Russian lenses for Bessa L

[dustym]

Working on a tight budget , can anybody on this forum please advise a russin l39 lkense that willfit the Bessa L.

I dont mind the scale focusing as I mainly shoot landscape

also a viewfinder and rangefinder for the same camera

I am on a budget so any helpwould be really appreciated


Rgds
Dusty

 

[RML]

All the 50's fit but aiming and focusing isn't easy without an external VF. The 35mm J-12 fits but will interfer with the meter, and some specimen are too big and will hit the shutters. I have no experience with wider FSU lenses.

Practically, the CV 25/4 is the best bang-for-your-buck: it's rather cheap and is a great lens.

 

[laptoprob]

Welcome to the forum Dusty.
Did you already check out Cameraquest and other sites about russian lenses?
You could also have a look at the Canon wide angles. Not that expensive, small and very good optically.
And the VC lenses ofcourse. You ought to figure out if you prefer lower or higher contrast lenses. I kinda traded my Vooigtlander 35/2.5 pancake (first version) for a lower contrast Canon 35/2,8 and am very pleased with it. Not that the VC35 is a bad lens, certainly not. But it is too contrasty for me.

 

[dustym]

Bessa l with Russian

Bessa l with Russian

Do you find the ttl works ok through the russian lenses, i wil be using a jupiter 8.
or should I carry a light meter with me.

rgds

 

[dustym]

I cant find the russian thread on cameraquest

I cant find the russian thread on cameraquest

Welcome to the forum Dusty.
Did you already check out Cameraquest and other sites about russian lenses?
You could also have a look at the Canon wide angles. Not that expensive, small and very good optically.
And the VC lenses ofcourse. You ought to figure out if you prefer lower or higher contrast lenses. I kinda traded my Vooigtlander 35/2.5 pancake (first version) for a lower contrast Canon 35/2,8 and am very pleased with it. Not that the VC35 is a bad lens, certainly not. But it is too contrasty for me.

I like lower contrast lenses I tend to use Ortho film which when mixing the two give a very likeable reaction,
I shoot 5x4 and medium format as well , I dusted off my Zorki 4 and got the bug back again for a rangefinder, I must of got a good one I have taken some cracking exposures with this little russian that would put tome more expensive cameras to shame

 

[RML]

Do you find the ttl works ok through the russian lenses, i wil be using a jupiter 8.
or should I carry a light meter with me.

rgds

The TTL works excellently.

Just curious but why would the ttl not work properly with the J8? The J8 is a fab lens, and that it comes from the FSU is one of the reasons that it is such a fab lens. Soviet engineering was great (at least in the field of optics).

 

[laptoprob]

need for speed?

need for speed?

So Dusty, let me get this straight: You have a working Zorki 4 and a Bessa L and want a not-too-expensive wideangle preferrably on the Bessa L because of the 1/2000 shutter speed. The Zorki only reaches 1/1000. The J12 appearantly has more incarnations, some of them hit the shutter or block meter function.
Is it really so important to use a lens that requires hacking in a camera just for the shutter speed? 😕

A slower film or a ND filter would do the same job!

Unless you just want to try hacking into a camera.... 😀

 

[dustym]

So Dusty, let me get this straight: You have a working Zorki 4 and a Bessa L and want a not-too-expensive wideangle preferrably on the Bessa L because of the 1/2000 shutter speed. The Zorki only reaches 1/1000. The J12 appearantly has more incarnations, some of them hit the shutter or block meter function.
Is it really so important to use a lens that requires hacking in a camera just for the shutter speed? 😕

A slower film or a ND filter would do the same job!

Unless you just want to try hacking into a camera.... 😀

No not at all I have some birthday money from my wifes parents Im forty tommorrow 2/5/06 and a shop local to me has the Bessa L on sale, just fancied a change and wondered if the 50mm jupiter 8 on my Zorki would fit and be functional.
I understand a russian 35 mm lens will not operate on this camera so later I might have to purchase of a 35mm color skopar lens if I like the camera.
I have 50mm viewfinder from a Yashica set up already but may invest in a Russian turret finder unless there are any alternatives. in a sense making use of what I already have to put my toe in the Voigtlander water, so to speak

 

[mr_phillip]

How good is your depth perception? The Bessa L has no rangefinder to aid focussing so, while the Jupiter 8 will work perfectly with the Bessa L, you'll be focussing by guesswork. Most people buy Bessa Ls to use with wide and ultra-wide lenses where the depth of field is so huge that focussing is a waste of time anyway.

If you want to use more standard focal lengths like the J8, or longer lenses in the 75-135mm range, don't buy a Bessa L - get a Bessa T, R, R2 or one of the R*a series. Seriously.

BTW I use a J8 with my Bessa R2 and it rocks (and I used it on a Bessa R before that). As noted, some J12s will fit Bessas, some won't - and all will block the light meter. Which is just a good reason to keep hold of the Zorki.

 

[Scarpia]

I have both a J8 and an Industar 61/LD as well as a Bessa L. I have only used the Industar on the Bessa with excellent results both for TTL and picture quality. I don't see why the J8 wouldn't be excelllent as well and your 50mm viewfinder should work perfectly with it. The late model Industar I have is a 55 mm lens but should not present any great problem with the 50 mm viewfinder..
Kurt M.