I watched the whole video trying to decide if you look like Steve Buscemi or Christopher Walken.

Really a delight to see that beautiful lens. You can tell how much you love these things, which is wonderful. Much appreciated.

I love these comparisons. I have two copies of the Jupiter-8, and they're almost as different from one another as they are from my Summitar. The earlier Jupiter is a bit softer, exhibiting some veiling wide open. (I've cleaned all the elements - the glass is spotless, and there's no separation or flaws in the coating. Just slightly less optically perfect?) The later copy, a black body beauty, is clearer wide open, but doesn't have as much of that lovely colour shift that the older one has. It's slightly more contrasty, as well, but by f/4, there's not much between them. A different look. The Summitar is, well, a Summitar. The lens is legendary for many reasons. And, yes, I'm keeping them all, using them at whim to suit my mood. Have you experimented with doing lens profiling in post to shift their colour rendering and contrast closer to one another?

Old glass and modern system camera is my jam. Been using this format since i start learning photography. I love this vid. What a piece of glass.

What a great side-by-side comparison! Wonderful content.

Thanks for this! I have a Nikkor H.C Auto 50mm F/2 L39 Mount. That one is a gem for the price.

Just discovered your channel and I am loving the content. Good work.

I could watch your reviews day and night. They are a real therapy for me.

Great video! Very interesting to see them compared like that.

I love my Summitar - the centre sharpness is up there with a Summicron, and but for a small tendency to flare when there is a strong light source ahead of the lens (I must get a hood), it works brilliantly in black and white, and reasonably well with colour. Like all old lenses, it's as much about the example you are shooting, but mine is beautiful.

I bought the Leica this week and man that is the absolute sharpest lens I've used next to the Sears Auto 55 mm 1.4 and the Jupiter 37a. Worth every penny.

Great channel. You should be at at least 100k subs based on your qaulity videos . Love your channel.

Recently my brother who is not into photography gave me back my father's Leica IIIf with a Sumitar 50 f2 on it. The camera is from 1949 and had been lubed and calibrated in the 1980s. The camera amazingly functions perfectly except the cloth shutter was partly detached. I took the lens that is still in excellent condition and took some pictures with my Sony A7RII and wow...very sharp and especially attractive in black and white, colors are also quite good but the sharpness and grey scales that this lens produce is as you say...magical. My debate now is if I should repair the cloth shutter, as repairing it cost US$250, nearly the price of buying another used IIIf. Actually the repair man said I should just buy another one. But, this one is my late father's favorite, and I am thinking I should repair it. Or, just let it sit on top of my shelf as an ornament? Decisions, decisions.....Please advise!

I have a mid-1930s example of the Summitar’s predecessor, the Summar. It has much the same swirly bokeh but not nearly the same resolving capabilities. :) I’m also a fan of Sonnar lens designs like the Jupiter 3 & 8 and their Zeiss counterparts. The Summitar, though, represents the next step forward in design.

Still interesting and relevant in 2021. Thank you

Thanks. I have a Jupiter 8. Per your review, I prefer the images from the Jupiter 8. You are right: They are "cooler." Le itz is nice, though.

How about the summar ( uncoated version with 12.5 min aparatura), should i use the summar vs the jupiter ?

I have a Jupiter 8 which normally lives on a Zorki 4. This afternoon I took a few test shots with it mounted on a Nikon 1 J1. Looks pretty good and angle of view just about equal to a 135 mm lens on a 45 mm camera. The lens is small enough that it doesn’t feel too out of place on the tiny Nikon.

Both lenses are excellent and both have their place in photography

I have a pair of Leica Summilux 1.8 lenses on my Huawei p10 plus smartphone. When I use it in aperture mode I get wonderful bokeh. I also have a Zorki 4k with the awesome Jupiter 8 50mm f2 lens. Used with Ilford XP2 400 black and white film I get terrific sharpness and wonderful bokey at f2. Unbeatable and reasonably priced

Question: I have a Jupiter 8 and an Industar and use an M39 adapter to mount them on my D800. In both cases what I end up with are superb macro lenses. I though I was sent the wrong adapter ring but now I have three adapter rings and I like the macro function very much BUT what adapter do I actually need to use these lenses as “normal” lenses? (I have been looking for this info but so far have been unsuccessful) Thank you!

