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In that the Jupiter 8 is one of the highest production lenses made by KMZ near Moscow, a lot of them seemed to have been thrown together, maybe after a few stiff tots of vodka. Maybe if you can find one at a dealer, take along a 50/75mm LTM to LM adapter, a test diagram printed on A3 paper and take a couple of test shots.

 

The Jupiter is an old design dating from the 1935 Zeiss Sonnar, where the Russians took away most of the machinery from Jena in 1945/46. However it was a very good design in 1935 and considerably better than the contemporaneous Leica Summar.

 

You would have to be very lucky to find a Jupiter that would do justice to your M8. It would be at bit like buying a Porsche and putting on cheap used retread tyres. As Zombii says, a lot of better alternatives out there. Have a look at CameraQuest Home Page where there is a lot of information on Leica and Leica fit lenses.

 

Wilson

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Ok, I got the Canon 85/1.8. It's in great condition overall. Only problem is a couple of faint marks on the front element. The focus ring is very nice and the aperture ring very crisp. Focus is spot on which is as much as I had hoped for. The lens is very sharp as Dirk has shown. I'm not sure I like the color rendition as much as the Nikkor but I haven't shot enough with it yet to really make a judgment on that. Here's some shots from the last couple of days.

 

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My J-3 rarely leaves the M8.

 

The Jupiter-3 is a lens through which I have curiosity but I'm afraid to buy one. I had problems with a Canon 135/3.5 (1960) did not focus properly on the M8 (perhaps by an adapter is not good) but I was upset a little. Does the Jupiter-3 lens has trouble focusing on the M8?

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Most J-3's will back-focus on a Leica, and requires the shim of the lens to be thickened. Some have already been adjusted, some- you just luck out and they work.

 

Kim Coxon hosts serveral DIY repair guides for lenses, including the J-3.

 

PENTAX MANUALS

 

They are easy to work on.

 

Look for one that has been used on a Leica, with example pictures.

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I picked up a LTM Summaron 35mm lens (1953) from Sam Shoshan last week and did my first full shoot with it yesterday.

 

Not your usual street photography, but instead a fashion shoot on the street to capture clothing by designer Leah Delfiner in Philadelphia.

 

I read quite a bit on the Forum about the Summaron and debates for/against in terms of performance before buying at a very reasonable price.

 

Performance was, frankly, incredible. It was almost too clean and modern in how it rendered. Did I say I love purchasing 58-year-old glass, mounting it, affixing the filter (via a SOOGZ), and then shooting straight away?

 

 

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PrettyPrettyRebel's "Bang" - Sally Wong by willstotler, on Flickr

 

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PrettyPrettyRebel's "80s Mullet" - Talia Arochas by willstotler, on Flickr

 

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PrettyPrettyRebel's "Wild Child" - Sally Wong by willstotler, on Flickr

 

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PrettyPrettyRebel's "The Bowie Dress" - Talia Arochas by willstotler, on Flickr

 

Really happy--figured I'd share.

 

Cheers!

Will

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Very nice Will, I like this one:

PrettyPrettyRebel's "Wild Child" - Sally Wong | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

 

The Summaron is incredible - the nicest of them in my opinion is the f3.5 LTM version, which is a lot more compact even than the later M mount version with same optical formula.

 

Thanks, Menos. I was very surprised. I'm expecting that the M8's crop factor of 1.3x helps this lens--vignetting and soft edges are very reduced. Now, I did want *more* of that look in the photos (could have shot these with the 35mm Summicron ASPH instead if I wanted sharp-sharp), so the flip side is that the M8's 1.3x crop factor hampered the vintage look. Ah, well. I'm pleased. It's a good lens.

 

Maybe I need to go older.

 

Cheers!

Will

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Thanks, Menos. I was very surprised. I'm expecting that the M8's crop factor of 1.3x helps this lens--vignetting and soft edges are very reduced. Now, I did want *more* of that look in the photos (could have shot these with the 35mm Summicron ASPH instead if I wanted sharp-sharp), so the flip side is that the M8's 1.3x crop factor hampered the vintage look. Ah, well. I'm pleased. It's a good lens.

 

Maybe I need to go older.

Cheers!

Will

 

Haha ;-)

 

Yes, maybe …

I found, that the Summaron 3.5 is extremely sharp in the center, which completely surprised me, when I got mine (LTM, one helicoid version, not the more modern mount version).

 

Here is a few from the 1932 Hektor, now clean with wonderful silky smooth focus mount and like new aperture and clean glass - love that lens!

 

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big on teknopunk.com or on flickr

 

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"bump" big on flickr

 

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"sad face" big on flickr

 

Next year is Hektor's 80th anniversary - I'll definitely throw a party :)

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I just bought a later series version 1 chrome summilux mint complete with box and hood and everything. Focus is dead on, and I wonder who ever complained about it being not sharp or has focus issues. Its amazingly great, and the way it renders a picture is totally different (which I like better) than the asph version.

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I just bought a later series version 1 chrome summilux mint complete with box and hood and everything. Focus is dead on, and I wonder who ever complained about it being not sharp or has focus issues. Its amazingly great, and the way it renders a picture is totally different (which I like better) than the asph version.

 

+1!

 

Cheers,

Bruno

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  • 3 weeks later...

Old glass - be it on the M8 or M9 are fantastic. They have this certain characteristic that is no longer available in the newer glasses. Not that the newer ones are bad, but they're just different. Some like it some don't. Me? I love old glass.

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The Hektor 7,3 cm 1,9 has had its deserved part in this thread... here's one from it... a "natural" low-contrast that is even a pity to force in Post Processing... :o

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