What colour/color is your lens?

[Shadesofgrey]

Morning all. I have 5 J8’s (sad, need to get out more) three have a blue tint and the other 2 a straw tint. Anyone know/have any idea as to why the change in coating came about, or was it just a simple case of the russky’s running out of one and just using another that was close to hand? Anyone know which came first, the straw or the blue, and is one any better than the other? Funny the things you think of while sitting in a dentist waiting room. 🙁

All the best.
B.

 

[reagan]

Thanks alot B. Now I have to go look at all my J.8s to compare. The curiosity will eventually get to me... might as well give in early. But to answer your question, ..... nope. No idea. Maybe someone else will pitch in.

 

[santino]

well, I believe the deep blue was the first coating (as Zeiss lenses were deep blue coated and the soviet adopted that). Later lenses (M42 zenit one's) are purple coated.

 

[Shadesofgrey]

Hi guys, thanks for the replies and the input. Hey, CVBLZ4, while you're checking out you front glass you'd better check out the rear too! One of my J8's has a blue front glass and a straw rear glass😕 Someone's been tweeking😱 Hi Santino. Yes, I thought the blue was first but wasn't sure? I've just checked all my J8's (10 now, 5 in bits waiting for me to get off my butt) and I have three with the straw glass? Wonder if Zorkikatt, Wayne or Greyhoundman will cop this post, one of them will know what the score is. I wish the previous owners had bothered to put a sky on the front, out of 10 J8's only three have real good glass the others have various degrees of cleaning damage, shame, nice glass and soooo cheap! Any of you got a 35 wide, if so, what's your user opinion?
All the best.
B.

 

[oscroft]

My J-8 (I've only got one, poor deprived soul that I am) gives different colours of reflection from different elements - purple, pale blue, pale straw, white.

And the 35mm? I presume you mean the J-12. I have one, and I like it a lot - resolution and contrast are good, and it's nicely compact. (I think the quality of the J-12 is quite variable though, and I'm lucky to have got a good one).

 

[Shadesofgrey]

gives different colours of reflection from different elements - purple, pale blue, pale straw, white.

And the 35mm? I presume you mean the J-12. I have one, and I like it a lot - resolution and contrast are good, and it's nicely compact. (I think the quality of the J-12 is quite variable though, and I'm lucky to have got a good one).

Hi Alan. So we now have a rainbow J-8! Those russky's! Just had a call from a friend who's been watching this thread and he says that his J-8 is blue front and back but ..his words 'Plain glass in the middle.' Yes, I've heard the J-12 quality is variable, still going to get one though, and well, hope for the best.
All the best.
B.

 

[Xmas]

Max a forum member has a database of FSU colours somewhere...

The colour is like a (some) butterflys wing, Newtons ring or soap bubbles - an interference effect. Later lens are multi coated and almost colourless.

Noel

 

[Shadesofgrey]

Thanks Noel. I'll try the archives and or leave a post for max.
All the best.
B.

 

[OldNick]

I have a 1987 Jupiter 12 and it is straw colored. I understood that this is the later color. My Leica Elmar 50/3.5 which I bought in 1952 has a blue coating. The J 12, by the way, is a great lens for the money.

Jim N.

 

[Shadesofgrey]

Hi Jim. Yes, it seems the straw color is the newer coating; wonder why the change? Everyone seems to have a good word to say about the J-12, and as you say, for the money it seems to be a good buy, so as a user could you please list the pros and cons for me, and should I look out for and or avoid any particular year of manufacture. or is it pot luck all the way?
All the best.
B.

 

[rbiemer]

Max a forum member has a database of FSU colours somewhere...
The colour is like a (some) butterflys wing, Newtons ring or soap bubbles - an interference effect. Later lens are multi coated and almost colourless.
Noel

Max's "user name" is "darkkavenger" and I can't find the bookmark I had to the "Russian Lens Database" but he got lots of info about lots of different lenses.
My lenses have been various colors(blue/purple, straw, none that I can see) but I didn't notice any correlation by date.
I did notice that the ltm mount lense have mostly been the blue/purple color while the Kiev mount lenses have mostly been the straw color. But my sample size isn't big enough to be statistically significant.
[but I now have a "reason" to buy more FSU lenses! Cool!😀 ]
I also haven't noticed any particular coating color giving better or worse results. There have been big differences based on the overall condition of the lens, though, that may have overshadowed any subtle coating differences...
Rob

 

[OldNick]

Hi Jim. Yes, it seems the straw color is the newer coating; wonder why the change? Everyone seems to have a good word to say about the J-12, and as you say, for the money it seems to be a good buy, so as a user could you please list the pros and cons for me, and should I look out for and or avoid any particular year of manufacture. or is it pot luck all the way?
All the best.
B.

I'm no authority, just a fan and user. I bought my J 12 from Fedka, and followed his recommendation. Because a large portion of the lens fits inside the camera, the lens is fairly compact for a 35mm. It is not as compact as a Summaron, but, by getting a late one, I avoided the haze that seems to be characteristic of the older Leitz lenses. I have a number of photos from this lens in my gallery (most of the airplane photos).