Thank you for a very informative video! I have both lenses that I have recently found in my deceased father’s collection. I would like to do my own testing on my Sony A7C so please excuse my ignorance when I ask if you test lenses in RAW or jpeg?

love it

It would be interesting to compare the lenses for far-field objects, where (I suspect?) the lenses have been computed for best performances. At f2, f2.8 etc, near-field shots will always produce a softness at the edges and corners due to (for one) natural curvature of field. Just a suggestion Zeno, but If you still have the Leitz lens, try a set of horizon (or ~100metre) shots from f2 to f11 on both. Incidentally, who is to say that the Leitz or Jupiter 8 has the better colour rendition? - I say this as I cannot recall exacty how a scene looked in colour. ;o) Thanks for your videos Mr Zeno. I always enjoy them!

On the Leica Summitar f2 you demonstrate, would you use a daylight protection lens as well - or are you just very carful? Regards Mike

I have both and given the ages they are they all need cleaning. I took apart and cleaned the Jupiter but hesitating doing the same for my Summitar. Any advice?

Hi, I'm enjoying your videos. I'd be very interested if you could do a review of the Leica Summar 50mm f2 lens. Hopefully, you could find one to try! Thanks

It’s tragic for the Jupiter 8 you possessed for this video. I have a Jupiter 8 that maybe a more recent edition and I must say: it’s about as perfect as a lens can be. It’s smooth and deliberate in both the focus barrel and f-stop ring. Mine is also quite clean and the glass is super clean. My 2 cents: fingers crossed with that model you end up with should anyone order one. It’s not a Leica but a good version is a great value! 👍

PS. The first and last shot displayed the differences really well. The last shot especially. I would hardly have given the post shot a second look, but for whatever reason, the Leica image held my attention and interest much, much more. Do you have any interest in 8mm or 16mm movie cameras (pre 1970)? I have a few Soviet and Western models and I like them just for the look and engineering and they are nice to fiddle with (play with!) - I don't use them (of course I had every intention to use them...but..).

Will the sumitar fit on a Bessa r?

Summitars are well known or their ability to produce swirley bokeh, I lov em:)

how do you put the leica on a canon EF dslr?

I don't have the Jupiter 8 but have a Jupiter 3 50mm f1.5 that is in good shape and takes great picture, with dreamy bokeh albeit images that are a tad soft. i wonder if you have experience with Jupiter 3 and its comparison to the jupiter 8? I do have the Leica Summitar 50 and no doubt it is a better lens than both Jupiters.

If you collapse the Leica Summitar f2 lens on the Sony A7, will it hit the sensor?

What film stocks did you use?

I have a jupiter connected to my Leica M3....its sharp!

which lens are you shooting with here?

12:33 The red rendering was probably mandatory for soviet lenses

Drool!

10:45 Summitar SHARPER? Are you looking at the out of focus trees and headstones?

but is one worth X times the value of the other?

Jupiter is awesome.

☕️👍

Bought a Jupiter-8 recently for $20... it was well worth the money. It's rather sharp at f8-11. I found it having a bit of reddish color rendering. Way too soft at f2, but starts getting sharp at the center around f2.4. It's very good for portrait, nice bokeh. It has a bit of ghosting - hazing - smoothing effect at wide apertures which is quite unique. It's also super light and the L39-EOSM adapter is also very light. It's in the same ballpark with Helios 44-2, but much less bukly. Sadly, no swirly bokeh but still I love how it renders everything so silky smooth.

The Leica was pampered because it is a Leica, and that Jupiter was obviously kicked around like a stepchild since birth. I don't bother with vintage Russian lenses for that reason.

It’s like Honda and Ferrari. Honda is awesome.

I prefer the J8 for the colour balance overall

i made it to two minutes and when he was talking about his lenscap like his wife!! i had to leave.. bye.. pfff