| Author: | | New Member Registered: August, 2017 Posts: 3 | | Lens Review Date: August 27, 2017 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $40.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Price/Performance | | Cons: | Build Quality | | Sharpness: 7
Aberrations: 7
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 6
Value: 5
Camera Used: K3II
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Its not easy to rate this lens. In comparison to modern lenses its performance is o.k. but not outstanding. With view to the price, it is! I own the zebra version. Its the older one. As i tried it at 1.8 I thought it was damaged or something. It was awefull soft. Not only at the edges. Nearly not useable. The focusing ring runs badly. But thats not the point.
Then i stopped down to 3.2 and 4.0... ta da...absolutely sharp with nice colors and contrast. Even for long distance shots. For this price and its age its a great result. Maybe the newer versions of that lens performs better wide open. Anyway for 40,-$ its a clear recommendation.  | | | | | New Member Registered: March, 2016 Posts: 1 | | Lens Review Date: July 6, 2016 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $70.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp, Contrast, Best Colour and bokeh, Handling | | Cons: | | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: NEX-5
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My version of this lens is like a new. Photos is amazing, at 1.8 sharp is good, colour and bokeh is best.
| | | | | Junior Member Registered: January, 2016 Location: Warsaw Posts: 32 | | Lens Review Date: January 5, 2016 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: None indicated
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharpness, colors | | Cons: | Mechanic... | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-3
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 I have a non-electric version. My copy is a lens which using a my grandpa, who are a photographer.
In my opinion this lenses have a typically a CZJ problem with oiled diaphragm, but cleaning is a easy.
Small problem with aberrations, but a sharpness and "Zeiss" colors rewards aberrations and other problems.
Edit. Now I have a second red MC electric like a new from box. This copy and problem with aberrations ? Good joke  Now I can correct rate.
| | | | | Junior Member Registered: August, 2014 Posts: 43 | | Lens Review Date: November 7, 2014 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $109.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharp portrait | | Cons: | coma abberation in wide field astrophotography | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
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 PTK52580.jpg by stanzhou2013, on Flickr
 PTK52582.jpg by stanzhou2013, on Flickr
| | | | | Pentaxian Registered: July, 2014 Location: Paris Posts: 1,850 | | Lens Review Date: November 2, 2014 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: None indicated
| Rating: N/A |
| Pros: | great all around lens | | Cons: | hard to find | |
nice lens, I tried once and hunting on ebay for this legendary lens
| | | | | New Member Registered: November, 2013 Posts: 5 | | Lens Review Date: September 2, 2014 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $45.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | stopped down at f4-5,6 very sharp | | Cons: | only wide open a few weak | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: spotmatic,k-x,k-5,k200,k1oo,ist ds,sfx etc.
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there are two types on the market, an older 6/4 and a newer 6/5 construction. the striped look has the better construction, but is wide open a few weak. the newer construction has higher contrast, but few CA's in the corners wide open.
Both are phantastic lenses, similar to Pentax 1,7/50 and 1,8/55. Pentax's SMC coating is still better for contrast rendition and not so weak wide open,naturally.
But for portrait or nature shooting this lens is very precious and useful.
| | | | | New Member Registered: October, 2012 Location: Pamulang, Tangerang Posts: 1 | | Lens Review Date: June 1, 2013 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $150.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Excellent center performer at wide open, handling | | Cons: | Weak aperture detent, sluggish focus thread | |
My copy is red MC version, compare to white MC and older pancolar aus jena/zebra version, red & magenta color repro seem to be better at same color setting. Like other primes, center area is excellent even in wide open at normal portrait range, border are good enough, well CA controlled, full frame-able (tested on 5DII) and good IQ on it. And good close-up performer too. I just tested on K-5 IIs and found everything is nice, a must have if you're a collector/manual shooter. I don't recommend for daily use since it's aperture and focus thread are easily stuck/bit loosen, most CZJ need to lubricated. Other than, it's one of the best MF prime. Sample taken at f2.
 | | | | | New Member Registered: March, 2013 Posts: 2 | | Lens Review Date: March 27, 2013 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $120.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Centre sharpness, Bokeh, Great for portraits | | Cons: | Not the smoothest focussing | |
Pure and simple - this lens really is a keeper.
