ddimaria
Well-known
O.K. I'm thinking about getting a 50mm (LTM) lens (this is tele-photo for me) I'm flat broke so I am thinking about a Russian made one. I guess I am most concerned with image quality and not speed.
Any suggestions, ones to get?
others to avoid?
Any suggestions, ones to get?
others to avoid?
peter_n
Veteran
From the photographs produced as distinct from the use of it, the best I have seen is the Jupiter-8, a 50mm/f2 lens. The lens is a copy of the Carl Zeiss Sonnar, seems to be a little soft at f2 but sharpens up thereafter. Nice warm color rendition and beautiful OOF area. I have bought one myself and I'm very much looking forward to using it.
Check out Remy's (RML) pictures with this lens in his gallery, they are quite something. One thing about FSU lenses is that they vary enormously in quality, so you need to be a little discriminating when purchasing.
Check out Remy's (RML) pictures with this lens in his gallery, they are quite something. One thing about FSU lenses is that they vary enormously in quality, so you need to be a little discriminating when purchasing.
HBC
Member
I would agree with Peter my j8 is very sharp, the best 30 dollars I ever spent.
doubs43
Well-known
There's also the Jupiter-8M which some say is even better than the original J-8.
Walker
Walker
R
RML
Guest
IMO the Jupiter-8 is the best of the Russian LTM lenses. Only a few weeks ago I bought another, black, one to complement my current, silver, J-8. The J-8 gives a very smooth, creamy picture in the OOF areas, and a nice sharp (but not overly sharp) picture in the in-focus areas. I really love this lens. It works really well to give a slightly old-fashioned soft look to your pictures, but only slightly. It works great for landscapes and portraits alike.
The Industar-61 LD is a nice lens as well but I find it too sharp, resulting in too harsh a picture. I also don't like the colour rendition. I have several of these lenses because they come with almost every FED2 but I never use them.
The Industar-26 is, IMO, really not very nice. It's not too sharp like the I-61 LD but the colour rendition isn't to my taste and neither is the way it renders the OOF areas and the picture in general. With this lens you get what you pay for: it cost little, you get little.
There's a collapsible 50 (Industar-50? I can't remember the name properly, and can't check it because I'm at work), which makes for a nice small package when stuck on a FED2 but again I find the lens lacking in performance.
When I bought the black J-8 I also got a Jupiter-3, which is a 50/1.5 lens. I haven't received it yet so I can't comment on it yet. If it is anything like the J-8 it could turn out to be another favourite of mine, especialy if it performs well at wide aperture.
The Industar-61 LD is a nice lens as well but I find it too sharp, resulting in too harsh a picture. I also don't like the colour rendition. I have several of these lenses because they come with almost every FED2 but I never use them.
The Industar-26 is, IMO, really not very nice. It's not too sharp like the I-61 LD but the colour rendition isn't to my taste and neither is the way it renders the OOF areas and the picture in general. With this lens you get what you pay for: it cost little, you get little.
There's a collapsible 50 (Industar-50? I can't remember the name properly, and can't check it because I'm at work), which makes for a nice small package when stuck on a FED2 but again I find the lens lacking in performance.
When I bought the black J-8 I also got a Jupiter-3, which is a 50/1.5 lens. I haven't received it yet so I can't comment on it yet. If it is anything like the J-8 it could turn out to be another favourite of mine, especialy if it performs well at wide aperture.
R
RML
Guest
Walker, isn't the J-8M a Kiev mount lens?
I think Remy's right; the J-8M added click-stops to the aperture ring, and engraved the f/numbers on opposite sides of the lens so at least one set should be visible as the lens rotates in focusing. Here's what Fedka.com says about it:
"The lens is an improved version of the original Zeiss Sonnar 50/2 copy, Jupiter-8. The aperture dial was engraved on both sides of the lens, so the settings are visible regardless of the lens position. The aperture was set in the fixed (with stop-clicks) positions. And, of course, the name was changed to Jupiter-8M."
"The lens is an improved version of the original Zeiss Sonnar 50/2 copy, Jupiter-8. The aperture dial was engraved on both sides of the lens, so the settings are visible regardless of the lens position. The aperture was set in the fixed (with stop-clicks) positions. And, of course, the name was changed to Jupiter-8M."
L
Laika
Guest
Re: Best FSU 50mm lens?
IMO
1. Jupiter 8 - The best Soviet 50mm IMO, versatile (f2) with a nice all round image quality. $30-40 should get you a like new late black model with caps.
