I have discovered why soviet lenses do not focus properly

[Vanishing Point Ent.]

Here is the true reason why, Soviet lenses, don't
quite focus right;


http://www.dantestella.com/technical/compat.html

This was found here, in another thread, I just saved it.

[michaelbsc]

Here is the true reason why, Soviet lenses, don't
quite focus right;


http://www.dantestella.com/technical/compat.html

This was found here, in another thread, I just saved it.

Actually they focus fine on the Soviet made bodies. The Soviet QC might have been lacking, but frankly they're pretty damned good engineers. They could get 90% of what the West did with two sticks and a rock. I was constantly amazed at how innovative they could be when I would see a knock off and realize just what they had to work with.

[mdarnton]

This is always an interesting, if misleading, discussion that seems to happen over and over. On another board recently there was a lens shoot-off, and by the time I'd stopped reading a number of people had noticed the Fed lens on a Leica was focusing about 4" behind the subject's eyes, even though the picture that was posted for "quality" comparison was tiny--something that others who missed the focus error regarded as "dreamy" quality.

One of the people there who's a constant critic of the critics over there has never, as far as I can see, posted a single photo of his own on that board that was in focus, and I do mean that literally. Obviously lots of people can't tell if something is in focus or not, yet consider themselves experts on the topic. :-) Others don't care, and that's fine, too, but it's not OK when they call people who do care "too fussy" that their cameras should work as designed and intended. I have three Fed lenses, and a Fed (now out on permanent loan). On my Fed they all focus spot on; on my Leicas they were fine at infinity, but not at 1m, where they all focus about 4" back. It's not Leica's fault, and it's not USSR quality failure, either.

I kept my Kiev. Those lenses are great, and also focus correctly, on the camera they were made for.

[mark]

They don't focus because the vodka flowed freely in the QC department.