Buying a Jupiter 3: Where to Begin?

I snagged a good one from a fellow RFFer, will have to look up the username. *edit* it was Mike Goldberg, real nice guy and helpful.

Mine is chrome and has the serial: N6406071

seems to be tack sharp and good contrast:

2218386153_0cf60acdc3.jpg


link to larger if you want to see more details:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2156/2218386153_0cf60acdc3_b.jpg
 
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ishpop said:
I snagged a good one from a fellow RFFer, will have to look up the username. *edit* it was Mike Goldberg, real nice guy and helpful.

Mine is chrome and has the serial: N6406071

seems to be tack sharp and good contrast:

link to larger if you want to see more details:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2156/2218386153_0cf60acdc3_b.jpg
Click to expand...

It seems that the first two digits of the lens serialnumber give the production year. In your case, it is a 1964 model.

Nice photo.
 
Hmmm...Let me speak in broad strokes here. Russian optical design: good. Russian mechanical design: bad. Russian quality control: depends on the hangover. I have a J-3 (that I love. I got lucky) but I have also spent time with Russian cine lenses both spherical and anamorphic and generally they are made very sloppily.

That being said, I love my J-3. First, I paid through the nose for a mint black one from fedka.com. I was very pleased with the accuracy of the seller's description and the quality of the lens. Still, I was afraid to use it wide-open as it wasnt focusing properly.

here is a shot from that lens with '86 optics:

@f/2.8
741306487_b8e24551b2.jpg


Anyway, I sent it to Brian, he worked his magic, swapped the optics for an '83 module and made it focus properly, wide-open. The lens has low-ish resolving power, but I love the rendering.

@f/1.5
2376389952_8383046a38.jpg


@f/4
2168450506_bcce33a180.jpg
 
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I remember that '86 lens module. Very Soft. It was NOT the optical elements. I used the front element of THAT module that was swapped out to replace the front element on a 1959 lens that was perfect "except" the scatched and chipped front element.

http://flickr.com/photos/oldcamerapictures/sets/72157602481458663/

The resulting lens was much sharper than either of the two lenses before the trade.
 
I've been lucky twice over. Got a chrome J-3 very cheap from Oleg K., who said in his description that it looked as if someone had taken a wrench to it. It sat for some while before the first serious work with it showed that its focus at near distances (at least) was off. Spoke of it here on RFF, and Kim Coxon offered to set it right. He found that it had been put together wrongly, and fixed that and no doubt other problems. After testing with film, he told me that I had a fine example -- not including the cosmetics, presumably. I've so far taken only a few quick test frames, and it seems to be bang on.

Seems to me that in finding a good J-3, the reputation of the seller is at least as important as such things as chrome/black, serial number and so on. Same for a J-9.
 
There is something here which I don't get in Raid's project.

Why not buying a ZM C-Sonnar 50/1.5 ?

You will have a superb build quality AND some close-focus focusing issues (the so-called "focus-shift") to deal with before you can put the lens at use to get some f:1.5 close-focus bokeh ecstasy.

So, the lens will have to be spannered and tinkered like a Jupiter-3 ; since it's pricey, having to take it apart yourself before use will be more exciting than with a cheap (well, not so cheap nowadays, because FSU stuff sellers know what amount of green paper a casual RFFer is ready to drop on their pieces of crap for now), and you will be left with something better at the very end.

Sounds like a good plan, huh ?

😀
 
HW-61,

At $85, the J-3 is about 1/10th the price of the new Sonnar-C. I've tested J-3's against Nikkor 5cm F1.4's, Canon 50/1.5's, and Canon 50/1.4's. A good J-3 is as sharp as the Nikkor and sharper than the Canons wide-open.

If I wanted a Sonnar-C, I could sell a couple of lenses to get one. I just prefer classic glass. Judging by your Avatar, I would think you had a couple of classic lenses.
 
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I'm actually waiting on that 1959/1986 hybrid J-3 to arrive in the mail. Another RFF member sold it to me. Strange the path these lenses take. Can't wait to try it out after reading through this thread.
 
