jupiter 8 and focusing questions

L

laurentvenet

Guest
Hi everyone

I've received today 2 beautifull black Jupiter 8 from a nice ebay russian seller.

Lens look great (sn are 8207088 and 8207386) but when focusing, the lentgh between my camera and the subject reported on the lens scale is greater than when using my industar 61 or industar 50.

so with my mir or bessa r, when focusing with scopar 35, industar 51 or 61, I obtain about the same distance, but then with Jupiter 8, the lens scale is reporting about 0,5 m more.

Is it just a stupid lens scale and I should only be careful to what's inside my rangefinder ?

If any of you tried to compare what distance several lens can give for the same object.

Thank's to everyone !

Cheers, Laurent
 
Soviet made mechanical components can be very inconsistent between individual specimens even though the optical portions can be quite good. The actual lens performance is more important. If your bodies work with other LTM lenses and the lens scale gives you the proper distance, I would stick with your current setting.

Give the camer and lens combination an empirical test and see if there are any apparent problems.

-Paul
 
Right, in particular Laurent I would be more concerned with focusing accuracy than the distance scale inscribed on the barrel - that they focus correctly at the closest distance and at infinity. You only need those distance scales to be accurate if the camera doesn't have an internal rangefinder focusing mechanism like the Bessa L.

I am checking on the J-8's on eBay at the moment and I saw you got those two lenses at an unbelievable price. Congratulations!! :) Looking forward to the pictures!
 
Hi Peter


Here're some tests with jupiter 8 + Bessa R and kodak 400 tx

Good look for your your ebay researches.

Thank's to everyone


Laurent
 
I really like the 2nd one. Can you adjust the levels to make it darker? I have some Jupiter 8 shots in my gallery. (Thanks Kin.)
 
Last edited:
Hi peter, it was 5.6 and 1 second for speed. film was kodak 400 tx and I used my NEW beautiful BESSA R. I'll be less lazy tomorrow, I won't have a nap a begin to load my gallery.
 
I've made it a bit darker for FrankS.

Happy Halloween, good night

Laurent
 
Thank's Franks, you were right, it does look much better this way. I learn from your experience !
 
I have a Bessa R and a Jupiter 8, too.

I have adjusted the rotating "up and downgoing ring" at the back of the Jupiter 8 lins, the ring that affects the link for the rangefinder.

Before I had the right rangefinderwiew for infinte when the distancescale on the lens showed 20 m for example.

I made the adjustment in this way.
I measured with a slide-calipper on my Colour Scopar 35/2,5 the distance between lensback and the up- and downging ring
at infinte,
at 3 m
and at 1 m.
It was 7,65 mm, 6,65 mm and 5,65 mm.
At the Jupiter 8 these measures was 0,3 mm more, (7,95 , 6,95 and 5,95) so I grinded (emery cloth) away 0,3 mm from the ring that affects the rangefindersystem.
(If You do this You must cover the lens carefully with tape and cloth and do this very carefully so You don´t get metal flings in or at the lins.)
Now the "centerdistancewiew" in the rangefinder corresponds much more exactly to what the distancescale on the distandering on the lens shows.
Svante in old Sweden
 
Well done Svante and thank's for your feedback.
I would not take the risk, I know me, whenever I unscrew an old camera, I'm sure I won't be able to remount it the same way, so for something risky like that, I'd better let it the way it is.

Could you please tell us from your photos whether it's better.

By the way, did you receive an invoice from CameraQuest ? I did not see any purchase paper or invoice within my parcel. I'm gonna ask Mr Gandy.

I saw a post of Allan using 15mm Super Wide Heliar and I'm full of hesitation, it's so tempting but I'd better wait and save money.

I'm wondering whether a 15mm lens could turn my bessa into a kind of panoramic Xpan, or russian Horizon (though horizon shots are wider than a single negative).

Cheers, Laurent
 
laurentvenet said:
Thank's Franks, you were right, it does look much better this way. I learn from your experience !
Click to expand...

We all learn from each other. I would have no time for any photographer who thinks they have nothing more to learn!
 
salut Vincent.

Price in France or in europe are crazy, you're gonna pay something like 1000 euro for a brand new Bessa R + one 35 - 2.5 skopar lens... which I can not afford.

I've ordered at cameraquest.com (thank's to the friendly members of this great forum). Mr Gandy is serious and quick to deliver, and you'll pay 425 $ + 75 $ of shipping.

You won't find a better price.

I'm very happy of it, thought I only tried a roll of film with it.

A bientot, Laurent
 
laurentvenet said:
I've ordered at cameraquest.com (thank's to the friendly members of this great forum). Mr Gandy is serious and quick to deliver, and you'll pay 425 $ + 75 $ of shipping. You won't find a better price.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply. I was aware of cameraquest.com, but their warning about the slow international package delivery times put me off. I guess you asked for a FedEx delivery... 75$ is a lot. How long did it take for your camera to arrive? Did you have to pay import taxes and/or custom fees?
Photovillage also have new Bessa R's for $425. They charge $30 for EMS shipping to France.
I cant wait to put my hands on one of these cameras. I intend to use it with a Jupiter-8 (the one I originally got with my Zorki) to start with, maybe I'll add a 35 later.
Thansk again and happy shooting.
Salut
Vincent
 
Bonsoir Vincent.

I was lucky with Cameraquest as Mr Gandy did a special offer while he was away to photokina exhibition : free shipping everywhere. I then did not have to pay 75 $ which is a lot.

The parcel was sent using normal US postal service , by air, and according to the label printed on it, it costed only 15 dollars. Cameraquest does not use Fedex or anything else, it s a bit longer but you have less chance to pay a tax, as it's a normal parcel then.

It lasted about one week ( I was away from my home), and Happily I had no tax to pay.

The 35 mm Skopar is a great lens and it looks much more accurate than the russian lenses. I prefer 35 to 50, 50 is not always suitable for landscape and tourist pictures. Second hand Voightlander lenses are expansive on ebay : there was a scopar 35 which was sold these days at about 190 $... to much comparing to new prices.

The viewfinder of Bessa R is much better than any russian camera : much bigger, clearer and easier to see. It s a pleasure to shoot with it.

Bessa R is a wondeful "first entry" (don't know if this sound english) / beginning choice : not so expansive and good quality camera body.

Voila, je te souhaite une bonne soiree

Laurent
 
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