Meyer Optik Gorlitz Oreston 50mm f/1.8

woodrim · Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston

I find this lens to be vastly underrated as both an art lens and very sharp full purpose. All taken with NEX-5N and most, if not all, wide open...

calvin83 · Joined: 12 Apr 2009 Posts: 7576 Location: Hong Kong

I rate this lens as high as the Domiron with better build quality than the later Pentacon 50/1.8. The major weakness is the flare resistant but I think you can handle it.

papasito · Joined: 09 Jan 2015 Posts: 1662

I agree.

Nice lens, very underrated, but if you let me say, your photografic taste is better than the lens

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

The Oreston has a single coating, then there's the later Pentacon with single coating, then the MC Pentacon, finally the Prakticar Pentacon. All the same design but with different coatings. The Oreston is a bit warmer in colour rendition then the MC versions and has lower contrast overall, veiling flare is common at wide aperture settings. I used to use my Oreston often, but I use my Pancolar 1.8/50 in preference these days because the Pancolar is sharper and contrastier, but that advantage is only from f1.8 to f4, from f4 on, it's very hard to tell them apart.

JJB · Joined: 02 Oct 2014 Posts: 424 Location: USA

Lovely results, Mike, as usual.

It is a fun lens, I need to take mine out more often.

woodrim · Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston

woodrim · Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston

woodrim · Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston

valjo · Joined: 10 Oct 2008 Posts: 68 Location: Bulgaria

f = 1.8

woodrim · Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston

Yep, performs pretty well at f/1.8. Here are a few more at wide open...

And this one is a merge of four...

vroger · Expire: 2016-10-21

Like the style, and look.

papasito · Joined: 09 Jan 2015 Posts: 1662

I had several of them.

Oreston, multicoated in red letters and the last MC in white letters.

The last MC from F/4 to F/11 is an average lens, with less contrast, less resolution and less saturation than the other 1,8/50 lens for the praktica (pancolar).

Nevertheless, the MC has a good rendering, specially in B&W for me.

In color images, the oreston at wide apertures, is a pictorical images maker.

Horacio.

fermy · Joined: 17 Feb 2012 Posts: 1974

I had this lens (sold now). Here's my series with it http://forum.mflenses.com/meyer-oreston-50mm-f1-8-t49265.html

It's a good lens, old school heavy build. Its party piece is close focusing ability. It does 1:4 without any tubes. The thing that I didn't like about that lens is the absence of A/M switch. This is not fatal, but makes changing the aperture less convenient than it could have been. For these reasons I prefer Pentacon MC 50/1.8, which is the same formula, same close focusing, lower weight and better flare resistance. However, the rendering of Pentacon is colder, no doubt due to the coating.

hemmo · Expire: 2016-12-17

Really beautiful results Woodrim! Thanks for sharing!

woodrim · Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston

Thanks to all for your comments. When I purchased this lens, I had it sent directly to Marc Jensen in case it needed cleaning. Marc fixed the aperture so that it stops down as I turn.

cgustav · Joined: 01 Jun 2014 Posts: 270 Location: Los Angeles

Great results woodrim!
Wide open still looks like a great lens.

TrueLoveOne · Expire: 2013-12-24

Indeed, underrated lens! I too used to use it a lot, actually until i discovered the Pancolar 1.8/50.

But it's still a beautiful piece of glass, you show it!

Here's one of my wide-open shots with the Oreston:

Claartje by René Maly, on Flickr

rudolfkremers · Expire: 2015-08-08

Wonderful shots in this thread. I just bought this lens for nearly nothing (£4.99). It has some fungus but I reckon it won't show.
Can't wait to shoot with this!

Jeff Zen · Joined: 17 Jun 2009 Posts: 262 Location: Northwest USA

woodrim · Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

great lens, you did find sweets spots of this lens , congrats! great oriental style!

tomzcafe · Joined: 01 Jun 2009 Posts: 196

This is the lens that brought me to Meyer Optik Lenses. Still love it though I broke the aperture stopping down pin as it was stuck at about f4.
The second one I have is Meyer Optik Orestegor 200/4 with broken aperture too Very Happy

jamaeolus · Expire: 2015-08-20

Gorgeous pictures. Very creative.

Marek · Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2015 11:25 pm Post subject:

Lightshow · Joined: 04 Nov 2011 Posts: 3666 Location: Calgary

Am I correct that there isn't a preset version in zebra?

I was looking at getting Meyer Zebra preset versions the 30 Lydith and 100 Orestor plus a normal in M42 or Exakta,
I have found nice examples of 30 & 100 in Exaktaand I'm holding off from buying anything till I sort out a normal.
The Domiplan has a preset in M42, but doesn't seem to be available in Exakta, they all seem to have the arm.

The Oreston 50 doesn't seem to have any preset versions.

The Domiron doesn't come in zebra
Am I missing any?