Contax and the Jupiter

[klop]

I was trying my Jupiter and Helios lens on my Contax IIIa today and the Jupiter 12 looks like it is to long. The Helios 103 (1981) was tight in the mount but it fit. The Jupiter 8 (1957) and the Jupiter 11 (1963) fit great. That Jupiter 12 (1988) looks like it will hit on the top and bottom of the mushroom element. Anyone run into or heard of this?

 

[Xmas]

The J12 and its clone the prewar Biogon are not compatible with the post war contax IIa. You need a post war contax 35mm or a Cosina 35mm.
edit
Or a Nikon 35mm the rangefinder will be close enough.

 

[jimjm]

Yep, you'll damage the lens and/or the body if you try to fit a J12 on a Contax IIA or IIIA. This lens is only compatible with the prewar II or III.

For a 35mm lens compatible with the IIA/IIIA, look for the postwar Zeiss Biogon, any of the Nikkor RF lenses or the recent ones offered by Cosina Voigtlander in Nikon S mount. The Nikkors or the CV lenses will probably be the cheapest option. I use a Nikkor 35/2.5 on my IIA body, and this lens is outstanding.

The difference in the Nikon and Contax mount won't be an issue with 35mm or wider lenses. With 50 or longer your focusing will be off, especially at larger apertures and close-up. Nikon made Contax-mount versions of their 85, 105 and 135mm lenses. Optically and physically identical to the Nikon mount versions, only identified by a 'C' engraved on the underside of the barrel.

 

[E. von Hoegh]

I was trying my Jupiter and Helios lens on my Contax IIIa today and the Jupiter 12 looks like it is to long. The Helios 103 (1981) was tight in the mount but it fit. The Jupiter 8 (1957) and the Jupiter 11 (1963) fit great. That Jupiter 12 (1988) looks like it will hit on the top and bottom of the mushroom element. Anyone run into or heard of this? :blink:

It's a well-known incompatibility.
Quite a few J-12s are damaged on the rear surface, hopefully yours is still OK.

 

[klop]

It's a well-known incompatibility.
Quite a few J-12s are damaged on the rear surface, hopefully yours is still OK.

Thanks everyone for your comments, I did not put the lens in all the way... I opened the shutter on T and took the back of the camera off to watch the rear element. I could see that at about 1/16th of an inch the gap between the element and the camera was smaller than the gap between the lens mount and camera mount. So I stopped there and but the lens away. One of those common things I had not learned about yet.

 

[Pioneer]

I use the Cosina Voigtlander Color Skopar 35/2.5 on my Contax IIIa. Fits perfectly and produces great photographs. Pretty inexpensive as well.

 

[Hatchetman]

What is the mount-type called on the IIa and IIIa?

 

[E. von Hoegh]

Thanks everyone for your comments, I did not put the lens in all the way... I opened the shutter on T and took the back of the camera off to watch the rear element. I could see that at about 1/16th of an inch the gap between the element and the camera was smaller than the gap between the lens mount and camera mount. So I stopped there and but the lens away. One of those common things I had not learned about yet.

When mounted on a Kiev/prewar Contax the rear glass is about 5/16" from the film. I really like the one I have, a '61 that looks unused.

 

[Xmas]

What is the mount-type called on the IIa and IIIa?

Contax it was used on the
Contax I, II &IIa
Kiev

and

on the Nikon although the Nikon rangefinder is not exactly the same

A Bessa also used the same mount and rangefinder as the Nikon.