Red star 50's

I own a number of Eastern bloc 50mm rangefinder lenses, including Jupiter 8, Industar (various) and the Helios 103. I enjoy using them all but which is best? Anyone have an opinion?

As no one has replied my opinion will have to suffice. For sharpness the Industar, for dreaminess even when stopped down the J8, for all round character and usability, the Helios 103. I don't have a Jupiter 3 or any other cold war 50s,

I have a pair of FED-2 cameras that got a good CLA that replaced all the tar, oops, I mean lube, that was gumming them up. They are great shooters now, smooth as silk, and the wide rangefinder base is a plus. And I'm rather fond of my FSU lenses, especially the Jupiter 8 and collapsible Industar-50 lenses.

I have one, but you are not going to like it all or at all...

I was never impressed with H-103. It is sharp and this is it. Medical illustrations, in BW, lens. J-3 in Kiev mount is the best FSU 50mm you could get. No alignment issues.
I went trough, I think, all of 50mm Industars they have made for RF. About four different I-22. Kazan and KMZ made. Currently with Zorki version.
About J-8...You need to allight it. Just as LTM J-3 needs to. And it is written in FSU camera lens repair books. Each lens has to be aligned with each camera in LTM mount,
They had special paragraph in the law book for making LTM lenses and cameras not aligned as criminal act, but on practice...
If yours J-8 is in Kiev mount then you have "Brak" lens. Not in working condition. "Brak" is next to normal condition for FSU cameras and lenses. New, from factory and not in working condition. Brak.

Oh, in USSR then and where it is still by now we had "Red Star" newspaper. And this is it for Red Star. "FSU " is the common for lenses made in USSR.

Ko.Fe. said:

"FSU " is the common for lenses made in USSR.

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FSU is my preferred appellation but Agx takes exception every time I use it, so I'm forced into other terminology for the output of communist planned economies. I assume Soviet Union refers to Russia and its satellite states but not other Warsaw Pact countries like DDR/GDR, Czechoslovakia, Poland, etc, much less Yugoslavia. I don't know which category Ukraine fitted in the cold war era, and as it was a major producer of optical goods labels of origin are a minefield.

My conclusions were based on using the lenses on film and digital cameras, though I lack a converter for the Contax mount. Mirrorless cameras offer the opportunity to see how a lens renders at its optimum focus point and various apertures, without the vagaries of focus and alignment in individual cameras, but does not account for construction errors, obviously. I found greatest variation between types of Industar, with the lanthanum coated 61 offering the most modern rendering. The J8 is nice if you like a seriously soft look even stopped down, which seems par for the course with the Jupiter, but too mushy for my tastes. Mine was a new old stock lens of the late all black type, so poor construction is a possibility, damage less likely and output variation a certainty.

The Jupiter 3 attracts praise, nice examples being highly prized. I've avoided pursuing one because they're relatively costly, but mainly owing to the fact I have no interest in one as a wide aperture portrait lens. Specialists offer a complete realignment and registration service (at a price), so they're clearly held in high esteem. The Helios 103 was a late arrival, being fitted as a standard lens on the late and unlamented Kiev 4M.

I had J8's, Industar 61's in LTM and a Helios 103 in Kiev (Contax) mount. Quite liked all of them. I think my Helios was the sharpest. The I-22 was a sleeper.

FSU is the term in use for gear made in USSR. This is it. It is appropriate and well established term. If someone has something personal attached to it, here is nothing we could do. Red Star is as inaccurate as calling FED cameras as Russian cameras, BTW.
And other countries in Europe like Poland have nothing do to with FSU, they were Eastern Block, not FSU.

Now.
My conclusions are also based on film and digital. I used most of the lenses I have mentioned on FSU cameras, film Leica and Leica M-E.
You have to alling the lens accordingly. J-8 is not soft lens. It is yours copy which might be soft. And earlier and in general J-8 is not contrasty lens.

Yes, I know where H-103 was attached to. I had this kit as my first Kiev. At very beginning Keiv-4AM was sold with Jupiter-8M.

In fresh Leica hate thread you made this statement:

blockend said:

For anyone of moderate dexterity and logic I'd recommend getting a junker, opening a camera up, following a repair video and having a go for themselves. They'll increase their knowledge of its workings, can decide for themselves whether their reputation is deserved, and might even fix it.

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Jupiter-8 is a lot more easier to alling. Believe me, I have done what you suggested in Leica hate thread and I have done J-8 and else alignment. It is next to no brainer, many FSU lenses will give you access to the shims by simply unscrewing the lens block.

This is J-8 @f4 by one of my buddies on RRF.ru

http://rangefinder.ru/glr/showphoto.php/photo/110199/cat/all/device/9

Here are 2.7K pictures taken by different copies and versions of this lens.
http://rangefinder.ru/glr/showgallery.php?device=9

This is J-8 @f2 by another buddy at RFF.ru

http://rangefinder.ru/glr/showphoto.php/photo/110062/cat/all/device/9

J-8 f4:

http://rangefinder.ru/glr/showphoto.php/photo/105529/cat/all/cat/all/device/9

J-8 f2.8 by another photog who has 50 APO as well:

http://rangefinder.ru/glr/showphoto.php/photo/105202/cat/all/cat/all/device/9

But if this is all soft, I guess, here is nothing I could do...

Ko.Fe. said:

But if this is soft, I guess, here is nothing I could do...

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Nice shots, especially woman with case. I had the J8 apart as infinity did not align with the mark on lens. I generally use it on a Bessa, and my version is definitely softer than yours. Off 50mm topic my favourite FSU lens is the Kiev mount J12, a lovely thing whose only flaw is excessive flaring.

I think the best all around lens is the 103. Years ago I blackened the aperture blades on one and it decreased flare considerably. Some years ago I did a test with the 103, a Summicron, a Hexanon and a Sonnar. The 103 held it's own. I still have it around here somewhere. Don't have any of the others anymore. That would be a great lens for a Russian factory to remake in a Leica mount.

The truth seems to be if you have a good copy of a Russian 50 then you have a really good lens. All of the ones I used were good enough.

blockend said:

Nice shots, especially woman with case. I had the J8 apart as infinity did not align with the mark on lens. I generally use it on a Bessa, and my version is definitely softer than yours. Off 50mm topic my favourite FSU lens is the Kiev mount J12, a lovely thing whose only flaw is excessive flaring.

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Lenses like J-8 doesn't match RF and lens distance mark some times. It is just how they were made. I had Kobalux 28 3.5 and focus scale was just an approximation. .
Usually if lens like J-8 is very soft it means someone was messing with it before you get it. For example, getting clean lens with damaged front element and installing front element from another lens which is missing something.

blockend said:

I own a number of Eastern bloc 50mm rangefinder lenses, including Jupiter 8, Industar (various) and the Helios 103. I enjoy using them all but which is best? Anyone have an opinion?

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As you already own and use these lenses regularly, we should be seeking your opinion on which is best, not the other way around.