The 5cm F1.5 Sonnar-Jupiter Evolution

Sonnar Brian said:
No- I learned the nail polish trick later on. I worked on so many of these lenses- the last 1956 KMZ J-3 I bought off Ebay, I had worked on it and sold it... Did not recognize it until I opened it up. I bought it because the SN was the highest I've seen on a KMZ. Did not know that much about them when I sold it!
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Well...now if it's similar to the one on Ebay, you know about a KMZ J-3 #5805254. But it must not have been touched by you for the reason it has no red nail polish (as does the eBay sample). For now, it stays on the Leica.
 
1956 was the last year for KMZ Jupiter-3 lenses. ZOMZ started in 1956. The serial numbers for the two overlap. The Logo for ZOMZ changed from the triplet to the "eyeball" around 1963.
 
Sonnar Brian said:
I posted a new thread for working on Jupiter lenses here:

https://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=173038

Post some shots, We'll take a look at it.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Jupiter-3-50mm-F1-5-1957-Silver-Pro-Shimmed-For-leica-M-Ex/303805019573

Too Funny. I looked at Jupiter-3's on Ebay, and this 1957 J-3 popped up. That's my daughter's red fingernail polish used to hold the set screws... "So Professional"...
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That makes my $99 KEH special look like a bargain. 😀
 
Thanks, Brian, for this very informative thread! Looking forward to your future writings on Sonnars and J-3s. I’ll be taking my wartime CZJ 50/1.5 Sonnar to the coast this weekend for some shooting on my IIIc.
 
50724659302_2f0994096e_b.jpg
[/url]J-3 focus test006 by Horatio, on Flickr[/IMG]

The focus point, at roughly one meter from the M3 film plane, is the highlight on the chair back. Apologies for the dirty-looking image. No sharpening has been applied.
 
Hard to tell how far the focus is off on the back of the chair. I would suggest using a ruler- please see the following that I put up.

https://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3007211&postcount=9

https://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=173038

I've started a new thread on adjusting the Jupiter for the Leica above, and the post shows my "what i tell everyone else to do" test target. I use my fence post- I have it mentally calibrated to 0.01mm shim adjustment.

This is the 1953 Jupiter-3 using the rear triplet and rear fixture from the (incomplete) Sonnar to make it work.



Flatness of field, elements are centered-



Hybrid J-3/Sonnar lens.
 
Sonnar Brian said:
Hard to tell how far the focus is off on the back of the chair. I would suggest using a ruler- please see the following that I put up.

https://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3007211&postcount=9

https://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=173038

I've started a new thread on adjusting the Jupiter for the Leica above, and the post shows my "what i tell everyone else to do" test target. I use my fence post- I have it mentally calibrated to 0.01mm shim adjustment.

This is the 1953 Jupiter-3 using the rear triplet and rear fixture from the (incomplete) Sonnar to make it work.

Flatness of field, elements are centered-

Hybrid J-3/Sonnar lens.
Click to expand...

Why do you use 39.5cm as the focus point?
 
Sonnar Brian said:
Hard to tell how far the focus is off on the back of the chair. I would suggest using a ruler- please see the following that I put up.

I've started a new thread on adjusting the Jupiter for the Leica above, and the post shows my "what i tell everyone else to do" test target. I use my fence post- I have it mentally calibrated to 0.01mm shim adjustment.
Click to expand...

I could not locate my metal ruler for the initial test, but I will repeat the test when I do.
 


From Left to Right, 1943 CZJ Sonnar original LTM; 1949 ZK Sonnar original LTM; 1950 Jupiter-3 original LTM; 1945 CZJ Sonnar original LTM; 1950 J3 originally Contax mount and converted to LTM.

They are ordered by serial number stamped into the rear fixture. The 1943 Sonnar, ZK, and J-3 all have serial numbers starting with 272. This is a batch of lenses ordered in Aug 1939 and (supposedly) completed in 1943. Thiele lists these as Contax mount, but a portion were completed in Leica mount. The LTM focus mounts made by Zeiss have serial numbers stamped on the inner parts. The highest I've seen personally is numbered 1052. My lenses are in the 3-digit range, the two Sonnars and ZK.



Light reflected from the coated optics-
Bottom is the 1943 Sonnar; ZK; 1950 J3 from the 272 batch; 1950 J-3 from the 1945 batch.
 

Then I thought- I should make labels. Not everyone can tell my lenses apart by looking at their butts.
These three lenses are from the same batch. The J-3 has the highest SN of all lenses.
 
I added the 1945 Sonnar to the line-up, it is from the same batch as the second J-3.



This lens led a rough life, coatings have suffered. BUT- it has the same blue reflection as the J-3 made in 1950 with a Serial Number relating it to the batch completed in May 1945.

 
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