[cyberjunkie]

Time ago i asked about the conversion of a Meyer Trioplan N 2.8/100mm in Exakta mount (with side button) to PK:
PK/M42 conversion: Meyer Trioplan 2,8/100mm in Exakta mount

Recently i mentioned the lens in a couple of posts, and fellow pentaxian "stevebrot" asked me about it in a PM.
I sent him the pictures of the conversion, and today i realized it could be of some interest to somebody else.
So now i'm posting the pics of this very well made conversion, also as a token of appreciation for the master who did it, Mr. Mario Tartarini.
The first attempt had some problems, i rushed him because i was going to leave in a few days, and the work was done too much in a hurry.
The first conversion was done using a M39_to_PK adapter i provided, It worked, but the fungus was not removed from the glasses, the focusing was off, and the diaphragm couldn't be operated with the lens pointing upwards.
After i returned, the lens was properly cleaned, the focusing corresponds with the marks on the barrel, and the diaphragm works as it should.
The bayonet was changed, using a modified PK T2 adapter.
With my K-1 it works faultlessly in AV, with better ergonomics than K and M lenses.









This is the little brother, the Meyer Trioplan 2.8/50mm in Altix mount, that i have personally converted to PK (using a saw, a file, black hot glue... and a M39_to_M42 ring plus a normal/infinity compatible M42_to_PK ring)



I don't have at hand anything recent shot with the Trioplan 100mm.
This is an old shot done when the glasses still had fungal growth, but the bubble bokeh is on full display :



cheers

Paolo

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Last edited by cyberjunkie; 10-18-2017 at 05:20 AM.

[BigMackCam]

What a super lens! Excellent conversion and servicing work by Mr Tartarini

[boriscleto]

Was the original conversion inspired by the RioRico conversion?

ANNOUNCING: Easy cheap non-destructive Exakta-Pentax adapter

[IgorZ]

No!!! Not again!! I just started getting over my desire to get a trioplan and you are ruining my recovery!

[dsmithhfx]

No!!! Not again!! I just started getting over my desire to get a trioplan and you are ruining my recovery!

It's contagious. Run away!

[cyberjunkie]

Was the original conversion inspired by the RioRico conversion?

ANNOUNCING: Easy cheap non-destructive Exakta-Pentax adapter

No.
That kind of approach is more or less what i used for the Altix conversion.
IIRC, with Exakta/Exa lenses infinity should be adjusted a little. With the Altix mount the register comes out perfect, with no need for shimming/sanding/adjusting.
Exakta lenses with the side button are different beasts, the button (and the back of the lens where it is hinged) must be removed. So the back part of the lens has to be rebuilt.
The mechanism that set the diaphragm to either auto or manual should also be removed. With the first conversion the diaphragm could be operated only with the front ring set to manual. After the conversion has been redone i didn't even attempt to move the ring (it's at the front, close to the hood). It works the way it is, and i'm not going to mess with anything!

EDIT:
My advice to all those who crave for a Trioplan 100mm is one: be patient!
Asked prices are quite crazy these days, and the only way to avoid rip-off's is to use common sense and wait for the right chance (Ebay Germany is where you should look for it).
DIY is a good way to save on the cost of an expensive conversion. M42 versions are definitely more expensive, but if you have to pay for the conversion from Exakta mount, it could even become more expensive.
I could pay around 200 euros cause i bought it "as is", practically blind eyes, and from the blurry pictures it was evident that the lens had some serious problems:
1) the glasses had fungus/haze
2) the barrel was in very bad repair (the rear was apparently damaged and dangling from the rest of the lens, connected by a single screw!)
3) it was the late "N" version (black), with less diaphragm leaves and in Exakta mount with the obnoxious side button
The gamble paid off, but it was a risky one.
Now the lens looks quite nice, much better than the way it looks in the pics i posted.
The photos were taken with another of my favorites, the Sigma Apo Macro 5.6/180mm (manual focus). The sharpness of the Sigma and the use of fill-in flash evidence any little aesthetic problem in a lens that probably has seen a lot of use and, let's not forget, was made in the first half of the sixties

[BigMackCam]

My advice to all those who crave for a Trioplan 100mm is one: be patient!
Asked prices are quite crazy these days, and the only way to avoid rip-off's is to use common sense and wait for the right chance

That's good advice for any rare lens (any rare piece of equipment, in fact). I collect Soviet lenses and with some of the rarer models, I've waited months to find the right lens at the right price (in one case, accepting a lens with problems because it was so good cosmetically). Conversely, I have multiple copies of other rare models because I was too quick to jump on riskier examples and had to buy again. It can be hard to exercise patience, but it's definitely worth it.

Glad you got your Trioplan 100mm sorted - it's a classic