Soviet era RF lenses, any recommendations?

[dude163]

Hi all

I have a question , I have a leica m8 now and want to use some of the older clone lenses on it, did they ever make a helios 40 or 44 in a RF mount? or where they m39/m42 only?

I have a copy of both of those lenses on my Pentax KX andthey are great, but hard to focus , I was hoping that there wasa Zeiss clone made by the Soviets in the 50s-70s


Cheers

Dude163
(robert)

 

[rbiemer]

Pretty sure the Helios lenses were only for SLR cameras.
But you should have very little trouble finding a good Jupiter 8 lens to use with your M8.
Look at the first two numbers in the serial number--most of the jupiters can be dated this way--they will indicate the year of manufacture. I like the early "chrome" (that's color only, they were aluminum bodied ) and tabbed lenses.
Check out the FSU forum here for lots of info about the many options in lenses available!
Rob

 

[Sonnar Brian]

The Soviet era lenses in M39 mount were made to the Contax standard, but can be adjusted for use on a Leica. The lens needs to be optimized for a set point, usually close-up and wide-open works best. As the focal length is slightly longer than the Leica standard, stopping down is best for infinity work.

http://rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=104530

The Jupiter-3 is a "premium" 50/1.5 lens of the FSU line. It is based on the wartime Zeiss Sonnar "T" 5cm F1.5.

 

[pixelatedscraps]

Can heartily recommend the 35/2.8 Jupiter-12 as well, provided you get one with a clear rear element and it's original case.

 

[dude163]

Hi Brian, I actually was looking at that thread on the jupiter 3, My father had a Jupiter 3 on his zorki 4 , but we cant find that camera 🙂

 

[Sonnar Brian]

If you find the lens, the instructions for shimming for the Leica are on this page:

http://pentax-manuals.com/repairs.htm

Cutting some shims from Kitchen Aluminum foil does the trick.

 

[stevebrot]

...did they ever make a helios 40 or 44 in a RF mount? or where they m39/m42 only?

RF mount? I assume you mean LTM (M39 Leica Thread Mount). The short answer is no Helios lenses in that mount. Sorry.

You do have FSU options for your camera, however. With an adapter, you can mount any of the LTM lenses made for Zorki or FED rangefinder bodies. A few of the more highly regarded and readily available models include:

• Jupiter-3 50/1.5
• Jupiter-8 50/2
• Jupiter-9 85/2
• Jupiter-12 35/2.8
• Industar-61 L/D 55/2.8

As noted above, there may be focus accuracy issues on non-FSU bodies.


Steve

 

[Brian Legge]

Even the Industar 22/50 is a solid lens if you want something collapsible and Elmar like.

 

[xayraa33]

The Industar 55mm f2.8 L/D is hard to beat for sharpness per unit of cost.

 

[dude163]

Hi

I forgot to mention I have a 1964 cron 50/2 and a 1958 elmar 90/4

I was looking for something outside of those ranges, perhaps a fast 85-135 and / or a wide angle 24-35mm

A helios 40 85 on a leica would be awesome 🙁

 

[Coldkennels]

You're not going to get a fast 135 in FSU land. The Jupiter 11 is - as far as I'm aware - the only option in FSU LTM, and is a 135/4. That said, I just got hold of one, and I'm really impressed with it; it's a really nice lens:







You might have some focus problems on a Leica-spec body, though. As mentioned above, the flange-to-film distance was different on FSU cams, and I don't know how easy a J11 is to shim to the Leica standard. Maybe Brian has some experience with this.

 

[dude163]

ACtually, I found an elmarit 135/2.8 for under 300 with the goggles
so I might getthat instead

All the finangling about shimming etc worries me a bit 🙁

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I have not been able to make a Jupiter-9 85/2 focus across the full range with the Leica, but was able to make ot work well from 1.5m to 5m. Beyond that- stop down to F5.6 or so. I use a J-11 135/4 in Contax mount. I have a specially made indexed-cam adapter that I shoud try. The LTM Russian telephoto's are generally going to be too far off for wide-open work across the full focus range.

 

[G1DRP]

The Jupiter 9, 85mm F2 is a wonderful lens based on the pre-war Zeiss Sonnar. A marvellous piece of glass IMHO.
Thet are avilable in L39 and Contax Kiev fitting, plus M42 of course.
Watch out for oily aperture blades on all Russian optics!

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Here is my thread on the Jupiter-9 85/2 in Leica Mount.

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=79337&highlight=jupiter-9

I ended up sellingthe lens for $75 to a portrait photographer that uses it with an M9. He showed me examples of the focus range that he liked to shoot, and it was a good match for his style. BUT- I could not get it to focus wide-open at nearest focus and farther than about 5m.

 

[stevebrot]

Watch out for oily aperture blades on all Russian optics!

Oily aperture blades are not necessarily an issue. Many manual and pre-set aperture lenses with high blade count require a thin smear of oil to operate properly. (My M42 J-9 made in 2007 has a small amount applied by LZOS at the factory.)

The issue comes when automatic aperture lenses on a SLR camera suffer from migration of oil onto blades that are designed to operate "dry". The oil can cause the mechanism to bind during the rapid open/close exposure sequence with subsequent damage to the blades.

That being said, even with lenses designed for a little oil on the blades, the oil can become gummy with age and cause a problem. I remember reading a description for flushing/re-lube some time ago on one of the camera repair sites.


Steve

 

[G1DRP]

The oil can cause unwanted internal reflections, can it not?

Sent from my GT-S5830

 

[traveler_101]

Industar 61 (55/2.8)

Industar 61 (55/2.8)

The Industar 55mm f2.8 L/D is hard to beat for sharpness per unit of cost.

Yes, a real bargain, but be careful. Mine will not screw into my Leitz LTM > M mount adapter. I posted here a few weeks ago on this and it seems the thread sizes don't match. 🙄

I am able to use the lens with an adapter on my E-P1 (at 105mm equivalent); it is a sharp and contrasty lens, but it is not well constructed (rattles around a bit when you focus). 🙁

 

[wilt]

Out of the four lenses I've been using - Jupiter 3, 8, 9, Industar 50/3.5 Elmar-looking whateveritscalled - my favorite is the Jupiter 8. Depends very much on the actual lenses you get hold of, as there's probably much variation between individual samples.

 

[traveler_101]

Industar 22 0r 50 collapsible

Industar 22 0r 50 collapsible

Even the Industar 22/50 is a solid lens if you want something collapsible and Elmar like.

Does that lens focus accurately on a Leica ii or iii series, do you know?