Forgot Password
Pentax Camera Forums Home
 

Reply
Show Printable Version Search this Thread
12-03-2018, 12:24 PM - 7 Likes   #346
Veteran Member




Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: walking in the air
Posts: 1,315
Primotar 135mm Bokeh

Primotar 135mm




Last edited by edri; 12-03-2018 at 02:21 PM.
12-15-2018, 03:23 AM - 2 Likes   #347
Pentaxian
cyberjunkie's Avatar

Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Chiang Mai, Bologna, Amsterdam
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 1,198
Two pictures of the moon at Perigee, shot with a Pentacon Prakticar f/5.6 500mm.
The lens came in Pentacon Six bayonet, with the original adapter for M42.
I had it converted by my friend Mr. Mario Tartarini to Pentax 6x7 mount.
These shots were taken with a Pentax K200D, using a Pentax 67>PK adapter.
Hazy night, not much sharpness. Some fringing has been removed in Lightroom.



12-15-2018, 02:38 PM   #348
Pentaxian
g026r's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Toronto
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 2,074
Original Poster
QuoteOriginally posted by cyberjunkie Quote
I had it converted by my friend Mr. Mario Tartarini to Pentax 6x7 mount.
Have you tried it on a 6x7? If so, how does it turn out?
12-16-2018, 03:09 AM - 1 Like   #349
Pentaxian
cyberjunkie's Avatar

Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Chiang Mai, Bologna, Amsterdam
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 1,198
First of all, it's a huge chimney of a lens!
On a 6x7 it's almost impossible to use without a good tripod.
The level of performance on film, especially a 6x7 frame, is quite high, compared with affordable alternatives in the same focal range.
On a high density sensor it shows its limits. Fringing (not extreme but very visible) and lack of sharpness if you don't stop down to f/11.
In this kind of lenses the damage inflicted by diffraction is way lower than the effect of undercorrected aberrations.
Which means that f/11 and f/16 are working apertures.
All in all, I would not be surprised if it almost matches the performance of the Pentax (6x7 version).
Mirror lenses usually show no fringing at all, but most of them lack sharpness. The sharp ones are very, very expensive.
I have seen soviet mirror lenses adapted for the Pentacon Six. I guess they should cover 6x7.
I don't know if it's worth the hassle, though.
One possible alternative are the long focus achromats, like the Leitz and Novoflex.
The design allows for a huge circle of coverage, but the performance decreases a lot towards the borders.
Maybe they would be usable for birding, with the main subject positioned close to the center of the frame.

01-06-2019, 11:40 AM - 1 Like   #350
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
Andrew_Oid's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Cuenca
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 621
I'm back.