Jim N.

 

[ZorkiKat]

My earlier, "white" aluminium barreled lenses have blue lenses. The later black barrelled versions of these lenses have the straw-coloured coating.

The change in colour of coating was done as a production improvement- a different coating method, or better still, 'newer' coating materials.

What I've noticed about them is that the blue coated lenses tend to go yellowish-green when shooting in colour. It's not so obvious with colour negative films since the bias is often cancelled in corrections done at the printing stage. But all the white-barrelled lenses (M42 or Zenit M39) which I've adapted for shooting on digital SLRs make significantly yellower with a hint of green pictures compared to those shot through straw-coloured or even 'white' coatings.

Jay

 

[Shadesofgrey]

Hi Jay. Have you noticed any difference between the 2 coating when shooting black and white? Could be just me but I find the straw ones flare less, though that said, I've not done any specific test to back this up. And while I think about it: On your site (a gem to us novice FSU owners) you give instructions for measuring the flange to film plane (Zorki) as "All measurements start from the surface of the pressure plate as it is pressed against the film rails by two thin leaf springs.” Should that be with film loaded?
All the best.
B.

 

[ZorkiKat]

Hi Jay. Have you noticed any difference between the 2 coating when shooting black and white? Could be just me but I find the straw ones flare less, though that said, I've not done any specific test to back this up. And while I think about it: On your site (a gem to us novice FSU owners) you give instructions for measuring the flange to film plane (Zorki) as "All measurements start from the surface of the pressure plate as it is pressed against the film rails by two thin leaf springs.” Should that be with film loaded?
All the best.
B.

Hi B.

Can't really tell which would flare more. The only lenses I got which I can compare directly are J-9 and the J-12 which I have in both blue and straw coatings. I haven't seen an improvement, ie, less flare, in one over the other. Flare is however reduced when a hood is used over the lens, or when
the lens surface is recessed deep enough (like the J-12). The lens I got most flares from - used in multiple studio lighting setup with plenty of back and side lighting is an Industar-61 L/D which has a straw-coloured coating.

Between Jupiter-8 lenses, the 'youngest' in my stable is a 1977 black version. Its coating looks rather white.

Regarding measuring working distances, having dummny film inside the camera would help. I've set distances both with film and without film.

Jay

 

[Shadesofgrey]

Hi Jay, thanks for the info and the help; now going to set film distance correctly and then, have fun shimming my j-8 (must be an easier way?) :bang: Love “S I E S T A” by the way; and 100 Lucky film adds to its dreamy air. What’s with the “Paracetamol” ‘News room.’
All the best.
B.

 

[ZorkiKat]

Hi Jay, thanks for the info and the help; now going to set film distance correctly and then, have fun shimming my j-8 (must be an easier way?) :bang: Love “S I E S T A” by the way; and 100 Lucky film adds to its dreamy air. What’s with the “Paracetamol” ‘News room.’
All the best.
B.

Hi B.

Thanks too.

Is your J-8 really off? Before you do any adjustments, check the lens well. What I thought to be defects in my J-3 and J-8 and even J-9 turned out to be really defects in the cameras' (FSU) calibrations. They all focused properly. The aforementioned J-9 was even kept for years because it was perceived to be defective. Imagine my surprise when it shot on the dot with a Leica IIIc.

In the Zorki-1 instruction manuals, there is a chapter about using the faster Jupiter 50mm lenses. It supposed to say there that the camera must be calibrated first.

The "Newsroom" photo is the last commercial/editorial work I did on film (99% of the clients prefer digital). It is a portrait of Sykes, a local artist who was featured in a magazine where the photo was published. It was shot with a Jupiter-3 on a Leica M3. No adjustments done on that lens. The Paracetamol in the description is for a paracetamol-derived developer which users affectionately call "paRodinal". Developer is cheap and easy to make. Readily accessible for us here in parts of the world where the real Rodinal (or any BW film developer for that matter)is difficult if not impossible to get. Works in every bit just like the real one.

Jay

 

[Shadesofgrey]

“99% of the clients prefer digital.”

Hi Jay.
It was always in the cards; just glad film is still around. As to the J-8’s: I was given two (one silver 1958 one black 1975) by a friend whom had decided to do a boot (yard/garage) sale. He didn’t know/remmember their origins and could only assume they’d been lying in pieces (Both completely stripped) for years in a box of junk he’d been given by his aunt years ago; apparently, her husband was into photography at some point. Anyway: There are no shims in the box that the J-8’s came in so I’m about to embark on a ‘Suck it and see’ crusade, I have a few shims from boot sale/ebay donors and the silver one is worth the effort as even under a loupe there are on scratches visible on any of the glass surfaces: And that’s a first as my others all have some minor cleaning marks! Must be a mathematical solution to working out the shims, mmmmmm, have to think about that. So; how about a recipe for “paRodinal then” love to try it. I can only guess the quality of your print that the J-3 produced ‘News Room’ as I’m viewing on a TFT lap top: still looks stunning though………

All the best.