As with all things FSU, quality can vary considerably from example to example. I have a 70's Kiev J12 and an 80's LTM J8, and I love them both. Images from both lenses have a similar "feel" -- at least to me. The 8 is slightly prone to flare, and the 12 is definitely more prone to flare up, sometimes very strangely. Still, I'm a big fan of this lens. The second line (street parade) photos in my gallery were all done with my J12, if you want to see a couple of examples.