Pentacon 29/2.8 VS Pentacon 30/3.5

Alfaver · Joined: 15 Jan 2016 Posts: 5

Hi to all guys,
i'm new in this forum (there is some place for post the presentation? Smile

) ... so i hope that is the right section.

I've a Canon 70D, with M42 adapter.
I'm looking for buy a manual lense (focal about 20mm-30mm) and i saw the Pentacon 29/2.8 or the Pentacon 30/3.5.

Usually i shoot landscapes, so at 99% i'll use the lense closed to f/8 - f/11.
What are the differences (i don't need the 2.8 aperture, because i've a Samyang 14 f/2. Cool

? Expeccialy the sharpness, what is the best?

Thanks a lot in advance!

Mike

Nordentro · Expire: 2015-01-29

Hi there and welcome!
Both of them are decent in my opinion. Both have some signs of soft corners, but probably not with APS-C sensors. There are reports that the 30mm can hit the mirror on some DSLR cameras, so you may want to look into that before you make your decision.

I have them both as Meyer (earlier versions), you can see some samples I took here:
http://manuellfokus.no/meyer-optik-gorlitz-lydith-30mm-f3-5/
http://manuellfokus.no/meyer-optik-gorlitz-orestegon-29mm-f2-8/

Cheers

Badr12 · Joined: 06 Apr 2014 Posts: 81

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Neither is all that good, there are better options, especially if you can broaden your scope to other mounts other than M42.

Alfaver · Joined: 15 Jan 2016 Posts: 5

Alfaver · Joined: 15 Jan 2016 Posts: 5

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

The Pentacon 29mm F2.8 was the "deluxe" version of the 30mm F3.5. In the old advertisement below, the Pentacon 29mm F2.8 is promoted explicitly by the manufacturer. The real focal length of the 29mm F2.8 Pentacon is approximately 30.5 mm, which explains the weird declared focal length of 29mm.

In my understanding, the design of the Pentacon 30mm F3.5 corresponds to the first generation of wide angle lenses of retrofocus type. The optical formula basically consists of a negative meniscus in front of a modified triplet. The 29mm F2.8, on the other hand, belongs to a second generation of faster retrofocus lenses with better correction of aberrations.

Like almost all wide angle lenses of its time, when used wide open, the Pentacon 29mm F2.8 suffers from a certain amount of coma and lateral CA. Its performance in the center is very good at F4 and excellent from F5.6. The edges are excellent at F8 for APS-C, and F11 for full frame format. The distortion is relatively small and easily corrected by post-processing.

I have no experience with the Pentacon 30mm F3.5, but I have the impression that the Pentacon 29mm F2.8 is the best option. The Pentacon 29mm F2.8 is an honest lens which was built by the millions. Since it was a relatively cheap lens when new, many certainly were butchered by unskilled "technicians". Beware; buying a used lens is always a risky operation.

Alfaver · Joined: 15 Jan 2016 Posts: 5

Nordentro · Expire: 2015-01-29

Nordentro · Expire: 2015-01-29

Lloydy · Expire: 2022-01-01

I have the 30mm, never used the 29, and I kinda like the 30. I have better lenses in that range so I rarely use the Pentacon. That doesn't make it a bad lens, far from it. But it's not interesting enough to beat the others .

calvin83 · Joined: 12 Apr 2009 Posts: 7553 Location: Hong Kong

One of the best 28mm in M42 is the Fuji EBC Fujinon-SW 28mm f/3.5(You may need to file the pin on the mount if your adapter does not has a slot to accommodate the pin). My copy works pretty well on NEX-5N. The Hoya HMC/Tokina RMC 28mm F2.8 is pretty good too.

TrueLoveOne · Expire: 2013-12-24

+1 Calvin. My vote goes to the RMC Tokina 2.8/28, one of the first 28mm manual lenses i used on digital, and i still love it!

Some samples: https://www.flickr.com/photos/chantalrene/albums/72157630430002884

Cheers, René!

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

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

A detail not frequently mentioned is that the Pentacon 30mm F3.5 is a pre-set lens while the Pentacon 29mm F2.8 is an auto- diaphragm lens with an A/M switch. Maybe an auto-diaphragm is not very important today when the lens is used on a digital camera, but at that time the auto-diaphragm was a major selling point.

The Pentacon 29mm F2.8 is all-metal lens, except for the trim ring with the lens name inscriptions. The rear lens group is mounted in an aluminum barrel whose position can be centralized with three adjustment screws. This shows a careful manufacturing not common in average 28mm lenses.

