I just bought a Jupiter 8 on eBay - Update

revers · Last edited by revers on Mon Mar 14, 2011 12:57 pm; edited 1 time in total

Not sure if this was a good move or not, as reviews I have found are all over the map. It would seem it is very sharp in the center but poor @ the edges, if you get a good copy. I am hoping that on my 2x crop bodies I will get the sweet spot of the lens. I liked the fact that that it was faster by a bit than most soviet 50s & this one also comes with an extension tube allowing macro shots with it.

I am interested in the opinion of the folks here.

BTW, I have tried repeatedly to use the search function on this forum both now & in the past & cannot ever get a result. I must not be doing something correctly.

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

Small and good as than an any average 50mm lens.

aleksanderpolo · Joined: 24 Jan 2010 Posts: 684

But it's a Sonnar, so you cannot compare it with other 50s Laughing

I love my sonnar lens by the way, great for portrait

uhoh7 · Joined: 24 Nov 2010 Posts: 1300 Location: Idaho, USA

well this guy thinks it's the best russian 50:

"The Industar 61 L/D is possibly the most highly regarded, and certainly the most often discussed, optic for the Ukrainian Leica copies such as FED and Zorki. There is no doubt that it is a great, sharp lens, well-constructed and even handsome, all assuming of course that you are in posession of a good sample. And once overhauled (see Links below) the I-61 L/D can be quite the jewel in the crown of your kit. But... I must say, having pitted it directly against the other normal lenses in my LTM arsenal, I can't say that it performs even noticeably better than its brothers, the amber coated I-61 or even the oft-neglected I-26M. They are all great performers when working well. And I daresay the LTM Jupiter-8 has a slight edge on them all. Granted, it's nice to have click-stops on your aperture ring!"

http://www.mattdentonphoto.com/cameras/industar_61_ld.html

Nordentro · Expire: 2015-01-29

I also discovered that "quick search" doesn't work very well, so I usually use "search" Wink

I have two copies, one old 5cm from -55 and one newer black 50mm from -89. I can't really see much difference in IQ when I compare the two.

IMO the jupiter 8 is a good lens. Very Happy

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

To quick search need to select and mark word first and right after click on quick search.

Nordentro · Expire: 2015-01-29

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

Sorry it is not obvious , might be I will make a bubble hint on Quick search link to inform better people.

revers · Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 1:47 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the feedback guys, I sure hope I get a good copy.

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

You will Ron, I never seen any bad one from a couple of one what I did purchase already.

revers · Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 8:57 pm Post subject:

dsmlogger · Joined: 14 Apr 2010 Posts: 178 Location: Athens, Greece

One of my favorite Soviet lenses.

Not really sharp @ f/2, better @ f/4 and sharp @ f/5.6-8

Wonderful for portraits.

Smooth like butter and not as fattening!

LucisPictor · Expire: 2013-12-03

I could not spot any difference between my I61 and my J8 on film (FED 3), so I decided to sell the I61 and keep the J8 for the faster aperture.
Now that I've got a NEX, I would like to test again.
But I really like the J8 so I think I would not decide differently.

The lenses that could make me replace the J8 are a Summicron 50, a Summilux 50, a Summitar 50 or one of the Voigtländer 50mm M-lenses (Heliar 2/50, Nokton 1.5/50 or Nokton 1.1/50, the last one being rather big, perhaps too large for a replacement) or perhaps a Canon LTM 50.
But each of those is really expensive compared to a J8...