It's Here & It's Beautiful

[Bill K.]

My Bessa R with the C35/2.5 lens arrived today. 😀 😀

Only 6 days from L.A. to Toronto.

I do have a question for all of you who own one of these. I have read several conflicting posts regarding the use of J8 lenses on the Bessa. It would appear that some of these lenses will work (focus properly) while others will not.

Is this a function of the lens itself (different focal length) from the Bessa ?? Were they designed to Leica (and Bessa specs.) ??

Your help would be appreciated.

Regards,

Bill K.

 

[FrankS]

Let me be the first to congratulate you Bill! The focus registration is a wee bit different between the LTM standard and the Russian stuff. It has very little effect in real world shooting with a J8 50mm lens. It does become more evident with the shallower DOF of an 85mm f2 lens close up. Use and enjoy!

 

[Bill K.]

Thanks Frank.

I do have a LTM J8 that came with my ZORKI and I will try it with my first roll (vary soon)

This J8 is Silver not "mathing black" . I hope no one makes fun of me.

Bill K.

 

[peter_n]

Bill congrats on the new kit! Your J-8 may show a couple of inches off focus at the closest focusing distance wide-open (where DOF is shallowest) because the lens was originally designed for a Kiev/Contax mount.

 

[tedwhite]

Peter:

You mean ALL J-8's were originally designed solely for the Contax/Kiev mount and none were ever designed for FED/Zorki bodies? That they just M39'd a bunch and went out for Vodka?

I noticed that when I screwed my "new" J-8 into my Bessa R that there seemed to be a very slight disparity focusing. Not a problem, I'm sure, except up close.

Ted

 

[Bill K.]

I would eventually like to get a Black J8 to match the body. Are these "later production" i.e. in the 70's or 80's ?

Are they as good as the older ones and how much can I expect to pay ?

Thanks for your input.

Bill K.

 

[GeneW]

I would eventually like to get a Black J8 to match the body. Are these "later production" i.e. in the 70's or 80's ?

Are they as good as the older ones and how much can I expect to pay ?

Thanks for your input.

Bill K.

Bill, what's the condition of your silver J8? I have a very nice black J8 I might be willing to trade. I'd prefer a silver one on my Zorki 3M. The black one is a good image maker -- I've been very happy with it on my Bessa's.

Gene

 

[FrankS]

"You mean ALL J-8's were originally designed solely for the Contax/Kiev mount and none were ever designed for FED/Zorki bodies? That they just M39'd a bunch and went out for Vodka?"

No that is not correct. J8's were made in both mounts for their respective cameras: FEDs and Kievs.

Black J8's are later lenses. Individual sample to sample variations may be more significant than production years, however someone suggested that given the Soviet's 5 year production plans, lenses made near the end of the plan may have been made in a greater rush than those at the beginning. (I don't know the beginning years of those production plans.)

Expect to pay $20 to $50 for a J8, I think. (Well worth it if you get a good one.)

 

[peter_n]

Well the practical bottom line of what I have read here and elsewhere is that the Zorki/Kiev J-8s were not constructed to work on Leicas but on Zorkis and FEDs, and in fact you are supposed to get a Russian camera/lens combo that came from the factory together in most cases.

Someone here (maybe Brian) has written about the details of adjusting a J-8 so that it focuses perfectly close-up on a Leica. I hasten to add this is not a big problem - I've used a J-8 on my M6TTL for several months and not noticed anything amiss in the kind of shots I take.

 

[FrankS]

"I hasten to add this is not a big problem - I've used a J-8 on my M6TTL for several months and not noticed anything amiss in the kind of shots I take."

Yes, this has been my experience too. I don't want Bill to get the idea that he cannopt use his J8 with his Bessa.

 

[Bill K.]

Hi Gene,

My silver J8 is in fair to good condition. Signs of use but not abuse. This is very subjective.

Port Credit is not far from Etobicoke. We coud meet for coffee and possibly do the swap. I will send you a PM with my Tel: Nos.

Regards,

Bill K.

 

[peter_n]

There is a thread running on this subject over at PN right now:

Adjust 50/2 Jupiter-8 for Leica?

 

[Roman]

Peter:

You mean ALL J-8's were originally designed solely for the Contax/Kiev mount and none were ever designed for FED/Zorki bodies? That they just M39'd a bunch and went out for Vodka?

I noticed that when I screwed my "new" J-8 into my Bessa R that there seemed to be a very slight disparity focusing. Not a problem, I'm sure, except up close.

Ted

Frank,
Ted is right in some ways in his statement: general consensus is that the consistent focussing errors with J8s (and other Russian M39 lenses) on Leica (and other Western LTM bodies) is due to the fact that the Russians simply used the same optical formulas of Contax mount Zeiss lenses for their M39 lenses (which have a different standard focal length); stopped down a bit & with wider lenses, this difference will be covered by depth of field, but wide-open & close esp. the longer lens will be off a few inches.

Roman

 

[Roman]

Ooops, Frank already mentioned the second part of my statement previously...
BTW, in MY use of the J8 on the Bessa R (which is mainly wide-open and close for 'available darkness' portraits), the differences DID very much show up - which made me finally get a Canon 50/1.8, even though I love the Jupiter look.

And about the black J-8: another difference to the silver ones is that the front of the lens (including the aperture ring) rotates when focussing, while on the silver ones it is fixed.

Roman

 

[tedwhite]

OOOHHH. Well, perhaps that's an exaggeration. But my FED 2 did come today, with a FED 50/3.5 collapsible, which I wanted for the "look." Also, I already have a J8 that I used last week on my Bessa R (classic car show). The camera seems very solidly built and the shutter release (and sound) has a distinct air of competence and authority, albeit a bit on the loud side. The viewfinder is bright enough, and I was able to easily focus. Tomorrow I'll figure out how to load film and take it for a stroll.

Roman, as soon as I read your statement about the black J8 lens front rotating I took off the FED lens and screwed on the J8. You're right.

A question: When I look into the J8 while rotating the aperture ring I can see a bit of oil on the aperture leaves. Is this a cause for concern? It seems to rotate quite smoothly.

There are some tiny black spots on the bottom plate. They look like mold, but they obviously aren't. Is there some way one could clean them off?

Ted

 

[Fedzilla_Bob]

Allo Ted-

Try "Flitz," a German metal polish (you probably know about it). I used it to clean the crud off my fed.

To everyone else-

(back Again) after my evening martini (Stoly... you bet)

I like my J8 with my Bessa. But, it is softer than my Industar 61 l/d (Which I think I might prefer to use with color film over the J8).

I don't know if I am alone in this... But, I think that when I am shooting color I prefer to have a sharper/crisper "look."

The J8 seems to give a soft glow to extreme highlights, which I think is cool in B/W.

 

[tedwhite]

Thanks for the tip. Don't know about "Flitz." Where did you get yours? Heidelberg?

Ted

 

[Fedzilla_Bob]

Nope-- Home Depot pal. Or even Ace Hardware.

It is handy stuff, Won't damage laquered surfaces, like my bicycle or guitars. But will remove old varnish. Such as what had graced my new J9. And, I am glad of it too.