FSU wideangle in LTM recommendations needed

lxmike

lxmike

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The jupiter 8 has quite a fan base, which got me wondering, what wide angle FSU lens would people recommend in LTM fit.

thanks in advance for any recommendations
 
yeah, the jupiter-12 is probably the only ltm lens wider than 50mm you can get for less than 100€. If you need wider, the cv color-skopar 25/4 is the cheapest of the modern ltm lenses and one of the best. There are two FSU wide angles wider than 35mm as far as I know: the orion-15 (28/6) and the russar (20/5.6). Both expensive though...
 
Jupiter 12 is the most common one, it's a 35mm f/2.8 and pretty easy to find. You don't say what body you're planning to use but the J-12 has a large, protruding rear element that will collide with the internals of some bodies (not FSU ones though).

There's also the Orion 28mm and the Russar 20mm but both are rare, expensive and relatively slow lenses. I don't own either one but I get the feeling they're generally considered not worth the rarity-value price in terms of performance.
 
wolves3012 said:
Jupiter 12 is the most common one, it's a 35mm f/2.8 and pretty easy to find. You don't say what body you're planning to use but the J-12 has a large, protruding rear element that will collide with the internals of some bodies (not FSU ones though).

There's also the Orion 28mm and the Russar 20mm but both are rare, expensive and relatively slow lenses. I don't own either one but I get the feeling they're generally considered not worth the rarity-value price in terms of performance.
Click to expand...

i was planning to use it with a Leica IIIa

many thanks Mike
 
While the J12 lens is recessed, you might want to try to using a hood with it. I had almost constant flare issues with mine and gave up on it. A friend added a hood and had much better luck than I.
 
the Jupiter 12 is a good lens for the money but is let down by terrible ergonomics. it's quite fiddly to change the aperture. not so bad of you're not shooting quickly.
 
I've had problems fitting the j12 to my fed2. Actually, it doesn't fit at all: the rangefinder cam scrapes the paint on the back element. When I manage to screw in the lens (focused to 1m of course), which takes some resistance, the focus ring is blocked, doesn't turn at all.
It fits fine on my zorki2 and Zorki6, but the 6's back door keeps falling open at the most inopportune moments; she has the soul of a slutty and obsessive exhibitionist. I'm thinking of dedicating the Zorki2 to the J12, as I need a 35mm viewfinder anyway, but I still have to finish the test roll in the Zorki6, which I don't quite trust anymore.
sigh.
what a way to start the new year.
Get some new gear, and then complain about it...
 
That's strange! There must be something unusual with your FED 2, or maybe there is just a lot of variation unit to unit. I have used a J12 on my FED 2 with no problem. There's certainly not much clearance, but everything fits.

Cheers,
Dez
 
I would not consider FSU wide angle lenses. Instead, I prefer using the sharp, tiny, cheap CV 25/4. Why do you want to use a FSU lens?
 
Dez said:
That's strange! There must be something unusual with your FED 2, or maybe there is just a lot of variation unit to unit. I have used a J12 on my FED 2 with no problem. There's certainly not much clearance, but everything fits.

Cheers,
Dez
Click to expand...
Actually, it's quite a common problem with the FED 2/J-12 combination. The solution is simple, just bend the RF arm upwards a fraction (carefully!) until it clears. Too far and it'll miss the cam on the lens.
 
wolves3012 said:
Actually, it's quite a common problem with the FED 2/J-12 combination. The solution is simple, just bend the RF arm upwards a fraction (carefully!) until it clears. Too far and it'll miss the cam on the lens.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I'll try that.
 
I have used a J12 on a IIIa body and the results were very good. The lens has a large, curved rear which can easily get scratched..best to inspect before purchasing..Good Luck!
 
Another option, though quite unorthodox, is the Industar-69.
The lens is LTM but made for the Chaika scale focus half-frame camera.
Look up ways to modify it for proper infinity focus and how to squeeze a bit more coverage out of the lens. It will cover most of a 35mm frame and leave dark corners.
While it's not optimal, it's the only way you can get a 28mm f/2.8 lens for less than a few hundred dollars. Considering that the wide f/2.8 options are: ZM 28/2.8, Konica 28/2.8, Canon 28/2.8 and then the Leica offerings, the Industar-69 is free in comparison. It costs less than most Leica hoods. I've seen some good photos from them and considering the cost, they look like a fun way to get a decent, yet quirky lens. Stop it down and it becomes pretty good.

Phil Forrest
 
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