Leica Showcase Jupiter 8

[Brian]

Item location: Barnaul, Altaiskii kray, Russian Federation
Shipping to: Worldwide

Excludes: Aruba, Afghanistan, Angola, Anguilla, Albania, Andorra, Netherlands Antilles, United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Armenia, American Samoa, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan Republic, Burundi, Belgium, Benin, Burkina Faso, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Bahrain, Bahamas, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belarus, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil, Barbados, Brunei Darussalam, Bhutan, Botswana, Central African Republic, Canada, Switzerland, Chile, China, Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Cameroon, Congo, Democratic Republic of the, Congo, Republic of the, Cook Islands, Colombia, Comoros, Cape Verde Islands, Costa Rica, Cayman Islands, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Germany, Djibouti, Dominica, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Algeria, Ecuador, Egypt, Eritrea, Western Sahara, Spain, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, Fiji, Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), France, Micronesia, Gabon Republic, United Kingdom, Georgia, Guernsey, Ghana, Gibraltar, Guinea, Guadeloupe, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Greece, Grenada, Greenland, Guatemala, French Guiana, Guam, Guyana, Hong Kong, Honduras, Croatia, Republic of, Haiti, Hungary, Indonesia, India, Ireland, Iraq, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Jersey, Jordan, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, Kiribati, Saint Kitts-Nevis, Korea, South, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Saint Lucia, Liechtenstein, Sri Lanka, Lesotho, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Macau, Morocco, Monaco, Moldova, Madagascar, Maldives, Mexico, Marshall Islands, Macedonia, Mali, Malta, Montenegro, Mongolia, Mozambique, Mauritania, Montserrat, Martinique, Mauritius, Malawi, Malaysia, Mayotte, Namibia, New Caledonia, Niger, Nigeria, Nicaragua, Niue, Netherlands, Norway, Nepal, Nauru, New Zealand, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Poland, Puerto Rico, Portugal, Paraguay, French Polynesia, Qatar, Reunion, Romania, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore, Saint Helena, Svalbard and Jan Mayen, Solomon Islands, Sierra Leone, El Salvador, San Marino, Somalia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Serbia, Suriname, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Swaziland, Seychelles, Turks and Caicos Islands, Chad, Togo, Thailand, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Tuvalu, Taiwan, Tanzania, Uganda, Ukraine, Uruguay, United States, Uzbekistan, Vatican City State, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Venezuela, British Virgin Islands, Virgin Islands (U.S.), Vietnam, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna, Western Samoa, Yemen, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Africa, Americas, Antarctic Region, Arctic Region, Asia, Australian Continent, Central America and Caribbean, European Union, Europe, Greater China, Middle East, North America, Oceania, APO/FPO, Rest of Asia, South America, Southeast Asia, Svalbard and Jan Mayen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen, French Polynesia

Ebay appears to have placed exclusions on where Russian sellers can sell to. The above now appears on all of the listings by Russian sellers. I guess they can continue to sell within Russia. For whatever reason- Ebay has done this rather than just exclude Russian Listings.

 

[boojum]

If too much tome goes by and you do not receive the item, you can go through Ebay for a refund.

I cannot understand why Ebay has not shutdown operations in Russia and the Ukraine.

I also have a delivery in limbo- and will go through Ebay if necessary. Ebay itself should be more proactive in this situation.
I will be doing much less business on Ebay.

OTOH there are honest, decent merchants in Russia who will be needlessly suffering the impact of sanctions and war. The fellow I am doing business with seems none too happy about current events in what I am able to read into his post.

Now that the ruble has cratered some hard currency could make a huge difference in his and his family's life. He and countless others are harmed by and not supportive of Putin's adventurism. And it looks like their damage will be worse and longer lasting than ours. Transactions at this level would do little to support the Russian war machine if anything at all. eBay is the neutral go-between. On a transaction by transaction level or even at a merchant level we are not talking large capital transfers. And eBay handles a lot more than Russia despite our addiction to Jupiter and other Russian lenses. As a part of the day's transactions on the day I bought the lens my purchase is insignificant. Even at the level of Russian transactions, and quite possibly at the level of Russian lens transactions for that day.

I have a hard time seeing it as "trading with the enemy." Until we close the spigot of Russian POL there will be that transfer of capital. And Forbes pegs our Russian oil purchases at 3.5% of total domestic consumption. (Percent Of U.S. Oil Imports From Russia Highest In Decades — At 3.5%) This Russian oil thing is just waving the bloody shirt but not really important. It can be used to stir up the uninformed but seems to be insignificant in fact.

So, back to the problem, getting the lens. It is a well-known fact that men live on hope. Ask any woman. I will hold on, say a prayer to St. Jude, and bide my time as patiently as I can. Eschewing eBay would be very difficult. I can get a lens hood for US$30 and up regular retail or US$5 on eBay. I suspect that regular retail is sourcing their lens hoods, as an example, from where I am. Free market capitalism in action. UV filters are a different deal. I like top-of-the line for putting in front of the lenses I have. So it is pick and choose.

