Jupiter-9 2/85mm lens. Review with samples(all 5 versions) 

Yep, hard to find in such condition. It was sold for $220 on eBay within few hours.

@@RetroFotoHouse damn

Stunningly beautiful lens!

It's definitely my favorite one. The coating on that particular one looks nice too.

I agree, the "silver" lenses from the fifties/early sixties are a beauty, and are often better, in my humble opinion, than later versions, despite the inferior coating. Two things that maybe you can't find in other comments: Not all "silver" lenses are made the same way. Some are have an aluminum barrel (not always a great alloy, I'd say) and some are made of coated brass. The second solution screams quality, I have an Helios 40 in M39 Zenit mount that weights like crazy but is one of the most beautiful soviet lenses ever. Another thing, those silver Zenit M39 mount lenses can be mounted to any camera/adapter that sccepts M42 lenses using the simple small adapter shown in the video... but if the tolerances are the way they should be... you miss infinity! The solution is to either tinker am M42 adapter for your mirrorless of choice, or shave roughly a third of a millimeter from the internal washer that often sits under the optical block. Some lenses sold by professional vendors from the former socialist block, that come with the M39>M42 adapter already included, are often pre-adjusted. My Helios 40 already came that way. I have adjusted a couple of silver Helios 44 lenses by myself, it's simple. I just used sandpaper with rotatory movements until the infinity was ok. I prefer this solution because I also use the lenses on a DSLR (Pentax K-1). Question for the reviewer: I just saw a strange LZOS version in M42 mount, made in 1962, that looks like none of the shown examples. It's slim, mostly black, but with two areas that are not painted black. The rings have the finely knurled shape, like those found on some rangefinder versions. Could be original or the work of some repairman?

Thank you Chris!

Hi Raymond! Thank you for your input. Mir-24 series will come definitely in the future

Who do you recommend for cleaning this lense? I'm in tx

Thank you Dave for your kind words!

Thank you for watching

Yeah, it is a great lens!

Thank you very much for your purchase! Please be aware that because of actual situation shipping can take one month or so. Please also watch my video explaining how to mount jupter-9 and jupiter-11 ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-vHpcTob4-1A.html

I also got this type 2, made is 1969 black body with beautiful blue coating, but no Made in USSR on the body! Doesn't focus to infinity on my DSLR. I'll try it on my mirrorless but first need m42 adapter as mentioned in the video 😊 beautiful glass and characteristics this lens has.

Hi Filip, does the barrow hits the viltrox glass?

Thank you!

Thanks!

You're welcome!

Glad it was helpful!

As a rule, early rangefinder jupiters are awesome optically, but they can be adapted for mirroless systems only

You might have a rangefinder version. What is the mount there? what camera do you use it with? what kind of adapter you use?

SLR exactly like the first one in your video. M39 that I use with m42 adapter and then Minolta SR adapter

Good to know, i did not encounter SLR version earlier than 1960

I also have a 1958 KMZ M39 cyrillic / 8.5cm version in spectacular condition - and the results are gorgeous! Thanks @Retro Foto House for this video which I watched before I bought!

Thank you Dirk for your kind words!

Happy you love it, Toddy!

i know nothing about that lens. I use and review photographic lenses only

Zenit 100mm 1.5 lens in M42 mount comes with nightvision gogles T3C-2. It is compatible with any other M42 lens, but it has terrible sharpness.

thank you very much for your input! Will defintely try to to that!

Hi, my type 4 has very low contrast and glow wide open, can you please elaborate on how to do the modification? you mean increase distance between front lens and optical block? thanks

What do you mean scratch?

may i see a foto of your marvel?

@@RetroFotoHouse Sure thing, I'll take some pics of it here in a bit i.imgur.com/PKwOY06.jpg

@@RetroFotoHouse Here you go - i.imgur.com/PKwOY06.jpg

@@RetroFotoHouse Oh, it also has a Minolta MD mount. Forgot to mention that.

@@RetroFotoHouse Did the linked image load for you?

Well, for type 5 is more an odd game, because the quality of production of that lens was instable. Me personally i love type2, but type1 is also very good, if you're not disturbed by white lens onto your black nikon body....

@@RetroFotoHouse Oh! I thought this was the l39 mount versions. Im planning to get an l39 mount J9 to use for my Leica m3 or Bessa R, does the same apply to these versions?

Also I Have bought several items from your store in the past and I see you have a new contax/Kiev mount to ltm mount adapter. Do you reccomend I buy your adapter and get a c/k Jupiter 9, or try to find an original FED mount Jupiter 9?

Glad you've found it! No i don't have a re-lubrication video, sorry.

yes, it is. Rare and awesome optically

I will for sure, i just need to gather all modifications of rangefinder jup-9 and this is not an easy task...

Hi! type 2 has always a varnished body and sometimes zebra focus ring. This is a main thing to follow

it stands for MC, but written with error....