Brian Sweeney said:
HW-61,

At $85, the J-3 is about 1/10th the price of the new Sonnar-C. I've tested J-3's against Nikkor 5cm F1.4's, Canon 50/1.5's, and Canon 50/1.4's. A good J-3 is as sharp as the Nikkor and sharper than the Canons wide-open.

If I wanted a Sonnar-C, I could sell a couple of lenses to get one. I just prefer classic glass. Judging by your Avatar, I would think you had a couple of classic lenses.
Click to expand...

Brian,

I agree with you 100%.

I sent you a pm now.

Raid
 
payasam said:
I've been lucky twice over. Got a chrome J-3 very cheap from Oleg K., who said in his description that it looked as if someone had taken a wrench to it. It sat for some while before the first serious work with it showed that its focus at near distances (at least) was off. Spoke of it here on RFF, and Kim Coxon offered to set it right. He found that it had been put together wrongly, and fixed that and no doubt other problems. After testing with film, he told me that I had a fine example -- not including the cosmetics, presumably. I've so far taken only a few quick test frames, and it seems to be bang on.

Seems to me that in finding a good J-3, the reputation of the seller is at least as important as such things as chrome/black, serial number and so on. Same for a J-9.
Click to expand...

I just bought from Oleg a 1960 J-3 that is clean. Of course, I waited for Brian to give me his green light to get this one.
 
payasam said:
I've been lucky twice over. Got a chrome J-3 very cheap from Oleg K., who said in his description that it looked as if someone had taken a wrench to it. It sat for some while before the first serious work with it showed that its focus at near distances (at least) was off. Spoke of it here on RFF, and Kim Coxon offered to set it right. He found that it had been put together wrongly, and fixed that and no doubt other problems. After testing with film, he told me that I had a fine example -- not including the cosmetics, presumably. I've so far taken only a few quick test frames, and it seems to be bang on.

Seems to me that in finding a good J-3, the reputation of the seller is at least as important as such things as chrome/black, serial number and so on. Same for a J-9.
Click to expand...

Exactly. That is why I can I've been 90% successful, when acquiring FSU LTM lenses.

On the other hand, if look at the history, Russian technology and everything was at its peak in the first half of 1960's, then begun the twenty years of decline (Brezhnev era) and finally collapse -- including camera industry. So one can really make an educated guess, that a lens from 1960's is more likely to be better than the same lens from 1980's.
 
funkaoshi said:
I'm actually waiting on that 1959/1986 hybrid J-3 to arrive in the mail. Another RFF member sold it to me. Strange the path these lenses take. Can't wait to try it out after reading through this thread.
Click to expand...

I shot a roll with it. It was spot-on, and very sharp.

The test pictures are still up. I have the test roll from the 1986 lens that I removed the front element from on my computer. I'll have to upload some of them as well.

http://flickr.com/photos/oldcamerapictures/sets/72157602481458663/
 
As far as buying a Sonnar-C...

I've got a couple of Sonnars for my Leica's...

A pre-war 5cm F2, uncoated

attachment.php


And a pre-war 5cm F1.5 on a custom M-Adapter with a special-cut cam.

attachment.php


Both lenses date to 1935.
 
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Raid, Good luck with the J3 & thank you for the post. I got off my lazy behind and went out for some test shots to see how close I got the rear element to the film plane. Hope it works. I just got a J-8 and tomorrow i'll take that lens out and finish up the roll.
 
Such threads are "inspiring", the least to say.
It is interesting for me to think of what brian is doing with regard to custom adapting Contax mount lenses to Leica mount. I bet that in 30 years from now, his customized lenses will be as valuable as we now view customized CZJ lenses from the 40's.
 
It's fairly easy to customize the Sonnar into the J-8 mount. This one is very smooth now as I re-lubed the helical with Vacuum Pump grease while I had it open. It just worked out really well, and is nicely proportioned for the CL.
 
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