Lubitel 2 review

Hi all, just bought a 1977 Lubitel 2 for £15 and am very pleased with the images it takes. I needed to re-focus the viewing and taking lenses as they were out of adjustment. I also painted the inside of the camera with flat black to get rid of reflections from the Bakelite surface. The shutter was lubricated and checked, all speeds were almost spot-on. Focussing is not quick with the small ground glass circle, but overall the camera is great fun to use. Better than the brand new Lubitel 166 I had in the mid 1980's, which leaked light badly, produced unsharp images and was sent back for a refund! Here are some images from my Lubitel 2 - have tried to get them to appear in the text but otherwise the direct links are also posted
All taken on my lockdown walk around Exeter!
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https://www.flickr.com/photos/85928326@N06/49865338653/in/dateposted-public/
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https://www.flickr.com/photos/85928326@N06/49865339983/in/dateposted-public/

I did the same with my Lubi 2: Checked the lens synchronization and matt black painted the inside. I agree, focussing is a weak point. The lens is not that contrasty and I have to adjust the development time to compensate. But it is a very convenient camera to carry around as it is very light. One point I don't understand in your comment: Why was the shutter lubed??? IMO, it is a bad idea as most of shutters runs dry.

Hi, the delayed action mechanism was gummed up/would not run off properly so a tiny spot of watch oil on the pivots got it working correctly. Also put a spot of oil on the axles and pivots of the speed mechanism - gears should be dry as oil will interfere with them running off freely. I took a few duplicate pictures with my Pentacon Six and 80mm Biometar - better edge definition and much better at wider apertures but at F11 I'm hard pressed to tell the difference!

I agree, the Lubitel is a very capable camera, not lo-fi at all. The overall quality might not be great but as long as it works, I have liitle complaint (save the focussing part!).