lens options for the canon P

[lex]

i just got a P and i am trying to figure out how to adorn it. i am a poor student so i am staying in the $100 range. what matters most are speed and quality. sticking to 50mm and wider. i have found:

canon 50/1.8 - $125
jupiter 8 - $59
jupiter 3 - $89

i am sticking to retailers because i do not want to play the bidding game. does anyone know any good online retailers for LTM?

which is the better option?

thanks! alex

 

[mr_phillip]

I've owned (and recently sold) both the Canon 50/1.8 and the Jupiter 8. As you'd expect, the Canon was the better lens, but viewed purely in terms of image quality the J8 ran it surprisingly close.

I've never owned a J3, bit I have seen fabulous results from a well sorted example, but that's the problem with the Soviet stuff, there's so much variation in build that it's difficult to make sweeping statements about image quality.

Personally my fave 50mm on the P is my Leitz 50mm Summitar – a wonderful lens that just seems to 'belong' on the P. It's the reason that I sold the other LTM 50s I had – they just didn't get a look-in. It might be a little out of your budget, but I'd sure recommend it as a must-try lens for the P.

 

[lex]

thanks for your input! the summitar does look to be out of my price range but i will look into one one day. i am leaning towrds the canon (for authenticiy) but the extra stop of the jup 3 is tempting...

I've owned (and recently sold) both the Canon 50/1.8 and the Jupiter 8. As you'd expect, the Canon was the better lens, but viewed purely in terms of image quality the J8 ran it surprisingly close.

I've never owned a J3, bit I have seen fabulous results from a well sorted example, but that's the problem with the Soviet stuff, there's so much variation in build that it's difficult to make sweeping statements about image quality.

Personally my fave 50mm on the P is my Leitz 50mm Summitar – a wonderful lens that just seems to 'belong' on the P. It's the reason that I sold the other LTM 50s I had – they just didn't get a look-in. It might be a little out of your budget, but I'd sure recommend it as a must-try lens for the P.

 

[Bingley]

From the options you cite, I would go w/ the Canon 50/1.8. It's a great all-'round lens, capable of producing fine landscapes, portraits, street scenes. The J3, as you probably know, is a Sonnar copy, and in a good sample (that has been adjusted) it can produce distinctive images wide open. The problem is sample variability. The one I've shot w/ recently (borrowed from a friend) was a good sample, and makes good images wide open and stopped down. Can you test drive the J3 you're looking at? I don't have any experience w/ the J8.

Others may have differing views, but I think you're more likely to get a good lens for the P w/ the Canon, and $125 is a good price assuming the glass is in decent shape.

 

[rogue_designer]

As for who has a good selection of LTM lenses - I frequently buy from KEH - at least for canon lenses - I've not bought any FSU lenses from them.

I like their grading scale, their honesty, and their no questions asked returns policy.

 

[Bingley]

i am leaning towrds the canon (for authenticiy) but the extra stop of the jup 3 is tempting...

I would not buy the J3 simply b/c it is one stop faster than the Canon (you can always deal w/ speed issues by shooting faster film), but b/c you like the way the J3 renders images wide open. It shares the distinctive fall-off to oof w/ other Sonnar formula lenses. That can make for wonderful portraits, but could be less useful to you in other contexts. YMMV.

I also agree w/ rogue-designer on the KEH recommendation. I've purchased lenses and camera bodies from them and have been v. satisfied. Their ratings are v. conservative, so a lens rated as a "bargain" may be a good shooter.

 

[lex]

keh was great! i called about a 1.8 canon they had listed as UG to see if i could find out more info. i sales guy told me not to buy the lens flat out. he said if you want a shooter you need BNG or above, that UG was for parts...

i am leaning towards the canon. its local (60 miles away) and it is the lens that came with the camera originally (authenticity...) its more than i want to pay but i might just have to. i say some shots in the gallery from the canon 50/1.8 that had some nice bokah. i am not sure if i am quite educated enough to pick out the sonar quality vs the canon (unless there was a side by side with the same subject (link?)). mainly what attracted me to the jupiters was price and that extra stop... and (i must admit) i like the look of the larger lens diameter on the camera (hey! i am a architecture/design student...)

