Do you still have this one? My experience- the early KMZ Jupiter-3s with German glass are as good as the wartime Sonnars, and the focus mount is better designed and more reliable. I have a couple of wartime Sonnars set into J-3 focus mounts.A couple of my first test shots with an early J3 on M9. I'd just gotten the lens and wanted to try it out. According to research I did at the time it likely had German glass.
First shot is waiting for coffee with a friend at local Starbucks and second is having lunch with a friend at Casamento's, my fav local oyster place. If my memory is correct, both are in camera JPEGS.
GeorgeOL1004434 by Brusby, on Flickr
Over lunch by Brusby, on Flickr
brusby
Well-known
Hi Brian, yes I still have the one used for these photos and one other J-3. I'll try to post some quick phone pics. Let me know if you'd like to see any more views.
You and I communicated briefly when I was getting ready to adapt them for Leica shooting. You probably don't remember but I was the guy who suggested you annotate your very nice photo illustrations so people who were not familiar with the inner workings of these lenses could find their way around. Anyway, your help was invaluable. Thanks so much for being so willing to share your knowledge.
I did only the minimum to get mine to function including just putting a dot with a magic marker to denote the new end point for the aperture ring. And sadly I haven't used these much in the following years. Maybe if I did the additional work needed to finish the job nicely I'd use them more.
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brusby
Well-known
Maybe a little clearer pics
The 1950 lens is one of the last ZK Sonnars made, my two J3s made in 1950 have the newer style SN namerings like your 1952. The serial numbers are in the same sequence moving from the ZK to the J3. Both my 1950 J3s have Zeiss serial numbers on the rear fixture.
The 1952 is certainly Schott glass, and most likely a Zeiss rear triplet.
And- I now remember annotating the write-up for the Jupiters and the editing job done. Where do the years go?
The 1952 is certainly Schott glass, and most likely a Zeiss rear triplet.
And- I now remember annotating the write-up for the Jupiters and the editing job done. Where do the years go?
brusby
Well-known
Yep, seems like yesterday.
Do you think all the glass in the 1950 lens is likely German but only the rear triplet of the 1952? How would you verify the glass origin?
Do you think all the glass in the 1950 lens is likely German but only the rear triplet of the 1952? How would you verify the glass origin?
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I believe the glass is all Schott glass, the elements of the 1950 are made by Zeiss, and the rear triplet of the 1952 is made by Zeiss.
I have two distinct versions of the KMZ J-3, the V1 is German glass. Early ones have Zeiss elements, most have Zeiss rear triplets. The v2 is Russian glass, and shape of the rear triplet and fixture changed. To really complicate things- production of the V2 started in 1954 and overlapped the v1 through early 1956.
I have two distinct versions of the KMZ J-3, the V1 is German glass. Early ones have Zeiss elements, most have Zeiss rear triplets. The v2 is Russian glass, and shape of the rear triplet and fixture changed. To really complicate things- production of the V2 started in 1954 and overlapped the v1 through early 1956.
Ko.Fe.
Lenses 35/21 Gears 46/20
They run out of German glass in 1954, optical formula was recalculated for local glass in 1954 as well, by 1955 re-made J-3 went into production.
dexdog
Mentor
Ko.Fe., I did a google translate of the text on the Russian text and found the website. Looks like some interesting info. I was amused that the link to a PDF for Jupiter 3 service was one that Sonnar B had put together years ago! There are also a couple other links to Brian's work.
Production of the v1 Jupiter-3 with Schott glass goes at least as high an SN 5600311. I own it, have taken it apart, and compared with the other seven V1 J-3s and two 1955 v2 J-3s and two 1956 v2 J-3's that I own. The v2 J-3 has a rear triplet and fixture that is more like the ZOMZ J-3, but the fixtures are different thicknesses and there are differences in the construction of the mount. SO- KMZ J-3, two distinct versions of the optics, identified by examining the rear fixture. The 1956 v1 J-3 renders exactly like the earlier v1 lenses, rendering of the v2 J-3's show much more field curvature, and are not as sharp. Very close to the ZOMZ lenses. I have one of the first of the ZOMZ lenses made as well.
An early ZOMZ J-3 compared with a V2 KMZ J-3, note the guide ring and position of the threads.
The thickness of the wall of the rear ZOMZ fixture is ~2mm, the KMZ is 2.2mm.
The V1 rear fixture (right, black finish), interchangeable with that of the CZJ 5cm F1.5 Sonnar. The unfinished rear fixture is from a transition Sonnar.
My earliest KMZ v1 J-3, and the very late v1 J-3. Glass and fixtures are interchangeable with the CZJ 5cm F1.5 Sonnar.
An early ZOMZ J-3 compared with a V2 KMZ J-3, note the guide ring and position of the threads.
The thickness of the wall of the rear ZOMZ fixture is ~2mm, the KMZ is 2.2mm.
The V1 rear fixture (right, black finish), interchangeable with that of the CZJ 5cm F1.5 Sonnar. The unfinished rear fixture is from a transition Sonnar.
My earliest KMZ v1 J-3, and the very late v1 J-3. Glass and fixtures are interchangeable with the CZJ 5cm F1.5 Sonnar.
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brusby
Well-known
Very interesting info. Thanks Brian, KoFe and dexdog.