Lens Info PLEASE !

[arbib]

STEINHEIL MUCHEN 85MM 2.8 M39 LEICA SCREW MOUNT

Is this lens better than a FSU LTM J9 lens, Especially RF coupling to a Bessa R2 with adapter. Looking to add a few cheaper lens's for now. Than save towards better glass.

 

[OldNick]

I have two of those lenses, one in LTM mount that I use on my Leica IIIf RD, and one in Exacta Mount that I use on an EXA (Baby Exacta). For the money, I find them to be fine lenses. Go to page two of my Gallery. The aircraft nose wheel assembly and the biplane were shot with the lens on the EXA, while the two tulip shots were made with the Leica. I have never used a Bessa camera, so I can't say for sure, but the RF coupling is just like a Leica lens, so I feel it should work. As to the J9, I have heard that some of them don't focus correctly on non-FSU cameras, unless adjusted for the task. I use a J-12 on my Leica and it works just fine.

Jim N.

 

[arbib]

I have two of those lenses, one in LTM mount that I use on my Leica IIIf RD, and one in Exacta Mount that I use on an EXA (Baby Exacta). For the money, I find them to be fine lenses. Go to page two of my Gallery. The aircraft nose wheel assembly and the biplane were shot with the lens on the EXA, while the two tulip shots were made with the Leica. I have never used a Bessa camera, so I can't say for sure, but the RF coupling is just like a Leica lens, so I feel it should work. As to the J9, I have heard that some of them don't focus correctly on non-FSU cameras, unless adjusted for the task. I use a J-12 on my Leica and it works just fine.

Jim N.

What is a good price to pay. The lens above is from an auction site. The lens is good shape, according to the owner.

 

[pshinkaw]

I have this lens in LTM mount. It is a nice nice lens. An example is in my gallery. I paid about $35 for it, but I have seen it sell for as high as $100 on e-bay.

I also have the Jupiter-9 in LTM (this is an f2.0 lens). It tends to be be a bit more contrasty, bordering on the harsh. I read somewhere that Soviet photographers used the J-9 for journalistic photography. Contrasty and sharp prints were important for use in B&W off-set printing for newspapers.

The Culminar is a lot more people friendly.

I also have a 9cm Elmar. I prefer the look of the Elmar to the Culminar and the J-9. The Elmar seems to be a bit sharper than the Culminar and a bit less contrasty than the J-9. However, it is the slowest of the three lenses.

-Paul

 

[OldNick]

As I recall, I paid about $85 for the LTM lens on the auction site. They can be had for less, but you have to be lucky to find a good one for less money.

Jim N.

 

[arbib]

.......

I also have a 9cm Elmar. I prefer the look of the Elmar to the Culminar and the J-9. The Elmar seems to be a bit sharper than the Culminar and a bit less contrasty than the J-9. However, it is the slowest of the three lenses.

-Paul

I have couple of 90 elmar's I'm watching too. I like the black version, But it seems the chrome version has easier to read numbers. Yah, F/4. My CV25 is F/4, Indoors w/o flash needs at least a 400 ISO, But 800 gets you to F/5.6 at a 1/30.

 

[pshinkaw]

Here are my Culminar examples. They are not in the gallery.

-Paul

 

[arbib]

Here are my Culminar examples. They are not in the gallery.

-Paul

Thanks Paul. they show good detail in the distant buildings. and not bad contrast. unless you spiked it in PS. BTAR, as long as the end result is where it needs to be.