Is this a good J-8, or what?

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oscroft

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For a while I've been a fan of the humble FSU Jupiter-8 50/2, and I have several of them. But I've just shot for the first time with a Kiev/Contax mount example on a Kiev that I got some time ago but never got round to using until now, and I'm very impressed by it - I think it's the best one I've got. I've posted a Flickr set, here.
Those were shot on Delta 100, developed in HC-110 dil B.

Nice lens, eh?

Cheers,
 
Nice one and great pictures of the Albert Dock!
I was in Liverpool back in 1990 on a foreign students' exchange.

Best regards,
Uwe
 
Nice photos. I have been considering gettng one of those lenses. I may have to do that yet.

And obviously Delta 100 and HC110 Dil B like each other very much.
 
Beautiful series. Composition and tones are great. You took good advantage of the light.

What apertures did you use in these?
 
Wonderful series

Wonderful series

Great B&W photos, everyone has great tonality and super composition. I have this same lens for the Kiev and am impressed with it. I just hope that I can get some exquisite B&W's like yours. Thanks so much for sharing.
 
Surely it isn´t "what".

Nice pictures. J8s are nice lens, your is no exception. Enjoy it!!

Ernesto
 
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Hi Folks,

Thanks for the kind words :D

And obviously Delta 100 and HC110 Dil B like each other very much
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Yes, I do like the combination. I think Delta 400 also works well in HC110, but I often go for dil H for that (half dil B) if there are any high contrast highlights.

What apertures did you use in these?
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Mostly between f/4 and f/8.
 
It is a beauty, nice results you got.
I have one of those too, I have some zorkis as well but I keep coming back to that lovely J8m on the kiev. It just seems to work the best.
 
Lots of bang for the buck with this lens. You have a nice example and sone nice photos. I like the Albert Dock - lots of atmosphere and good for street photography.
 
Excellent results! As far as I know Kiev was in ex-USSR a camera rated above Zorki or FED, used by press photographers. So it could be that lenses for Kiev were assembled more carefully. Not to mention that Kiev/Contax bayonet was native one for Jupiter-8.
 
everything is perfect on these photos - composition, sharpnes, tones. lovely! i never acheived so clean results like yours in bw...
 
everything is perfect on these photos - composition, sharpnes, tones. lovely! i never acheived so clean results like yours in bw...
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Wow, that's very kind - much of the credit must go to the Kiev/J-8, and to Ilford and Kodak ;)

But all these comments are certainly inspiring me to spend more time with the Kiev and the J-8 (when I get back to the UK in November - I think I might make it a Winter project to shoot with it).
 
For some time already, I have the suspiction that within some limits the lenses may perform a bit better or lees good in a random way, according to the body.

This means that for every new body you are using, it will be convenient to test all standards you own and check the results for the best one.

As usal the test is to be done with widest aperture and at very close distance, which is the hardest test you can put a lens through.

Of course that if you compare a J-3 with a J-8, you should fire the J-3 at f/2 for the test, and at f/1.5 for curiousity.

Cheers,
Ruben
 
blazejs said:
Excellent results! As far as I know Kiev was in ex-USSR a camera rated above Zorki or FED, used by press photographers. So it could be that lenses for Kiev were assembled more carefully. Not to mention that Kiev/Contax bayonet was native one for Jupiter-8.
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You're right to some great extent. That's why I have a couple of Kievs :) ...despite the fact that m39 would be better route to leica m
 
A good Kiev is a wonderful thing. A good Kiev & a good J8 is as good as it gets in FSU land. You're doing well with it too.

I may have shifted over to my 1937 Contax II body instead of a Kiev, but I find myself owning several FSU lenses that are so good I don't want to bother replacing them with CZJ ones. For the record, they are a Jupiter 3 50/1.5, Jupiter 11 135/4 & Jupiter 12 35/2.8. Your Jupiter 8 looks to be in their company.

William
 
If you really want to have your J-8 perfectly matched to your camera, send it to someone to allign both parts (lens and camera). Then keep the J-8 on that camera.
 
Couple from my J8...

Couple from my J8...

I have problems getting images like this from other lenses, and particularly from digital.

These are from my Kiev (Kneb) and a J8, Tmax 400, 4X6 prints scanned at 300dpi on an Epson 2580 scanner. Pretty mundane stuff. No sharpening, bit of exposure adjustment, and tiny amount of cropping in Photoshop Elements 6.

I believe the Kneb engraved kievs are about 1950???, so possibly assembled from Contax parts in the grab from Germany.
 
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