Back to topic

fsu lenses - black finish vs. chrome finish

Printed from: USSRPhoto Forums

Topic URL: http://localhost:8088/modern/Forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2071

Printed on: 5/8/2026 1:50:44 AM


Topic

Topic author: cameosis

Posted on: 20120530022618

hello, i wonder if anybody could tell me what the approximate production runs of the respective lens versions were (black / chrome), particularly the following lenses:

jupiter-3 / jupiter-8 / jupiter-9 / jupiter-12 / orion-15 / russar mr-2

after going through my fsu stuff recently, i realized that i have mostly black lenses (more by chance than by deliberate planning), except for the industar-22 and the orion-15 (all chrome).

what i'd like to know is how common the latter black versions are, my jupiter-3 is from 1987, the jupiter-9 is from 1968 and has a cyrillic engraving. were there any jupiter-12 lenses in black with cyrillic engraving or were they all marketed for export? finally, i have yet to come across a black orion-15, does anybody own one, or how many have been produced?

thanks!

Esse quam videri. (Marcus Tullius Cicero)

Replies

Reply author: ZorkiKat

Replied on: 20120530133759

There was really no chrome finished lens except for the I-22. Almost all the 'white' barrels were aluminium. Lacquer coated aluminium to be exact. These white barrels appear to have been discontinued in favour of the black painted barrels towards the latter half of the 60s. There were still some lenses which were finished in both black and white aluminium, like the I-61.

My J-9's from the late 1960s are all black. I also have J-12 with cyrillic markings, also black, in Kiev and FED LTM mounts.

Reply author: cameosis

Replied on: 20120530183059

thanks for the reply -- you're right of course, my wording was inaccurate: i meant "metallic / aluminum."

i appreciate the info on the black cyrillic jupiter-12 -- this one's on my want list now.

Esse quam videri. (Marcus Tullius Cicero)