Jupiter 9 -what should I look for?

[Hibbs]

I am interested in getting a J9 and wondered what I should be looking for. Is there a particular date that produced better J9 lenses. Are the silver copies poorer build than black?

Also...what about an Industar-61LD? Is it a good user?...and what should I be looking for here.

Comments would be most appreciated.

 

[Fedzilla_Bob]

I can speak from experience about the Industar 61 L/D. It is a decent lens that performs well, even on dim overcast conditions.

I have had 3 (keeping 2), and they can vary in quality as far as being too tight or too loose to focus. They can be adjusted by a pro to work at the appropriate focusing distance for Leicas and Canons. Some do this on arrival, many don't. Some will have a wobbly focusing ring, I have had two like this. As with many FSU lenses they can feel stiff or rough as a result of the lubricant that was originally used during manufacturing. I have had two that do not line up at 12 o'clock. I suspect that they had been reassembled incorrectly.

The prices have been climbing on this lens since last December. I was seing these on e*ay for 19 to 25 $US back then. It seems they are higher in price now. But not nearly as much as the Jupiter 9, which has garnered a lot of interest.

If you are handy at fixing your camera (I am a neophyte in this area) you might be able to adjust and relube a lens yourself. BUT, be forewarned- many say the Jupiter 9 is a complex lens to adjust, repair and reassemble.

 

[RML]

I'm not a great fan of the I-61 (L/D), preferring the J8. I find the Industar to produce harshly sharp pictures, while the J8 gives a nice tinge of softness and has great bokeh. Also, I find the colour rendition of the J8 much more pleasing. But by al means give the I-61 L/D a chance; they're cheap and are not bad performers in their own right.

 

[Solinar]

First, with regards to the Jupiter 9 - the big issue is condition and whether or not it is assembled correctly. Pristine examples from the 1959 to 1965 era often have helicoids that were cut wrong, which explains why they weren't used very much. Then there are the lenses which have had their helicoids regreased, but were incorrectly reassembled. Bottom line, the Jupiter 9 has Russian / Ukranian roulette issues.

I managed to obtain one of the former with a beautifully intact set of anti-reflective coatings. It's now mounted to a black Jupiter 9 base whose helicoids were cut correctly, but was an uncoated lens. I did have to recollimate the lens after rebuilding it. At f/4 and above it produces wonderful images.

The previous mentioned Industar 61 L/D has two positive attributes. It is the only LTM Soviet lens with aperture click stops and I've never seen a bad one. The I-61 L/D is solid performer, if the look it delivers suites your taste.

The Jupiter 8 is a very nice lens, which nearly always needs to have the helicoid and aperture ring relubed. Early J-8's do not rotate the front of the lens when focusing. The late black bodied J-8 do rotate the front part of the lens as you focus.

If you have a Jupiter 8 or any other Soviet lens that wobbles when mounted, it needs its helicoid regreased.

For my 50mm needs, the collapsible Industar 50 and the I-22 which also collapsible are perfect. The collapsible Industars are neither too sharp or too soft. - They produce a warm tone with color film that has just the right amount of contrast.

The I-61 L/D is as mentioned a bit harsh with regards to contrast. Another plus, to the collaspible Industars is their build quality. They have brass helicoids, which in my book is 10 times better than aluminum.

 

[RML]

To make sure: the I-61 is a 50mm lens, just as the Jupiter-8. The Jupiter-9 is an 85mm lens.

 

[HBC]

hibbs imho the jupiter lenses are greta lenses for their price i use a j12 35mm great sharp lens, a j8 50mm another great lens i have both in the black version and a j 9 i had to go through two before i found the right one fortunately at their price this was not an issue, my first j9 was silver and suffered from bad flare problems, the j 9 i now use and have several examples in my gallery here is a black version wich is great. its a gamble with the j9 more so than the other j but if you find a good one hold on to it.