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Jupiter-37A 135mm F3.5 Review RSS Feed

Jupiter-37A 135mm F3.5

Sharpness 
 9.0
Aberrations 
 8.7
Bokeh 
 8.7
Handling 
 8.1
Value 
 9.5
Reviews Views Date of last review
23 169,377 Sun February 27, 2022
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Recommended By Average Price Average User Rating
100% of reviewers $54.47 8.87
Jupiter-37A 135mm F3.5

Jupiter-37A 135mm F3.5
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Jupiter-37A 135mm F3.5
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Jupiter-37A 135mm F3.5
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Description:
Another of the "sonnar" like 135mm's from the former USSR. Made most commonly by KOMZ, also KMZ factories. Variants include a multi-coated "MC" version and a "K" version with PK mount. More info here (google translate from russian).


Mount: swappable Russian variant t-mount, typically comes with M42
Preset aperture: operation is a little finicky (reviewer Biulazz) "...turn ring at F22, pull the ring towards the body, turn to the desired preset aperture and release; use it as a normal Preset Aperture ring; then pull again and turn at F22 to cancel preset..."
Multi-coated and non-multi-coated versions
Min focus distance: 120mm
Max aperture: 3.5
Min aperture: 22
Metal construction
Weight (410g ~ 14.5 oz)
Filter size: 52mm
Lens construction: 4 elements in 3 groups
Manufacturer: Kazan Optical-Mechanical Factory (KOMZ)

There are some diligent comparisons of these east Bloc sonnars:
135mm sonnar lenses tested
East bloc 135mm Sonnars comparison
Mount Type: M42 Screwmount
Price History:



Add Review of Jupiter-37A 135mm F3.5
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Sort Reviews by: Date | Author | Rating | Recommendation | Likes (Descending) Showing Reviews 1-15 of 23
New Member

Registered: March, 2019
Location: Ontario
Posts: 15

1 user found this helpful
Review Date: March 28, 2019 Recommended | Price: $45.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: very sharp, good micro-contrast, natural colour rendition, smooth bokeh, little to no lateral CA, 12 aperture blades, sturdy and durable, easy to repair, good value, impeccable performance on APS-C, lightweight and compact, single-ring preset aperture
Cons: some purple fringing, axial CA, short plastic hood
Sharpness: 10    Aberrations: 8    Bokeh: 10    Handling: 10    Value: 10    Camera Used: Sony a6300   

Mine is the single-coated version, with a beautiful violet and amber tint.
Mine came in perfect optical and mechanical condition. Focusing is the smoothest I've ever seen. The lens is built like a tank, though the paint is not very durable. The front element is uncoated, making it much more resistant against scratches. The lens is lightweight and compact. Unfortunately, it only focuses down to under 1.2m, compared to the 1.0m of the Jupiter 11a. The lens hood is a disappointment, it's cheap and plasticky, and half the depth of the premium-feeling one on the Jupiter-11a. Interestingly, the hood is still quite sufficient for me.
Optically, this lens is impressive. It's sharp, with good micro-contrast. Colours are natural, warm, and comfortably rendered, as is with all Soviet single-coated optics. Lateral CA is nonexistent, though there is some purple fringing and noticeable axial CA. Compared with my Zeiss Jena 135mm f3.5, it is just as sharp, with similar CA and fringing. It is slightly less contrasty, though personally, I find myself liking the colours and mechanics of this lens a lot more. It is not as critically sharp as my Jupiter-11a mainly due to an increase in axial CA(it's still sharp enough to max out the resolution of my a6300), but flares less.
All in all, this lens performs very admirably and has a nice, rounded character to it. This is my favourite walk-around 135mm lens.
Now for sample photos!
Geese, all shot wide open. Sorry for the colours, I shoot in AdobeRGB, which Chrome seems to hate. Please view with a properly colour-managed browser.










