Leica Jupiter-8 M39 mount adjusted for Leica - Pics

[carlb]

Brian did a great job on this one. Smooth adjustments, rangefinder perfectly calibrated perfectly. Fits to the Leica M 240 with a Metabones L39 Screw Mount to Leica M adapter (6-Bit 50mm/75mm).

Haven't had a chance to check close focusing yet, but two from Fort Snelling state park yesterday before a pickup at the airport:

minnesota river reflection by Carl B, on Flickr

highway 55 over the minnesota river by Carl B, on Flickr

Focus peaking on the M indicates that for long-shots, images are sharpest from f2.5 out to f16 or so. Infinity focusing is nice and sharp.

A check of the rangefinder focusing compared to M's focus-peaking indicated focus: spot-on.

A sharpie used in the adapter's 6-bit wells did not work for the camera to recognize a lens, so I'll have to try something "blacker" than a Sharpie, and perhaps something "whiter" than just the unmarked encoding wells.

I'll add some close-focus pics when I get a chance to shoot some. But so far, superb for imaging with. Thanks, Brian!

 

[Brian]

The colors came out beautifully- Sonnar and Leica, a great combination.

The KMZ Jupiter-8's are all good- but the 1950s focus mounts were the best. I will be interested in seeing close focus on your M240: I "ever-so-slightly" changed the focal length on this one to do better across the full range, and filed the threads to get close focus "slightly closer".

 

[Hap]

Carl
Do you actually use the 50mm profile selection of your 240 and this J8...or turn it off?

 

[carlb]

For these, I had it set for automatic detection. However the camera is not able to detect my Sharpie blackened encoding well markings.

So for these shots, the camera didn't know the focal length or characteristics of the lens:

Lens: not selected
Aperture: ƒ/6.8
Shutter: 1/750
ISO: 320

Correction for magenta side-tints probably is not likely enabled by default, and neither would be "barrel" or "keystone" corrections. I shoot manual settings (mostly), and then check the exposure indication within the optical RF viewfinder as well as my own take on the exposure when pressing the shutter button half-way.

 

[Hap]

Yes...I have fiddled with your practice of manually underexposing by about 1/2 stop compared to the in RF exposure indicator. Seems like it would be easier to just set the EV to about -.3. It's a nice feature to use LV and review the DOF and exposure before pressing completely.

From what I read, even the in camera corrections of coded lenses do not really add much....but maybe yes?

I have two J8's.... I believe both are KMZ but Brian would recognize the logo quicker. One of them (the earlier ), he shimmed and frankly, it is right on with the RF and LV at close focus. The other is untouched and needs to be shimmed. all near perfect glass.

 

[Brian]

They are KMZ- the Trapezoid Prism with light ray. Shimming these lenses makes a world of difference. Around 12 rears ago I bought 5 J-3's to take apart after reading the terrible reviews of them. Knowing the great reputation of Russian optics from the 1970s- simply refused to believe they could be bad. They were simply built to a different standard, like comparing Nikon with Contax rangefinders. That difference is well documented, and I shimmed a Nikon S2 to take Zeiss lenses. Figured the same would work for Russian lenses on Leica cameras.

 

[Hap]

I have no developed skill for shimming or refffiting elements In new mounts. The Sonnetar on my camera has a comaadjustment....but it changesfocal length and LV on a 240 easily shows how focus affected. A slightly inconvenient but very effective way to adjust a sonnar on the fly.

Of course floating elements seem to be a better solution. Miyazaki would not have the resources for that or the philosophy.....since the aberrations are part of the charm and creative flexibility. Would also destroy the form factor for a lens that is blazingly fast.

Sounds good in the abstract......in practice, perhaps.

 

[carlb]

Wide open f2, shortest focus distance - about 30 inch give or take:

new linden leaves by Carl B, on Flickr

 

[Hap]

Bubbles!!

 

[Brian]

Wide open f2, shortest focus distance - about 30 inch give or take:

View attachment 14375
new linden leaves by Carl B, on Flickr

Always a relief to see the wide-open/close-up shots! In film days- this test was much more forgiving, getting the shim to ~0.04mm was good enough. In Digital Daze: 0.01mm is noticeable. For Monochrom cameras: it needs to be set knowing which color filters are likely to be used.

 

[radi(c)al_cam]

Around 12 rears ago I bought 5 J-3's to take apart after reading the terrible reviews of them. Knowing the great reputation of Russian optics from the 1970s- simply refused to believe they could be bad.

Wait, then to a certainly not small extent Roger Hicks and Frances Schultz (and their comments regarding the Jupiter-3 in their Rangefinder book, 2003) are to blame that you discovered the shimming technique

 

[Brian]

Not Roger and Frances; it was old Photo.net forum and a few other websites. One posted "If you get a good J-3, hold onto it forever- you are unlikely to come across another." After taking over 200 apart to shim: I would say that 1 in 5 did not require the shim to be changed; 3 in 5 were "good enough" by changing the shim alone; about 1 in 5 required the Shim and Focal length to be changed. I currently have two J-3's with Zeiss made elements that required the focal length and shim to be changed, another that required transplanting the glass to a new barrel. They are equal to my Wartime Sonnar.

 

[carlb]

Bubbles!!

" (Not so) Tiny bubbles (tiny bubbles) / In the pic (in the pic) / Make me happy (make me happy) / Make me feel fine (make me feel fine)"

Call me "Don Ho."

 

[Hap]

I would never call you a "ho"....Don or not. However, you have a nice singing voice.