Tair 11A vs. J-11A vs. J-37A
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Printed on: 5/10/2026 10:54:19 AM
Topic
Topic author: uwittehh
Posted on: 20111006070427
I have noticed that the Tair 11A sells on eBay for really high prices, 100 to 130 Euros seem to be normal. I wondered a bit about this price, so I made a comparison between a Tair 11A (2,8/135), a black Jupiter 11A (4/135) and a black Jupiter 37A (3,5/135).
The results are amazing... The cheap Jupiter 11A is the best of the 3 ones! It's sharp wide open up to the edges and on 5,6 it's stunning.
The other ones are much bader, soft wide open and you have to go at least to 5,6 to get the sharpness of the Jupiter 11A with aperture 4.0.
Another advantage of the J-11A: It's small and lightweight, the Tair is big and heavy.
Here are pictures to compare.
First the Jupiter 11A at 4.0:
http://fotos.cconin.de/ussrphoto/jup11abl40.jpg
Then the Jupiter 37A at 4.0:
http://fotos.cconin.de/ussrphoto/jup37abl40.jpg
At last the Tair 11A at 4.0:
http://fotos.cconin.de/ussrphoto/tair11abl40.jpg
All shots with a Pentax K-10D developed in Lightroom, it's a 100% crop that is not sharpened.
Ulrich
http://fotos.cconin.deReplies
Reply author: Jacques M.
Replied on: 20111006101708
Thanks Ulrich.
The difference is so important that we can even wonder if the Jup 37A and the Tair are well regulated...
Anyway, the Jup 11 is surprising... Zeiss quality!
Jacques.
Reply author: uwittehh
Replied on: 20111006142021
Jacques,
maybe the Tair and the J-37 are not good aligned, I don't know. When I go to aperture 8 all 3 look nearly equal.
Yes, the J-11 is outstanding, it's sharp like my good Pentax lenses :-) Is the J-11 for SLR the same design as the one for rangefinder?
Ulrich
http://fotos.cconin.deReply author: Luiz Paracampo
Replied on: 20111006201458
This test is the absolute truth. J11 is the best design o them all.
The same formula used in RF and reflex cameras.
J11 has the same formula of Sonnar f4/135 prewar Jena and postwar Opton; J37 is the same formula of post war Jena Sonnar 3.5/135. really the only change is the wider front element the rear block remains the same. Tair 11 is a special triplet of own Russian design.
LP
Reply author: Luiz Paracampo
Replied on: 20111006203325
Reply author: uwittehh
Replied on: 20111007053428
Reply author: okynek
Replied on: 20111008114318
Same with Jupiter 9 and Helios 40. Helios 40 way more expensive and much heavier then Jupiter 9, but picture quality I'd say lower then with J-9.
Although H-40 good for portraits, it make very soft and "cozy" pictures.
Reply author: uwittehh
Replied on: 20111009162212
okynet,
yes, the Helios 40 is a bulky heavy piece of metal and glass and on 1,5 it's veeeery soft. I have sold mine away some times ago. The J-9 is great and the M42 version is smaller than one can think.
An outstanding lens is also the Industar 50-2. I have sold one to a Leica user that has compared it to his Summicron 2,8/50. He sent me two photographic prints, one with the I-50-2, one with the Summicron, both a aperture 4,0. There is NO difference! The I-50-2 is sharp as the Leica lens which costs 50 to 100 times more... He was really astonished.
Ulrich
http://fotos.cconin.deReply author: Luiz Paracampo
Replied on: 20111009185414
Well Uwittehh
But observe! Summicron is a f2 lens which one would expect to be softier than a f3.5 lens. really Leitz did a MIRACLE! Russians made the prototype Mercuri 1 used on Kometa camera and some pieces for Zorki. You can be delighted in the extraordinary pages of friend Marco Cavina that details several Russian as Zeiss lenses.
Detail: Industar has more contrast than Summicron
LP
Reply author: Luiz Paracampo
Replied on: 20111009193245
Reply author: sirrith
Replied on: 20120326160507
Reply author: Gelios
Replied on: 20120408105212
So there is a lot of defective Tair-11 around as my experience is in favor of the Jup-11 which won hand down all the tests I did between the 2 lenses which is pretty much consistent with the general consensus...
On top of that, the Jup-11 is smaller and lighter. Be careful with the SLR version as I saw 2 types of Jup-11: one with aperture preset and one without.
Take care.
Reply author: martinsmith99
Replied on: 20120702011306
So much variation in sample quality makes tests like these difficult. I sold my 37A as it was just an ok lens; my Tair 11a stays with me.
Reply author: msiegel
Replied on: 20121109033054
Even if it is an older thread please keep in mind that the Jupiter 11A is NOT the same lens as a Jupiter-11. The 11A is known to be sharper and contrastier than the 11 or the 37A
All I ever get is older and around (Kris Kristofferson)
Reply author: martinsmith99
Replied on: 20121114063716
Copy variation plays a huge part.
Reply author: jiriruzek
Replied on: 20140514035617
Reply author: jasmeen
Replied on: 20160219042437
Be careful with the SLR version as I saw 2 types of Jup-11: one with aperture preset and one without.
Take care.
_____________
NOOR
