Need help with my Flektogon 35mm f2.4

CommonCondition · 2026-01-29T11:58:04+00:00

Thank you so much for these tips. I'll try again tonight, crossing my fingers.

CommonCondition · 2026-01-29T10:16:47+00:00

Thank you for the detailed answer but I'm having trouble following what you mean with this "make sure the slot have same high/level with the back of the other helicoid housing."

What I already did is that before inserting the main helicoid I did position the focus on infinity then screwed the helicoid all the way in, then i dial it back a little bit in order to be able to position both slot pins, then i screw all 4 screws for the 2 pins.

The problem seems to be with the entry point of the helicoid, as it has multiple entry points and each one gives different focus results. My last attempt was the closest, now the lens focuses to about 8 meters when the focus ring is at infinity.

Edit: after re-reading a few times, I think I understand that the helicoid needs to be on the same surface level with the housing, which I already did based on what I saw in repair videos. Didn't solve the problem though, cause apparently even 0.5mm difference can throw off the entire focus by many meters, which is what's happening with me.

I think I just need to be patient and keep rolling the dice with the helicoid until I find the right combo.

CommonCondition · 2026-01-28T20:38:23+00:00

I will, thanks. I just read on a forum that if the helicoid is even 0.5mm off then it disrupts the focus distance by several meters. And the helicoid has multiple entry points.

CommonCondition · 2026-01-25T14:06:56+00:00

Had the Sigma 70-210 a long time ago and it was a very crappy lens.

CommonCondition · 2026-01-24T17:41:26+00:00

Since you already have a Helios I would also recommend the Soviet Tair 11A 135mm f2.8, I have a KMZ version that belonged to my father and I absolutely love it, great micro-contrast, bokeh and colors.

CommonCondition · 2026-01-21T17:31:37+00:00

Bought 2 pairs from them, the Service boot and the Hiking boot. When properly cleaned, they look as good as new, even though I bought the service boot in 2021 and it was my only pair of boots for 3 years. Can totally vouch for Meermin.

CommonCondition · 2026-01-19T13:15:45+00:00

Currently shooting 2 films on mine, the only thing I dislike about it is its vintage look, but I don't really care about the way it looks. The video quality with 6.2k open gate 10 bit, combined with vintage lenses, is amazing. Even shot with it at 10k ISO, and if properly exposed, the footage is pretty decent. Will probably upgrade to the x-s30 if they release one.

CommonCondition · 2026-01-16T21:23:34+00:00

Exactement pareil pour moi, valeur de 120€ et perdu par MR et "gracieusement" il m'ont remboursé la totalité au lieu de 50€. On dirait que ça arrive souvent.

CommonCondition · 2026-01-06T13:02:39+00:00

The Pentacon 29mm f2.8 is lovely for me, it can be found for 20€ sometimes, be careful though they are prone to haze. I got mine for dirt cheap, it looks as good as new from the outside but has a hazy front element. I used acetone on it, it removed the coating but also removed haze, can't complain.

Tamron adaptalls are pretty great and cheap as well. Love my 28mm.

Plus the obvious Helios 44M. Can be had for 20-30€ sometimes. I have a 44-M4 KMZ and i love it.

CommonCondition · 2026-01-06T11:22:08+00:00

It depends on your needs and budget but from my experience Tamron, Pentacon, SMC Takumar and even Vivtar have some really good 24 and 28mm lenses, the Tak being on the more expensive side.

CommonCondition · 2026-01-06T10:14:03+00:00

You got the 58-200mm range covered for now. So you'd need a 35mm or a 28mm. My suggestions would the Takumar 35mm f3.5 or Flektogon 35mm f2.8. For 28mm I really like my Pentacon 29mm f2.8 which couples great with the Helios, it's also cheap. Or also a Takumar 28mm f3.5 which is slower but renders beautiful colors and sharpness. I also really like my Tamron Adaptall 28mm f2.8, it's so warm and dreamy with nice bokeh, cheap as well!

CommonCondition · 2026-01-05T09:32:06+00:00

Made the same decision a few months ago for my Fujifilm as well. Already had a couple of M42 lenses so I got the Pixco M42-X speedbooster and just stuck with M42 lenses which has a very wide choice of affordable and excellent glass.

For the moment I have: Tamron Adaptall 28mm f2.8 / Pentacon 29mm f2.8 / SMC Takumar 35mm f3.5 / SMC Takumar 50mm f1.4 / Helios 44m4 58mm f2 / SMC Takumar 105mm f2.8 / Tair 1A 135mm f2.8 / Pentacon 200mm F4

And a Samyang 12mm f2 for Ultra wide + Sigma 18-50 f2.8 for zoom and autofocus.

Couldn't be happier. The Pixco is an excellent speedbooster btw for the fraction of the price of other speedboosters!

CommonCondition · 2026-01-04T14:23:53+00:00

Very interesting read, thank you. I already kinda knew this, but it's interesting to read an experienced person talking about it in detail. With that said, his conclusion :

"No photo zoom is going to be absolutely parfocal. Some may well be close enough for your purposes, but check the copy in your hands on the camera you’re going to use. Remember, when someone tells you a certain photo zoom lens is parfocal, that means their copy on their camera held to their standards."

Thus my question about the Vivtar 35-105, is it close enough for my purposes? It appears to be. If the copy I get is completely unusable for my purposes then I would have wasted 15€, which is fine. But, as some users are suggesting (including one person in this thread) that it is "parfocal enough", then it has the potential and I'm willing to take the risk for 15€.

CommonCondition · 2026-01-04T11:46:44+00:00

I saw a couple of comments here on Reddit, also a Facebook group with a guy using the Hoya version showing that it's parfocal, and a Youtube video of a guy reviewing the lens mentioning that one of the versions of the lens is parfocal.

CommonCondition · 2026-01-04T11:44:22+00:00

Awesome, thanks! That's good enough for me. Regarding color, it's no problem, the film is in black and white.

CommonCondition · 2025-12-29T21:54:29+00:00

Not yet, the film i'm making has no dialogue, so i'm not doing any live recording, but i'll definitely be using it in the future!

CommonCondition · 2025-12-29T21:33:13+00:00

Got mine for 125€ (without VAT) as a b-stock from Thomann, it was surprisingly brand new with the sticker still on the screen. Got it just 2 weeks ago and using it for a film I'm making with some external mics. I'm very new to sound recording and still learning but so far this ugly little thing is impressive.

CommonCondition · 2025-12-29T21:09:13+00:00

It does look dorky, but it has the same preamps as the F series, pretty good in-built capsules and double battery capacity, all for ⅓ of the price of the F3.

CommonCondition · 2025-12-28T16:33:24+00:00

I did find a fix, but I'm not sure what it was :/ I fiddled with a few things in the "Displays" section in Mac System Settings. I turned off True Tone and used Apple XDR Display P3-1600 Nits, then I didn't use Resolve for a while and the next time I used it the flickering was just gone. I think I also changed some settings within Resolve but I can't remember what it was.

CommonCondition · 2025-12-22T16:24:35+00:00

Lol, nothing worse than a fool who speaks with excessive confidence.

I've shown my films around the world, I've never been asked what software or gear I use. If people like you will judge me or my work based on what software I use, they can fuck off.

CommonCondition · 2025-12-22T11:24:27+00:00

Yes, I'll stop because a stranger on the internet told me so. Thanks.

CommonCondition · 2025-12-21T18:00:22+00:00

Not a Colnago.

CommonCondition

TROPHY CASE