Need a lens for my Leica IIIb

micromoogman

micromoogman

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Got a 1938 Leica IIIb with an uncoated 2/50 collapsible Summar. This lens is pretty cool for weird effects with color films and gives a very nice old-school atmosphere to bw. But I want to try something sharper now and looking for the best russian normal lense to shoot both color and bw. I have a J12 fitted to it sometimes but I don't really like the color it gives, green/yellowish tones, not at all correct. Great for bw though. I had a Fed2 and a Fed3 with Industar 61 lenses but never tried them on my Leica, now there gone. So neutral color, sharp, at least 2,8 aperture. Chrome model preferable. Thanks!
 
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The best fast soviet lens is = drums = the JUPITER 3 (1.5!)
Choose one from the 50's (they are chromed but J3 lenses from the 50's in very exc condition are seldom) or from the 80's (1985/87): very sharp, can compete with the Summicron (though the out-of-focus is not as structured as the Summicron, at least on the test pictures I saw).
Second best, the Jupiter 8; look for a modern one. The 70's J8 are still chromed.
Bests,
Marc
 
There are lots of Jupiter 8 lenses in great shape and good priced at Ebay. The few J3 I saw were beaten up and three times more expensive than J8. People are also hyping the Industar 61 LD, that it is razor sharp, it's black I know, but if it so great I can live with that...
 
Not f/2,8 but f/3,5- find a FED-50mm (aka Industar 10) from late production batches. It's chrome and collapsible and will look good in your IIIb. One from a late production batch will guarantee the lens to have the 28,8mm Leica register and a "proper" mount thread which will mount right on your Leica. The purple-coated ones will give nice colour rendition (which I find and like better than what the other Industar lenses do), as well as nice tones in BW.

The 'yellow/greenish' tints in colour photographs shot with early Jupiters seem consistent with the blue-coated glass. Most of the Jupiter from the late 1950s to the mid 1960s have blue coatings.

Jay
 
I used a Jupiter 8 on my IIf for a while until I got an Elmar. Great lens! Looks good on the body as well (see my avatar). If you can, get one that's been serviced to correct any focus issues. Kim Coxon here does good work. Fedka & Oleg are two other to recommend.

Never used my I-61 on my Leica. Did use my I-26, which the 61 was the replacement for. The focusing ring impeding the viewfinder slightly. Not sure if this would be an issue with the I-61, though. I'll try to remember to mount it when I get home and let you know.
 
The I-22 is an Elmar clone, thus a Tessar design. The I-50, however, is a Sonnar design (I think).

Not sure about the I-10. Never ran across one.
 
I've always heard that the I-50 is a similar optical formula to the I-22... Sonnars are typically "Bigger" in the front element, at least from what I've seen. Of course, most Sonnars are faster... The I-22 seems to be an Elmar Clone in body only, as the Tessar design (by Zeiss, Leitz competetor) has the aperture blades in a different location.
 
Currently, my favorite lens is the Jupiter 3 (1962). I've never shot in B&W , but for colour I think it's great. To me, the colours are pleasing and it's razor sharp even when shooting at 1.5 aperture setting.
 
For sharp images from a FSU lens my vote so far goes to the I-61. I've got the non L/D version and it turns out nice sharp images. I've also got a I-22 I-50 and the J8. The J8 is great classic feeling, the I-22 and I-50 I don't feel like I've had great luck with so far, still some testing to do.

BTW the attached is I-61 at f2.8 or f4. The front element is pretty scratched looking, but it sure seems to turn out nice looking images. The I-61 I have is aluminium with a black narrow focusing ring. I slapped it on my zorki 1, looks good to me.
 

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That one looks great. It must be at least at f4, the depth of field is too long for 2,8 don't you think? It seems like it's going to be an improvised std-lens shoot-out:) I'd like to see a color pic from a J3 if someone's got it?
 
captainslack said:
The I-22 is an Elmar clone, thus a Tessar design. The I-50, however, is a Sonnar design (I think).

Not sure about the I-10. Never ran across one.
Click to expand...

All Industar lenses are Tessar -type triplets (3 Groups, 4 elements). The only thing the collapsibles have in common with the Elmar is the collapsible barrel, but in as far as optical layout is concerned, they're not similar. Tessars place the diaphragm between the 2nd and 3rd groups. 5 cm Elmar have the diaphragm behind the first element.

Its hard to see the differences that the I-10, I-22, and I-50 do in pictures. Unless one is comparing coated versions with uncoated ones (with I-10).

Sonnars are different. They are assymetrical anastigmats with 6 elements.
:)
Jay
 
micromoogman said:
That one looks great. It must be at least at f4, the depth of field is too long for 2,8 don't you think? It seems like it's going to be an improvised std-lens shoot-out:) I'd like to see a color pic from a J3 if someone's got it?
Click to expand...
You're right, that shot might be f4 or maybe even a little narrower. I tend to stick near open appatures, but I'm trying to break that habit. Not everything needs such a defined depth of field in the shot. That shot was fuji superia 400, developed in my bathroom sink, scanned on an epson 4490. In general I get good looking scans as long as I have flat negatives from it.
 
I'm 99% sure this was shot wide open (1.5 @ 1/30 hand held) from 1 meter away. I know it's not much to look at. This was only a test shot. :)
 

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I had the J-3, J-8 and the I61L in my test of 12 50mm lenses that was posted here recently. Why don't you compare the three FSU lenses and see if you can detect any important differences or not. If you get a J-3, ask Brian Sweeney (here in the RFF) to adjust it and maybe shim it too.
 
raid amin said:
I had the J-3, J-8 and the I61L in my test of 12 50mm lenses that was posted here recently. Why don't you compare the three FSU lenses and see if you can detect any important differences or not. If you get a J-3, ask Brian Sweeney (here in the RFF) to adjust it and maybe shim it too.
Click to expand...

I can't find that thread. Sounds like it is something for me...


w3rk5: Also a great picture! A bit soft but for being at wide open throttle it's sharp! What film did you use? Colors, if you haven't balanced them, looks neutral and good. Maybe I'll buy the whole bunch of them...
 
I like my Jupiter 8 a lot.

A Jupiter 3 would be nice, too.

If you can find a rigid Industar-50 3.5 in good condition, it'd be nice. Mine's all scratched and hazed to hell, and it's still pretty useable.
 
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