2. Ind 61 L/D - The sharpest and most contrasty of the Soviet 50's and some users find it too much so. I don’t mind it but the J8 is nicer for regular use. Best way to get one is buy a FED5 with one on, I got my FED5/Ind-61L/D like new for $18
ddimaria said:
IMO
1. Jupiter 8 - The best Soviet 50mm IMO, versatile (f2) with a nice all round image quality. $30-40 should get you a like new late black model with caps.
2. Ind 61 L/D - The sharpest and most contrasty of the Soviet 50's and some users find it too much so. I don’t mind it but the J8 is nicer for regular use. Best way to get one is buy a FED5 with one on, I got my FED5/Ind-61L/D like new for $18
R
Roberto
Guest
Re: Best FSU 50mm lens?
ddimaria,
I have to agree with other members.. get a "good" J8 and you'll be happy, the point is how much lenses will you buy to find a good one?
For instance, I have two J8-M and one J8, all of them coated and built around 1960.. but one of them performs really bad compared with the other two.. and you'll not distinguish the bad from the good one until you use it for the first time!
Good luck!
Rob.
ddimaria said:
ddimaria,
I have to agree with other members.. get a "good" J8 and you'll be happy, the point is how much lenses will you buy to find a good one?
For instance, I have two J8-M and one J8, all of them coated and built around 1960.. but one of them performs really bad compared with the other two.. and you'll not distinguish the bad from the good one until you use it for the first time!
Good luck!
Rob.
R
Roman
Guest
The J-8M is only available in Kiev-mount, not in LTM!
As for the rest, I agree with the others: go for the J-8, it has the nicest bokeh, and can be very sharp once you stop it down a bit; lower contrast, though for my taste this is a good thing; there are three versions - the first, silver with focussing tab (my favorite), the second, silver without focussing tab, and the latest, black, a bit different constructed - it has a rotating front lens (not as convenient with a rectangular hood); all of them don'T have click stops on the aperture ring (OK, the black one might - that's the one I don't own myself yet...)
The I-61 L/D is also a good lens, but with totally different character: blotchy bokeh and very high contrast; this one does have click-stops.
Roman
As for the rest, I agree with the others: go for the J-8, it has the nicest bokeh, and can be very sharp once you stop it down a bit; lower contrast, though for my taste this is a good thing; there are three versions - the first, silver with focussing tab (my favorite), the second, silver without focussing tab, and the latest, black, a bit different constructed - it has a rotating front lens (not as convenient with a rectangular hood); all of them don'T have click stops on the aperture ring (OK, the black one might - that's the one I don't own myself yet...)
The I-61 L/D is also a good lens, but with totally different character: blotchy bokeh and very high contrast; this one does have click-stops.
Roman
M
matu
Guest
I agree with all of you that the Jupiter-8 is well balanced between pros and cons, but the Industar 61 LD is a very sharp beast, personally I like the contrasts it deliver and it's a good performer for B&W landscapes or architecture as Roman said at other thread.
They are so cheap that as they use to say here, get them both.
But there is another lense you could give a glance the Jupiter-3, it´s faster than J-8.
Here is link with description of FSU equimpment.
http://www.fotoua2.com
They are so cheap that as they use to say here, get them both.
But there is another lense you could give a glance the Jupiter-3, it´s faster than J-8.
Here is link with description of FSU equimpment.
http://www.fotoua2.com
P
pshinkaw
Guest
If you don't care about lens speed but price and quality are your first criteria, I suggest getting a rigid mount (black or silver) Industar-50.They are so ungainly looking that someone will probably give you one, but they are very fine performing Tessar-type lenses. (50mm/f3.5)
Keep in mind that you can get a Jupiter-8 in LTM mount for anywhere from $25-$35. If you watch e-Bay closely you can even buy one from a US Seller and avoid shipping costs from Russia or the Ukraine.
-Paul
Keep in mind that you can get a Jupiter-8 in LTM mount for anywhere from $25-$35. If you watch e-Bay closely you can even buy one from a US Seller and avoid shipping costs from Russia or the Ukraine.
-Paul
ddimaria
Well-known
Thanks for the advice, I think I am leaning for the J8. I've seen some on ebay listed as new, is this a crock? Any ideas which serial numbers might be from a good batch?
K
Krasnaya_Zvezda
Guest
For the best image quality, I agree Jupiter 8 is best, however I find that with no click stops it is easy to accidentaly change aperture while focusing, so one must be wary; I like the Industar 61 L/D, it is not too sharp in my opinion (but I shoot alot of digital, so in comparison...). I also like the Industar 22, produces sharp images with good contrast, also it is collapsible. With the retro look of the lens, you'll get lots of questions ("What the hell is that thing?") Looking at prices on eBay, it seems you can buy any of these lenses with a camera attached as cheaply as buying the lens alone, although I notice an Industar 61 listed currenly for $9, BIN $15 so those might be somewhat cheaper.
