screw it

[JoeFriday]

I recently acquired a Jupiter 8 50/2 lens that I'm anxiously awaiting for the brown truck to drop off. It'll be mating up with a Bessa r3a that I plan to order within a week.

Of course the J8 is screw-mount and the Bessa isn't... thus, I shall need an adapter. I know very little about them, other than they are made by various companies, and are designed to bring up specific framelines. That all seems pretty self-explanatory.

Is there anything I need to know for my situation? And can anyone recommend a particular source?

 

[dberger]

The Bessas do not have automatic framelines, so any leica screw-to-bayonet adapter will work fine. Leitz made them, but so did others (e.g., Komura). Voigtlander (Cosina) makes them still. Steve Gandy sells them also, although I am not sure which brand. Get the least expensive one you can find; it will not be a Leitz one, though.

cheers,

David

 

[Roman]

You can get a Marumi-made one from Merkle Camera in Canada for 30 USD (plus shipping) - seems to be the best deal around, even cheaper than Ebay; those Merkle guys are not the fastest when it comes to answering their emails, but there sending was good! Here's the contact email address: merkle.camera@on.aibn.com

Roman

 

[RML]

Another vote for the Marumi adapters from Merkle Camera.
Just a few days ago there was a thread about adapters (in the R-D1 forum?). If you haven't read it, you might find it interesting to read it.

 

[Terence T]

Best to get an adapter with the 50/75 framelines as you'll eventually end up with a Leica M sooner or later

 

[SolaresLarrave]

I bought a generic one from Steve Gandy for $36 a year ago. The only drawback is that he's out of generics for the 50/75 framelines. However... since your camera has framelines that you set manually on the top plate, any adapter he has in stock will do the trick.

I'd send it to you if I still had it, but I sold it together with the Elmar 90/4 for which I purchased the thingy.

Good luck in your search... and be patient: the people in the brown truck come eventually, and they know they're making you very happy!

 

[JoeFriday]

Best to get an adapter with the 50/75 framelines as you'll eventually end up with a Leica M sooner or later

that's pretty much the conclusion I've already come to.. LOL.. except I know that if/when I get a Leica, I'm sure I'd end up replacing the J8 with a 'cron, or something similar

thanks for all the help so far, everyone!

 

[peter_n]

No you won't. I've had two Summicrons and now I have a J-8 sitting on the front of my M6. And it has a Marumi adapter.

 

[JoeFriday]

you prefer the J8 over the Summicrons?

 

[jlw]

Another vote for the Marumi adapters from Merkle Camera.
Just a few days ago there was a thread about adapters (in the R-D1 forum?). If you haven't read it, you might find it interesting to read it.

I started that thread on the R-D 1 forum after noticing that one of my screwmount lenses wouldn't quite focus to infinity, while another would. Once I switched adapters, it was vice-versa.

I put a caliper on them and found that the good one measured ~0.98mm thick (just about perfect, allowing for the nominal 1mm thickness difference between screw and M bodies, less some clearance allowance for attaching the adapter to the body and the lens to the adapter.) Meanwhile, the bad one measured anywhere from 0.99mm to 1.03mm, which seems to be enough to affect infinity position.

My good adapter was a Bower brand, bought from B&H, while the bad one was a generic from CameraQuest. However, I also got two other good ones from CameraQuest in the same batch, so the problem seems to be variability rather than just plain incorrectness.

Anyway, the moral of this story is that whatever adapter you get, test it for correct infinity focus!

Incidentally, my digital-readout metric caliper cost less than $20 on sale at Harbor Freight Tool, and has proved pretty handy for all sorts of camera-related measurements.

 

[peter_n]

you prefer the J8 over the Summicrons?

No I prefer my 50mm/f2.8 Elmar-M over the Summicrons but the Jupiter-8 is a very good lens with its own beautiful characteristics. It really depends on the subject matter, if you are interested in detail and high resolution, for example architectural shots, then clearly the Summicron is your choice. But if you are interested in a more dreamy softer kind of rendition the J-8 really shines.

 

[Paul Connet]

J8 of a Leica

J8 of a Leica

No you won't. I've had two Summicrons and now I have a J-8 sitting on the front of my M6. And it has a Marumi adapter.

Peter, I am curious as to how you solved the infamous lack of compatability between the FSU lens and the Leica, re: the back focus differences.

Seriously, I do not fully understand this problem and wonder if you did anything to solve it, or are just lucky and your J8 fits your Leica without problem.

Inquiring minds want to know.

Regards, Paul C.

 

[RML]

Paul, I shoot regularly (mostly) with my Bessa R and J8. While the back focus issue is real, it will most likely only show itself when shooting close up using shallow DOF (at f2 or f2.8). For regular use (usually f5.6-f11) you'll be seriously hard-pressed to detect any focusing errors that cannot be explained by one's own sloppy focussing. If you regularly shoot close up and at f2.8, simply focus on the nose, and the eyes will be in focus. Don't forget to stand completely and utterly still or your (slightly) swaying body will shift the spot of focus (but that's a problem you even have when using a Summi).

 

[Paul Connet]

Paul, I shoot regularly (mostly) with my Bessa R and J8. While the back focus issue is real, it will most likely only show itself when shooting close up using shallow DOF (at f2 or f2.8). For regular use (usually f5.6-f11) you'll be seriously hard-pressed to detect any focusing errors that cannot be explained by one's own sloppy focussing. >>snip<</

Hi RML, I think you are correct in your assessment of the problem. I use the FSU stuff on Leica and Canon bodies quite frequently, even for low light wide open shooting, (infrequently) and have always attributed any softness to my shaky handholding or poor focusing. I trust that the back focus problem is real and would probably do some testing if it suddenly got to be an important thing for me. As it is, if some combinations don't seem to work I just go on to other lenses. With my level of GAS there are too many other options to try.

Regards, Paul C.

 

[peter_n]

Peter, I am curious as to how you solved the infamous lack of compatability between the FSU lens and the Leica, re: the back focus differences.

Seriously, I do not fully understand this problem and wonder if you did anything to solve it, or are just lucky and your J8 fits your Leica without problem.

Inquiring minds want to know.

Regards, Paul C.

Well Paul, I would like to be able to say that I know what I'm doing and that I did something proactive to fix the focus issue but that is not the case. I simply tested my lens close-up and it seems to be in focus so I believe I was lucky. My sample came from eBay seller ruscamera and was made in 1959. I like the lens a lot and I'm thinking about getting it CLA'd and tested for focus accuracy but I haven't actually done anything about it yet.

 

[RML]

Well Paul, I would like to be able to say that I know what I'm doing and that I did something proactive to fix the focus issue but that is not the case. I simply tested my lens close-up and it seems to be in focus so I believe I was lucky. My sample came from eBay seller ruscamera and was made in 1959. I like the lens a lot and I'm thinking about getting it CLA'd and tested for focus accuracy but I haven't actually done anything about it yet.

Same here. Never tested it (I'm not a gearhead like that), never fixed anything. It works, it gives the result I want, so why should I tinker with it?