As for the war in Ukraine itself, it is heartbreaking. Seeing fathers bid farewell to their families at train stations, their futures unsure, is very painful to see, more painful to experience. Some way, somehow, someone has to stop Putin as he seems unable to stop on his own. Like other autocrats and wanna-be autocrats he could give a fig less for his people. His sole concern is himself. Let's hope for a speedy resolution in Ukraine's favor.

 

[boojum]

The Sonnar 5cm F2, and others- have a lot of field curvature. With the center of the image focused for infinity, you can expect the 2/3rds point and edge to be focused at closer point. Imagine a dampened sine wave running through the image.

I'll try to find the diagram, have it from a very old book on optics.

Dampened sine wave! I love it. And you must expect us to all be tech literate. For some, like me, even literate is the occasional struggle. I do understand what you are saying, though. Apt and succinct.

 

[Brian]

I just happen to have found a diagram in a book from the 1940s that someone at work was tossing out.

 

[boojum]

Will this be on the final?

 

[Brian]

I expect a polynomial fit for the C, S, and E curves for the image field.

 

[boojum]

I expect a polynomial fit for the C, S, and E curves for the image field.

I'm digging out my old Algebra text right now. ;o)

 

[Brian]

I have a Fortran code that I wrote 35 years ago that does it automatically for me.

Nikki even used it on her 5th grade Science Fair project.

 

[boojum]

I have a Fortran code that I wrote 35 years ago that does it automatically for me.

Nikki even used it on her 5th grade Science Fair project.

Oh, that's a real morale booster for this old geezer. ;o)

Never wrote FORTRAN but have heard it is very good at what it is designed for. PL/I, remember that one?, is also reputed to be wonderful. The C family is the work of the Devil. By usage I prefer English-like languages. Easier to understand and maintain and when well-written, oh so rarely, it can be self-documenting. I always strove to write clearly understandable top-down highly structured code with single-function called modules. Even wrote a module for line counter. The shop required only that it be damned good, understandable code that was easily maintainable. It was the best shop I was ever in, Ætna.

All so long ago. Over twenty years ago and not missed. No more 2:00 AM calls.

 

[Brian]

I remember PL/I and IBM's claim that it would replace FORTRAN by 1968. Did not happen.

FORTRAN is the Language of the Jedi Masters.

There is no "try", there is only "DO".

 

[boojum]

I remember PL/I and IBM's claim that it would replace FORTRAN by 1968. Did not happen.

FORTRAN is the Language of the Jedi Masters.

There is no "try", there is only "DO".

You do realize we may just as well be talking about Runes and their meanings. Those damned Romans upended everything. I just looked at some FORTRAN code on-line and it looks straight forward but no Working Storage that I could see so definitions are all over. Is that correct? I can see how it could get really dense. Not all formulae define the price of coffee blends. ;o)

 

[Brian]

Fortran-77 requires all variables to be defined before the first line of executable code within a subroutine or function. Local variables of a routine can be allocated on a temperary basis, or made static by the programmer. No dynamic memory allocation at runtime, no heap, no garbage collection. Fortran produces Synchronous code with no "time-Out" taken by the system. I write all my own device drivers and interrupt handlers. I typically run with system interrupts disabled for timing-sensitive code and get sub-microsecond response times. I use Fortran+Assembly for embedded code that controls hardware. Always frustrating to use a Camera with Firmware that hangs up fundamental functions like cocking the shutter after taking a picture. Leica firmware is extremely bad.

 

[boojum]

Fortran-77 requires all variables to be defined before the first line of executable code within a subroutine or function. Local variables of a routine can be allocated on a temperary basis, or made static by the programmer. No dynamic memory allocation at runtime, no heap, no garbage collection. Fortran produces Synchronous code with no "time-Out" taken by the system. I write all my own device drivers and interrupt handlers. I typically run with system interrupts disabled for timing-sensitive code and get sub-microsecond response times. I use Fortran+Assembly for embedded code that controls hardware. Always frustrating to use a Camera with Firmware that hangs up fundamental functions like cocking the shutter after taking a picture. Leica firmware is extremely bad.

I wrote very little of the C family and found it pretty disgusting. I regard it as a lazy way to write bad Assembler. I caused about all my damage in COBOL which is free of those idiotic C requirements to keep you from shooting yourself in the foot.

That Leica has crappy firmware does not surprise me. They are getting by on digital kludges of the M3. Maybe Leica needed a mercy killing and not Kaufmann. I do enjoy using my Leicas, yes. But it is like using hammer and nails to build a home rather than a nail gun and pre-built roof trusses. My Sony A7 III never lets me down and has some pretty good color. It is always in focus and correctly exposed and can see in the dark. Each brand has its strengths.

It is sunny here today so I will be out with the M9/J8 combo. It's a good combo. I'll have the Canon 50mm LTM f/1.8 along, too. I am really liking the J8 more and more.