Of the many lenses I've owned this is the "go to" for portraits. As others have said, it's centre sharpness is impeccable, and gives a lovely effect on portraits as the edges drop off. Once stopped down from f/4.0 onwards, the edges improve drastically.
Though the optics are multi coated (even on the old zebra version I own), a hood will improve contrast and reduce flare when shooting outdoors.
The only minus regarding this lens is the focussing; don't expect takumar-esque smoothness. The lubricant they used wasn't the greatest, but so long as it's not stored for long periods of time without use it will remain perfectly functional. Despite this, it's a very slight trade off for the amazing strengths it has 
@ f/1.8
@f/1.8
@f/4
 | | | | | New Member Registered: July, 2012 Location: Prague Posts: 7 | | Lens Review Date: February 12, 2013 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: None indicated
| Rating: N/A |
| Pros: | Great, no, just fascinate quality of picture! | | Cons: | Just one... it is becoming dark in viewfinder, when you change apperture to f2,8, f4, f8... especially in bad light conditions. Beacause it's manual lens. | |
I'm fond of this lens and I don't have any words to describe my position It is really superior. I have two Zeiss Pancolar lenses, but I haven't been using enough the second yet.
To speak about technical parametres is big stuff! It's quite enough for all.
One my Pancolar has great easy focusing with big light viewfinder K-5, the second one do it harder. And it's very cheap. I've already had Pentax SMC A50/1.7, but ot had back or front focusing.
 | | | | | New Member Registered: September, 2012 Location: Belo Horizonte Posts: 17 | | Lens Review Date: October 19, 2012 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $100.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Very Sharp, Good contrast, Great colors, the name says everything is a zeiss | | Cons: | Nooooooo | |
one of the best lenses that already used, very sharp even open, optimal quality construction, very light, very good bokeh, an awesome piece of vidro.e still has a minimum focus of 35cm. I recommend below photo taken with her.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/155545_375857609154971_530066034_n.jpg | | | | | New Member Registered: March, 2012 Posts: 22 | | Lens Review Date: July 26, 2012 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $109.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Rendition, Close-up ability, Bokeh, Sharpness | | Cons: | Non | |
Great lens, I'm really impressed!! Recently I got Electric version in excellent condition (one in the middle) M42 mount. I love the colours rendition, it has kind of Baroque quality. I had in my early days Nikkor ais 50mm f1.2 witch is an outstanding lens but I like this one more.
First time when I saw the photo's from this lens, I knew it , that's the one I want! If you can find a good copy of this lens go for it!
Highly recommended!! I'm using the lens on Pentax K5 with Katz Eye and Optibrite. I haven't noticed any distortion and there is a little bit green fringing.
At f1.8 not so sharp, f2.8 sharp and above it's razor sharp.
I rate it 9.5, if the build quality was same as the Pentax K lens, it would be a perfect lens.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/66317109@N06/sets/72157630990211244/ | | | | | Site Supporter Registered: April, 2011 Location: Lost in translation ... Posts: 16,744 | | Lens Review Date: April 26, 2012 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: None indicated
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Sharp enough wide open, light, bokeh | | Cons: | Needs to be re-lubed, stop downs to get total sharpness | |
Bonjour,
I just snapped up an "aus JENA" version of this lens and it resembles the lens on the far right of the three lenses pictured above. (see more photos below)
From what I have read on the net, the "aus Jena" was an export version of this lens, thus the different labeling from "Carl Zeiss Jena", etc.
I purchased it with a broken "Praktica LTL 3" body at my local thrift store for very, very little ... thus I am not going the enter a purchase price in the database.
Overall, I am quite happy with the tests that I have done so far and I await to test further ... and I will post samples later.
Salut et bon courage, John le Frog
  
 | | | | | Senior Member Registered: January, 2011 Posts: 258
2 users found this helpful
| | Lens Review Date: May 23, 2011 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $85.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Light, bokeh, sharp enough wide open | | Cons: | MF, build quality not like west Germany zeiss, soft in corners to 4.0 | |
In short time it have become my favourite 50mm. I love it because of the bokeh and colors.
@1.8
@2.8
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