Body for J-12

[mtk]

I have cheap options for jupiter 12 at the local marketplace. But i cannot choose a body for it. accesory viewfinders are not widely available here, in fact i haven't seen any of them yet.

So i need a body, with viewfinder for 35, 50 and preferably 85/90 for J9.

i like bessa R very much, but only some jupiters are compatible as users say here.

as i figured out on internet, canon 7 is also incompatible. so show me the body😛

also many people are enjoying j12 here with fsu cameras, and if there is no body for my tastes what is the viewfinder you use with them?

thanks in advance..

 

[chambrenoire]

I used the J-12 on a Leica M2 with fantastic results..
You could get a cheap Zorki4?

 

[mtk]

Zorki 4 has 50mm finder right? i have got zorki 6 that i like, but need more framelines..

 

[ruby.monkey]

You cannot buy on-line? Because the Kiev turret finder is reasonably priced and readily available.

 

[tyrone.s]

I purchased a J-12 attached to Zorki 4 - but too be honest I never shot a roll with that combination (not sure why). I have, however, used the J-12 with my Bessa R and I found that worked well; mostly because I liked using the very clear and bright finder and because I didn't run into any problems with focusing incompatibilities - but then I never went more open than f4 and so depth of field was fine and covered any minor incompatibilities that I might have experienced. I also preferred the Bessa over the Zorki, Fed 1, or my IIIf because it does have internal finders for 35 mm & 90 mm and I used a CV 35/1.7 with the Bessa body.

I've also used a Russian turret finder but I found that clumsy to use because it seemed to me to be awkward on top of the camera and really the combined size defeated the point of a rangefinder for me - I tended to think - this was especially true of the turret rangefinder on top of Leica II-III's and the Fed Zorki derivatives (although ymmv). I've also used a Helios (35,85m,135mm) finder which is much smaller than the turret finder and may be worth considering. Not that it's as good a finder as the Russian turret finder (which has correction for parallax, separate views for each focal length and a much clearer view). The Helios has 3 focal lengths all in the 1 view window (if that makes sense) - but in terms of letting you frame a picture it's a snap to use. If a little yellowy amber to look through.

However I find all of these options to be less pleasant than the Bessa's viewfinder: If only for its combined RF/Viewfinder and the fact that I find using an external viewfinder somewhat clunky. Of course if you don't mind focusing and using a seperate viewfinder then this may not be an issue for you. I love using my CV 15mm with its viewfinder - but then I'm not trying to use the rangefinder in that instance.

Of course J-12's are a lot cheaper than Bessa bodies. But really, why fight the urge? Get the J-12, a Bessa, an M3, a Zorki, a Fed, another J-12 on the end of a Kiev, a ...

BTW, what 35mm / 90 mm lenses are you considering?

 

[mtk]

yes, maybe 65$ is resonably priced, i haven't thought bput that really.. but shipping to Georgia costs a lot also.. and..

well i prefer buying a camera body than the finder..

but if there is no camera for my needs, well, then i'll consider turret finder..

 

[steverett]

My canon 7 fits a J-12 fine. It's a great camera, but you might want to try it in person to make sure it fits.

 

[mtk]

i plan to use jupiters mainly, 8, 9 and 12. because they are widely available and very cheap. 3$ for 50mm(excluding j3 that i have never seen in person) and 20$ for the rest.

and i want a cam to use them.

tyrone.s

don't you screw tha lens all the way, or is there other focussing incompatibility?

i would prefer bessa over canon 7 in fact.

 

[Frank Lambert]

Consider a good FED 2, 3 or Zorki 4 and, if you like to "do it yourself", a good idea for a "very cheap", homemade view finder is outlined in Jay's web page (attached). Good luck....
Frank
http://jay.fedka.com/index_files/Page358.htm

 

[mtk]

that was fun reading, thanks.. i may try it some time.. but for now i need a more conservative way to solve my problem..

p.s. i've already got zorki 6 that i like a lot..

 

[Dave Wilkinson]

These two were bought on Ebay for about UK £10 each,-the one off the camera gives a 1:1 view with my 50mm lenses!, both give a lot better view than the turrets and quickly placed, as the lens is changed. 🙂.....obviously no
paralax correction, but this is'nt a problem for me with this camera-if I want CLOSE, I usually grab an SLR, - or guess!!

Cheers Dave.

 

[mtk]

really nice.. what is the manufacturer name?

 

[Dave Wilkinson]

really nice.. what is the manufacturer name?

The 3.5cm on camera has no maker's name,-but for what it's worth - came from the Ukraine, the other is Japanese (SUN).....keep looking at the listings 🙂
Dave

 

[mtk]

thanks, well the viewfinders seem to be easyli obtainable.. and if it was for the camera body, to use with 35, 50, 85/90 what would you choose?

 

[lmd91343]

I have cheap options for jupiter 12 at the local marketplace. But i cannot choose a body for it. ...
...
as i figured out on internet, canon 7 is also incompatible. so show me the body😛
...
thanks in advance..

I have a J12 and two Canon 7 cameras and a Canon 7s. The lens fits all three.

I understand there are two formulations of the J12. Some fit the 7, the others do not.

 

[mtk]

that's weird really.. about the differences in lens construction.. but let's leave it alone.. so if i get a jupiter 12 of a certain type, it will be perfectly compatible with both canon 7 and the bessa r?

and does anyone know the serial number range for this type of lens?

 

[oscroft]

it will be perfectly compatible with both canon 7 and the bessa r?

Some J-12s won't fit the Bessa-R (mine won't) - they either foul on the baffles inside, or hit the front shutter.

 

[mtk]

what else? i didn't know leningrad had framelines, but it must be overcrowded to show all of the 4 together. drug or droug is rare, i haven't met one.

what else?

 

[Florian1234]

I use the J-12 on a Leica M4 body with adapter. But also have a Fed-2 (no brightlines or 35mm viewfinder though, and never tried the J-12 with the Fed-2 yet)

 

[Kapa]

that's weird really.. about the differences in lens construction.. but let's leave it alone.. so if i get a jupiter 12 of a certain type, it will be perfectly compatible with both canon 7 and the bessa r?

and does anyone know the serial number range for this type of lens?

This has been discussed recently.... Search back a month or so ago. My J12, a black late model one (7602153) fits (just) on my Bessa R. Of course it cuts out the meter and it doesn't focus to infinity. But hey, I can still use it....