jupiter 9 85mm opinions

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georgef

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Hi felow RFFers; drawing again on your invaluable experience here, I have a question:

I am looking at getting a jupiter 9, 85 /f.2 for my RD1. Has anyone used this lens with this camera (or film?) I am wondering how it is on the wide open end, given it will most likely be locked at f.2 on my camera.
I am not particularly hooked n sharpness, even though I would prefer it to be sharp than not, but the overall feel of it in terms of IQ and mechanics.
thank you.
 
PS - you do a search here and find more info. Plus you can see some photos I took with mine - link in my signature.
 
I know, I know, real man can focus anything on an RD1. :)

But when you smoke and drink a lot of coffee like me, forget an 85/2 wide open and close up with that short EBL.

Plus, you must be very lucky to get a J9 optimized for Leica standard.

I recommend a good 90/2.8 (like the Elmarit v1, or the Hex 90/2.8) or the CV 75/2.5 instead.

If you really want an f2 Sonnar, the Nikkor 85/2 is better than the J-9 in all aspects, except for weight and a little higher price. In particular wide open.

Cheers,

Roland.
 
I use the J9 on the RD1. Optically great, mechanically stiff and full of oil ... paid $100 on ebay so it is alright.
Lot of flare wide open when light source pretty close to the subject, I am looking for a hood but don't know where to find it (none on Ebay).
My 1963 90mm Elmar is a better lens though for day shooting, especially color wise.
 
You can use a generic 49mm tele hood (as sold by heavystar). I use a Zuiko 85/2 rubber hood which is real nice.

Roland.
 
Thanks for the info guys.
Krosya, I checked your previous thread. those are very good images with your J9. What body did you use? Was it a film or M8? the RD1 has a very short RF base, hence my original post inquiring about the use of the J9 on it.

some of the other available "teles" are either too scarce or way to expensive for me. The 75 should be manageable to focus on the RD1, the 85 maybe, but I sold my Cron 90 for that reason- too long to focus consistently.
cheers and thanks again. george
 
I've used a J9 on an R2, which is the same actual base length as an RD1, and I certainly wouldn't want to rely on accurate focusing at anything under 3-5 metres (10-15 feet). With the crop factor and resulting greater magnification for a given image size, the RD-1 ain't gonna be any better.

The focusing movement goes on forever -- about 3/4 turn, from memory -- and I'm 99% sure it's a non-rectilinear (rotating) focusing mount.

It's a good portrait lens with a real 'signature' and if as you say you're not worried about ultimate sharpness it's very nice. If, as noted by others, you get a good one.

Have you considered an old 9cm Elmar? You can often find those silly-cheap, and they're smaller. lighter and easier to focus with a short RF base.

Cheers,

R.
 
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The Leica mount Jupiter-9 has a non-rotating mount. (Unlike the Kiev mount version) You can get a lens shade that doesn't vignette; go to eBay and enter "tele 49mm" in their category for lens shades. It may take some work to get it to focus, and you'll need to find someone who knows the lens and is willing to work on it, maybe Kim Coxon. I believe the actual fix involves moving components with respect to one another to slightly change the focal length. Some Leica experts don't know the lens and can't make it focus. Oleg Khalyavin fixed mine, and it's a beauty. Certainly worth the small price and the trouble to get it adjusted.
--Lindsay
 
Thanks Roger. The 90 ELMAR is a colapsible (I think), and I tend to stay away from those as I tried a 50 colapsible before and it was hitting the interior walls 2mm before it fully collapsed. I ended up using a ring to stop it from accidentally contracting all the way in.
I also need something faster than the f.4 The CV 75 also looks good too.
 
If 75 is an option, try the Heliar. It is really an outstanding performer. You will not look back.

Cheers,

Roland.
 
georgef said:
Thanks Roger. The 90 ELMAR is a colapsible (I think), and I tend to stay away from those as I tried a 50 colapsible before and it was hitting the interior walls 2mm before it fully collapsed. I ended up using a ring to stop it from accidentally contracting all the way in.
I also need something faster than the f.4 The CV 75 also looks good too.
Click to expand...

The old LTM Elmars are not collapsible and give very nice results on a DRF:
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showfull.php?photo=88407

Best regards,
Uwe
 
Santafecino said:
You can get a lens shade that doesn't vignette; go to eBay and enter "tele 49mm" in their category for lens shades. I
Click to expand...
Santafecino, ferider, thanks for the tip, I just ordered one on ebay. I have a J3 that came with an original hood and thought I could get one for the J9. Did not even think about using another one ... ;)
 
georgef said:
thanks uwe, I looked at one on ebay and it was colapsible. I will check again.
cheers.
Click to expand...

There's a newer collapsible 'macro' version (good but expensive) but the older collapsible version is a lot rarer than the rigid version; more expensive; and (in my experience) more susceptible to wear and tear and bad repairs.

Sorry for misleading you about the focusing mount; I sold my last Jupiter-9 to a friend-of-a-friend who wanted a portrait-and-wedding lens, seven or eight years ago. As I had at the time both a 90/2 Summicron pre-aspheric and a 90/3.5 Voigtländer Apo-Lanthar (both of which I still have, along with a 75 Summicron), and as she desperately wanted the lens, I sold it to her for thirty or forty quid ($60-75). I rather wish I'd kept it now.

Cheers,

Roger
 
yanidel said:
I use the J9 on the RD1. Optically great, mechanically stiff and full of oil ... paid $100 on ebay so it is alright.
Click to expand...
Ditto my J-9 'cept I paid something stupid cheap like $60 for a Contax mount (which does rotate when focused). The Contax/M adapter was not so cheap, but I have a few Sonnar 50/1.5's to use with it.

Focus on the R-D1 is definitely hit-or-miss, especially close in and wide open as one would expect. Just keep winding and clicking and at least some of the shots will turn out great :cool:.
 
very nice valdas, a little soft but the effect I find welcoming...hmm, I think will keep my eye out for a deal if it comes up.
thanks for all the replies guys.
 
Wide open. I like this lens. I just don't use it much due to the focal length. I did have to take it apart and relube. Boy, that was a job and a half. Can be done with patience as there are multiple ways of putting the lens back together due to the possible starting points for the helical threads.

It's ok wide open too. A little softer but that's ok.

p1058062260.jpg
 
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