Zhelayu udachi!
Zhelayu udachi!
R
RML
Guest
In general lenses and cameras from the 50s and 60s seem to be of better build quality, but RFF members have reported also good specimen from later eras.
jlw
Rangefinder camera pedant
I've tried to use my Jupiter-8 on my Epson R-D1 and just haven't had much luck with it. I found that at moderate distances (~20 feet) the actual focus point is several feet closer than the intended focus point.
I don't know whether to attribute this to the theory that Soviet lenses were standardized for a different focusing pitch than LTM-standard; or the theory that Soviet LTM lenses need to be calibrated for a specific camera body (an eBay seller claims this is in the owner's manual for some lenses); or the possibility that my specific lens is just plain out of whack. (Does anyone know for sure which possibility is most likely, and can anything be done about it?)
Anyway, the moral of this is that, as others have said, you may need to be prepared to buy several J-8 lenses to find one that works well on a non-Soviet camera!
I don't know whether to attribute this to the theory that Soviet lenses were standardized for a different focusing pitch than LTM-standard; or the theory that Soviet LTM lenses need to be calibrated for a specific camera body (an eBay seller claims this is in the owner's manual for some lenses); or the possibility that my specific lens is just plain out of whack. (Does anyone know for sure which possibility is most likely, and can anything be done about it?)
Anyway, the moral of this is that, as others have said, you may need to be prepared to buy several J-8 lenses to find one that works well on a non-Soviet camera!
R
RML
Guest
Maybe my specimen is just plain good or already calibrated before I bought it, but I've never experienced any focusing problems, definitely not running into several feet. I often shoot at f4 or wider and close-up, focusing at the eyes of people, and have never seen a problem with the eyes being OOF. You might have to consider that your specimen is out of wack.
P
pshinkaw
Guest
Can't really tell about SN's. I have 7 of them ranging from #5420561 to #7320978(black). None of mine are bad lenses. If they are new, they are probably the black ones that are most common on late model Zorki-4's and Zorki-4K's. They have a simpler helical focusing system than the older 1950's and 1960's models that are shiny aluminum (so-called silver). As a result, the entire lens rotates as you focus, including the f-numbers. This can be a nuisance if you use a rangefinder polarizer or a rectangular lenshood).Otherwise they are perfectly fine lenses.
The shiny ones usually have to be disassembled and lubed. They were mostly made in the 50's and 60's and the Soviet grease has hardened by now. It is fairly simple to do.
Some of the older shiny models have a focusing tab to assist in turning the lens. On some camera bodies this tab will bump into the self-timer lever. On some other lenses this has been hack-sawed off. It all depends on what your intended use will be.
As stated by others, there are no click-stops.
They must have been pretty pricey lenses in the USSR. I have never seen one that was abused. All of the previous owners took good care of them.
Sometimes it is more cost-effective to shop for a Zorki-4 or 4K with the Jupiter-8 attached. They frequently cost no more or even less than a Jupiter-8 alone. You will pay extra for shipping because of the additional weight. Think of the extra camera body as a back-lens cap.
-Paul
The shiny ones usually have to be disassembled and lubed. They were mostly made in the 50's and 60's and the Soviet grease has hardened by now. It is fairly simple to do.
Some of the older shiny models have a focusing tab to assist in turning the lens. On some camera bodies this tab will bump into the self-timer lever. On some other lenses this has been hack-sawed off. It all depends on what your intended use will be.
As stated by others, there are no click-stops.
They must have been pretty pricey lenses in the USSR. I have never seen one that was abused. All of the previous owners took good care of them.
Sometimes it is more cost-effective to shop for a Zorki-4 or 4K with the Jupiter-8 attached. They frequently cost no more or even less than a Jupiter-8 alone. You will pay extra for shipping because of the additional weight. Think of the extra camera body as a back-lens cap.
-Paul
newspaperguy
Well-known
I've been using a Industar 61 L/D on a Bessa R with great results.
Came with FED 5 body which is a fine "go forth in the rain and take pictures without worry" type of back-up body. (It came free with the lense, brand new.)
Rick
Came with FED 5 body which is a fine "go forth in the rain and take pictures without worry" type of back-up body. (It came free with the lense, brand new.)
Rick
peter_n
Veteran
Too true, Paul! It seems the ones that begin with a 5x, 6x, 7x or 8x are built in the year that 's the first two numbers, so my J-8 which starts off 59 was built in 1959. But some lenses begin with a zero, you have 08 and 02 and so on - they seem to be numbered on a different system. FWIW I have read that the lenses from the late 50's/early 60's were the most dependable in terms of quality.pshinkaw said: