Overview of the lens Jupiter-37A.

Legend of the last century, the national lens - Jupiter 37A 3,5 / 135. He is called a small telephoto or a large portraiture, which is true. Jupiter 37-A takes first place in my vote on the best Soviet portrait lens in the range of 85-135mm.

Jupiter 37A Lens Overview

Jupiter 37A Lens Overview

Jupiter-37A has interchangeable shank, which is marked on the lens with the letter "A". Replaceable shank allows you to change the "rear" part of the lens, which attaches it to the camera mount. Regarding the replaceable shank, it is necessary to erect a monument to domestic manufacturers for this ingenious move. With the help of an interchangeable shank, this lens can also be attached to cameras under the M42 thread or "H" mount.

Changing the size of the lens Jupiter-37A 3.5 135 when focusing from infinity to MDF

Changing the size of the lens Jupiter-37A 3.5 135 when focusing from infinity to MDF

How to use with modern cameras?

'A' lenses with an interchangeable shank, such as the one in this review, are very easy to use on almost any modern digital camera (both DSLR and mirrorless), just select correct adapter. The replacement 'A' shank usually has an external M42 thread and an 'H' mount (similar to Nikon F). For use on modern cameras, the easiest way is to add the required adapter from M42 to the desired system or from Nikon F to the desired system to this shank.

Jupiter-37A on the ZK

Jupiter-37A on the ZK

In times of mass use, version with MS was twice as expensive as usual, which actually affects the quality of work. Nevertheless, a lens without an MC feels great with the hood installed. The lens hood can be worn backwards, the hood has special grooves that allow it to be screwed in the opposite state into the thread for the light filter. I know of only one Soviet lens that allows you to put on the hood backwards - and that is Jupiter-37A.

Enlightenment of the lens Jupiter-37A 3.5 135

Enlightenment of the lens Jupiter-37A 3.5 135

Most likely, Jupiter 37A became a copy Carl Zeiss Jena DDR MC Sonnar 3,5 / 135 (Sonnara / Zonnara). Both lenses are pretty good, but narrowly focused experts say that the Sonnars are nevertheless better assembled and give a slightly sharper image.

Enlightenment of the rear lens of the Jupiter-37A 3.5 135 lens and the view of the aperture blades

Enlightenment of the rear lens of the Jupiter-37A 3.5 135 lens and the view of the aperture blades

Positive aspects and their brief description:
1. Cheap. Of course, in our time it can be obtained at a fairly low price. This is due to its mass production. This allows novice photographer to get a great picture for low cost.

Interchangeable shank and lens Jupiter-37A

Interchangeable shank and lens Jupiter-37A

2. Normal enlightenment. But even such enlightenment avoids unnecessary glare, Zaitsev. Removes fear of back and side light. But nevertheless, Jupiter-37A is a little afraid of flare and gives a light veil in the generated image.

Hood on Jupiter-37A dressed back to front and in normal position

Hood on Jupiter-37A dressed back to front and in normal position

3. The lens came with a wonderful case with the emblem of the 80s Olympiad. The lens hood and lens hood are conveniently placed in the case. You can see how the lens cases look here и here.

The difference in the enlightenment of the MS and non-MS version of the lens Jupiter-37A 3.5 135

Difference in enlightenment MS and not the MC version of the lens Jupiter-37A 3.5 135

4. Lens hood in delivery. The metal hood is quite long. It sits very well on the lens. But here is one minus of the lens hood that it is metal, it adds extra weight and when screwing the metal into the metal, the lens hood wedges and then it takes a lot of effort to unscrew it back. So I do not advise tightening it up much.

5. With interchangeable shank. I wrote about this at the beginning of the article. Allows you to use photo systems with different working lengths.

6. As many as 12 aperture blades. Therefore, it can act as an excellent portrait lens with smooth circles to blur the background (it has good bokeh).

7. Non-fixed stroke of the iris ring. Let me explain - the ring does not have fixed aperture values ​​of type 4.5, 5.6, 8, but has a continuous stroke ring. This is very useful when shooting video, when you can smoothly close and open the aperture (and not jerkily at fixed values)

8. The large stroke of the diaphragm F3.5-F22. Pretty maneuverable lens. Jupiter-37A has a function of preset diaphragm... To use this function, you need to strangle the aperture ring towards the camera and release it at the desired aperture value. After that, the diaphragm will close only to the specified value. This is quite convenient when working with manual optics - to focus on a fully open aperture, quickly close to the desired value and shoot.

9. Metal case... As they say - give the people bread and circuses, and here - give glass and metal.

10. It works in minus 15 to plus 45 ° C, it is nice to read about it in the instructions before going on a winter photo walk.

Features and their brief descriptions:

  • The weight. Over 400 grams, makes you feel all the "power" of the telephoto. But still heavy.
  • The location of the diaphragm ring itself is rather inconvenient.
  • Close focusing from 1.2 meters, you can forget about macro. The focus ring rotates 270 degrees.
  • The thread of the filter is 52 mm, which is a fairly popular diameter.
  • The lens has 4 lenses in 3 groups

On the fully open F3.5 aperture, you get slightly soft excellent portraits, but if you close it, then the sharpness is enough with the head for almost all tasks. What does my copy without MS, 1980.

From personal experience using:

I shoot on Jupiter-37A, even when there is very little time to set the sharpness. The picture is excellent. I really like its contrast, although sometimes it seems dull, in the editor it can be made simply incredible. At aperture of 3.5, you can shoot portraits without fear for the soapiness of the glass. Impressions are pretty positive. Here's another interesting comparison of Jupiter-37A and Kaleinar-5N. Jupiter was slightly better.

But if you need to shoot at least slightly moving scenes, then I would prefer any autofocus telephoto, even if it is a zoom and even if it is very dark (does not have enough aperture) and even if from the manufacturer’s know-how, for example, similar to very cheap Quantaray 70-300mm 1: 4-5.6 D LDO MACRO.

Sample photos on crop (APS-C, Nikon DX)

All photos in the gallery below were shot on the APS-C Nikon DX, crop 1.5x. No processing. Reduced size to 2MP, imprinted data from EXIF.

Sample photos on crop (Canon APS-C)

All photos in the gallery below are shot on APS-C Canon 350D, crop 1.6x. No processing. Reduced size to 2MP, imprinted data from EXIF.

Full-frame sample photos (FF, Nikon FX)

All photos in the gallery below are shot on APS Nikon D700 FX Without processing, in JPEG L, VI mode, the size is reduced to 3MP, data from EXIF.

All photos in the gallery below, too, were shot on APS Nikon D700 FX Without processing, in JPEG L, VI mode, the size is reduced to 3 MP, data from EXIF.

UPDATED

Photographer shared examples of photos on Jupiter 37A 3,5 / 135 with readers of Radozhiva Lilia Nemykina:

UPDATE 2

Examples of photos on Jupiter 37A 3,5 / 135 (This one) and the camera Pentax K10D a photographer shared with readers of Radozhiva Yuri Leo.

UPDATE 3

More sample photos on Canon 600D and Jupiter 37A 3,5 / 135 for Radozhiva kindly provided Alexander Frolov.

There are several modifications of JUPITER-37, produced at different times:

  1. MS Jupiter-37AM 3,5 / 135, 1990-2002 (prefix 'MC' is placed before the lens name)
  2. Jupiter-37A 3,5 / 135 МС, 1983-1986 (the prefix 'MC' is placed after the lens name)
  3. MC Jupiter-37A 3,5 / 135, 1986-1989 (prefix 'MC' is placed before the lens name)
  4. Jupiter-37A MS-N-30 3.5 / 135, 1983-1984, very rare
  5. Jupiter-37A 3,5 / 135since 1978
  6. Юпитер-37AМ 3,5/135, 1990-2002
  7. MC Yu-37A 3,5 / 135, from about 1978
  8. U-37AM 3,5 / 135 MS

Catalog modern brand lenses 'Zenitar' и 'Helios' can look at this link.


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Hack and predictor Aviator

Jupiter 37A 3,5 / 135 - good lens. The lens has a pleasant background blur and excellent sharpness starting at its widest aperture. Jupiter-37A is one of the best Soviet portrait lensesIt is easy to install on modern DSLR cameras with an interchangeable shank system.

Material prepared Arkady Shapoval. Training/Consultations | Youtube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Telegram

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Comments: 1 297, on the topic: Review of the Jupiter 37A lens. Lens Jupiter 37 A.

  • Max

    Greetings! I have a Nikon 5100 with whale 18-105 and an additional 35 / 1.8
    Does it make sense to take additional Jupiter?
    Thank you!

    • Jury

      if you’re not afraid of manual shooting mode, manual focusing, lack of metering and there is a good lens option for normal money, then there is a sense

      • Max

        I think I should take it with a dandelion, respectively, the price is not too low, but only the focus will remain from the manual one. I think this is acceptable for a leisurely shoot. The question is, will this give advantages over existing glasses?

        • Jury

          if you do not shoot in a backlight - the lens is super, especially for its price. Compared to 18-105 at the long end, the difference will be obvious, in favor of Jupiter. There is no point in comparing with 35 / 1.8 - too different focal points.

    • Lynx

      Yes, it has.

  • Max

    Thanks for answers! Tell me, what distances do you need on a crop for a growth and chest portrait with this glass? I read somewhere that to shoot a person who is ~ 170 cm tall on a crop, the distance is needed in the region of 100 focal lengths. Is it so?

    • BB

      It also depends on how much space you leave above your head and under your feet (and another person can raise his hands, for example). You have 18-105, so check it out.

    • BB

      And there are calculator programs, you can put them on a smartphone, for example.
      http://www.vision-doctor.co.uk/optical-calculations/calculation-object-size.html

      • Max

        Ugh you! And I thought with this stick you can only chop nuts (s)
        There are calculators, only I used them to calculate the flu, and you can also calculate the angles. Thanks for the tip!
        Indeed, growths to remove, run away will have great. Well, we will do breasts with 6 meters)))

  • Dragana trajkovic

    Jupiter 37A 3,5 / 135 + Eos 600D

  • Dragana trajkovic

    Jupiter 37A 3,5 / 135 + Canon Eos 600D

  • Sergei

    An excellent lens, not much of the Soviet one is recommended for purchase. Tair 11 was not impressed, Jupiter 9 is both black and white - I don’t know what it is valued for, soap soap, you can pinch it, but you can use a whale for this. And 37a is good, I liked it more than Zonnar (zebra) The only thing is that it is long for me (crop), I like about 100 mm more, I use Kaleinar. Yes, and for the MS version you should not overpay, the difference in the picture is not critical, and the price is much higher. And it slithers and floats for one or two, then the lens can only be thrown out. Without MS, you will use forever. I definitely recommend getting hold of it.

  • Sasha

    thanks for the review. I bought this lens, I was pleased with the ease of focusing, weight and size. attaching photo.
    PS By default the lens is dark, which brings its own charm. but you can add +1 - +1 1/3 to the exposure and it will be fine.

  • Radion

    Who is familiar with the constructive Yu37a, Tell me, please, the following.
    in all the pictures in the net on the lens, the “aperture value index point” is in line with the FLOW scale. On my sample, the offset is 1/4 turn.
    This does not bother me much, but it can be easily fixed by disassembling and assembling in the correct position. If you know how to solve, tell me, please

    • anonym

      Most likely someone additionally placed the adjustment rings. Or someone disassembled and incorrectly twisted the lens (maybe the threads did not hit the threads and twisted it as best they could.) You just need to unscrew the front part of the lens and see what is wrong there, since the inscriptions must be strictly parallel ...

      • KalekseyG

        Ha ha ha Adjustment rings! Unscrew the front! Did you hold it in your hands?

  • Evgenij

    m42-nikon adapter (or canon) can be bought here http://olx.ua/list/user/Bewr/

  • anonym

    Photo taken by Jupiter-37a (issued in 1981). Photocamera - Nikon 3200.
    Povnіstu vіdkrita diaphragm.

  • Igor White Guard

    Who is looking for an adapter KP / an it is in the online store "18-300.ru" tel. 89780327142. I myself recently ordered there. A factory-made adapter with a passport price is 800 rubles. I got on Nikon without problems. There is infinity!

  • Anatoly

    Which year is the best lens?

  • Eugene

    On the Canon 650D is the canon 18-135mm f / 3.5-5.6 is stm. I tried to install Jupiter 37a 135mm f / 3.5. Made test shots at a focal length of 135mm. For some reason, Jupiter brings much more than the canon 18-135mm to 135mm.

  • Basil

    Good day everyone! Many thanks to Arkady for his work - for his reviews !!! Having bought a budget DSLR nikon d3200 with a kit lens 18-35, the result was not satisfied! I'll probably describe why. Probably it's easy to understand that if a person buys a camera of a class budget, he hardly plans to buy lenses that cost more than the camera itself! Therefore, Arkady came to the rescue with his reviews! And then it started ... search and again search for Soviet lenses and information about them! Since people are already beginning to see the light and understand the price of real quality .... there are very few sales offers, and there are only a few of them at the flea market. With the exception of Helios 44-2, they are still sold enough, sometimes they raise the price up to 40eur - they are completely crazy. I saw the ad for the sale -Legendary Helios 44-2 but these guys are a little too much, what kind of legend is he? As time passed, I already know a little about this! The legendary is Helios 40, Jupiter 6 but by no means 44-2. Over the course of time, I regretted that I had not bought a canon (now I would have taken a canon 600d for sure), since it is possible to attach more Soviet glasses to it than to Nikon. Therefore, one of the best or even the best lenses such as Helios 40 and Jupiter 9 Wave 9 after the purchase had to be sold soon - due to the lack of focusing at infinity! The only plus - after their profitable sale, I was able to buy myself a Nikon AF-S Nikkor 35mm 1: 1.8G DX, a comrade advised My question is: I want one universal lens that is not expensive so that it is better than a whale lens and the photos would be worthy! Not bad, but he lacks something! And now about the difference! I can compare Nikkor 35mm 1: 1.8G + kit 18-35 with Soviet lenses! The disadvantages that photographers who shoot in auto mode usually include in the disadvantages, I would not call them that !!! Namely, the lack of autofocus and the need to select the shutter speed and aperture yourself! On the contrary, this is an opportunity to progress and learn to take pictures! Well, again, I moved away from the topic! on plastic Chinese lenses nikon it turns out very bright and colorful as if not alive, some kind of soulless !!! In principle, the same photos are obtained on modern phones! But Soviet optics gives a different result - photos are alive, plastic, they have a soul especially in portraits! Of course, this is not suitable for commerce, but only for unhurried shooting! My summary is this: yes, you can quickly click 500 photos in auto mode or with a Soviet lens, only 50 of which will turn out due to overexposures and underlights only 20! But believe me, you will look at these 20 photos and show them to your friends more often than those 500! And you understand that you have done something and not just pressed the shutter button !!! below the photo was taken on Tair 11a without any processing and modifications - I don't admit it !Thanks! maybe someone will be interested in reading my vision of everything described above!

    • Alexander

      ... emotions will fade away and then Dr. Vasily will be enlightened - Nikon's glass will be appreciated!

      • Basil

        I don’t know Dr. Alexander emotions do not fade for a year ... holding in hands, for example, Helios 40 of 1966 or Jupiter 9 of 1967, purely new, Jupiter 11 of the same years and other worthy lenses - you understand that you are touching eternity! they have a second chance - a second life, photographing them! True, in a year I realized what kind of Soviet glass I need for Nikon! Cheap and angry Jupiter 37A, not quite expensive but already rare Helios 81H, more affordable TV 3.5 / 200 or Granite 11H, Kaleinar 5H is very rare in our country and the best and most valuable of all the above mentioned Tair 11A. Of course I have already photographed all of them.

    • Basil

      I apologize for the large size of the photo does not attach

      • Alexander

        What does not allow to reduce the size?

        • Basil

          very dreary it tried somehow in paint to reduce the size of the photo so messed up the original

  • Vadim

    Friends !!! Reading the comments noticed that no one remembers such a thing from the past as a light meter! Carried away by shooting with Soviet lenses, overexposure and underexposure of photos were very disturbed! To this day, two excellent models of Soviet exposure meters have survived: Sverdlovsk-4 and Leningrad-6 on batteries - all the rest, even in excellent condition, will not work or will lie strongly, since the selenium photocell loses its properties after time ...

    • Alexander

      here is the topic, as it were, about Jupiter-37A :)

      • Evgeny_d5000

        as if the processing of rabbis allows you to smooth out the exposure metering errors, and gradually the eye gets filled) and this "Sverdlovsk" of yours destroys all sports interest))

  • Vadim

    It is these devices that help Jupiter to take wonderful pictures, well, of course, you can point your finger at the sky ... ..

  • Basil

    Swan

  • Basil

    photo true on thaih…. there is it on Jupiter ... I'll post it later ... but it turned out better on tair

  • Basil

    on jupiter

    • Alexander

      ... I see that the date of the photo was: June 2015, camera D3200; ... great shots ... where are these swan geese? :)

  • Lysyi71

    beautiful glass for your money, there is nothing to add, the pictures from it speak for themselves ...

  • Sergei

    Friends, tell an unlearned one, because if the focal length of the lens is 135 mm, on the camera (in particular, on the Nikon D80) with a crop factor of 1,5, it will give 202 mm of focal length. So, at what distance then will you have to do portraits? How many meters will you have to move away from a person, if you do, let’s say a portrait waist-high or at least chest-length? And a full-length portrait, how much how much will it take?

    • KalekseyG

      zone meters with 8, growth 15

      • Lysyi71

        ... yes, somewhere like that, saglasen is 10 m tall, no less

  • SMK

    This is one of the best lenses available, I shot it on Pentax for a long time) as a portrait one for such a price is ideal.

  • Alexander Goncharov

    Thanks Arkady! What is not an article is a sea of ​​useful information.

  • R'RёS,R ° F "RёR№

    "Jupiter 37-A takes second place in my vote for the best Soviet portrait lens at 85-135mm."

    already the first

  • Nikon-V

    That's who is interested in photos taken on Jupiter 37A with a Nikon D5200 camera

    • Ramona

      The brightness of the picture is excellent. For some reason, mine does not give such brightness.

      • B. R. P.

        One word - processing.

  • Nikon-V

    and here's another

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