Nikoo7
Hello,
Which manufacturers or models would you recommend for the lenses mentioned above?
I’ve already heard of:
Beroflex, LENTAR, Hanimar and -->Weltblick<-- – I’d be particularly interested in that one
Well, Zeiss is Zeiss, and it’s out of my price range here too
?
Urnes
Pentax and Fuji. However, you should check first to make sure they fit properly. Fuji lenses have a ‘nose’ to prevent them from twisting, and this doesn’t always fit 100% on some cameras.
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Regards, Sven.
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P.S. Carl Zeiss Jena is quite affordable and has also produced some very good lenses. The Tessar 2.8 50mm is a real gem.
hagee
Yes, Pentax would have been my first choice too. The M42 Takumare lenses all have a good reputation, as long as they’re prime lenses. As for third-party manufacturers, I’d also like to mention Tokina. They’re likely to be incredibly good value for money as well.
Urnes
To sum it up, Beroflex and Weltblick (I think I’ve still got a few of those lying about somewhere) are nice, but they don’t match the performance of Pentax and Fuji, and probably not the Tokinas either. And the Tessar, even though it’s ‘only’ f/2.8, I found it almost too sharp or too honest for portraits – take your pick. VEB Pentacon also made very good lenses; it was the successor company to CZJ, and how could I have forgotten – Voigtländer also made M42 lenses. However, I don’t know whether there were any Rollei-branded lenses with screw mounts after the takeover of Voigtländer.
Regards, Sven.
AchimBauer
Hi Nikoo7
Be careful with Pentax Takumars – not because they’re no good, but because they’re longer at the back and protrude further into the camera, so the seal might get caught.
Otherwise, there are plenty of M42 lenses available on eBay and from second-hand dealers, as that used to be the standard. Almost all the major camera manufacturers used to make M42 lenses. Everything produced by Pentacon and its suppliers was of decent quality. But be careful: the ‘Electric’ lenses are only compatible with Practika Electric cameras, though they can be used to a limited extent on other cameras.
Lenses from Revue and Porst are also worth considering, as they mostly came from the Practika range or were made by Japanese suppliers. Ricoh and Cosina also made good lenses, as did all third-party manufacturers such as Tokina, Tamron, Soligor, Sigma, Kiro, Vivitar, Hoya, Kiron, Hanimex etc., who produced good lenses, including some with M42 mounts.
There were also manufacturers with adapter systems that allowed you to switch lenses, but finding the right adapter will be difficult. Unless it’s one with a T2 mount. Novoflex also had adapter mounts and very interesting lenses such as rapid-shutter and macro heads; I don’t know if they had T2 mounts, but it won’t be hard to find out.
Unfortunately, back when M42 was still current, there were also a few rubbish lenses – uncoated and dirt cheap – but these hardly ever turn up second-hand, apart from the Zenits, though even there were some interesting ones.
Just have a look on eBay or at dealers with a well-stocked second-hand section; you don’t have to buy straight away, just check out the market and the prices.
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Regards, Achim
Wolf_XL
...Pentax, CZJ, Fuji and Schneider-Kreuznach as slightly more affordable alternatives to Zeiss lenses. Almost all of them made good lenses – though they all had the odd dud or two in the mix.
Nikoo7
Hello,
Thank you so much for your help! In the meantime, I’ve bought two lenses and an adapter – or is it a spacer ring? – and am now eagerly awaiting the delivery from DHL...
..Hmm, I’ve also just received an offer for a
Canon EOS 1000 SLR camera. It comes with two lenses, a flash and colour filters for the flash...
Now I’m already wondering again whether to go for it. Somehow, I’ve been caught up in a frenzy of irrationality. But I really did want an analogue one... Well... hmm... I’m tempted to combine old and new, and also just to try out the old stuff...
Are there any cool 8mm or similar lenses from that era with that thread? I had a look on ****classifieds for ‘M42 Fisheye’ and ‘M42 8mm’ but didn’t get any results.
