M39 lens recommendation needed

[IANUS]

Hello,

it was probably discussed in the past but somehow

I got - a bit by accident - a nice Voigtländer Bessa R (just couldn't resist ). Unfortunately it is withaout a lens. I think for a start a lens with a focal length of around 50 will do.

For a start I was thinking of getting one of those Russian lenses made for the Zorki or Zenit cameras. What experiences do you have with them. Since there are quiet a few versions out there which on would be the one to get.

How do they compare to the old Leica lenses since they are much more expensive.

I have read that some M39 lenses are not compatible with the Bessa R. Is there somewhere a list?

Thanks,
Tobias

[sichko]

As far as I know all Zenit cameras are SLRs whereas the Zorkis are Rangefinders. In fact the early Zenits were made by adding a mirror box to the basic Zorki design. Thus the lens registration distance is increased significantly and M39 lenses intended for the Zenit will not work with the Zorki - or Bessa. There is a recent thread on this forum listing the Zenit/M39 lenses.

[peterqd]

Yes, forget Zenit lenses. Ianus, to be absolutely correct, you are looking for Leica Thread Mount lenses (LTM), made by Leica, Voigtlander, Nikon, Canon and others. There is a long list of lenses on this site:
http://www.cameraquest.com/ltmlens.htm

The thread is slightly different to true metric thread (M39) as used on the Russian cameras. The pitch of the Leica thread is 26 per inch but M39 is 1mm (25.4 per inch). For a few turns the threads will intermix, but eventually they will bind up and so it may not be possible to screw the lens in fully to its proper seating.

However, if you're willing to risk it, the standard lenses on Zorki and Fed rangefinders were the Jupiter-8 (2.8/50), the Industar-50 (3.5/50) and the Industar-61 (2.8/52). I have no experience of the I-61 but the J-8 is a super little lens. The I-50 is a great lens too, but one stop slower and more awkward to use than the J-8 in my opinion. If you go for an I-50 be careful - it comes in two versions, for the Zenit SLRs and the Zorki/Fed RFs, so make sure you get the one that looks like it has an extension tube.

In my experience, second-hand Russian lenses, especially the silver ones, are often stiff and need lubricating, and I've had two that I can't open at all. If I had to recommend one lens I'd choose a later black version of the Jupiter-8.