Comments on: Review of Pentacon Auto 29mm / 2.8 m42

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By: Good read about M42-lenses | RetroCamera

Good read about M42-lenses | RetroCamera — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 10:53:07 +0000

[...] same DSLR as me, the Canon EOS 350D (mine is on it’s last breath). Like Rob I have used the Pentacon 29mm/2.8 and think it’s an underrated lens. I sold it some time ago [...]

By: Jeri Mundwiller

Jeri Mundwiller — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 22:41:04 +0000

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By: Roy L Faverty

Roy L Faverty — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 18:31:15 +0000

These Pentacon lenses are like every other lens manufacture (including Zeiss, Leica, Canon and Nikon) quality can vary from design to design and within a particular design over time. However, generally east German lenses like Pentacon, Meyer Optica, Carl Zeiss Jena etc are quite good both in resolution and contrast. Coating on these lenses have their roots in the T and T* coatings of Zeiss (similar ones by Schnieder and Rodenstock) before the “wall” went up in 1960. The housing of the elements was often bulky and heavy, pre WWII in many aspects, but very good. It was the cameras for which these lenses were made that caused their reputation to slide down, mainly because it was difficult for a person in the west to get them repaired. Again the cameras were heavy and manufacturers were slow to adapt to the changing market. East German optics are fine and some are excellent, you have to know which ones are excellent before you buy. The photos presented above are for the most part under-exsposed, but this could also be a scanning issue. But all the same they look good. I like old lenses as long as they are not de-vitrafied (hazed from weathering). Old Meyers, CZJ, Schacht, Enna to name a few all are every bit as sharp as todays and many have a better presentation of contrast (especailly if you use monochrome film). Many of my favorite lenses are 60+ years old and still great. Buy East German and Russian lenses, they are inexpensive right now and many are really excellent. Read carefully what mount they have and what camera they were engineered for so you don’t by a lens that will not work on your camera.

Cheers
Roy Faverty
Colorado

By: Mattias

Mattias — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 09:01:40 +0000

I like the early Pentacon 50, looks very similar in the finish to my aus Jena 135mm

By: Richard Nuttall

Richard Nuttall — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 22:20:56 +0000

They do vary a lot mine is a bit battered but also ok the 30mm Pentacon aka Meyer ‘Lydith’ is a very good lens its a preset and has the aperture ring on the front like a lot of Russian optics, works fine on a Samsung /Pentax Dslr in manual and AV mode and clears mirror ok.

By: Mattias

Mattias — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 11:44:25 +0000

I’ve heard it had great variations in qulity in the porduction of the lens. I suspect I got a good one.

By: Ashley Pomeroy

Ashley Pomeroy — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 19:24:23 +0000

I have one of these, which I found in a used lens bin in a local antiques shop for £8. It’s mechanically very good, with a clicky aperture, and it feels tough; optically I found that it was a bit disappointing around the edges even on my cropped 350D. I use it on my 5D every so often as a “don’t care if it gets smashed” lens and it’s not bad for snapshots. The vignetting at f2.8 is very arty. Even stopping right down it never becomes very sharp, and it distorts around the edges, and it’s surprisingly large. I find that the aperture ring sticks out and is easy to use.

There’s also a Pentacon 30mm which I used to have, but it bangs against the 5D’s mirror on infinity focus.