Jupiter 8 ?

T

tmessenger

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I bought a Contax mount Jupiter 8 a few weeks ago on ebay and then made a temporary adapter for it to try it out on my Sony Nex 6. The experiment was very encouraging as the J8 I bought was optically excellent IMO. I then bought a Contax to E mount adapter from an ebay seller in Ukraine, after a few days he emailed me that the one I bought was actually out of stock and refunded. What I'd like to do is buy a LTM J8 with bad glass and transfer the optics from the Contax mount to the LTM and then get a LTM to E mount adapter. Is it possible to mix and match the optics from my lens with the focus unit from a LTM J8 ?

Thanks,
Tim
 
I am sure Sonnar Brian will weigh in on this one, it is his territory so to speak. In general, I think that your proposal would work, provided that you are working with two lenses of similar years of production. Modifications to glass formulas, such as those done for the Jupiter 8-M in the early 1960s may result in different dimensions of lens elements that may be incompatible with earlier versions of lens mounts.
 
dexdog said:
I am sure Sonnar Brian will weigh in on this one, it is his territory so to speak. In general, I think that your proposal would work, provided that you are working with two lenses of similar years of production. Modifications to glass formulas, such as those done for the Jupiter 8-M in the early 1960s may result in different dimensions of lens elements that may be incompatible with earlier versions of lens mounts.
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The serial # on this one is 7217747 so I'm assuming a build date of 1972.
 
1972: is it a Jupiter-8 or a Jupiter-8M? The construction of the J-8M is different and not compatible with the LTM J-8.
 
The barrel is a larger diameter- and will not fit into a J-8 LTM mount. It 's closer in size to a Canon 50/1.8.
 
Ko.Fe. said:
With e-mount and abundant MIC it just not worth it.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...ull_frame.html
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I agree there are good deals to be had with MIC lenses. I have the Meike 35/1.7 (photo below) and optically it has a lot going for it with excellent micro contrast. And that's what I really like about this J8M, compared to the other 50s I have it has the best micro contrast. Comparing it to the Sony kit lens it makes the Sony look downright harsh. I might just have to bite the bullet and buy a Keiv focus unit and adapt it.

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tmessenger said:
I might just have to bite the bullet and buy a Keiv focus unit and adapt it.
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That would definitely be my preferred option instead of trying to hack the lens into another mount directly. I picked up a Contax to Fuji X adapter made with a Kiev's focusing mechanism and it's come in useful for using a bunch of different 50mm lenses - as well as the 85/2 Jupiter 9, which is always pleasing to use.
 
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I like mine, 1972 J-8M converted to RF coupled LTM mount using a Canon 50/1.8. Great job - the Ebay Seller made 3 of these. I paid $50 for this, would not sell it for anywhere near that.
The J-8M has larger diameter optics compared with the J-8. Click Stops. Those made after 1970 or so use a new formula compared to the earlier lenses. The early ones- all the ones I owned were terrible. The later ones- very, very good.
 
xayraa33 said:
I would just buy a J-8 in LTM and sell the Kiev mount J8-M.
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I wouldn't. Brian's already mentioned the click stops on the J-8M, but something is a bit different on the J-8M compared to the regular Jupiter 8. I can never put my finger on it, but I do like it.

Besides, if you get the Contax/Kiev-to-[INSERT MOUNT HERE] adapter, you also get to play with the Helios-103, which is probably the best lens the Soviets ever made, in my opinion.

Which reminds me: I really need to use mine more.
 
Coldkennels said:
I wouldn't. Brian's already mentioned the click stops on the J-8M, but something is a bit different on the J-8M compared to the regular Jupiter 8. I can never put my finger on it, but I do like it.

Besides, if you get the Contax/Kiev-to-[INSERT MOUNT HERE] adapter, you also get to play with the Helios-103, which is probably the best lens the Soviets ever made, in my opinion.

Which reminds me: I really need to use mine more.
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You had me shopping on eBay there for a minute. Man, that was a close one. Phew. ;o)
 
Helios-103: Used to go for $10. On mine- I blackened the Aperture blades, reduced flare "a lot".
I still prefer the Sonnar formula J-3 and J-3 over the Helios-103 and Menopta 53/1.8. I modified the latter for use on Nikon S-Mount.
 
What saved me from the Helios is a pristine '57 J8, a newly refurbed '51 J8 on its way home from some meticulous care and the sweet 2" Cooke Amotal. I have some Canons and a nice Pentax so I am fine with 50's. But it was a very close call. I had to lie down for an hour or so to compose myself. ;o) Soviet 50's, dangerous territory with the excitement of a crapshoot on quality. A GAS dream.
 
Coldkennels said:
I wouldn't. Brian's already mentioned the click stops on the J-8M, but something is a bit different on the J-8M compared to the regular Jupiter 8. I can never put my finger on it, but I do like it.

Besides, if you get the Contax/Kiev-to-[INSERT MOUNT HERE] adapter, you also get to play with the Helios-103, which is probably the best lens the Soviets ever made, in my opinion.

Which reminds me: I really need to use mine more.
Click to expand...
I am a big fan of the Helios 103 lens , for color photography it is better than any Jupiter 8 or 8M. Sharpest Jupiter 8 I got is in Kiev/Contax mount, it is beat up but preforms better than any later made Jupiter 8M on my Kiev cameras.
 
My current J8 has been kind to me. I cannot compare it to the Helios but this photo of a CG cutter moored here in town is sharp, color accurate and has a good 3D rendering as seen in the foreground pilings. I will test it against the '51 J8 on its way to me at the Amotal on my M9. Something colorful and something hopefully in focus. But check the CG cutter:

​
 
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