Hello, everyone.
For complicated reasons I thought that Pentaxforums had dropped me. I had used all my available posting space, and I stopped getting notifications about the clubs in my inbox. It was only when checking a junk mail folder that I never look at two days ago that I realized the notifications had started going there.
Anyway, I moved from Bangkok to Arequipa, Peru and have been quite busy. When I arrived in Arequipa, I found a small shop selling some vintage compact film cameras and some lenses. There wasn't much of a selection of m42 lenses, but they had a Pentacon Electric 50mm f1.8. The serial number is 5889967 which I take to mean it was made in 1958. (Can anyone verify or deny this?) I countered the owner's $50 asking price with $15 and took possession. It needs a bit of work. The shutter will not open to f1.8 unless I remove the back and set it there, but the glass is perfect and the lens is amazing in my opinion.
In the beginning I was only shooting at f1.8, and here are some examples. In fact, in the months following the purchase I've rarely used another lens. All of these photos were taken at f1.8. Particularly amazing to me is the photo of the demonstration in front of the cathedral because of it's sharpness throughout the scene. The self-portrait was taken when I was playing around trying to take a focused selfie using a bathroom mirror to reflect the rear LCD panel on the camera. I like the modeling of the face in that shot. I don't think I did any post-processing in any of the shots.
Attached Images
View Picture EXIF
ILCE-7  Photo 
View Picture EXIF
ILCE-7  Photo 
View Picture EXIF
ILCE-7  Photo 
View Picture EXIF
ILCE-7  Photo 
View Picture EXIF
ILCE-7  Photo 
View Picture EXIF
ILCE-7  Photo 
01-06-2019, 12:02 PM   #351
Loyal Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter
ivanvernon's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Medina, OH
Photos: Albums
Posts: 7,224
QuoteOriginally posted by Andrew_Oid Quote
Hello, everyone.
For complicated reasons I thought that Pentaxforums had dropped me. I had used all my available posting space, and I stopped getting notifications about the clubs in my inbox. It was only when checking a junk mail folder that I never look at two days ago that I realized the notifications had started going there.
Anyway, I moved from Bangkok to Arequipa, Peru and have been quite busy. When I arrived in Arequipa, I found a small shop selling some vintage compact film cameras and some lenses. There wasn't much of a selection of m42 lenses, but they had a Pentacon Electric 50mm f1.8. The serial number is 5889967 which I take to mean it was made in 1958. (Can anyone verify or deny this?) I countered the owner's $50 asking price with $15 and took possession. It needs a bit of work. The shutter will not open to f1.8 unless I remove the back and set it there, but the glass is perfect and the lens is amazing in my opinion.
In the beginning I was only shooting at f1.8, and here are some examples. In fact, in the months following the purchase I've rarely used another lens. All of these photos were taken at f1.8. Particularly amazing to me is the photo of the demonstration in front of the cathedral because of it's sharpness throughout the scene. The self-portrait was taken when I was playing around trying to take a focused selfie using a bathroom mirror to reflect the rear LCD panel on the camera. I like the modeling of the face in that shot. I don't think I did any post-processing in any of the shots.
Nice shots. Would love to hear the story of your various places of residence. Reminds me of when I used to do UN cosulting in exporting for countries such as Tailand, Indonesia, China, Malaysia, Philippines, Tanzania, Uganda, Losotho, etc.
01-06-2019, 12:06 PM   #352
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
Andrew_Oid's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Cuenca
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 621
Hola

QuoteOriginally posted by ivanvernon Quote
Interesting. I have been thinking of ordering a copy of the medium format CZJ Flectagon 50mm f 4.0. Using medium format Biometar 80 and 120 now, and liking both very well. BTW, you are now in Peru? I am still thinking about you as being in Chang Mai. Reminds me of when I used to hop around from Asia to Africa to Venezuela as an international trade consultant. How you decide which country to travel to next?
Hi, Ivan. Sorry I didn't see this until today. As I mention further on and in the Takumar Club thread, I wasn't getting notifications anymore and thought Pentaxforums had dumped me.
What advantages do you find shooting in medium format? I know the theoretical ones, better resolution and an expanded tonal scale, but in practice is there anything to really recommend it? Just curious. In the film days I owned some 120mm cameras but never did much with them. It was too much trouble for me to develop and print the black and white films.
I've been in Peru for about six months now. I was unwilling to keep $25000 US in a Thai bank, so I had to leave. Peru has its own challenges, banking and bureaucracy, but it also has its charms. I'm sure it would be much easier if I could speak Spanish. There's a strong reluctance here to use English which is very problematic. So, I'm considering Ecuador at the moment. Both countries in theory have relatively easy terms for permanent residency. Ecuador has more resident expats, so I expect conditions there might be more congenial.

01-06-2019, 01:41 PM - 1 Like   #353
Loyal Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter
ivanvernon's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Medina, OH
Photos: Albums
Posts: 7,224
Advantages of shooting in medium format

