The first Pentax was... East German

Kosmo Foto · 10-06-2019, 10:54 AM - **8 Likes**

Hello all

I knew that Asahi had bought the Pentax name from East Germany's VEB Zeiss Ikon Dresden.... but up until this week I didn't realise the East Germans had actually built a camera under the Pentax name.

The first Pentax camera... was East German - Kosmo Foto

Really interesting camera - a shame it never made it to production, but it seems like it was too innovative ie expensive to produce for what would have been a small market.

Cheers

Stephen

LesDMess · 10-06-2019, 11:02 AM

Very informative read!

Kosmo Foto · 10-06-2019, 11:06 AM

Thanks very much!

S

**sergysergy** · 10-06-2019, 11:08 AM

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing

**Madaboutpix** · 10-06-2019, 11:34 AM

Was already loosely aware of the story. But that article is really quite intriguing. Thanks indeed for sharing, Kosmo Foto.

Kosmo Foto · 10-06-2019, 11:38 AM

No problem - thanks for your feedback.

HoutHans · 10-06-2019, 11:59 AM

Nice, thanks for sharing this.

womble · 10-06-2019, 12:03 PM

Fascinating read, thank you.

**kiwi_jono** · 10-06-2019, 12:19 PM

Great article - thanks for posting!

**ismaelg** · 10-06-2019, 12:33 PM

Interesting, I was reading about this very topic last night. Thanks for sharing!

lytrytyr · 10-06-2019, 01:22 PM

Just to set the record straight, Leitz was based in Wetzlar (Hessen), part of West Germany, not in Dresden.
And Contax wasn't a West German company, it was a Zeiss model name, in pre-Yashica days.

Interestingly, the "Pentax" M42 thread mount did originate with pre-war Zeiss in Jena.
And present day Zeiss are still offering M42 lenses:
ZEISS Classic Lenses | Automated Imaging

**onlineflyer** · 10-06-2019, 01:23 PM

Wow, interesting read and a very informative web site.

Kosmo Foto · 10-06-2019, 01:34 PM

Originally posted by lytrytyr

Just to set the record straight, Leitz was based in Wetzlar (Hessen), part of West Germany, not in Dresden.
And Contax wasn't a West German company, it was a Zeiss model name, in pre-Yashica days.

Interestingly, the "Pentax" M42 thread mount did originate with pre-war Zeiss in Jena.
And present day Zeiss are still offering M42 lenses:
ZEISS Classic Lenses | Automated Imaging

Thanks for that - I'll make those amendments.

S

**ismaelg** · 10-06-2019, 02:47 PM

Originally posted by lytrytyr

Interestingly, the "Pentax" M42 thread mount did originate with pre-war Zeiss in Jena.
And present day Zeiss are still offering M42 lenses:

Yup! Pentax just made the M42x1 mount famous, to the point it is usually called the Pentax screwmount.

lytrytyr · 10-06-2019, 03:10 PM

One of the strong points of the current-day Pentax (originally also Zeiss) K-mount
is that it can adapt M42 lenses so easily, designed for the exact same registration distance.

10-06-2019, 10:54 AM - 8 Likes	#1
Kosmo Foto New Member Join Date: Sep 2019 Posts: 21	The first Pentax was... East German Hello all I knew that Asahi had bought the Pentax name from East Germany's VEB Zeiss Ikon Dresden.... but up until this week I didn't realise the East Germans had actually built a camera under the Pentax name. The first Pentax camera... was East German - Kosmo Foto Really interesting camera - a shame it never made it to production, but it seems like it was too innovative ie expensive to produce for what would have been a small market. Cheers Stephen

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10-06-2019, 11:02 AM	#2
LesDMess Pentaxian Join Date: May 2011 Location: Santa Cruz, CA Photos: Albums Posts: 3,235	Very informative read!

10-06-2019, 11:06 AM	#3
Kosmo Foto New Member Join Date: Sep 2019 Posts: 21 Original Poster	Thanks very much! S

10-06-2019, 11:08 AM	#4
sergysergy Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2011 Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,175	Very interesting. Thanks for sharing

10-06-2019, 11:34 AM	#5
Madaboutpix Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: North Rhine-Westphalia Posts: 1,443	Was already loosely aware of the story. But that article is really quite intriguing. Thanks indeed for sharing, Kosmo Foto.

10-06-2019, 11:38 AM	#6
Kosmo Foto New Member Join Date: Sep 2019 Posts: 21 Original Poster	No problem - thanks for your feedback.

10-06-2019, 11:59 AM	#7
HoutHans Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: Appingedam Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,123	Nice, thanks for sharing this.

10-06-2019, 12:03 PM	#8
womble Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Hertfordshire Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,324	Fascinating read, thank you.

10-06-2019, 12:19 PM	#9
kiwi_jono Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Christchurch, New Zealand Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,437	Great article - thanks for posting!

10-06-2019, 12:33 PM	#10
ismaelg Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Puerto Rico Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,683	Interesting, I was reading about this very topic last night. Thanks for sharing!

10-06-2019, 01:22 PM	#11
lytrytyr Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2011 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,310	Just to set the record straight, Leitz was based in Wetzlar (Hessen), part of West Germany, not in Dresden. And Contax wasn't a West German company, it was a Zeiss model name, in pre-Yashica days. Interestingly, the "Pentax" M42 thread mount did originate with pre-war Zeiss in Jena. And present day Zeiss are still offering M42 lenses: ZEISS Classic Lenses \| Automated Imaging

10-06-2019, 01:23 PM	#12
onlineflyer Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: NW Ohio Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,091	Wow, interesting read and a very informative web site.

10-06-2019, 01:34 PM	#13
Kosmo Foto New Member Join Date: Sep 2019 Posts: 21 Original Poster	Originally posted by lytrytyr Just to set the record straight, Leitz was based in Wetzlar (Hessen), part of West Germany, not in Dresden. And Contax wasn't a West German company, it was a Zeiss model name, in pre-Yashica days. Interestingly, the "Pentax" M42 thread mount did originate with pre-war Zeiss in Jena. And present day Zeiss are still offering M42 lenses: ZEISS Classic Lenses \| Automated Imaging Thanks for that - I'll make those amendments. S

10-06-2019, 02:47 PM	#14
ismaelg Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Puerto Rico Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,683	Originally posted by lytrytyr Interestingly, the "Pentax" M42 thread mount did originate with pre-war Zeiss in Jena. And present day Zeiss are still offering M42 lenses: Yup! Pentax just made the M42x1 mount famous, to the point it is usually called the Pentax screwmount.

10-06-2019, 03:10 PM	#15
lytrytyr Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2011 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,310	One of the strong points of the current-day Pentax (originally also Zeiss) K-mount is that it can adapt M42 lenses so easily, designed for the exact same registration distance.