JUPITER 85mm - which kind??

[JPUSC]

Hey everyone!

I'm planning to get the Jupiter 85mm for my GH2 (recommended in a GH2 guide), but when I went on ebay, I saw a lot of different kinds like, "Zeiss Jupiter,"Jupiter 85mm F/2.0 Lens For Pentax/Zenit,"Leica jupiter-9," "Kiev/Kontax fitting" and so on.

First of all, which one is the one compatible with the GH2 and secondly; the guide says that the mount to use is an M42...so am I supposed to look for the version that uses that mount, or do they all work the same??

Thanks so much!

 

[stoneinapond]

OK, you are entering possibly treacherous territory but with the possibility of coming out with a gem or two. First things first. Go to Google and enter Soviet lenses. Then do Jupiter 9. Read as much as you can, follow links, although be warned, much of the information will be fragmentary and you'll need to weed it out. But it's there.

Basically, after WWII the Soviets inherited much of the lens manufacturing technology and equipment for what then became East Germany, most notably the Carl Zeiss factory. They then set up a number of their own factories that went about producing various types of lenses. The issue here is that some factories did better than others and you can extract which factory a lens was made from the lens itself. But that will not tell you the whole story.

Additionally, when the Soviet Union collapsed, a lot of the stock got dispersed and not in great condition. A lot of the lenses available are junk and if salvageable require cleaning or reconditioning, which may or may not be worth it. Several years ago you had a better chance of getting good versions, but obviously with mirrorless cameras coming on the scene, demand drove up prices.

Having said that, certain people, myself included, love the look of these lenses. And if you are lucky, you can find some truly fabulous ones. I have a Helios 44M that is not the sharpest lens, but gives a wonderful image. I also have a Soviet cine lens which while physical not the best (it has been reconditioned) is incredible. If you can find good copies of the latter, the Soviet glass is really world class but they are a more expensive proposition.

As to mounts, that will vary. My Helios takes a M42 adapter but be careful there that the adapter has a rim that is required for proper operation. I believe that the Jupiter may also require that. The cine lenses are another matter, but either way, find the lens you want and then get the right adapter. There is pretty much one available for every kind of lens mount.

Best of luck.

 

[DaLiV]

about Jupiter9 better look at white lenses (manufactured before 1960), in most cases mount will be m39, but possible m42 (or kiev/contax mount)
take a look on page (google translate will helps) : www.deep-life.ru/jupiter-9/ there all major points are noted about this lens
+ technical info : www.zenitcamera.com/archive/lenses/jupiter-9.html
+ rangefinder version (i'm own such) are ok for lumixes
P.S. filter thread are non standart, so hard to find filters or adaptor for that lens