Lenses by Jupiter!

[ZorkiKat]

they are very good lenses. i got a jupiter 85mm. very sharp. try getting them on ebay.

Wam!

You're here 😉

 

[wamjam]

hey jay! yup...saw your posts in the gallery section as well. even on multiply.com.

what lens did you get from ebay? would you kindly post the seller's name?



😉

 

[je2a3]

and did you get to visit 'hidalgo'?...that street downtown with stores selling new and vintage cameras? i might go there this weekend.

Hi wamjam and Jay,

Nice to see compatriots in this forum! I asked my brother to check out the stores in that area for a Sekonic L208 twinmate, I reckon that since it is "made in the philippines" it might be available there, no dice. Instead a couple of shops showed him the L308. Back in the late 90s a friend of mine found a Canon 7 with a 50/.95 lens there for the staggering sum of Php 14,000!

Anyway nice galleries, both of you!

Sorry to go off topic.

I also have a black late 70s Jupiter 9 LTM and no issues with focusing on Leicas or Bessa-R bodies even at close distances. Got it years ago [pre-eBay] at a camera show from a Russian dealer. Very nice glass, has a bit more modern look than my early 50s Elmar 90/4. The VC 90/3.5 has better contrast and sharpness though. But what do I know I'm just an amateur... 🙂

Regards,

Joseph

 

[Ilmarin]

Hello,

I happen to have several varius Jupiter lenses over time, and here is my conclusion: it all depends on the particular lens. For example I had 4 different Jupiter-8 lenses and liked only one of them.

By the way, I made a small comparision of Jupiter-9 for SLR with Canon USM 85/1.8. As far as I know it have the same optical formula as the J-9 for rangefinder.

 

[rbiemer]

Desmo,
Most of the photos in my gallery were taken using FSU (Former Soviet Union) lenses.
I have been happy with most of them. And very happy with some. And disappointed with one.
Specifics: I shoot a couple of FSU cameras (FED5 and Zorki 3m) and a Bessa R. Right now the Zorki is off being serviced and the FED is functional but but basically a back-up. So I'm using the Bessa as my primary camera.
I have used these lenses: Jupiter-12(35mm), Jupiter-8(50mm), and Jupiter-9(85mm). And the Industar-50 collapsible as well as the Industar-61 LD.
The J-8 is my favorite 50mm and I use it most. The I-50 is good(but slower- f3.5) and I don't use it on the Bessa so it's for the Zorki. The J-12 is very good my only problem with this one is that the rear lens element will not fit inside the Bessa. The J-9 is also very good now that I have one that is working correctly . I've owned three of this lens(two in LTM and one in Kiev mount). The first LTM version I owned had been re-lubed at some point and put back together incorrectly--which is this len's most common problem, I think. The Kiev mount versions seem to be less prone to this problem. The Industar-61 is another highly regarded lens but I tend to leave it on the FED and so it doesn't get as much use as the J-8.
Overall I have been very well served by the FSU lenses I own and I think I might have spent a total of $200 US on the lot.
My basic advice to anyone about FSU gear is to find a good seller and that will eliminate 3/4 of the potential problems you might have. That said, I would also suggest a trawl through the Russian forum here at RFF for more specific info!
Rob

 

[wamjam]

Hi wamjam and Jay,
Back in the late 90s a friend of mine found a Canon 7 with a 50/.95 lens there for the staggering sum of Php 14,000!

wow! you know how much that costs now?....a friend of mine just bought the same item in the same place just last october...for Php 44,000. probably because it is hard to find, especially here in the philippines. plus the fact that the stores in hidalgo, aside from the 'reputable' shops that carry warranties and offer credit card purchases, are what we may call 'the black market', or is it 'gray'?...which is politically correct?

i once was inquiring about a voigtlander bessa r2 with lens (not sure which lens model). they were selling it for Php 15k...not bad huh? but it was inside a glass shelf and they won't let me touch it. the guy said the only time they'll bring it out is when i'm ready to purchase it...meaning if they bring it out, it's considered as sold! damn!
there are even 'freelancers' (like ticket scalpers) roaming the area asking what kind of camera or gear you're looking for. you may give them your number and if they find one, they'll call you. one was selling me a leica m3 (if he ever finds one) for only Php22K (jay, this was before i got my own m3). though i was really not sure about this transaction. we exchanged numbers but never heard from him.

hold your horses! this is just one shop. i'm sure not all of them operate in this manner. i'm off to hidalgo this weekend!!! 😛

 

[dgray]

Wow, quite a Filipino community here! I lived in Cebu for two years in the mid 90s, so I say "Maayong Buntag" instead (pero gabii na dinhi). I didn't spend much time in Manila, and unfortunately I wasn't a photographer back then, but if I get back I'll be sure to check out Hidalgo.

