Jupiter 3 lens?

cosmonaut

cosmonaut

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Will the Jupiter 3 50mm lenes fit the Bessa R. If so are they any good. I am looking for a lens under 200 dollars. Any suggestions? I am a newbie and have won a Bessa R on Ebay????
Cosmo
 
Yes, it will fit. Yes, they can be very good (depends, in some cases, on whether it's been worked on by Brian Sweeney, as has mine). I would recommend you do a search on this forum as you will find lots of good discussions of this lens. That will likely lead you to more specific questions and those who have this lens will be happy to share our thoughts and opinions in response.

-Randy
 
I have a Sweeneyfied J3 and I love it. Before Brian fixed it wasn't very usable below f4 but now its a jewel. You might also want to consider a Canon 50/1.8.
 
I`m pretty sure the signatures of the Jupiter 3 and Canon f1.8 50mm are very different, so it`s all up to what style or look in photos you are looking for

Jupiter 3`s are no good without adusting so I`m told, I would`nt buy one unless someone else has really used the lens alot and it`s been proven well....

I really like the results I get from my Canon f1.8 50mm, have a look here

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46880

I`ve seen the Canon`s in very nice condition with both caps on Evilbay for less then $150, you have to be alert and keep watching, you will find one, they are not uncommon

Tom
 
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My little LTM 50 review

My little LTM 50 review

cosmonaut said:
Will the Jupiter 3 50mm lenes fit the Bessa R. If so are they any good. I am looking for a lens under 200 dollars. Any suggestions? I am a newbie and have won a Bessa R on Ebay????
Cosmo
Click to expand...

Here are my sub $200 picks - I'm including some 35mm lenses that are good value and often more useful than a 50mm lens:

Canon (Black paint version) 50mm F1.8, $90-$150. This would be my first choice. Dynamite quality in every respect. Increasing value too.

Voigtlander Color-Skopar 35mm F2.5, now about $200 new, less used. Good, sharp, constrasty modern optical design.

Leica Summaron 35mm F3.5, can be had for $150-$220 or so. A masterpiece of optics and metal.

Nikon 50mm F2 H-C in LTM. Incomparable build quality and fine optics. $80-$175 or so

Voigtlander 50mm F2.5 Color-Skopar. Used about $150, but not so common. Very sharp and remarkable color rendition.

I think most of the collapsibles such as the Summitar 50mm F2 and the Elmar 50mm F3.5 have interferences with the Bessa R when collapsed -- they are quite excellent lenses nevertheless and usually can be found for less than $200. My favorite collapsible is the Summitar. The Summitar at F8 is mind blowingly sharp!

The Russian collapsibles like the Fed 5cm F3.5 which I own are at least as good optically as the Elmar, maybe even better, and can be found in great condition for less than $50 including shipping from Russia. I never liked the Jupiter 8 or its many ancestors: marginal to down-right shabby construction quality, some are poor optically (a few are excellent though). The J3 has a checkered reputation as well -- some are awful, a few decent (who needs that sort of grief!).
 
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Any idea about how much does it cost to get a lens Sweeneyfied? I have a Russar 20mm that badly needs to be adjusted.
 
And, indeed, can Sweenification include converting a J-3 to Leica M-mount calibration? My M3 is lusting for faster glass but the 'cron and Elmarit mean I can't afford much right now...
 
As far as I'm aware, Brian Sweeney no longer takes lenses for adjustment - this thread, and specifically post 14 - may prove enlightening - http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42858 - Brian's instructions for self-adjustment remain on Kim Coxon's Pentax site.

I recently purchased a 1953 J-3 in Kiev mount, which had been the lens of choice for an optical expert at the Arsenal factory, and was "adjusted" by him, somewhat in the Sweeney manner.

One is always a little sceptical of such promises - but I have just shot my first test roll and lens performance was absolutely superb. These are potentially very fine lenses indeed. RFF member Varjag has had his J-3 adjusted to Leica standard, I believe by a Russian seller, so such services remain available. They are well worth it.

Cheers, Ian
 
Hi,
I doubt there is much adjustment to do on a Russar. The overall depth may need shimmiming but the lens itself should not need adjustment. The problem with the J3's is due to the speed/focal length combination. I~f the russar is out all the way, it may be possible to adjust but if it is out only at one end, I doubt much can be done. As a matter of interest the nearest I have worked on is the Orion. http://www.pentax-manuals.com/repairs/orion15service.pdf

Kim

skhan said:
Any idea about how much does it cost to get a lens Sweeneyfied? I have a Russar 20mm that badly needs to be adjusted.
Click to expand...
 