American robins. Shot wide open on a dreary day


   
New Member

Registered: July, 2018
Location: Belgrade, Serbia
Posts: 22

1 user found this helpful
Review Date: July 10, 2018 Recommended | Price: $40.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: Sharpness, bokeh
Cons: none
Sharpness: 10    Aberrations: 8    Bokeh: 9    Handling: 10    Value: 10    Camera Used: Canon 1100D   

I really like this lens, once you get used to it, it's quite simple to use. Sharpness is great, and it has lovely bokeh. I bought it for 40$ with M42-EOS EF adapter in January, and since then, I fell in love with this lens. Quite nice and fast, great sharpness and overall feeling is great.







   
New Member

Registered: February, 2016
Posts: 3
Review Date: February 22, 2016 Recommended | Price: $60.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: Sharp, contrasty, nice colours
Cons: Mfd longer than original sonnar
Sharpness: 10    Aberrations: 9    Bokeh: 9    Handling: 9    Value: 9    Camera Used: Eos 450, k -5   

It's a fantastic lens, sturdy as a tank. Sharpness and contrast are excellent from wide open, and funnily enough, it does not improve much by stopping down.
Colors are on the warm side, May not be very realistic, but quite pleasant. A strange thing I have noticed is that some reds, like poppies, turn out kind of purple, it really struggles to get reds right under certain strong sunlit conditions. Weird.
Mfd is 1.2 metres, which is quite good, but I wish it was 1 m, like the zeiss sonnar equivalent.
One of the best overall 135 heritage lenses you can find, and they are still cheap.
I have 2 copies, and both perform equally.
   
New Member

Registered: September, 2015
Posts: 2
Review Date: September 19, 2015 Recommended | Price: $50.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: Sharp as a knife, vivid colours, small and rugged built. One of the best lens in this category, one of the best Russian lens overall.
Cons: None, just strange preset aperture lens mechanism (not easy to use).
Sharpness: 10    Aberrations: 10    Bokeh: 9    Handling: 8    Value: 10    Camera Used: Pentax ist DS   

Sharp as a knife, maybe at full aperture is a bit more "human" (and also more natural), vivid & saturated colours, small and rugged built. One of the best lens in its category (surclasses some of the original Sonnars from which is derivated), one of the best Russian lens overall.
Russian swappable T-mount make it easy to use with different camera brands (needs dedicated adapter).
Absolutely the best portrait lens I've encountered in many years, maybe some item is better (or worst) than average production due the lack of
a strict quality control selection in Russian factories: try to select the best lens beetwen 3-4 items (if you could...).

Absolutely recommended!

P.s: be aware this is a Preset Aperture lens, but its strange activation mechanism is not easy to handle when you are in hurry (turn ring at F22, pull the ring towards the body, turn to the desired preset aperture and release; use it as a normal Preset Aperture ring; then pull again and turn at F22 to cancel preset...)
   
New Member

Registered: June, 2011
Location: Kaliningrad region
Posts: 7

2 users found this helpful
Review Date: April 2, 2013 Recommended | Price: None indicated | Rating: 10 

 
Pros:
Cons:
Sharpness: 10    Aberrations: 8    Bokeh: 8    Handling: 9    Value: 9   

Pentax K-r + Jupiter-37A 135mm f/3.5


   
Site Supporter

Registered: November, 2010
Location: California
Posts: 2,223

2 users found this helpful
Review Date: November 21, 2011 Recommended | Price: $100.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: Good IQ, almost as the CZJ where it was copied from. Great for portrait.
Cons: None.
Sharpness: 9    Aberrations: 10    Bokeh: 10    Handling: 10    Value: 9   

I bought this lens with some other few Russian lenses. I enjoy it very much. I can use it in Av priority and renders a great image. Good for portrait from a safe distance. Almost as good as its originator, the CZJ Sonnar. The same as the CZJ in many cases, almost a tie. Will post pics later.


Jupiter37A135mmf3.5-ehinacea1-2 by Palenquero, on Flickr


Rosa, rosa, tan maravillosa! by Palenquero, on Flickr


Double Delight by Palenquero, on Flickr


Balloon Ride by Palenquero, on Flickr


Just another rose by Palenquero, on Flickr


Just the mother of the roses by Palenquero, on Flickr


My favorite rose by Palenquero, on Flickr
   
New Member

Registered: February, 2022
Posts: 2

2 users found this helpful
Review Date: February 27, 2022 Recommended | Price: $25.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Sharp, comperatively light, nice bokeh, cheap
Cons: USSR QC(non), oil on diaphragm
Sharpness: 10    Aberrations: 10    Bokeh: 8    Handling: 8    Value: 10    Camera Used: Nikon D600, Fujifilm XT-30   

Own that lens for about 10 years, my father was filming on it with Zenit, and gave the lens to me when i entered photography.

