like2fiddle
Curious
With lots of email instruction and encouragement from Brian Sweeney (and probably an ample measure of luck thrown in) I've managed to put together a Carl Zeiss Jenna Sonnar/J-8 hybrid.
From the moment I first began looking at images taken with 50mm Sonnars I fell in love and wanted one. I also tend to gravitate towards "older look" lenses. I'm still tweaking the focus, but it's pretty close. I really like the softness, and the bokeh
. Here are three examples taken with Tri-x @ 400 and developed in HC110 B. Only adjustments are minor to levels, and I smudged out a little dust.
All photos taken wide open at f2, the one of the dog and the one of my wife are hand-held at close focus distance.
From the moment I first began looking at images taken with 50mm Sonnars I fell in love and wanted one. I also tend to gravitate towards "older look" lenses. I'm still tweaking the focus, but it's pretty close. I really like the softness, and the bokeh
. Here are three examples taken with Tri-x @ 400 and developed in HC110 B. Only adjustments are minor to levels, and I smudged out a little dust. All photos taken wide open at f2, the one of the dog and the one of my wife are hand-held at close focus distance.
like2fiddle
Curious
I am blown away by the color produced by this CZJ/J-8 hybrid.
Film is Fuji Reala shot at 100, drug store developed. No color adjustments whatsoever.
The fence and the daisies are taken wide open, hand-held at close focus distance.
Film is Fuji Reala shot at 100, drug store developed. No color adjustments whatsoever.
The fence and the daisies are taken wide open, hand-held at close focus distance.
anirbax
Member
Contrast, colour and bokeh, all look excellent!
erikhaugsby
killer of threads
Once again a reaffirmation of why I love low-contrast, high-sharpness lenses.
raid
Dad Photographer
I also have a hybrid J8/Sonnar, and I was stunned by the images that I could get with this lens. The multicoated J-8 portion may have reduced internal flare, resulting in a perfect match of glass elements.
like2fiddle
Curious
Anirban, Erik, thanks. I, too, really like the inherent characteristics of this type of lens. It's almost as if it's the lens equivalent of Rodinal. Now to find a hood of some sort as the lens does not handle direct light, especially sunlight, well at all. I don't have high hopes that a hood will help that much, but I'd like to try anyway.
Raid, my particular CZJ/J-8 is 100% Zeiss glass encased in the J-8 housing, which is what makes it M-mountable. The Sonnar I used is from the late 30's, early 40's and uncoated.
Raid, my particular CZJ/J-8 is 100% Zeiss glass encased in the J-8 housing, which is what makes it M-mountable. The Sonnar I used is from the late 30's, early 40's and uncoated.
jmkelly
rangefinder user
Roger - good work on the lens hack! Your results look outstanding. How did you handle the final collimation/shimming?
raid
Dad Photographer
I am still waiting for such a project lens in LTM. I already have an original CZJ LTM lens, so I can wait for another hybrid lens one day.
P. Lynn Miller
Well-known
Ignorant question, but what focal length and aperture is this lens? Trying to get my head around all the names and numbers of the Soviet lenses.
MartinP
Veteran
The Jupiter-8 is a 50mm F2 "copy" of the wartime Carl-Zeiss Sonnar, gained by the Soviets after WW2, simply by virtue of the Jena factory being in their area of occupation.
And I would like to congratulate the OP, that looks like a job very well done. Lovely results.
And I would like to congratulate the OP, that looks like a job very well done. Lovely results.
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P. Lynn Miller
Well-known
Thanks for the details. And yes, the end result is very nice.
charjohncarter
Veteran
I like these special purpose lenses; low contrast, softened colors, interesting out of focus details, maybe even some vignetting. Each one is different, when you combine that with all the wonderful varieties of B&W and Color films, you are approaching and infinite number of combinations. What could be better, we live at the best time for photography.
like2fiddle
Curious
Thanks everyone for your kind comments. The project was fun, and I certainly would not have been successful without Brian's help, encouragement, and above all patience. I had many, many questions. Regarding the collimation, in my case, more or less trial and error. I roll my own B&W film, so it was easy to roll, shoot, and develop a few frames at a time until it came in. I basically made a few images, emailed them to Brian who recommended adjustments. Then I'd go through the process again. It only took a couple of times to get it where it is. There is an easier, faster way that involves a camera, exposed film, and tracing paper, but I just couldn't get my mind to understand how it worked from the online instructions, consequently I took the longer path to the end result.