Jupiter 12 Russian lens in A12 module.

Hi Guys....

I an a SIGMA User.......

I should like to buy a GXR with A12 module to use my M39 russian lens such Jupiter 12, Jupiter 8, Jupiter 3, Industar 50 etc.... etc..... with this camera + adapter ring.

It is possible this solution without limitations ?

Thanks a lot for your suggestions

Salvatore

Hi Salvatore,

I have no idea about your Russian lenses but I use a Voigtländer 21mm M39 lens with adapter. It works perfectly and I do not notice any difference in usability compered to my M-mount lenses.

Yes you can provided your Russian lenses are L-mount lenses! If they are other types you'll have to find the proper adapters for them... I found a Jupiter 12 here in Tokyo a few months ago but didn't buy it since it was a contax RF mount and those adapters (contax RF to Leica M) are very hard to find! There was one on Amazon U.S. for almost $300 but the seller was not reliable so I let it go...

The Jupiter lenses are fantastic and practically dead copies of Zeiss lenses... very sharp and contrasty! I am always on the look out for a 35mm Jupiter!

Hope this helps...

Go for it.
The russian Jupiter lenses are beautiful on the GXR:













Rainer

Salvatore

If you can wade through the prejudice against Russian lenses (mostly form those who have never owned one) then they work fine on the M mount module.

Russian lenses get a bit of a bad reputation because they were common and cheap and often made of very thin soft aluminium, easily scratched and being cheap usually treated as such. But the fact was that they were more often than not straight copies of German designs (as you would know). Also some to think that they are cheap because they are no good and don't realise that the laws of supply and demand and huge quantites made make their cost affordable. Also being cheap means that no one is going to invest much time or money in a proper "tune up".

However get a good one and you have a nice good-performing bargain.

The rangefinder lenses are all ltm mount and need the easy to come by ltm-m adapter ring. There are others which are M42 mount and adapters to take these to M mount are also available. The Jupiter-9 85mm f2.0 comes in ltm or M42 versions and I actually prefer the M42 version. On adapter the J-9 is roughly the same length in both versions but the M42 has a much wider barrel, balances well and has a nicer focus ring action - most especially the earlier series with it's knobbly barrel.

The J-3 50mm f1.5 is a most excellent lens but really hard to find in great condition due to it's more usual silver aluminium body construction. It is well sought after especially in the rarer black anodised finish that wears better.

The Industar 61-L/D 50mm f2.8 is a very fine lens with Leica rigid design heritage and as cheap as anything due to the vast quantities made and sold. The Russar MP2 20mm f5.6 on the other hand is a nice enough lens but quite expensive simply due to it's rarity.

Also Russian lenses are "easier" to work on if they need work and that has encouraged a few amateur lens mechanics to have a play with them. Nothing like a scratched aluminim bodied out-of-infinity-focus lens fixed by a "repair man" on vodka with a nail file and some multigrips on the kitchen bench to ruin the reputation of a fine lens.

So be careful, there are good Russian lenses out there, reputable honest vendors, but there are a few flea market rogues in the market so use a big sieve to filter them out.

My absolute favourite is the ltm mount Jupiter-12 35mm f2.8 - an absolute gem of a lens and the GXR is actually one of the few digital cameras that it fits.

--
Tom Caldwell

I, too, love the Jupiter-12 LTM (I've had a page about it on my site for years, at:
http://www.griffinbyteworks.com/photography/equipment/jupiter12.html )

It's a revelation to me that it fits the GXR M-module - that's great news, and makes the GXR even more interesting to me. Usually, the very deep-penetrating rear element of the J-12 hits internal baffles or light meters of modern(-ish) rangefinders.

--
http://kaigr.500px.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kai_g/
http://www.griffinbyteworks.com/

I have a couple of Kiev's so I have the contax mount lenses and just got a set of adp (2)

one for the wide angle lenses and one for the normal and telephoto lenses. The 35 works fine on the GXR and the 50 is fine, I have not taken any pictures with the 85 yet. Hope to do that this weekend.

wbill

Salvatore Castrovinci said:

I should like to buy a GXR with A12 module to use my M39 russian lens such Jupiter 12, Jupiter 8, Jupiter 3, Industar 50 etc.... etc..... with this camera + adapter ring.

It is possible this solution without limitations ?

Click to expand...

the A12 Camera Mount comes with a tool (a mounting jig) that will allow you to be sure that the specific lenses you want to use will fit without mechanical clearance issues.

presuming that your lenses are all Leica Threaded Mount (M39), most LTM and M-bayonet lenses fit without any problems, but there are bound to be some edge cases along the way which do not fit.

z

zigorus said:

Salvatore Castrovinci said:

I should like to buy a GXR with A12 module to use my M39 russian lens such Jupiter 12, Jupiter 8, Jupiter 3, Industar 50 etc.... etc..... with this camera + adapter ring.

It is possible this solution without limitations ?

Click to expand...

the A12 Camera Mount comes with a tool (a mounting jig) that will allow you to be sure that the specific lenses you want to use will fit without mechanical clearance issues.

presuming that your lenses are all Leica Threaded Mount (M39), most LTM and M-bayonet lenses fit without any problems, but there are bound to be some edge cases along the way which do not fit.

z

Click to expand...

Most lenses do fit, but best check. One of the problems is a collapsible lens - oops!

--
Tom Caldwell

Goodevening ( Here in Italy ) to all

Thanks a lot for your quick answers and suggestions....I think that in next week I shall buy the Camera.......

