Adjust 50/2 Jupiter-8 for Leica?

[peter_a._klein]

I normally shoot with an M6 TTL or an M4-P. I also have a Zorki 4

with 50/2 Jupiter-8 that I inherited from a late friend. While the

camera works well, it is a bit clunky and the viewfinder is

impossible when I'm wearing glasses. I really like the J-8 lens,

though. It has a 1930s "retro" look that I really like, especially at

f/2.8 and f/4. Great for B&W pictures of people.

 

Right now the lens focuses correctly on the Zorki. It is a bit off on

the Leica. I suspect the Zorki and J-8 were adjusted to each other.

Would be worth it to get the J-8 adjusted to focus on my Leicas (with

LTM-M adapter)?

 

I'm generally familiar with the compatibility issues between FSU

lenses and Leica. If the J-8 can be adjusted so that it focuses

properly at all distances, great. If I would end up with the

infamous Jupiter-9 85/2 problem, where the lens focuses properly from

12 feet to infinity but is off at closer range, then it's not worth

it. Been there, done that. :-)

 

If the J-8 could be adjusted so that it is accurate in the 3 to 12

foot range wide open, and depth of field would cover the farther

distances at f/5.6 and narrower, that might be OK, but I'd have to

think about it.

 

Any thoughts, particularly direct experience? Thanks.

 

--Peter

[david_clark4]

Hi Peter, there is a place on the web called the Kiev survival site that has a diagram for adjusting the J-8 for infinity focus - which I recently had to do. And it worked, the factory was off, it lacked a .014 shim.

 

Tell me, in your experience with the J-8, did they all have a yellow cast to the color of the glass. And how well are they expected to perform with regards to pin-cushion effects?

[peter_a._klein]

David: My lens, vintage 1962, doesn't have a visible yellow cast, and the coatings are a nice blue color. I don't have any personal experience with any J-8 lens except this one, and I haven't delved into things like pincushion distortion.

 

The Kiev repair site describes the Kiev/Contax version of the lens. On the Leica screw mount version, the lens is more complex, because the lens mount does the focusing, not the camera. Same optics, different mount. It was fun to read, anyway. :-)

 

If you read up on the Zeiss Sonnar 50/2, you'll get plenty of information on the J-8, because they are basically the same lens.

 

Here's a mirror self-portrait with the Zorki and J-8, taken at f/4:

http://users.2alpha.com/~pklein/31PeterZorkiMirror.jpg

 

--Peter

[kaiblanke]

Peter,

<p>

I also have a J-8, working nicely on my M2's and a CL. It has a special look which I really like, and if it cost you USD 20-30 to get it adjusted, it is well worth it. But then for this amount you could get another one from e*ay with a good chance (or a return privelege) that it works on the M's. I would rather go that way.

[kelly_flanigan1]

The vast majority of Jupiter-8's LTM's I have tested focus correct on a Leica M3 with adapter; that also tracks correctly with 2 Summicrons and an old Noct. The ill Jupiter-8's I have used are a 1970's black model; and a 1960's lens. All the 1950's and early 1960's track ok. The cam ring on these lenses is a softer aluminum; if warn tbey will not couple to the rangefinder correctly. An ill zorki can be corrected to exactly match a Leica. Everything is adjustable. The lens mount can be shimmed; mine seem nerver to require this devilish fix. The infinity adjust of the rangefinder can me set. The close focus of the rangefinder can be adjusted; setting the gain of the rangefinder system. All this is done with a known LTM lens ; or tooling if you have the time and bucks. A cheap zorki can be a second leica body; and focus at all the distances correctly. The Jupiter -8 is the most consistant Russian lens made in LTM. it might be cheaper to get another lens and body combo from the ukraine; than mess with a lens tha may already be anothers mess. <BR><BR>

[kelly_flanigan1]

Re <I>if it cost you USD 20-30 to get it adjusted, it is well worth it.</i><BR><BR>Most all the zorki's with lenses and shipping cost me less than 15 dollars before 9/11. Now this is what just shipping is. The last zorki 3c with J-8 I got was about 28 bucks with freight. Some stuff has no bidders; and sonme have lower shipping costs too. The junk Russian gear on ebay has been from fellow Americans; who sell off their duds that focus bad.

[mskovacs]

The Kiev (Contax) and LTM J-8s are quite different since the former doesn't even have a focusing mount. Adjusting the infinity focus via a shim is good to check, but the film to flange distance on LTM is standard so it should work with both cameras, unless one has an improperly set lens mount. In that case, shim the lens mount rather than every lens you own for that one camera.

 

<p>Dante Stella has <a href="http://www.dantestella.com/technical/compat.html">food for thought</a> on his website regarding slight rangefinder incompatability between Leica and Soviet LTM. If the helical pitch is different, there is really nothing you can do to maintain accurate focus from minimum to infinity except to steer clear of lenses with a small depth of field. I think in many cases that the J-8 (50/2) and J-12 (35/2.8) slip by while the J-3 (50/1.5), J-9 (85/2) and J-11 (135/4) require too critical focusing for this error. Can't really comment much on that because my experience is with the Contax mount lenses which are excellent.

[peter_a._klein]

Kelly: Thanks, I've read your earlier posts re. Russian lenses and was hoping you would weigh in.

 

Mike: Yes, the whole compatiblity controversy really muddies the waters. If the issues with Russian lenses on Leica/VC cameras is just a matter of quality control or incompetent repair, then it's just a question of getting a good specimen. But if Dante is right about "Ivan the Incompatible," then the only thing we can do is rely on depth of field with a lens adjusted for best compromise. Russian roulette, anyone?

 

I'll have to decide how much time and dollars I want to sink into this. Meanwhile, I have a working Zorki-4 with a matched J-8, CLAed by Oleg Khalyavin, so I don't have to rock the boat if I don't want to.

 

I just wish I could use the lens on my M cameras. . . :-)

 

--Peter