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Pentacon Auto 50mm F1.8 Review RSS Feed

Pentacon Auto 50mm F1.8

Sharpness 
 9.0
Aberrations 
 7.5
Bokeh 
 10.0
Handling 
 8.0
Value 
 10.0
Reviews Views Date of last review
2 7,206 Mon February 26, 2024
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Recommended By Average Price Average User Rating
100% of reviewers None indicated 9.00



Description:
M42 mount, push button only for aperture metering, no Auto/manual switch
Mount Type: M42 Screwmount
Price History:



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Loyal Site Supporter

Registered: December, 2009
Location: In the Florida swamps
Posts: 716
Review Date: February 26, 2024 Recommended | Price: None indicated | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: minimum focus distance of 33cm, sharpness, bokeh
Cons: Can be prone to DDR quality issues
Sharpness: 10    Aberrations: 8    Bokeh: 10    Handling: 9    Value: 10    Camera Used: KP   

If you want a Meyer-Optik Görlitz Oreston 50mm F1.8 without paying the current high prices, look no further. This is the same lens manufactured by Pentacon after they absorbed "Meyer-Optik Görlitz”.

Plenty sharp wide open, good contrast and nice colors, very nice bokeh. Handling is fine with smooth (maybe a touch too loose) focus and a push button aperture control. The close focusing capability is very nice. If I need to block the aperture stopped down I wedge a toothpick.

One caution is that (supposedly) DDR lenses can have soft coatings. I have both the Oreston and the Pentacon and both look to have degraded coatings. I don’t see that it has impacted the photos any, but something to keep in mind.

For more reviews just go over to the Oreston page. Everything there applies here.

The lens.




Lens construction.



Side by side with the Oreston.



Sample images.


   
Veteran Member

Registered: July, 2007
Location: North West UK
Posts: 390
Review Date: September 18, 2017 Recommended | Price: None indicated | Rating: 8 

 
Pros: Dirt cheap. Nice and sharp from F2.8 nicely made
Cons: No a/m switch (see comment) Dreamy wide open
Sharpness: 8    Aberrations: 7    Bokeh: 10    Handling: 7    Value: 10    Camera Used: K-1   

This was my fathers lens on his Praktica body, and he has given all of his gear to me as he only uses a digital compact these days.
So the Lens. It is East German made, M42 mount, and a metal build.
The focus ring is surprisingly smooth for an "iron Curtain" optic, smoother than soviet made glass and a lot smoother than the CZJ Tessar that I have. Not quite as smooth as the pinnacle of smoothness, which of course are the Takumars.
Optically it is fine, A bit dreamy wide open, with CA, but considering it has no mention of any coating, is not bad at all. (I am presuming that is it single coated rather than multi)
Contrast and sharpness stopped are very good, colours are a little cool.

Now that aperture control. Well, it does not have the a/m switch, only a push button on the side of the lens. However, it is near the battery grip, and you develop a technique where you use a finger to push it and hold, while you turn the aperture ring and then press the shutter, slows you down a lot, but you do get used to it.

Is it worth it? Well mine was free, so for me, yes! if you want convenience, get a Tak 55 or K mount 50mm F1.7 instead. But, if you enjoy playing with different lenses to create different rendition, why not give it a punt? Worth it for the fun of it, and the IQ is really rather good.
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