You can figure out which type by the date it was manufactured as well as the style/color.

Yes, it is

@@RetroFotoHouse Ok, i thought they ended the production in '91

@@RetroFotoHouse Anyway my copy is waaaay too soft @ f2. It start to be useful @ f4. It's going to Ebay very soon :=)

Hi! No ,unfortunately i do not know people who can coat lenses. Thank you very much for your kind words!

you need to look at the barrel. If it is of a thin shape, than this is a rangefinder lens(not an object of this review) if it is of thick barrel shape, than it is type 2. Type 3 does not exist in m39 mount

yes, i think so. Just RF jupiters were produced in numbers in 50thies 60thies, at that time quality control was better, so in generally one can find a quality RF jupiter-9 more easely

For helios-40-no i don't, sorry

I prefer type2, though it is difficult to find...

Hi! I'm afraid not, unless you have good lens repair skills

KMZ is a bit better and harder to find. I did not find noticeable differencies in costruction however, maybe only in early prototype pieces

Yes, during some time they were in production simultaneously

you have a rangefinder version of this lens. My review is about SLR

@@RetroFotoHouse ahh this makes sence now...it has been adapted to M42 thx again for the great videos!!

m39 version for zorki cameras is thinner, m39 for SLR is more thick. That's the truth of the life :) The point is that m39 standard can be of 28.8mm flange and of 45,2mm flange. This is russians who did this mess.....

yes,correct

those are spacer rings, to finely adjust infinity focus.

if there is not MC inscription, it is not MC, everything is kinda simple.

Yes, in general rule silver one is sharper becuase of stricter quality control in 1960's

@@RetroFotoHouse Thanks ! We have also noted in different sales that 'in the silver lenses for sale' and even in the same year '66', 2 versions exist. One with Russian text, one with latin text.. Are these the same? ..or is the Russian text lens better? thanks. dw

yes, so you can decide by yourself which one fits best your need. Me personally i love very much type2

@@RetroFotoHouse recommendations are always welcomed. How to distinguish type 2? I appreciate your work

Hello! It will much in terms of colors with helios 44 series, but it won't match in terms of bokeh, as jupiter-9 does not produce swirls

@@RetroFotoHouse you mean, the colors of the Red П will match better with the Helios 44, right? Thank you

Well, me personally i prefer type2, though it is quite rare

bad manufacturing tolerances, unfortunately. How do you like image quality?

@@RetroFotoHouse I like it very much! I regreased the helicoid with Helimax XP and seems to be better. It has that play because there's only one pin and slot keeping it centered, I contacted a local optics engineer to see if he can modify it and and another pin and slot on the opposite side.

You need to find a rangefinder version of jupiter-9 with L39 mount. This might work

It is not, 100% sure

yes i do www.ebay.com/usr/kosbik84

Hi Toddy! Nice to hear from you mate! KMZ jupiter is a type1 lens. Vey nice, but difficult to find in decent condition.

Эти как раз для зеркалок.

no, they didn't. I'm pretty confident about that.

@@RetroFotoHouse Not disputing your knowledge but I do have a Lomz silver Jupiter 9 with serial 602464, can send you a picture if you want.

No, jupiter-9 automat is of low quality

yeah, that's true. Problem is that early RF jupiters can't be used onto DSLR

@@RetroFotoHouse Yes, good point.

The review of contax version will come in the future for sure

I'm talking in this review bout SLR versions of this lens, not rangefiner ones

Hi! here you have www.ebay.com/usr/kosbik84

it can happen, because in 1991 both MC and Singlecoated versions were in production

i speak in this review only about m42 versions, but generally Contax RF is high quality

Hi! These will not work onto rangefinder cameras You need a jupiter-9 RF version. Those ones are SLR's

it is not original one, it was remade by someone. It is idiifuclt to say more without have seen a lens

@@RetroFotoHouse I bought it for fun and should have it in a week or so. I could send you pictures but where? I will try to see if the adapter can be removed and if the lens still focuses correctly for M42 (I cannot believe it has been completely rebuilt it...) -if not I can use it with a new Nikon F adapter on my mirrorless but I was planning to use it with M42 both on my Zenit and the Eos M6.

yes, i do www.ebay.com/str/vintagephotoequipmentandother

As a rule it is type1

Interesting! Please send me a few fotos of it to retrofotohouse@gmail.com. I would be very grateful to you!

Sir, I sent you some photos, no work of art but I hope demonstrated Jupiter 9 prowess in character.

@@roy5515 Roy! You have a rangefinder version of jupiter-9. This is completely different. My video is about _SLR_ versions of this lens. No one jupiter-9 for SLR has f/22 aprture stop

quality varies quite importantly, especially in late production. Try to get type 1 or type 2 and you'll be happy with

the main difference is that your lens won't work on SLR/DSLR cameras becuase of short flange focal distance