The question to be addressed is that of compatibility. There is a lot of angst expressed in on line forums about slight differences in the lens mount to focal plane distances between Leicas and their Soviet counterparts. People report making precise measurements with their micrometers and even shimming their Soviet lenses to compensate for the perceived problem. So, when I confront a matchup of my Leica with a new Soviet lens, I make sure I shoot at a variety of distances to assure myself that both the lens and the camera are performing up to the expected standards. The following shots are from a roll of TMAX shot on a recent neighborhood walkabout.
I'm not seeing a problem. In fact, I've shot several Russian lenses with the Leica including FED, Jupiter and Industar models in 50mm and 35mm focal lengths without any loss of sharpness that is apparent to my eyes. There may be a real problem lurking out there and maybe I'll encounter it one day, but I'm not likely to lose any sleep over the possibility. I also have failed to find any apparent difference from the results I get when the Soviet lenses are mounted on the Soviet cameras they were built for.
I've had a Jupiter-8 lens for my Contax-copy Kiev IIa for a long time. That lens is about ten years older than my recently-acquired Leica-Thread-Mount Jupiter, but it is also an excellent performer. I haven't used it much, partly because I usually prefer to get out with the the Jupiter-12 35mm lens on the Kiev. However, The Kiev also does not offer the same level of compact precision as the Barnack Leica.
Besides adding a nice tactile dimension to the shooting experience, the Leica's slick operation instills confidence while also providing some practical enhancement to my shooting results. For instance, that buttery-smooth film advance mechanism yields a strip of exposures that are very narrowly separated and perfectly spaced, with the result that I can often get 25 frames from a 24-shot roll even with the long tapered leader the Leica requires.
The bottom line for me on the issue of the compatibility of the Leica and Soviet lenses is that the combination provides a practical and economical way to the Leica experience. If the Leica were my only camera, I would be more concerned with the likelihood that there could be a problem with lenses with a focal length greater than 50mm. Obviously, I have a lot of other choices of cameras if I feel the need to use long lenses.
4 comments:
" Besides adding a nice tactile dimension to the shooting experience..."
This line has given me inspiration for an entire blog post! Thank you!!
I look forward to seeing your thoughts on the topic. For me the experiential aspect of photography has always been as important as the final images.
Mike: I’m amazed at the detail you got in the car pix with your lens wide open. When I bought a Leica M3 double stroke heavily worn body of 1955 around 15 years ago, a friend had a Zorki 4K and had acquired the 35mm f2.8 Lens to replace the 50mm f2 the camera came with. As I had no lens to put on the M3, he gave it me and I got a 50mm ring and mounted the J8 on my M3. Been all over with it and was using it last weekend. I managed to find a deep lens hood for the 40.5mm filter thread, and a Hoya UV filter too. My lens is a black one and really looks good on the body. I’ve made comparisons with a Nikon F and 50mm f2 Pre-AI ‘scalloped’ Nikkor and the M3 + J8 and in mono can find no difference. In colour, the J8 simply does not render reds as accurately as the Nikkor. So I use FP4 in the Leica. I’ve now got a 90mm f4 collapsible Elmar as the M3 has frames for 50/90/135 lenses. Someone gave me a small black leather bag and I carry the M3/J8 and 90/4 plus a trust Weston Master V and a few rolls of fil. Add a small notebook and pencils and I’m good to go. Digital? Well my negs are scanned to disc so my brassy M3 is a digital camera. I wonder if it ever belonged to H C-B?
I didn't make any notes on the exposure, but I don't believe that shot of the pickup was wide open. Judging by the depth of focus, I would guess that the aperture was around f8. In any case, I do like the J8. Sorry to say I dropped it and put a slight dent in the front, but a recent shot of our dog at f4 looks good. I might be willing to try something like an 80mm lens on my Barnack cameras, but they are awkward to use with the Hektor 135. The built-in framelines in the M cameras are a real plus.
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