The beast arrives

My recent commentary on the situation in Ukraine focused mainly on my concerns that I had just ordered a lens from Kiev and I did not want it to be delayed; demonstrating once again my core humanity and emphasis on what matters in my tiny world. I am now pleased to report that the bloodshed can now continue, because the lens arrived this morning:

For reasons I have already forgotten, I previously acquired a Jupiter 11 lens; 135mm of Russian manual focus goodness; and it certainly produces nice photos, like this one:

However, I was aware that in the heady world of Russian 135mm lenses, the Jupiter 11 was not the king; the crown belonged to the Tair 11A. After much nagging from a Mr. M. Parry via Flickr and Thai Visa, I took the plunge and ordered one.

It has that menacing, bulky Russian look about it, especially when you put it next to the diminutive Jupiter 11:

The required M42 adapter doesn’t help with the size difference, and lens doesn’t do any better when it comes to weight, being almost twice the weight of the Jupiter at more than 600 grams. Looks like an assault weapon when attached to a camera:

So, why bother? Well, first of all it is F2.8 compared the the F4 of the Jupiter. More light, more out of focus area to display the apparently wonderful bokeh. The bokeh is also helped by the fact that the lens has twenty aperture blades!

Other features; there is a pull out hood, and two aperture rings. One allows you to preset your aperture, and the other rotates between wide open and your preset, allowing to focus and shoot without taking you eye away from the viewfinder; good times.

My copy was made in 1988, but the seller assured me it had been serviced recently. This appears to be the case because it is very clean, the lens is clear, and all the rings operate smoothly. He also assured me that there was a carrying case and three filter.

The case was obvious because the lens came in it.

But the filters appeared to have been missed from the package; until I found them in their own little storage compartment in the top of the lens case. Not sure I would ever use them with a digital camera, but good to have the complete set:

Looking forward to trying it out soon.

Comments 🔗

2014-03-12 | Parry says

LOL!!!

Shall try out new bokeh monster from hell the Meyer Optik Gorlitz Orestegor 300/4 this weekend. At 2.2 kgs and 18 blades . . . .

2014-03-12 | Jason says

That looks a lot like my Yashica 135 2.8 in size. Of course the Yashica doesn’t have 20 blades. Now I have blade envy.

2014-03-12 | Pete says

If they’re both Russian lenses, why is one left-handed and the other right-handed?

2014-03-12 | Spike says

Because the Jupiter is a copy of a pre-war Karl Zeiss Sonnar, and the Tair is the bastard love child of a T-28 tank and a tractor.

2014-03-13 | Andrew says

Seems like all this m/4/3 stuff is heading back into the ““my dslr lenses are to big to carry around all the time " neighborhood …as they say “what goes around comes around”….Minox where art thou?…..

2014-03-14 | Spike says

To be fair to M43, this is 1980s Russian stuff; and only an idiot like myself would choose to stick it on an M43 camera.

2014-03-14 | Andrew says

I see you have been tinkering with the backend again since my cookie for comments has evaporated….anyway, the new 40-150 Oly looks to be nearly as big as this so basically back to shoot with what you like and get on with it …size does and doesn’t matter ( depending on the girls you talk to…)…

2014-03-16 | Spike says

Theme update; sorry about that.

2014-03-17 | Ivo says

Is it not time for some photos made with the beast?

2014-03-17 | Spike says

It’s hot. Maybe tomorrow.

2014-03-22 | Rev. Heng Sure says

Spike, would you share the details of acquiring this lens? Which adapter does your EM1 require? Do the new ones all come from Russia or is there another distributor in Singapore, say, or in KL? Thanks!

2014-03-22 | Parry says

Heng, ebay.

2014-03-22 | Spike says

Russian lenses have different mounts, depending on which camera they were originally designed for. The most common are known as M39 or M42; and adapters for both are available cheaply from eBay as they are very simple things. My Tair is M42 and I had the adapter “in stock” for use with other lenses. The Tair 11A comes in both M39 and M42 mounts; I think the M39 adapter is smaller than the M42 so an M39 model might be better if you don’t have either adapter; but it doesn’t really matter. As Parry mentions, eBay is where to go; and the most plentiful selection can be found from the Former Soviet Union (FSU). Pick a seller that has a 100% or close rating and plenty of sales, and you will be OK. I have bought many Russian cameras and lenses from FSU over the years and never had a problem. Shipping can take a few days to work it’s way out of the country it is coming from; but after that it arrives pretty quickly (in Thailand). If you see one you fancy, send me the link via the contact form and I will have a look for you. Don’t post it as a comment because otherwise Parry will just buy it; he has a sickness.

2014-03-23 | Rev. Heng Sure says

Hey thanks! Never considered Russian lenses before. The 3D quality of the images posted above is startling! I am curious and will follow up.

2014-03-23 | Spike says

The Helios 103 is good too, and really cheap: 2013_01_a-little-russian-in-the-night

2014-03-23 | Parry says

Heng, beware the LBA but . . . It’s an awful lot cheaper than modern AF and more fun and more artistic and . . . Well, I think they’re superior, certainly to my over hyped over prriced Pentax Limiteds.

2014-03-23 | Parry says

Heng, try a Jupiter 37a. It’s reckoned to be the best of the old Communists, a 135/3.5.

For a shorter FL try a Helios 77M-4, 50/1.8. Very sharp with lovely bokeh. Or a Helios 44M-3 or 44M-7, these are 58/2’s.

Leave it at that then. No need for any more Russians. Jupiter-9 might do it for 85/2.

Carl Zeiss Jena DDR MC’s are brutally sharp. The 50/1.8 Electric and a 135/3.5 MC Sonnar. There’s a 200/2.8 and a 300/4 as well but now rare and getting expensive. I have the 50 and 135 but resisted the longer ones thus far as I can’t haul stuff that big.

I will add it’s worth getting them serviced if optically great. Focus rings can be very stiff, blades often have traces or slicks of oil.

Working perfectly these old lenses replace autofocus lenses for me which are big expensive heavy things that never fail to disappoint.

I use Pentax DSLR’s (hence why I gave up with autofocus) upon which the old M42’s focus to infinity without the need for an optical adapter, just a simple flush fit adapter to maintain the correct registry distance.