writingwithlight
Member
Hi, while going through ebay, I noticed that there are basically 2 types of Jupiter 8 LTM lenses. One is the older chrome one and the other is the newer plastic body one. Is there any difference in quality between these 2? Would someone who has used them both before post some pictures taken with these lenses as well for comparison?
Thanks.
Thanks.
Solinar
Analog Preferred
The barrel designs are different. On the later black barrels - the front of the lens, hence the aperture ring rotates as you focus.
The chrome barrel J8 had a focus tab until ~ 1961 or 62.
The chrome barrel J8 had a focus tab until ~ 1961 or 62.
Graybeard
Longtime IIIf User
Let me provide some additional detail-
There are no chrome Jupiter 8 lenses. The silver colored ones are aluminum alloy. Pretty good but not as durable as chrome plated brass.
The silver colored lenses sometimes have a stiff focus because, due to the age of this type of Jupiter-8, the internal lubricants have petrified. You can usually dismantle the lens to replace the lubricant. There seem to be a least three slightly different variants of internal construction.
The only genuinely chrome Russian LTM lenses that I've seen are the Elmar clones which have really robust chrome-plated brass and steel construction.
Most of the black bodied lenses are anodized aluminum not plastic. There is a variant that has a plastic iris stop ring on an anodized aluminum barrel.
All versions of the Jupiter 8 are quite good performers and can be astonishing good value for the money.
There are no chrome Jupiter 8 lenses. The silver colored ones are aluminum alloy. Pretty good but not as durable as chrome plated brass.
The silver colored lenses sometimes have a stiff focus because, due to the age of this type of Jupiter-8, the internal lubricants have petrified. You can usually dismantle the lens to replace the lubricant. There seem to be a least three slightly different variants of internal construction.
The only genuinely chrome Russian LTM lenses that I've seen are the Elmar clones which have really robust chrome-plated brass and steel construction.
Most of the black bodied lenses are anodized aluminum not plastic. There is a variant that has a plastic iris stop ring on an anodized aluminum barrel.
All versions of the Jupiter 8 are quite good performers and can be astonishing good value for the money.
radiocemetery
Well-known
I have a black J8. No plastic here. Mine is 1977 production going by the first two digits of the serial number.
writingwithlight
Member
I must have made a mistake then. I thought that the black ones were plastic. Thanks for your insight so far. Actually I was thinking of getting a J8 lens with a lens hood. I was looking at fedka.com and when they described that one their square lens hoods can only fit on the ones with "chrome" or "silver" barrels. It has to do with how the lens rotates or something. It was then that I realised that the 2 or different. My main concern was that I wanted to get the square metal hood that needed to be screwed down or something for stability, which could not be used on the "black J8s.
radiocemetery
Well-known
Hello writingwithlight,
I use a round metal hood on my black J8. It is aluminum with a black finish. The filter thread is 40.5 mm. My hood is marked S&W and is available from "heavystar" on that internet auction site. On the black J8, the part of the lens barrel with the filter thread rotates as you focus. This is why you use a round hood on a black lens and you can use a rectangular or square or round hood on a silver J8.
Link to heavystar: http://stores.ebay.com/Heavy2stars-Photo-Gear
Steve
I use a round metal hood on my black J8. It is aluminum with a black finish. The filter thread is 40.5 mm. My hood is marked S&W and is available from "heavystar" on that internet auction site. On the black J8, the part of the lens barrel with the filter thread rotates as you focus. This is why you use a round hood on a black lens and you can use a rectangular or square or round hood on a silver J8.
Link to heavystar: http://stores.ebay.com/Heavy2stars-Photo-Gear
Steve
colyn
ישו משיח
As Steve said get a 40.5mm round/vented hood. It's a lot better than the original Russian plastic slip-on hood. I use the S&W vented hood on my "silver" 61 vintage J-8 with no vignetting..
pfoto
Well-known
It seems that the yield on the older chrome ones is higher. By "yield" I mean the probability that you will get a good sample. I believe that the period from the late 50's through the early 60's was the best, perhaps because the USSR was at it's peak and the citizens had good morale during those years. Who knows? All I know is that I have a silver one that is excellent (images look like they came from a Sonnar) and a black one which I cannot compare because it was unusable when it arrived. There are plenty of good black ones out there. All I'm suggesting is that your chances may be better with a lens that was made (approx.) 1957-1963.
pevelg
Well-known
Well, I had the opposite experience. My chrome one had multiple issues, even after CLA by Oleg. Later purchased a black one which preformed perfectly. I think it's a gamble either way.
writingwithlight
Member
Hi, I read somewhere that a square hood actually filters out more "stray light" as compared to a round hood. Maybe this square hood vs round hood issue has been argued till death. But seeing as you guys have advised me to go for a round vented one, I guess I will try it. Thanks! I do hope to hear some insight about square and round hoods though.
oscroft
Veteran
Sorry I can't offer any comparison photos, but I have three J-8s that I have shot with (I've got a fourth somewhere that I haven't used).
I have a 60s LSM silver-coloured one (which came with a Zorki 3M), and an 80s LSM black anodised one (which, I think, came with a Zorki 4K). They are really very similar in performance, and both very good.
But the best I have is probably (I've only shot one roll of film with it, so I can't be sure) a silver-coloured one in Kiev mount, from 1975, that came with a Kiev 4. It seems to have a definite edge in sharpness and contrast compared to the other two.
I've heard that different eras produced different percentages of good lenses, and it's certainly believable that the 80s was one of the most variable periods for Soviet quality control (I've seen Zenith bodies from that period that looked like they were assembled using nothing but a hammer). But, I really don't think there's any way to categorically state that lenses from one era are better than lenses from another, because the range of QC was so wide that every era produced everything from dogs to gems.
I have a 60s LSM silver-coloured one (which came with a Zorki 3M), and an 80s LSM black anodised one (which, I think, came with a Zorki 4K). They are really very similar in performance, and both very good.
But the best I have is probably (I've only shot one roll of film with it, so I can't be sure) a silver-coloured one in Kiev mount, from 1975, that came with a Kiev 4. It seems to have a definite edge in sharpness and contrast compared to the other two.
I've heard that different eras produced different percentages of good lenses, and it's certainly believable that the 80s was one of the most variable periods for Soviet quality control (I've seen Zenith bodies from that period that looked like they were assembled using nothing but a hammer). But, I really don't think there's any way to categorically state that lenses from one era are better than lenses from another, because the range of QC was so wide that every era produced everything from dogs to gems.
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pfoto
Well-known
I think you are right Pavel. You can do all the research in the world and then get a dog. I happened to have an experience that reinforced the research I did, but it could just have easily gone the other way. OTOH when you deal with more than samples of one it seems the chances of getting a decent lens might be a bit higher with the earlier ones.
nzeeman
Well-known
i have three versions of j8. black is best by objective factors (sharpest , without vignetting) , one from 50s is best by my subjective opinion, and one from 60s is in the middle - i just love it because its my first lens. every lens have its place...