Serious question about helicoid grease vs. the cheap stuff

I keep seeing people swear by that fancy German helicoid grease for lens repairs. But after rebuilding a beat-up Pentax 6x7 last month, I tried it both ways on the focus ring. The cheap NyoGel from a local camera shop (like $8 a tube) actually felt smoother to me and didn't get stiff in cold weather. Maybe my technique is off, but I got better tension and zero backlash with the budget option. Has anyone else had better luck with the cheap grease on older screw-mount lenses?

3 comments

3 Comments

olivermason16d ago

Yeah the NyoGel stuff is honestly underrated for a lot of older lenses, especially if the helicoid is already worn in a bit. The German stuff can actually be too thick on some of those Pentax 6x7 threads and it creates a weird drag that feels like you're fighting the grease instead of the mechanism. If you got zero backlash and it stays smooth in the cold then you're probably onto something real here.

bailey.jennifer16d ago

Nylogel seems to work best when the tolerances aren't brand new, you're saying. I've got a beat up old Micro-Nikkor 55mm that feels gritty on the close focus end. You think that thin grease would help smooth it out without making it feel loose everywhere else? I'm worried if the threads are already worn then the thinner stuff might just let it wobble more than it already does. What's the trick for knowing when it's too thin for the lens you're working on?

garcia.jake16d ago

Funny enough I had a similar thing happen with an old Mamiya 645. The cheap stuff from the hardware store actually felt better on the focus ring than the fancy grease I bought online. Maybe it's just a placebo or the threads are already worn in a way that likes the thinner stuff.