Leica Showcase KMZ 50/2 Jupiter-8 in LTM: "Best of the Bottom"

Brian

Product of the Fifties
The Jupiter-8 is a Sonnar formula lens, based on the pre-war Zeiss Sonnar. I've used Jupiter-8 lenses made as early as 1952 and as late as the late 1980s. They have all been good. as with the other Russian lenses- they are made to the Zeiss standard, and benefit from being shimmed for best focus on the Leica.

These are with a 1964 lens, in a focus helical modified for close-focus to 0.7m.
j8_on_m9.jpg
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j8_grass2_old_close_f2.jpg
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j8_grass2_new_close_f2.jpg
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j8_grass1_f2.jpg
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j8_flare1_f2.jpg
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These are with an early 1952 lens. 100% crops, then full frame. The filenames give the F-Stop.
cherry_blossom_f4_crop.jpg
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cherry_blossom_f4.jpg
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cherry_blossom_f2_crop.jpg
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cherry_blossom_f2.jpg
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azalia_f2_crop.jpg
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azalia_f2.jpg
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I have a J8 and a J3 leftover from my FED3. I've used them both on the M9, and both yield images singular to each lens though neither one focuses correctly. One of these days, I'll make the time to shim and adjust each. The J3 is really low contrast, which can come in really handy in high contrast situations.
 
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