Yep, I had my J-3 adjusted to specifically for Leica by Leonid (ebay ID leon1965jazz), I requested it tuned for focusing at close-to-medium distance. These distances cover 98% of my shooting, and DOF takes care of infinity shots :)

The adjustment was part of a trade, so I have no idea what such service would cost in hard dollars.

In theory, proper adjustment is complicated not only by Contax-vs-Leica standard issue, but also Sonnar focus shift, so there is a balance. In practice, I don't see any shifted/misfocused shots from mine.
 
there's many people with J-3 that work just fine without any adjustment. Including me. Also, the Jupiter-8 is a pretty solid lens that you almost never hear anyone having a problem with.
 
My J-3 was problem free on Contax, but I had it remounted to LTM barrel, so adjustment was necessary either way. So yes, it's a good idea to check how it performs as-is first.
 
I bought my 1960 J-3 in excellent+ condition from fedka.com -- a very reliable source for FSU glass and gear. It's been a great performer, and I've never noticed any focusing problems. A J-8 will be cheaper, less prone to focusing issues, and is almost as fast. Again, the J-8 I bought from fedka has been outstanding.
 
Thanks Kim. I also thought so...anyway, my Russar has many other mechanical problems that I would like to fix.
 
Thanks for all of the help. I went with the Voiglander 35mm Color Skopar 2.8 from Adorama. I should be shooting next weekend. I will post a picture of all of my gear when I get it together.
Cosmo
 
David Murphy said:
Here are my sub $200 picks - I'm including some 35mm lenses that are good value and often more useful than a 50mm lens:

Canon (Black paint version) 50mm F1.8, $90-$150. This would be my first choice. Dynamite quality in every respect. Increasing value too.

Voigtlander Color-Skopar 35mm F2.5, now about $200 new, less used. Good, sharp, constrasty modern optical design.

Leica Summaron 35mm F3.5, can be had for $150-$220 or so. A masterpiece of optics and metal.

Nikon 50mm F2 H-C in LTM. Incomparable build quality and fine optics. $80-$175 or so

Voigtlander 50mm F2.5 Color-Skopar. Used about $150, but not so common. Very sharp and remarkable color rendition.

I think most of the collapsibles such as the Summitar 50mm F2 and the Elmar 50mm F3.5 have interferences with the Bessa R when collapsed -- they are quite excellent lenses nevertheless and usually can be found for less than $200. My favorite collapsible is the Summitar. The Summitar at F8 is mind blowingly sharp!

The Russian collapsibles like the Fed 5cm F3.5 which I own are at least as good optically as the Elmar, maybe even better, and can be found in great condition for less than $50 including shipping from Russia. I never liked the Jupiter 8 or its many ancestors: marginal to down-right shabby construction quality, some are poor optically (a few are excellent though). The J3 has a checkered reputation as well -- some are awful, a few decent (who needs that sort of grief!).
Click to expand...



I have some of what David has mentioned above. My lenses usually are vintage and high quality for the prices I had to pay.

I have the Canon 50/1.8, which is a first class lens by any standards. It still is the bargain lens to get. Sometimes I feel bad for not using this lens often enough. Then it is the Nikon 5cm/2. As you have stated, its workmanship is first class and it is great lens optically. While the Canon may be a Planar design, the Nikon is a Sonnar design.

The vintage Leica lenses are worth getting; I like the Elmar 5cm/3.5 for its unique optical performance and lack of it at times. I use it with a Standard Leica on which it looks super cool. On my last overseas trip, the Elmar was my 50mm lens with me.

A super sharp FSU lens is the I-50 50mm/3.5, both rigid and collapsible. The J-3 simply has to be first checked by a camera repair person to adjust for perfect focus and sharpness.
 
cosmonaut said:
Thanks for all of the help. I went with the Voiglander 35mm Color Skopar 2.8 from Adorama. I should be shooting next weekend. I will post a picture of all of my gear when I get it together.
Cosmo
Click to expand...

You picked the better lens imo. I have a J-3 and hardly ever use it. If you wan't a good 50 at a really cheap price get an I-61. J-8 is a good lens also but you may have to pay a little more for it, but still way under $100.00. The 35/2.5 skopar sits on mine all the time. It's a great combo.
 
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