Jupiter-9 is next in line!

Having been plain delighted with my CZJ Sonnar 135 3.5 jobbie (the Urban Sniper) and as part of my quest to develop new walkaround urban shooting skills my next bargain bin L beater is looking like an exclusive, esoteric and spankin' new Jupiter-9 85mm 2.0.

My 24-70 2.8 can be a tad too short and the 135mm can be a tad too long (though legs help here!) so a speedy 85mm on a crop body seems like it could be just dandy.

Anyone have experience with this one? I know I'll need a M42 adapter but that's no problem and neither is MF only. I've found it liberating to have to take time to compose and focus rather than relying on the luck of a point and shoot burst mode style

How about a 70-200? They're quite big and usually white though.

btw i'd get rid of the phrase "urban sniper", or the department of homeland security might be paying you a visit...

Big and white won't work for me. Too in your face. Either will a 70-200: been there done that. Thanks for advice on the harmless naming: luckily we don't have a department of homeland security in the UK, nor are the British particularly paraniod about words.

Dave, I bet you Buze might have some info on the Jupiter lens.
I understand there are some real sleepers to be had quite economically from Russia, Ukraine, etc.

Obviously, you do know that Canon has a very good alternative as well: EF 85 f/1.8 USM. I have had one for some time, its is a well performing, well built lens .....a high value (PERFORMANCE/$) lens as Canon glass ware goes.

Peter

I looked into buying one of these some time ago but never did get around to it.I particularly wanted this focal length as a 135mm substitute lens on my 1.6 crop camera.Manual focus would actually give some advantages while shooting portraits.

What i found when i was researching the lens is that the russian quality control is quite variable.One may even have to buy and sell several before getting a great one ,but i still think it could be worth it.
Actually one thing that made me hesitate was that there are quite a few very high quality manual focus lenses from other japanese manuafacturers that can be just as easily adapted to EOS


........Then there's the intrigueing possibility of making a tilt shift portrait lens with a standard 85mm hasslblad medium format lens

The Jupiter 9 is a bit soft wide open, but tack sharp when stopped down to f4 and beyond. It was meant to be a portrait lens hence the bit of softness. It is built like a tank, and has 15 aperture blades that insure an almost circular aperture when stopped down. Get the MC version if you can (mine isn't). It has nice bokeh, and interesting rendition of highlights that some like and some don't. See here https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=110717

condyk, is this the lens you have? If so it looks like a bargain.

http://cgi.ebay.com …ZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcm​dZViewItem

Yes, looks like my Urban Sniper.

A bargain compared to other options but apparently still to be had at very, very silly prices: change in your pocket prices if you're lucky. I happily paid over the odds, still only the price of a meal out and a bottle of average wine, because it really is mint and boxed as new. Can only appreciate in value especially as I now have restored my fun in photography and generated several excellent images from it.

Yes, Buze is the boy when it comes to classic glass and he's helped me with the 135mm.

Peter thanks I know all about the Canon alternative but at approx £290 v's £84 (incl delivery from the frozen wastelands of the Great Bear and a M42 adaptor) I prefer the latter fun to the former safety harness. Canon offer a very nice lens, naturally, but I am just playing and I like the slowing down involved in using a fully MF set up.

Condyk,

I got mine (used of course) from German eBay for about 35 EUR. I don't think that getting a new one might make a big difference as to the quality you actually receive. Also, if you really get a bad one, it might be easier to sell it off again for that price than for 90 EUR (that's what the new ones are offered on German eBay for).

The Jupiter gives very nice images but is quite difficult to focus correctly (at least for me). Using focus bracketing I can get a keeper in 5-10 images which is not exactly what I would call convenient. (But that might be just my feeble eyesight). Unfortunately I lost my M42 adapter some time ago, and haven't got a new one so far. Definitely should do that, especially as I have mounted a focusing screen in the meantime that might prove really helpful with this lens.

It has a weird stopping down mechanism ... you have to rotate the frontmost ring to close the iris (no 'fixed' stops, there are only markings on the ring), and there is a second ring just below it where you can limit how wide you can turn the first ring. If you want to focus open and then step down, it's not the most convenient mechanism.

Here's one of the very few keepers I've got with the lens: https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=72811

Best regards,
Andy

That shot has a lovely quality to it and is encouraging. Very sweet boy too. I ordered one and even with the adaptor and carriage, etc only cost £85 or so. The stopping down sounds like a bit of a mission, but we'll see. If you have a focus screen then you must get a new adaptor Could make all the difference in your keeper ratio.

Hi Condyk,

I am following your steps, I was looking since more than one month ago trying to get one of these manual lenses from the Sonar side, and I have also got one MC Jupiter-9 85 mm f/2 today !!
(MC stands by MultiCoated for export, against single coated).

I was finally cautivated by the image taken by BottomBracket through the bus windowglass with the beautiful colors OOF from the cars, pretty nice bokeh !!. So I have decided also to go into the game and see what I can get from it. I think I can not loose too much for $71 (only my patience if I am not able to get the target in focus). I have seen very nice reviews also from this lens and its 15 diafragm blades.

It will take at least 2 weeks to arrive (lens + adapter) although Christmas time are here and all shipments are going to be delayed due to overshipment, but anyway, please keep in touch and post your experiences & sugestions. Thks

Will do Mister Juan.

Looking at your Sig you are clearly a gentleman able to discern fine value and performance. BB's shots do breed confidence that a good eye and keen appreciation of the craft can yield results beyond unimaginative 'Look at me too' sharpness.

I am not a "pro" and also not a millionaire, so I have to look carefully where I spend the part of the family money dedicated to the photography. I try to choose the best performance for the best price .... and planify the next adquisitions.

BTW Next in the row it will be the Tokina AT-X124 Pro DX 12-24mm f/4, to cover the wide range.

I have just bought a jupiter 9 85mm f2 and a Tamron Adaptall 2 90mm f2.5.

The Jupiter is very good for the money and its 15 blade diaphragm shows it to be a costly lens to produce. It becomes fully sharp at f5.6 but f4 is only just behind it.
At f2 there is a dreamy glow to the pictures.

It ia a PORTRAIT LENS up to f4 and a good performer above that.

The Tamron is biting sharp at f4 and above, I cannot see any improvement in sharpness above f4.

This a stunner if you want detail and is to my tests on a par with the Zeiss Sonnar 135mm for sharpness.

I shall keep the Jupiter for portraits and use the Tamron as a short tele.

At prices you can get them for they are both worthy of a place in anyones kit and are wholeheartedly recommended.