 

[wamjam]

just a shout-out to all pinoy members....MABUHAY! never thought there are alot of pinoys interested in rangefinders til i met jay. maybe i should start a new thread regarding this just to get to know the pinoy members, here in the country and abroad....yup, i should.

sorry for the off topic. 😉

 

[ZorkiKat]

hey jay! yup...saw your posts in the gallery section as well. even on multiply.com.

what lens did you get from ebay? would you kindly post the seller's name?



😉

Wam

Got ***EVERYTHING**** through eBay, straight from what had been the USSR. Well there might be a few which I got elsewhere, but otherwise, all my lenses (those which didn't happen to come with the cameras). The ebay sellers which I would highly recommend are alex-photo, asr-photo, fedka (not always on ebay?), kubanoid and sibir_sergey.

The best J-9 I got came from Taiwan. Got it for US$11, seller said that it was scratched so he was selling it low. When l got it, it had nearly invisible tiny hairline scratches. It focused right as well.

Jay

 

[ZorkiKat]

Hi wamjam and Jay,

Nice to see compatriots in this forum! I asked my brother to check out the stores in that area for a Sekonic L208 twinmate, I reckon that since it is "made in the philippines" it might be available there, no dice. Instead a couple of shops showed him the L308. Back in the late 90s a friend of mine found a Canon 7 with a 50/.95 lens there for the staggering sum of Php 14,000!

Anyway nice galleries, both of you!

Sorry to go off topic.

I also have a black late 70s Jupiter 9 LTM and no issues with focusing on Leicas or Bessa-R bodies even at close distances. Got it years ago [pre-eBay] at a camera show from a Russian dealer. Very nice glass, has a bit more modern look than my early 50s Elmar 90/4. The VC 90/3.5 has better contrast and sharpness though. But what do I know I'm just an amateur... 🙂

Regards,

Joseph

Joseph

Never had the slightest idea that you were a compatriot! 🙂

Did you know that the Pentax DSLRs are also made in the Philippines, in Cebu? But they are hardly found here too. Just like the Sekonics you mentioned.

The J-9 tends to vary in the way it 'draws' as well. My 1990s era "MC" J9 (M42 SLR) is very soft at full aperture and more flare prone- my 1960s J9 (M39 SLR) appears to do better but has a slightly yellow cast. The yellow cast is not pronounced in film shots but is quite obvious when these lenses are used on digital. BTW, I like using my J-9 on digital cameras- SLRs only, because I can't afford that astronomical RD-1 !

The 1970s black J-9 (LTM) don't seem to do as good as the earlier ones from the 1960s, mechanically and optically. One of the J-9 which I can't fix is a black model from 1977.

Jay

 

[ZorkiKat]

The Kiev mount versions seem to be less prone to this problem. The Industar-61 is another highly regarded lens but I tend to leave it on the FED and so it doesn't get as much use as the J-8.

Rob

The Kiev/Contax RF J-9 is indeed less problematic. First, it was a copy of the original Sonnar so there wasn't much reworking done. Second, the helical is straightforward- basically one movement which wormed up and down on a spring-loaded coupling mount, unlike the three which took care of three separate actions in the LTM version. The only reason why a J-9 in CBM could go wrong would be shimming.

Jay

 

[je2a3]

Joseph

Never had the slightest idea that you were a compatriot! 🙂

Did you know that the Pentax DSLRs are also made in the Philippines, in Cebu? But they are hardly found here too. Just like the Sekonics you mentioned.

The J-9 tends to vary in the way it 'draws' as well. My 1990s era "MC" J9 (M42 SLR) is very soft at full aperture and more flare prone- my 1960s J9 (M39 SLR) appears to do better but has a slightly yellow cast. The yellow cast is not pronounced in film shots but is quite obvious when these lenses are used on digital. BTW, I like using my J-9 on digital cameras- SLRs only, because I can't afford that astronomical RD-1 !

The 1970s black J-9 (LTM) don't seem to do as good as the earlier ones from the 1960s, mechanically and optically. One of the J-9 which I can't fix is a black model from 1977.

Jay

I knew that quite a few Pentax units are manufactured there. My cousin bought a ZX-5 back in the 90s and it was labelled made in the Philippines and a friend has an Optio digicam also made there.

Yup the RD-1 looks very cool, but neither can I afford it....besides I like things analog and I'm sort of a gear head who likes to tinker.

I guess I got lucky with my late model J9. It looks like it was never tampered and it came with the bakelite case, front/rear caps with KMZ logo and passport. I'm aware of horror stories regarding this model. Maybe it was assembled middle of the week with a good dose of vodka.

BTW, wamjam re: Canon 7 50/.95. My friend sent it to his sister in LA and sold it on eBay to finance a 35mm 'cron amongst other M stuff he needed.

Joseph