R-D1 and Jupiter-12 first timer

L

Lotari

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I got a really nice deal on a R-D1 a few days ago, couldn't resist it even though my only lens was a Jupiter-8, and I didn't even have the ltm-m-adapter! Oh well, after acquiring one, I shot for two days with this combination.. not too bad image quality, but an 85mm equivalent isn't really my type.

Luckily a person I knew told that he had a Jupiter-12, just what I had been looking for! Yesterday we met at Helsinki and after talking about camera stuff for an hour I bought the lens from him. After that I spent two hours walking in the city and testing my new camera and lens..

And oh boy, I've not had so much fun while street shooting for a long time! A good rangefinder camera is so joyful to use on the streets, and 35mm lens on this camera is really something. Before getting this lens, I thought that f/2.8 might not be enough to blur the background (for the past 2½ years I've been shooting mostly with Pentax *ist D and K35/2), but this Biogon copy has surprised me. Of course it's not 1.2 Nokton, but wide open it blurs just enough. And it really is usable even wide open, at least to my eye.

But that's enough talk, here are the photos from my first date with the J-12:

ohikatse.jpg

couple and glance

kiasmapyora.jpg

security bike

tuijotuskilpailu.jpg

girl and bush having staring contest

And even more on my site:
http://www.sikaheimo.com/kadulla070808/
 
Wow, no kidding, the colors are beautiful, very film-like to my eyes. I especially like the 1st photo. Did you do any special post processing or custom in-camera settings perhaps?
 
I agree, really nice pictures, vignetting and colours!

Just wondering, are they slightly desaturated?
 
I don't believe that you can get photos this good with that "outdated, only 6mp, unsupported, long-in-the-tooth, and waste of money" camera.... :).

You must have used a Canon 1Ds Mark III with L-Lenses (the only ones that real PJs use) and lying to us all. :)

Great shots...
 
The R-D1 and J-12 are a wonderful combination. I too get these colors and sharpness with my mid-1950's J-12. I will post a couple of images.
 
The first shot is classic R-D1 colour. Can I explain how it does this? - No. Very, very nice combination. And the photographer isn't bad either :)
 
akptc said:
Wow, no kidding, the colors are beautiful, very film-like to my eyes. I especially like the 1st photo. Did you do any special post processing or custom in-camera settings perhaps?
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Well.. I almost always do something before showing my pictures to people.. Usually it involves adjusting white balance,, exposure, contrast, saturation and colors. Unfortunately I haven't played much with the in-camera settings yet..

desire said:
I agree, really nice pictures, vignetting and colours!

Just wondering, are they slightly desaturated?
Click to expand...

Yep, a little. I'm not too big fan of oversaturated happyhappyjoyjoy flower macros. or something. ;) But big contrast isn't problem.

hunghang said:
I don't believe that you can get photos this good with that "outdated, only 6mp, unsupported, long-in-the-tooth, and waste of money" camera.... :).

You must have used a Canon 1Ds Mark III with L-Lenses (the only ones that real PJs use) and lying to us all. :)

Great shots...
Click to expand...

Damn, there goes my secret, and I spent so much time editing exif datas..

I've never really been after the biggest megapixels or best performance, don't know if my mindset would be different if I hadn't been so broke-ass student (or soldier) for the past four years.. But I've been happy shooting with a Pentax *ist D and mostly manual focus lenses (my favorite trio, k35/2, m50/1,4 and helios-40 85/1,5 has cost me a bit over 200 euros, if they'd be AF lenses, 1000 euros wouldn't be enough..). In film world, Canonet ql17 and medium format cameras like Yashica D have kept me happy.

Maybe if I'd be a rich bitch, my camera bag might consist of Nikon D700 and Hasselblad H3DII-50, but even then my shooting style would probably be the same lofi, no tripods, biggest aperture possible and keeping focal lenghts under 50mm (equivalent).


Johnmcd said:
The first shot is classic R-D1 colour. Can I explain how it does this? - No. Very, very nice combination. And the photographer isn't bad either :)
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I don't know about that photographer part ;), but in the first shot there might be something common to many rangefinder shots.. and that's light. It was very movie-like, and even before taking the shot I knew it would stand out from many others. And that's just because of light. Light shapes things.
 
Terve Lotari, toimiiko RD-1:sen valomittari J-12:a kanssa?

Just wondering about the functioning of the lightmeter with the RD-1. Might it be possible that some J-12s have a rear element short enough not to disturb the lightmeter? Probably the older ones?
 
Last Tuesday there was a protest in front of Russian embassy. Of course I had to test how my new camera works in that kind of environment. And it behaved quite well!

lippupoika.jpg

a boy waving a flag

russianagression.jpg

stop russian agression

And more pictures on my site:
http://www.sikaheimo.com/georgiademo120808/
note: 4th, 6th, 7th and 8th were shot with pentax *ist d and sigma 24/1.8



Faintandfuzzy said:
I didn't realize that J-12 mounted to the RD1....I thought it was too deep for the Bessas.
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Well.. I don't have any problems with my J-12 (s/n 7408645).

JT2007 said:
Terve Lotari, toimiiko RD-1:sen valomittari J-12:a kanssa?

Just wondering about the functioning of the lightmeter with the RD-1. Might it be possible that some J-12s have a rear element short enough not to disturb the lightmeter? Probably the older ones?
Click to expand...

With J-12, my R-D1 overexposures by one stop, so it's easy to compensate.. nothing to worry about. Can't comment about other versions.
 
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I believe the R-D1 can take deeper rear element than the Bessa. I myself can mount the Super-Angulon 21/3.4 on the R-D1s without problem, but cannot on the Bessa. I believe it should be the same with the J-12.

In fact I think the Bessa is the shallowest of all Leica M cameras, since you can mount a SA21/3.4 on the R-D1s, the M8 and the M6/M7/MP, while the Bessa is the only one that you can't.
 
mabelsound,

this has been bothering me lately too. It seems that there are differences. Some people are like it works okay, Lotari just said that he's J-12 (made in 74?) disturbs the lightmeter by one stop. Mine (black made in 80 something) underexposes from one stop to even four stops. One would naturally think that my variation has to do with focusing but it seems more unregular (maybe evennes of lighting conditions in the frame).
 
KJF said:
Hi,

Love the look coming from this lens.
Anyone know where to pick up a J-12 other than ebay?

Thanks
Click to expand...

I may have one or two, most of the FSU glass I have came with cameras I was buying a few years back in Prague, and I never really used much. I dusted off a few after reading about relative success here, but am still trying to find out how my CV and Leitz glass work on the M8. I also found a 8.5cm f 2, but it has a small mark on the outer element, so I may just keep it to see if it has some user potential. I think the J-12 is a black 2.8, does that sound right?

The 85 and 135mm I found today are chrome, or aluminum?.

I tried a few of the Leica II clones, but some had pinholes in the shutters, and I did not get around to patching them, most are shelf decorations, including a "Siberian" and Yuri model. I think I have some Fed II's in three colors, they used to be really common in Prague, but I missed the $15 days, though my friends there liked to talk about it. Many of them ended up as dissection practice. ;-)

John
 
I have just got myself a Jupiter 12 (Serial 7808690).
Before I mount it on my R-D1, could I just double confirm that if all version of Jupiter 12 will be able to mount on R-D1 & M6?
I don't want to take a risk on my R-D1 because I might have difficulties in getting someone to fix here in my country.
 
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