Found some 1960(s) lenses...

DaSwede · Joined: 24 Apr 2014 Posts: 2

Hi everyone! First post here! I'm not really a photographer and know very little about photography and lenses, but this is the most in-depth forum I've been able to find about manual focus lenses. While cleaning out a closet at my parents home, I found 3 lenses from the 1960s(?). Please excuse the newbie/stupid questions...

Here's what I've been able to find out about them and some pictures (please excuse the cell phone quality, I took them in haste this morning):
- Pentacon 1.8/50 Multicoating Lens
- Meyer Optik G�rlitz Lydith 3.5/30 Lens
- Meyer Optik G�rlitz Orestegor 4/200 Lens

Images don't seem to work, so here's the links...
lars-astrom.com/external/Lenses1.jpg
lars-astrom.com/external/Lenses2.jpg

Are they worth anything? I don't know how good shape they are in, but I'm assuming they can be rebuilt? Where would I take them to have them rebuilt/repaired (if needed)? Also, I have a Sony A300 camera, could I get an adapter for the lenses and/or would it even be worth it to use them?

Thanks in advance! I can take some better pictures tonight...

Aanything · Expire: 2014-05-30

Images won't show in your first post, it's an anti-spam measure. From the next one everything will work just as expected.
The lenses you found are quite good, so valuable under a user's point of view, but quite common, so they aren't sold for premium prices.
AFAIK, these lenses were available in M42 screwmount or exakta bayonet.
If they have a screwmount, they can be easily adapted to your sony dslr, through a cheap, simple, and easily available adapter.
If they have a bayonet mount (probably exakta), you won't be able to use them on your camera: I don't know if adapters esist, but if they do, you'd probably won't be able to focus at infinity with them.

EDIT
Almost forgot: welcome to the forum!

re-EDIT
from the pictures it looks like the lydith is in m42 mount, so potential good news.

kds315* · Expire: 2021-03-09

ForenSeil · Joined: 15 Apr 2011 Posts: 2726 Location: Kiel, Germany.

Looks like M42 screwmount for me
And yes, lenses are not the world greatest but they should be worth to try them Smile

You can buy cheap Sony Alpha - M42 Adapter's on Ebay.
I don't know A300 but maybe you will need an adapter with AF-confirm chip that the lens will work outside M-Mode (Many elderly DSLRs do take manual lenses only in M-Mode).
Click here to see on Ebay.de
And a programmable chip if you wan't that the camera internal image stabilisation of you camera is working correctly
Click here to see on Ebay.de
Or look for an unchipped adapter if you don't care to use them only in M-Mode (around 5-10� from China)

inombrable · Joined: 20 Mar 2012 Posts: 545 Location: Salamanca, Mexico

Hello DaSwede and welcome to the forum,

As Aanything already said, these lenses are good lenses, not top glass but not rubbish, very useful and might give you good IQ. For the pictures i see that they are M42 screw mount so they should be able to adapt to your camera.

Image quality you can do a quick search in the forum and you will find plenty of sample images from all three so you can have an idea of what these lenses are capable of.

In terms of value they are not expensive lenses, the Lydith might be the most expensive of them (30-40 GBP), the 200 mm (25-35 GBP) and the 50 mm is very common and is around 10-20 GBP. This is an approximate value based on experience.

Hope you decide to attach them to your camera and looking forward to see the results. Good Luck.

Gerald · Joined: 25 Mar 2014 Posts: 1196 Location: Brazil

Phew, at first I thought someone had found a collection with 1960 lenses! Mr. Green

Welcome to the forum!

Lloydy · Expire: 2022-01-01

The Orestegor is a great lens, it's big heavy and has the two ring stop down aperture which if you're not familiar with it can take some getting used to, but....it's a great lens. I love mine.
One word of warning, if the aperture blades look very glossy, shine a LED torch into the lens from both ends, then there might be oil on the blades - the lens lubricant breaks down and the oil creeps onto the moving blades. Surprisingly, that makes the blades stick together and they come out of the mechanism that moves them. And they are not easy to get back in. If the blades look oily, move the aperture very gently, if at all. The lens is probably worth having serviced if there is oil.

DaSwede · Joined: 24 Apr 2014 Posts: 2

Thanks for the great info! I'm going to grab an adapter for the Orestegor lens and get all of them serviced!

TrueLoveOne · Expire: 2013-12-24

I used to have a Sony A300, it only works in M mode with an M42 adapter, i did not mind... worked for me! I used the Pentacon 4/200 and the 1.8/50 both on the Sony, with excellent results!!

tromboads · Expire: 2015-10-01

This those three you nearly have all the lens you would ever need honestly.

But I don't want to ruin the surprise for you so forget I said as much Razz

philslizzy · Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 4748 Location: Cheshire, England

Welcome.

Nice collection. Not valuable but great lenses none the less. Dont start spending money getting them serviced, try them first. If the focus is a little stiff, you may try a few drops of lighter fuel on the focusing screw - maybe visible from the back. If it isnt, dripping it down the focusing ring often does the trick.

I'm sure members here would buy them from you if you decided to sell. (there may be restrictions on Market Place for new members)

let us know how you get on.

Webwalker · Joined: 09 Jan 2012 Posts: 96 Location: Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

Dogtag · Joined: 27 Jul 2013 Posts: 166 Location: Holland del norte