QuoteOriginally posted by Andrew_Oid Quote
Hi, Ivan. Sorry I didn't see this until today. As I mention further on and in the Takumar Club thread, I wasn't getting notifications anymore and thought Pentaxforums had dumped me.
What advantages do you find shooting in medium format? I know the theoretical ones, better resolution and an expanded tonal scale, but in practice is there anything to really recommend it? Just curious. In the film days I owned some 120mm cameras but never did much with them. It was too much trouble for me to develop and print the black and white films.
I've been in Peru for about six months now. I was unwilling to keep $25000 US in a Thai bank, so I had to leave. Peru has its own challenges, banking and bureaucracy, but it also has its charms. I'm sure it would be much easier if I could speak Spanish. There's a strong reluctance here to use English which is very problematic. So, I'm considering Ecuador at the moment. Both countries in theory have relatively easy terms for permanent residency. Ecuador has more resident expats, so I expect conditions there might be more congenial.
Honestly, I like a lot of the medium format lenses, but enjoy shooting with them on K-1 about as much as shooting them on Pentax 645N/D/Z. I have enjoyed experimenting with all the different formats, but it is more an old man's way of filling his time and enjoying a more than adequate retirement pension than any real aspect of photography itself. I like to read all the various tests and experiences reported about different cameras and lenses, and it makes it more interesting also to own them so I can try to replicate some of what I am reading about various pieces of equipment. Soon I will have enough cameras and lenses to start my own rental agency!
01-06-2019, 08:25 PM   #354
Pentaxian
g026r's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Toronto
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 2,074
Original Poster
QuoteOriginally posted by Andrew_Oid Quote
There wasn't much of a selection of m42 lenses, but they had a Pentacon Electric 50mm f1.8. The serial number is 5889967 which I take to mean it was made in 1958. (Can anyone verify or deny this?)
Unfortunately the lens serial number won't help here.

Unlike the Soviet Union, East German manufacturers didn't use the year system for serial numbers. Rather, each manufacturer used their own numbering system, generally held over from the system they used before the war for those companies that were not new creations. AFAIK, outside of Carl Zeiss Jena there aren't any decent tables of serial numbers online for the various lens manufacturers.

There are two things in your description that can help narrow it down a bit more, however:
  • The "electric" designation.
  • The fact that it's a Pentacon 50/1.8, as opposed to a Meyer Oreston.

The electric lens line, with the three contacts on the lens base for open-aperture metering on some cameras, was introduced by East German manufacturers in 1969. (As a note: some m42 lenses never got the electric treatment, and manufacturers also produced lenses in both electric and non-electric versions simultaneously. So while its presence can be useful to help date a lens, its absence isn't as significant.)

As for the manufacturer name: Meyer-Optik Görlitz officially became part of VEB Pentacon in 1968 or '69, but the name was kept on lenses for at least a while longer as evidenced by the availability of electric Meyer lenses. This chart suggests that all Meyer lenses save the Domiplan were rebranded as Pentacon in 1971.

I'm going to make an assumption here and guess that it's not labelled as being multi-coated, since you didn't mention it. East German manufacturers tended to make a big deal about this, so it would be fairly prominently displayed on the front of the lens if it was. Zeiss Jena started multi-coating in the mid-70s, and Pentacon likely did around the same time as well.

Further narrowing down the date would require knowing what the lens looks like, but I'm going to guess that it was produced sometime in the range of 1971–75.

Last edited by g026r; 01-09-2019 at 01:30 PM.
01-13-2019, 07:35 PM   #355
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
Andrew_Oid's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Cuenca
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 621
Thank you

QuoteOriginally posted by g026r Quote
Unfortunately the lens serial number won't help here.

Unlike the Soviet Union, East German manufacturers didn't use the year system for serial numbers. Rather, each manufacturer used their own numbering system, generally held over from the system they used before the war for those companies that were not new creations. AFAIK, outside of Carl Zeiss Jena there aren't any decent tables of serial numbers online for the various lens manufacturers.

There are two things in your description that can help narrow it down a bit more, however:
  • The "electric" designation.
  • The fact that it's a Pentacon 50/1.8, as opposed to a Meyer Oreston.

The electric lens line, with the three contacts on the lens base for open-aperture metering on some cameras, was introduced by East German manufacturers in 1969. (As a note: some m42 lenses never got the electric treatment, and manufacturers also produced lenses in both electric and non-electric versions simultaneously. So while its presence can be useful to help date a lens, its absence isn't as significant.)