Cheers
Nikoo
Nikoo7
I’ve been coming across this one quite a bit lately:
Mount: Exakta bayonet
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Is that the M42? There’s so much out there; it’s really tricky if you don’t know what you’re looking for.
Urnes
No! An Exakta bayonet is an Exakta bayonet! At least for 35mm. For medium format, Exakta uses the Pentacon Six bayonet. However, there were a few lenses available in both M42 and Exakta bayonet versions. By the way, a fully functional Exakta Varex can be great fun too, especially the little details, like the built-in film cutter, for when you don’t want to develop a whole roll...
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Regards, Sven.
Commander8x
To offer something concrete:
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http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/M42_%28Objektivanschluss%29#M42-Schraubgewinde
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Please, no hearsay myths! The electric lenses, for example, can be used without restriction on all M42 cameras; you simply don’t have open-aperture exposure metering.
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There probably aren’t any M42 fisheye lenses, because when M42 was the standard, there weren’t yet any affordable high-refractive-index glass types for that sort of thing. Perhaps later on there were Russian fisheye lenses with M42 mounts; I think they were called Zenitar: eBay #160655664002 is one.
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If you’re looking for a cheap analogue option, have a look on eBay for a set comprising a Praktica body and a 28-50-135mm lens. That used to be the standard setup and is therefore often available. However, the lenses may suffer from a stuck aperture blade – they are quite old, after all. The only solution then is to repair it yourself or take it to a repair shop.
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For that price, you could also buy an entry-level model, e.g. from Nikon, Canon or Minolta, with suitable lenses.
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First of all, decide whether you want automatic exposure or autofocus. Then choose a camera brand and model.
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Since digital cameras with Sony or MFT mounts have become available via M42 adapters, prices have gone up. You can’t really get M42 lenses cheaply anymore.
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Regards, Matthias
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Nikoo7
Hello,
Hello,
I received the lenses today: the WELTBLICK 2.8 35mm and the WELTBLICK 105mm f/2.8.
The 35mm works perfectly, but I can’t adjust the aperture on the 105mm. The little metal pin can be pressed down, but when I turn the aperture ring, nothing happens! I do think the photos taken at full aperture are brilliant; they’re really sharp and clear. However, not being able to close the aperture is still a limitation
What could be causing this and how can I fix it?
Best regards
piu58
>Do not adjust the aperture
The mechanism is clogged with hardened grease. Given the low second-hand prices, it is usually not worth the cost of repair (>€50).
Nikoo7
I made a typo; it’s actually a Weltblick 135mm lens.
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But that doesn’t really change anything... <_<
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Well, I’m still very happy with it and will just have to use it at full aperture.
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So I had to keep looking and ended up buying a...
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Beroflex 135mm 2.8
and a
Soligor (or something like that) 80–200mm -> forgot the aperture
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Yes, I asked beforehand and the aperture can be closed and even opens again... ;)
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I’ve been bitten by the bug.
kindgottes92
My absolute favourite M42 lens is the Pentacon 135/2.8. Because of its stiff focus ring, which can be turned almost 360°, it’s not really suited to snapshots, but for portraits – when you’ve got the time – it’s invaluable and produces stunning images. Generally speaking, Pentacon lenses in the M42 range come highly recommended; they produced genuine quality, and there are also relatively new lenses available, as they were still manufacturing at a time when other manufacturers had long since switched to producing lenses for other mounts.
michael-kielgmxnet
The old Pentacon 2.8/135 without a spring-loaded aperture is a real 'hidden gem' for portrait photography. Thanks to its many aperture blades, it produces an almost circular aperture even when stopped down.
But the newer version is also really good. The built-in lens hood is a handy feature.
kindgottes92
The built-in lens hood is really handy.
I’ve become a bit fed up with built-in sunshades by now ;) especially when the lens is a bit older; they don’t stay in place properly anymore. On the Pentacon, it also stops me from fitting a filter adapter because it sticks out over the thread. So none of my 58mm filters fit on it...
But as far as quality is concerned, you’re absolutely right
