? Have a nice day !

[@oldcameraguy]

Sadly, I do not repair Kiev/Contax shutter (and due to the recent trauma don't think I would be able to) so nope.

[@shax_thereal]

Thank you for this interesting video. I cleaned my Lubitel 166 following your advice. But I can't figure out how you focus the lower lens with this matte paper on the backside. The objective is closed, so how can I see anything through it? How did you see this picture of the lamp? Maybe you can help me out here. In my case the sprockets of the viewing lens and the taking lens are not very tight together so I need to recalibrate them. I can't manage to disassemble the viewing lens, seems to be a different model. Any ideas?

[@oldcameraguy]

You need to put shutter in the Bulb (B) mode and KEEP it open (keep the button pressed) to see through lens. Now. about the sprockets. Does the bottom lens wiggle in it's threads?

[@shax_thereal]

@@oldcameraguy Ahh, yes. Now I know how the B mode works! Thanks. ;-) The problem is the upper viewing lens. It is somehow wobbly. But: when I know now where the focus is in the different ranges I can mark it on the lower lens and I would not need the viewing lens at all. It is anyway a little bit senseless considering its rather bad usability. I removed the screws of it but it had no effect, I can't remove the viewing lens or fix it better.

[@0liver_549]

Thank you for detailed video!❤️

[@marcisaacs9407]

Anyone doing this alignment procedure on the universal + 166 will find an issue. Whereas this unit is created to separate the focus lens from its gear sleeve, the universal is not. It’s a sad oversight. I found that the only way to align the gears is to slip the taking lens downward by loosening the internal mounting ring. Then you can focus the taking lens as done here and then set the upper focus lens and slide the taking lens assembly back up to reengage the gears.

[@castlefamily873]

Hi, how do you remove the top viewfinder so you can clean the mirror and focussing screen?

[@oldcameraguy]

To begin with, you can clean it without removing the viewfinder via the upper lens hole (remove the lens and both brush and a finger with cloth easy can get inside). That's how I do it. The reason I do it this way... Removing the viewfinder is possible only via removing 2 thin axis on which front and back viewfinder flaps are hinged by pushing them out with something like an awl, and then pushing out 2 axis side flaps are hinged on the very same way as front and back flaps. (According to Maizenberg's soviet camera repair manual). Warning! There are springs on the axis (keeping the flaps open) - be sure to look and remember their orientation before disassembly.

[@castlefamily873]

@@oldcameraguy Thanks

[@ekomanurung]

Sir, I need help. Can you help me on how to take out the mechanical part on the Lubitel 2 USSR made camera? I am now working on it to repair the aperture blades and sutter speed blades which is are stuck. The Blades inside are not moving when I hit the shutter knob. Thank you.

[@oldcameraguy]

Check my Smena 8M video to see how the shutter works. The shutter here is the same (Smena one is just downsized for 35x24 frame). To access it use this picture: imgur.com/a/vrDiBaJ for reference. Turn knob (1) until the flat part is at 12 o'clock (faces the upper lens) and remove plate (2). That's it.

[@PaigeReviews]

What kind of lubricant did you use to replace the old one?

[@oldcameraguy]

Silicon lube. Just a drop of it on the q-tip

[@roycollins8857]

Thank you for your instruction video. I have the Lubitel 2 but different style. I have focusing problem too but think it is because it is missing one tiny screw on the top focusing lens (on the infinity side). Could that be the problem? If so would you know where I can find the replacement screw??? Thank you.

[@oldcameraguy]

A bit late to the party - but does the focusing ring slip? I mean the ring around the lens turns, but the lens itself does not? If yes, this is your problem. Won't be of any help with where to find a screw, sorry - I just took them from other completely broken cameras I had for parts.

[@vslahtinen]

Should i just push the knob of the plate counterclockwise if I want to get my hands on the shutter mechanism? Is the knob attached to the plate or is it some kind of a release mechanism? I think mine is so dirty and full of old lube so that its stuck. Tried to use some gentle force to rotate the plate but got scared doing it 😅

[@oldcameraguy]

Rotate it, don't push. It may be stuck, so use tools/force, just be careful enough not to damage surrounding paint surface.

[@vslahtinen]

@@oldcameraguy thanks 👍 got it

[@ondrejkriz3957]

In lubitel 2 it is different. The focusing lens are build different way and it is very hard to alling them….any tips?

[@Alpine_Wanderer]

What kind of screwdriver is that you used?

[@oldcameraguy]

A basic repair set of precision flathead screwdrivers with 1mm-2mm heads.

[@dragostofan1521]

hi! i tried your tip and calibrated my focus but the gears on my camera don't quite line up and they slip Everytime I try to focus. do you know what can I do so they make better contact?

[@oldcameraguy]

Short answer: nothing. Welcome to the world of cheap soviet cameras. But the issue may be in gears not being installed right or screws not being tight enough. Check that first.

[@dragostofan1521]

@@oldcameraguy I tried adjusting the lenses in the ways u could think of and they just don't connect... maybe a wide rubber will do the job :) cheap Soviet problems require cheap Eastern European hacks

[@dragostofan1521]

@@oldcameraguy they touch only of I apply a little bit of pressure on them and it's kinda annoying

[@oldcameraguy]

@@dragostofan1521 That's your issue. The camera is assembled back in the wrong way.

[@walterarroyo5220]

This method should work on a Super Ricohflex with a 80mm lens right ?

[@oldcameraguy]

Focus align procedure should be the same, yes. Not sure about the disassembly, never serviced them.

[@walterarroyo5220]

@@oldcameraguy the minimum focus distance is 3.5 feet is what I use to calibrate it ?

[@oldcameraguy]

@@walterarroyo5220 You need to place an object 3.5 feet away from the camera and focus the camera on it.

[@Wakkuuu]

Thanks for the video! It helped me a lot

[@kodan82]

Лет ми спик, фром май харт)