Great value for money, you can by them for 20 to 40$ Inside Russia from slightly used to mint condition out of the shelf.

Really sharp wide open if you are lucky with the copy. Many friends of mine own that lens, some have lenses that are not razor-sharp at 3.5 as proper Jupiter 37a must be, so ask for test shots if you buy, or return possibility.

Other backside is oil on diaphragm that creates a circle of bloom if you stop down by reflecting light back and forth inside the lens.

It used to be my travel pack, D600, 50 1.8D and Ju37a, still use in on my XT-30 and it is still razor-sharp at 26mp crop sensor !!! (at least my copy). But it is a bit tooo much for the apc-c sensor for my taste.

Love that lens and not going to get rid of it in any case.

Here are couple of portraits i made by Ju37 + D600. Post-processed.

https://500px.com/photo/97023523/Smile-of-old-mountains-by-Roman-Riabov/

https://500px.com/photo/96904879/Desert-girl-by-Roman-Riabov/

https://500px.com/photo/75031061/fire-man-by-roman-riabov

Here are the pictures on XT-30

https://disk.yandex.ru/i/JhdjCHpNtyI-mA
https://disk.yandex.ru/i/NcGKAiJ9b_CHBg
   
Junior Member

Registered: June, 2018
Location: Lyon / Rennes
Posts: 39
Review Date: December 7, 2018 Recommended | Price: $80.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Quite sharp, incredibly small, lightweight (for a full metal lens), solid, swappable mount.
Cons: stepless diaphragm ring (good for video, but for photography I prefer clicks), "only" f/3.5
Sharpness: 9    Aberrations: 10    Bokeh: 9    Handling: 9    Value: 9    Camera Used: K30   

A nice lens !

I had it for almost a year now and I'm very happy with it. (I have the MC version with cyrillic name, which make the lens rarer and more expensive)

I use it mainly for portraits. It's sharp, with a resolution of 44/30. The bokeh is nice, round and smooth. The lens itself is very small for a 135mm and quite lightweight, considering it's only metal. (more or less 380 grams). The mount shank can be changed, but the only adapters I found to be fitting is the ones from Kood. (images down below). There is multiple versions of this lens, there's the Jupiter 37A, MC Jupiter 37A, Jupiter 37AM, MC Jupiter 37AM, MC Jupiter 37-A-N (A-H in cyrillic) (I don't know if there is a non-multicoated of this rare lens). The only difference between them is coating (MC) and weight (37AM weighting ~350 grams). It has a stepless diaphragm ring, which I don't really like, since you're forced to look at what aperture you're stopping the lens but it won't bother many people.

Note : This lens can have dirty diaphragm blades, with oil for instance. Unfortunately you can't dismantle this lens as far as I know.
² : The coating on some copies can have several little bubbles inside it. Don't worry, it does not affect image quality.

I hope this'll help, and sorry for my quite poor English, as it is not my native language.

   
New Member

Registered: June, 2017
Posts: 1
Review Date: June 1, 2017 Recommended | Price: $50.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Warm colors, many aperure blades, cheap
Cons: Not too sharp
Sharpness: 8    Aberrations: 8    Bokeh: 9    Handling: 7    Value: 10    Camera Used: Nikon D5300   

This lens is really good, especially you're looking for a portrait lens,the jupiter 37a is a great choice. It is a little bit soft, which can be either good or bad, that is up to you to decide. For portraits I don't find sharpness too important. Bokeh is actually not bad, I kinda like it. It gives nice warm colors. The aperture ring is stepless so you can go between stops if you want to. The maximum aperture can be set (I never used it). It's really easy to find this lens for cheap and in good condition. There's no reason to not buy it.
   