As for the manufacturer name: Meyer-Optik Görlitz officially became part of VEB Pentacon in 1968 or '69, but the name was kept on lenses for at least a while longer as evidenced by the availability of electric Meyer lenses. This chart suggests that all Meyer lenses save the Domiplan were rebranded as Pentacon in 1971.

I'm going to make an assumption here and guess that it's not labelled as being multi-coated, since you didn't mention it. East German manufacturers tended to make a big deal about this, so it would be fairly prominently displayed on the front of the lens if it was. Zeiss Jena started multi-coating in the mid-70s, and Pentacon likely did around the same time as well.

Further narrowing down the date would require knowing what the lens looks like, but I'm going to guess that it was produced sometime in the range of 1971–75.
Thanks for the information, g026r. I was going to take a photo of the lens before replying but haven't had the time. The lens actually looks like it was made in the 70's. It's Eastern Bloc industrial-looking, not especially attractive, but it produces great images, unlike the Domiplan I used to have. A horrible lens and the only lens I ever threw away. Maybe that's why they weren't rebranded as Pentacon?
01-14-2019, 01:55 AM   #356
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
buberfan's Avatar

Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Maclean, NSW
Posts: 95
QuoteOriginally posted by edri Quote
Primotar 135mm
That's a masterful shot! Wonderful colours and creative use of bokeh!
01-14-2019, 09:52 AM   #357
Pentaxian
g026r's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Toronto
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 2,074
Original Poster
QuoteOriginally posted by Andrew_Oid Quote
It's Eastern Bloc industrial-looking, not especially attractive, but it produces great images, unlike the Domiplan I used to have. A horrible lens and the only lens I ever threw away. Maybe that's why they weren't rebranded as Pentacon?
That's always been my assumption about the Domiplan.
04-10-2019, 12:06 PM - 4 Likes   #358
Veteran Member
Cabessius's Avatar

Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Ibiza, Spain
Posts: 471
Swirl!

CZJ Biotar 58mm f/2 on Pentax K50.
Wide open and with a small macro ring.

06-04-2019, 04:08 PM - 2 Likes   #359
Veteran Member
Cuthbert's Avatar

Join Date: Nov 2013
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 1,740
Humble Prakticar 50mm f1.8 with a BX20S, Agfa E 6 I think and a P-L filter.
Attached Images
View Picture EXIF
Frontier SP-3000  Photo 
View Picture EXIF
Frontier SP-3000  Photo 
View Picture EXIF
Frontier SP-3000  Photo 
09-05-2019, 07:10 AM - 7 Likes   #360
Loyal Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter




Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: In the Florida swamps
Posts: 716
KP with Meyer-Optik Görlitz Oreston 50/1.8







Reply

Bookmarks
  • Submit Thread to Facebook Facebook
  • Submit Thread to Twitter Twitter
  • Submit Thread to Digg Digg
Tags - Make this thread easier to find by adding keywords to it!
50mm, bag, bayonet, biotar, carl zeiss jena, czj, ddr, east germany, f/2.8, feinmess, flickr, foto, gorlitz, lens, meyer, meyer optik, meyer-optik, optik, oreston, pentacon, pentax lens, picture, pm, praktica, primotar, shots, sonnar, version, weixdorf
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
German Color Foto claims K-3 makes any lens a shift lens RKKS08 Pentax K-3 & K-3 II 15 10-09-2013 05:56 PM
A German "Origins" Lens Club Merger? les3547 Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 13 07-12-2011 04:36 PM
Any German readers of fotoMAGAZIN? (a lens related question) emr Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 4 02-21-2009 05:43 AM
M42 german lens list? platinum Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 7 12-04-2008 12:02 AM



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 08:29 AM. | See also: NikonForums.com, CanonForums.com part of our network of photo forums!
  • Red (Default)
  • Green
  • Gray
  • Dark
  • Dark Yellow
  • Dark Blue
  • Old Red
  • Old Green
  • Old Gray
  • Dial-Up Style
Hello! It's great to see you back on the forum! Have you considered joining the community?
register
Creating a FREE ACCOUNT takes under a minute, removes ads, and lets you post! [Dismiss]
Top