I have the following lens to use in the A12 module....
1x Jupiter 3 M39
2x Jupiter 8 M39
1x Jupiter 9 M42
1x Jupiter 12 M39
1x Jupiter 12 in Contax rangefinder mount
1x Industar 61 M42 macro lens
1x collapsible Elmar Russian copy with he same name on the front ring......
1x industar 50 M39
1x Industar 50 M42
1x Zenitar 16 mm Pentax K mount (I saw some adapters for GXR A12 mount)
1x C.Z. Sonnar 1:2,8 200 mm M42

1x Meyer Orestegor 1:4 - 300 mm for Kiev 60 and adapted to M42 and Pentax K mount........ etc... etc....

Also I use the M42 lens with my Sigma cameras (SD9 - 10 - 14 - 15 -) and E-P1 and PANAsonic G1...... with adapters

When the GXR will arrive, I shall do some tests between the cameras and the lens.

Thanks a lot for all and we could hear very soon !

Salvatore

Ciao Salvatore,
That's a great collection! Look forward to seeing some of your photos here.
Cheers,
Kai
(in Friuli-Venezia Giulia)

--
http://kaigr.500px.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kai_g/
http://www.griffinbyteworks.com/

Here's where I got my adp for contax rf to leica M

http://www.amedeo.muscelli.net/

good luck
wbill

Tom Caldwell said:

Most lenses do fit, but best check. One of the problems is a collapsible lens - oops!

Click to expand...

most collapsible lenses i've tried have fit, but you cannot collapse them without damage. that's the issue. i prevent making the error by wrapping the barrel with a piece of thick tape with the lens extended for use so it can't be collapsed.

z

Salvatore Castrovinci said:

Goodevening ( Here in Italy ) to all

Thanks a lot for your quick answers and suggestions....I think that in next week I shall buy the Camera.......

I have the following lens to use in the A12 module....
1x Jupiter 3 M39
2x Jupiter 8 M39
1x Jupiter 9 M42
1x Jupiter 12 M39
1x Jupiter 12 in Contax rangefinder mount
1x Industar 61 M42 macro lens
1x collapsible Elmar Russian copy with he same name on the front ring......
1x industar 50 M39
1x Industar 50 M42
1x Zenitar 16 mm Pentax K mount (I saw some adapters for GXR A12 mount)
1x C.Z. Sonnar 1:2,8 200 mm M42

1x Meyer Orestegor 1:4 - 300 mm for Kiev 60 and adapted to M42 and Pentax K mount........ etc... etc....

Also I use the M42 lens with my Sigma cameras (SD9 - 10 - 14 - 15 -) and E-P1 and PANAsonic G1...... with adapters

When the GXR will arrive, I shall do some tests between the cameras and the lens.

Thanks a lot for all and we could hear very soon !

Salvatore

Click to expand...

Salvatore,

Those lenses should keep you busy for a while ...

They should fit and work fine but please make sure that you test them with the little test jig before you start mounting them. The Ex-slr lenses should not be a problem nor are there any obvious problems except with your Elmar clone - be very careful to test this one in the jig in it's collapsed state. There are some collapsible lenses that could possibly hit the sensor when pushed into the camera.

There is a private list of tested incompatible/compatible lenses here:

http://www.ricohforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=63&t=6881

--
Tom Caldwell

Hallo to all......

Thanks a lot for your friendly info.

I am anxious to do some tests between my Sigma with their 3 layer X3F sensor

with no anti-aliasing filter with compatible lenses and RICOH sensor module A12 equally devoid of this filter .....

Also I would test the same lens copatibles with A12 module on E-P1 and PANA G1 Cameras .....

At the next

Cheers

Salvatore

zigorus said:

Tom Caldwell said:

Most lenses do fit, but best check. One of the problems is a collapsible lens - oops!

Click to expand...

most collapsible lenses i've tried have fit, but you cannot collapse them without damage. that's the issue. i prevent making the error by wrapping the barrel with a piece of thick tape with the lens extended for use so it can't be collapsed.

z

Click to expand...

Some do in fact fit collapsed but I forget actually which ones so I am not about to recommend any. But it is those pesky Rusky clone variants that are all potentially the worst culprits, and at least one Genuine Leica. However it is best to be sure and prevent grief by taking all precautions.

Nothing worse that having a "friend" have a play with your carefully managed toy and after a short fiddle a twist and a clunk and a friendship sorely strained. "Oops" indeed.

Best to avoid all collapsing lenses even if they can be fitted and used extended.

--
Tom Caldwell

i don't let friends 'play' with my cameras. that's a recipe for disaster.

i let photographers with experience use them occasionally after i instruct them as to how to use the camera properly.

zigorus said:

i don't let friends 'play' with my cameras. that's a recipe for disaster.

i let photographers with experience use them occasionally after i instruct them as to how to use the camera properly.

Click to expand...

Agreed, but "we" are not "everybody" ... "someone" will do it sooner or later, most likely that someone will not have read this column.

--
Tom Caldwell

Hi Rainer
Goodevening.

My best compliments for your Images.......

Did you made the portrait with the baby and the others with the jupiter 8 that you show in the post ?

The skin of the baby seem have the same plasticity that had the spectacular C.Z. JENA PANCOLAR.......... mounted on the old EXACTA VAREX IIB !!

Well done !!!!

Salvatore

Hi Agfa100.....

Thanks a lot for your suggestion about the adapters.....

I am interested only to the wideangle adapter because I have also a Jupiter 12 that I use with the KIEV4

In the list I forget to insert, my CONTAX IIIa with the spectacular SONNAR 50 mm 1:1,5..........

When the GXR will Arrive, ( I hope as long this week) after the first test, I could buy it.

Look my posts in SIGMA SLR Talk.......

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1027&message=36421456&q=salvatore+castrovinci&qf=m

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1027&message=31940105&q=salvatore+castrovinci&qf=m

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1027&message=31029695

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1027&message=32001377&q=salvatore+castrovinci&qf=m

and so on.......

Cheers

Salvatore