New Member

Registered: May, 2013
Location: Jakarta
Posts: 2
Review Date: June 1, 2015 Recommended | Price: $50.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: value, very sharp, 12 blades
Cons: 'ugly' body paint, handling?
Sharpness: 10    Aberrations: 8    Bokeh: 8    Handling: 7    Value: 9    Camera Used: K5, A7   

this is Russian lens and it's very sharp! even in wide open, mine is non MC version, ergonomic handling feel a bit sturdy and stiff, but still ok

here are the samples shoots:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/roe_groho/sets/72157643407602703
   
New Member

Registered: July, 2014
Posts: 2
Review Date: July 5, 2014 Recommended | Price: $35.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: SHARPNESS, continuous aperture with a lot element, smooooth bokeh, quite enough f3.5, very cheap to its performance, surprisingly small and lightweight
Cons: a little rugged focus ring
Sharpness: 10    Aberrations: 9    Bokeh: 10    Handling: 7    Value: 10    Camera Used: D50   

My favourite lens all time, awesome sharpness, lovely bokeh, the perfect cheap lens for portrait.

Although it's well constructed, my copy has a little rugged focusing, need to furbish for a smooth ring.

D50 + Jupiter 37A at f3.5
   
New Member

Registered: August, 2013
Posts: 8
Review Date: January 11, 2014 Recommended | Price: $100.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Great Lens
Cons:
Sharpness: 9    Aberrations: 9    Bokeh: 9    Handling: 9    Value: 9   

Great Russian Lens... iam using for Panasonic Lumix G3 -micro 4/3 mirrorless camera ..Excellent lens and perfomance for me...
   
New Member

Registered: September, 2013
Posts: 3
Review Date: January 1, 2014 Recommended | Price: $25.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Perfect handling and build quality, very sharp wide open, you can get it almost for free.
Cons: Flare appears too often, a little bit too long on crop, "nervous" bokeh.
Sharpness: 10    Aberrations: 7    Bokeh: 7    Handling: 9    Value: 10   

Perfect lens for portraits in soft light. It's microcontrast makes it perfect for conditions with soft and "unimpressive", "flat" light.
I don't know any other lens, wich can provide such a good picture on a cloudy day with a completely diffused light.
But it's virtually unusable in sunny conditions - shadows tend to get too dark and overall contrast decreases significantly.
   
New Member

Registered: February, 2012
Posts: 14
Review Date: June 14, 2012 Recommended | Price: None indicated | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Sharp, Cheap, 12 iris
Cons: Bit heavy, M42 (need an adapter),
Sharpness: 9    Aberrations: 10    Bokeh: 8    Handling: 10    Value: 10   

I have a copy of 37A. I enjoyed using this lens especially on long range photos. Good for "sniper mode". Great colors and easy to use. Built like a tank so no need to worry too much on inflicting damages to the lens.

my shots:



   
Inactive Account

Registered: November, 2009
Location: Southern Ontario
Posts: 22
Review Date: May 27, 2012 Recommended | Price: $30.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Excellent value for money, sharp from wide open, natural colour, great for portraits
Cons: Maximum aperture of 3.5 is the only negative but not an issue for me
Sharpness: 9    Aberrations: 9    Bokeh: 9    Handling: 8    Value: 10   

This is probably my most used 135mm. I prefer it to my Pentacon zebra 135mm 2.8 and CZJ Sonnar 135mm 3.5 which are both much costlier lenses.

I like the look and feel of this lens and its compact size. It is my favourite portrait lens rendering beautiful skin tones straight out of the camera. It is also very sharp from wide open. It is a consistent performer and when I am only taking one lens and know I will be photographing a special event, I will take the Jupiter 37A. I know I can count on a high percentage of 'keepers'.

For the price that you can pick one up for on the used market, I think it is perhaps the best bang for your buck (along with the Helios 44-2).

Since it is a telephoto and doesn't go particularly wide, naturally it performs best in outdoor situations with good available light. It's not a lens I use for shooting indoors. Though there are exceptions (close up portraits when light from nearby window creates good conditions).

If I ever lost this lens or it broke, I would replace it in a heartbeat, even for three or four times what I originally paid for it (a mere $30 plus shipping).
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