 

[Brian]

I kept my M9 at firmware release 1.176 until it needed to go to Leica for CCD replacement. It came back with a clean sensor and crappy firmware that about 1 in 5 shots hangs up cocking the shutter until the write buffer had flushed. Leica originally used an Aerospace company to develop their firmware, then moved it in-house. The number of bugs in firmware went up dramatically.

I learned C and MIPS R3000 assembly language in the same week.
I wrote about 100 Macros for C to make it look just like Fortran the second week. This is from that week, 1995. I still use the macros when I need to use C.

iloc= LOC( i);
jloc= LOC( j);
kloc= LOC( k);
output= fopen( "test.dat", "w");
handle= filcrt( "test2.dat", LOC( CRTNRM));
datastruct.outy2.word1= 150;
structptr= LOC( datastruct);
FOR( i= 0; i LE 9; i++) BEGIN
dynptr[ i]= ( STRUCTURE newtyp POINTER) malloc( sizeof( STRUCTURE newtyp));
printf( "allocated memory at address %x\n", dynptr[ i]);
datastruct.sint= 100;
dynptr[ i]-> sint= datastruct.sint;
ENDFOR
CALL displaystruc( structptr);
CALL displaystruc( dynptr[ 9]);
FOR( i= 0; i LE 9; i++) BEGIN
CALL free( dynptr[ i]);
printf( "free memory at %x.\n", dynptr[ i]);
ENDFOR
i= 0;
j= 0;

IF ( ( i EQ 1) XOR ( j EQ 1)) THEN
CALL display( ".xor. test: True");
ELSEIF( i EQ 0) THEN
CALL display( "ELSEIF test: True");
ELSE
CALL display( ".xor. test: False");
ENDIF

Real Fortran programmers can write Fortran in any language.

 

[boojum]

Now that is real code. I wrote the stuff COBOL was deigned to be written by, unemployed LibArts majors. Way better than, "Do you want fries with that?" Back in the day when knowing COBOL and having a half-mil pencil could get you a job anywhere in the world. I was lucky to be around when the gravy train was running. I worked as a scribe for about 20 years. I am so grateful to have retired in '99.

 

[boojum]

I am still dinking around with the M9/J8 combo as I like it a lot. I was really down on the J8 at first thinking it was not good at color or definition. I was wrong. Check out the nets on the Iron Lady in this photo. Sharp. If you are unaware you can click the image at Flickr and it will get larger. No smarmy comments now.

This is my current fave: Leica M9 plus Jupiter 8. The Jupiter was at f/5.6.

1957 KMZ Jupiter 8. I paid US$100 for it on eBay. I'd say I got my money's worth and then some. I am really pleased with it. It was extremely color accurate in the one test I did. This is a 65 year old Soviet lens based on a pre-WW II Zeiss design. I believe the boats are shrimpers.

flickr.com

​

And I still love the Ocean Beauty corporate logo. It's a slow town. ;o)

Leica M9, Jupiter 8

I just love the corporate logo of this company

flickr.com

 

[mpeterson]

I enjoyed the images in this thread. I picked up a 1960 aluminum Jupiter-8 about a year ago from a seller in Ukraine, but it arrived with either a fungus or at least etching marks of a past one. The seller said in his post that it had been CLA'd but didn't disclose the evidence of the fungus (and they didn't show up in his photos of the lens). It wasn't worth sending back, and I've kept it separate from my other gear. I recently found a YouTube video that shows how to disassemble/reassemble and clean one of these and I think I'll give it a go. I've been rather busy and haven't attempted it yet, but I think I'll dive in this next week. Any words of wisdom from anyone who has taken one of these apart?

 

[Brian]

https://pentax-manuals.com/repairs/j8service.pdf

J8 service guide- better than a video. Lots of small screws, I use Wiha screwdrivers. Use an ice-cube tray to keep parts in order, and take lots of pictures.

Where is the fungus located? If it is on the surfaces on each side of the aperture blades, the rear group unscrews for easy access.

 

[mpeterson]

J8 service guide- better than a video. Lots of small screws, I use Wiha screwdrivers. Use an ice-cube tray to keep parts in order, and take lots of pictures.

Where is the fungus located? If it is on the surfaces on each side of the aperture blades, the rear group unscrews for easy access.

Thanks Brian! This is really helpful - much appreciated. The fungus appears to be on the back surface of the front element.

 

[Brian]

That will require you to unscrew the barrel from the focus mount; remove retaining ring that the shims sit on- 1 screw. Be sure to Mark the orientation of the ring, I use an arrow. Unscrew the retaining ring, then take out the screw that links the aperture ring to the underlying mechanism. Remove the ring- see two set screws holding the name ring in place. Mark the positions, I scribe a mark in the barrel. Remove the two set screws- the namering unscrews. The front element comes out, as does a spacer and the middle triplet. "Done"