[Okami]

Hey guys! I've read a lot about the Zenitar Fish and the Jupiter-9 but what are some other Russian made lenses that you have tried and deem worth buying?

I might be in St. Petersburg for a few weeks in July and hope to be going on a lens binge I'll check on allowances but if it's possible I'll bring some back for anyone who request too.

[Zewrak]

Hey guys! I've read a lot about the Zenitar Fish and the Jupiter-9 but what are some other Russian made lenses that you have tried and deem worth buying?

I might be in St. Petersburg for a few weeks in July and hope to be going on a lens binge I'll check on allowances but if it's possible I'll bring some back for anyone who request too.

Helios 44-2 58mm/2f. So sharp its scary. And when I say scary, I mean I can acctually see the pores in the face of my 2 year old. I can't do that with my bare eyes from 3cm.

[ivoire]

the 2 you mentioned and the mir lenses are the ones i have seen discussed extensively. thats a very generous offer you just made and the lba tickle is starting. i'm tempted to put in a request for a jupiter9 85mm and a m-42 to k-mount adapter. are you aware of this site:

MC JUPITER-9 2/85 Lens lens for Pentax

[Gooshin]

amazing lenses

MAY have QC problems, my zenitar did, but it was easy to fix because the lenses are so simple

M mode only tho, and no AF, otherwise, awesome.

i tried the Zenitar on a film SLR the other day... WOOOOO

[Okami]

No I haven't seen that site, but with the QC issue's people have talked about and high shipping rates you usually see I rather wait since I will be there to try them out myself

[jsherman999]

I ordered a Jupiter-9 from a different site (good ratings) over three weeks ago, and I'm getting a bit worried - the site had a "two week shipping" claim. I know things can take a while from Russia, but they have not responded to an email as of yet... If it ends up being a problem they'll get an e-bay ding and I'll let 'yall know who to avoid.



.

[Voe]

Okami, another great russian lens worth mentioning is the Volna-9 which is a 50mm f/2.8 macro 1:2 lens and it has very special bokeh due to its star shaped aperture blades.

Have a look at the following post and see how it compares to other great 50s lenses:
Manual Focus Forum / 50ish - wide open

BTW I returned the Vivitar 105mm macro as it had a faulty aperture and it would not open more than f/4.5 when used in Av mode on my K10D, even though I could do this from the aperture ring with no problems, but I also found the lens barrel to be in a very bad shape. So don't regret that you did not get it.

[Entropy]

It's really too bad the Russian lens manufacturers don't have any US-based dealers.

I think they'd be able to sell a LOT more lenses if they sold through a dealer that had fast trackable (yet economic) shipping and some sort of return policy.

I keep getting tempted by the Rubinar mirror lenses as they're supposedly some of the best mirror lenses out there, but they're just too risky at their current prices with no U.S. dealers. (They used to be a lot cheaper apparently.)

[Gooshin]

It's really too bad the Russian lens manufacturers don't have any US-based dealers.

I think they'd be able to sell a LOT more lenses if they sold through a dealer that had fast trackable (yet economic) shipping and some sort of return policy.

I keep getting tempted by the Rubinar mirror lenses as they're supposedly some of the best mirror lenses out there, but they're just too risky at their current prices with no U.S. dealers. (They used to be a lot cheaper apparently.)

how big of a demand is there for world war 2 manual only lenses?

Russia's specialized technology sector is pretty much non existant, i would not be surpised, knowing how shit goes on over there, that the lenses that you buy are put together from parts manufactured YEARS ago when things were built for teh sake of being built.

my Zenitar came with a pamphlet stating it was manufactured in 2007, perhaps it was assembeled in 2007 but i'm quite certain that the raw parts for it are decades old.

at this point its just a collectors item really, and honestly guys, 30 dollars for shipping, thats not all that outrageous.

[Jesus]

Interesting.
I was in Moscow last month and will be there again in June .
This time in Chelny .
Did not think of looking for lenses .

If there is any shops that sell lenses in Chelny , I will check them out

[Abbazz]

I have recently discovered some vintage Russian lens catalogs (they are available online on my website).

Okami, if you go to St. Petersburg, please bring me back the following lenses:
- the 20mm F/0.5 mirror lens ref. 48-036, page 269 of the GOI lens catalog;
- the Helios-67 200mm F/1.5 ref. 58-12, page 398 of the GOI lens catalog;
- the Dinar-2 300mm F/1.8 ref.58-12, page 399 of the GOI lens catalog;
- the Uran-12 500mm F/2.5 ref.43.05, page 214 of the GOI lens catalog;
- the Mars-5 1000mm F/4.0 ref.54-07, page 348 of the GOI lens catalog;
- the Mars-7 1800mm F/6.0 ref.58-11, page 396 of the GOI lens catalog.

If you have some more room in your suitcase, there are also a few lenses that I'd like to have from the other two catalogs .

Cheers!

Abbazz

[ftpaddict]

- the 20mm F/0.5 mirror lens ref. 48-036, page 269 of the GOI lens catalog;
- the Helios-67 200mm F/1.5 ref. 58-12, page 398 of the GOI lens catalog;
- the Dinar-2 300mm F/1.8 ref.58-12, page 399 of the GOI lens catalog;
- the Uran-12 500mm F/2.5 ref.43.05, page 214 of the GOI lens catalog;
- the Mars-5 1000mm F/4.0 ref.54-07, page 348 of the GOI lens catalog;
- the Mars-7 1800mm F/6.0 ref.58-11, page 396 of the GOI lens catalog.

Holy crap! Those are science-fiction!

f/0.5??
1800mm f/6????!?!

[Abbazz]

Holy crap! Those are science-fiction!

f/0.5??
1800mm f/6????!?!

In fact, all these lenses seem to be "special purpose" lenses. The 20/0.5 has an image circle of 2.9mm, it might have been used on a microscopy device. All the others are huge conventional lenses (not mirror lenses) that were maybe destined for aerial photography (spy satellite eyes?).

Cheers!

Abbazz

[Gooshin]

In fact, all these lenses seem to be "special purpose" lenses. The 20/0.5 has an image circle of 2.9mm, it might have been used on a microscopy device. All the others are huge conventional lenses (not mirror lenses) that were maybe destined for aerial photography (spy satellite eyes?).

Cheers!

Abbazz

can u give me the name of the outlet where to get these in st.petersburg?

[Abbazz]

can u give me the name of the outlet where to get these in st.petersburg?

I doubt you could find those lenses in the average pawn shop but Russia is a country of many surprises...

Cheers!

Abbazz