 

[lex]

tried to buy the 50/1.8 canon but it was sold... not sure what to do now but i am considering the jup-3 even though i would prefer the canon...

 

[vrgard]

Hey Lex, I have a Canon 50/1.8 in good condition. Recently acquired it from a fellow rff member but my plans for it changed. I'll sell it to you for $150 including shipping and paypal fees (so that's an all inclusive price). That's less than I paid for it but I'm happy to help out a starving student interested in photography. Let me know if you're interested.

-Randy

 

[lex]

vrgard, i appreciate the offer to help me out! the price might be a little high for me at the moment (i probably should not have the P 😉 but i will let you know if my situation changes.

 

[ferider]

I recommend then to get a Jupiter 8, from fedka.
With a Jupiter 3 you might likely run into collimation issues which can be
very frustrating.

Best,

Roland.

PS: a Jupiter-12 would be good too, but I remember that not all fit the P ?

 

[vrgard]

No problem lex. And I probably won't get around to putting it up in the rff classifieds until after the holidays so you have a little time to think about it.

-Randy

edit: PS. Roland's suggestion is a good one in that the J8 is a great low cost lens to carry you until you decide you want something else and can afford it.

 

[lex]

i am looking at the jupiters but i do not want to end up with a bad sample (i am looking at ones from fedka and he has a good rep). i will probably not buy another lens for a while so i want a lens i am going to be happy with. i might jsut have to stretch for it...

 

[Stanton]

Ferider is correct. Consider buying a Jupiter 8 from Fedka. I have always found Fedka to be honest and reliable and I have purchased my share of stuff from him. (Just Google Fedka) While his prices are higher than buying from Russia, by the time you add in the cost of shipping from Russia, the prices are considerably closer. Then you add in the reliability factor and the shorter delivery time.

I have several Jupiter 8's. One is LTM. One is set up for Contax and works well on my Nikon rangefinders. I have found them to be excellent. I also have a Jupiter 3 in LTM which is excellent. In fact I have full sets of Jupiters in both LTM and Contax mounts -- 35mm, 50mm, 85mm, 135mm, most of which came from Russia. My thinking, for what it is worth, is that if you are buying from a reliable seller (look at the seller's rating on the Bay), you are better off buying a well used lens as opposed to a "mint" one. I believe many of the mint lenses were the ones which performed poorly and were put on the shelf somewhere, whereas the well used ones obviously must have made someone happy. (And they are cheaper.)

Dave

 

[lex]

thanks for the advice dave... if i get an FSU lens it will be from fedka, the question is do i get the 8 or 3. i know that fedka has a great rep here, does he test/adjust his lenses?

 

[Stanton]

Lex -- I don't know to what extent, if any, Fedka tests his lenses. You can certainly ask him. I just go on his reputation. As to a choice between the J8 and J3, the J3 is essentially one stop faster than the J8. On the other hand, I think there are far less reported problems with the J8 than the J3. In fact, I don't know of any real problems reported on the J8. I don't know whether you need the extra stop or not of the J3. I don't often use that difference, but that's my style.

I hope this helps to some extent.

Dave

 

[Bill58]

I just got a J3 from Fedka that was serviced, collimated by him. It's real clean, but I haven't tried it out yet.

 

[wlewisiii]

Get the 50/1.8 - this is, simply, one of the all time greatest lenses. It's idiotically cheap for it's abilities.

BTW, I have a J-8. I love it, too. However, the Canon is as far beyond it as is imaginable.

William

 

[lex]

thanks so far for all your insightful replies. i go my eye out for a canon (my first choice) but i may go jup 8 to mitigate as much damage as possible with the girlfriend.

 

[steverett]

Lex,

I have a 50/1.8 that I'm selling $125 shipped. There is a nick in the front element, but I've been using it myself and haven't notice any difference in the prints. I used this on my Canon 7 until I got a 50/1.4. I had been using a Jupiter-8 before, but after getting a chance to try out a 50/1.8 a friend of mine had, I had to buy one myself.

Here are some photos of it.

Send me a message if you are interested.

-Steve