All indications are that the Pentacon 30mm F3.5 was superseded by the Pentacon 29mm F2.8. Compare for example the prices of the two lenses when new:

Pentacon 29mm F2.8 .................. £ 44.95
Pentacon 30mm F3.5 .................. £ 20.95

It is worth noting that the CZJ 35mm F2.4 lens cost then £ 47.95, only slightly more than the Pentacon 29m F2.8. That made sense because both lenses needed the same manufacturing effort to construct: the lenses had similar mechanical quality and used more or less the same amount of optical materials. Today CZJ 35mm F2.4 is highly valued, as well as anything that displays the name name "Zeiss".

Maybe it is interesting to know the prices of other 28mm lenses in the same period:

Canon 28mm F2.8.............................. £ 135.95
Nikon 28mm F2.8 .............................. £ 188.95
Zeiss Distagon 28mm F2.8 ................. £ 184.24
Elmarit R 28mm F2.8 ......................... £ 276.00
Rokkor 28mm F2.8 ............................ £ 124.95
Pentax 28mm F3.5 M42 mount ............ £ 95.95
Pentax M 28mm F2.8 ......................... £ 95.95
Olympus 28mm F3.5 ......................... £ 90.00
Rolleinar 28mm F2.8 ......................... £ 80.25
Vivitar 28mm F2.8 M42 mount ............ £ 76.64
Vivitar 28mm F2.8 other mount .......... £ 86.04
Tamron 28mm F2.5 ........................... £ 79.95
Helios 28mm F2.8 ............................. £ 36.95
Konica 28mm F3.5 ............................ £ 81.00
Yashica 28mm F2.8 ........................... £ 95.25
Fujinon 28mm F3.5 ........................... £ 97.00

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

That three screw adjustment at the back of the 29mm is a major design flaw imho. Many of these lenses are badly adjusted and therefore decentred and showing poor performance. I had a mint copy that had poor edges even on APS-C until f5.6, that is not uncommon with this lens. I have seen people cla these lenses, correcting the decentreing and they perform much better.

calvin83 · Joined: 12 Apr 2009 Posts: 7553 Location: Hong Kong

A friend of mine has a de-centered Pentacon 29/2.8 too. My Flek 35/2.4 is also de-centered(the front group is fixed by three adjustment screws too).

Snowcat · Joined: 20 Feb 2015 Posts: 110

I've had a Pentacon 30/3.5... To my taste it was "nothing special" lens, just something completely ordinary. No great weaknesses but no advantages also. I sold it quickly.

Alfaver · Joined: 15 Jan 2016 Posts: 5

Wow! Thank you so much to all! Apologize me for my late reply, but in the weekend i was out of my house.
Saturday i've bought the Auto Revuenon Macro 28/f3.5, for 25� in a electronic fair.
Unfortunately i didn't see the fungus (or easily dust, i dunno) inside the lense, so when i came back to home i tried to clean it ..... was my first time .... and i've done, but I "broke" one edge's lense, in a small point (with APS-C i don't see anything).

Yesterday, i spent all day in the our mountains and i tried also the new lense. I found a very big problem .... i can't focus at infinity!!! Also at 10 meters ....... probably i mounted one lense in the wrong position Sad

Apologize me, also for my english, i'm italian and is the first english/american forum Very Happy

[i've bought also a 100x100 ND filter for my Samyang 14mm, so for now i've no money for other lense Sad

. But thanks for the several information that you give to me Very Happy

really, thanks. I think that if i want to nice wide-angle lense i'll spend at least ... 100-150� ]

Mike

D1N0 · Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 2491

kypfer · Joined: 27 Sep 2017 Posts: 514 Location: Jersey C.I.

D1N0 · Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 2491

A Pentacon 30 3.5 is coming my way, and I already have the 29mm F2.8. So i''ll do a comparison when it gets here. Meanwhile still wondering about the 200 F3.5 Pentacon. Maybe it was a Japanese pentacon? I had a 24mm F2.8 Pentacon back in the day (Prakticar BC mount) I forgot about that one. I see it is not very common.

Did some research, It was actually a Sigma:
http://allphotolenses.com/lenses/item/c_1468.html#prettyPhoto[pp_gal][lens]/1/ (sigma)
http://allphotolenses.com/lenses/item/c_2137.html#prettyPhoto[pp_gal][lens]/1/ (pentacon)

not a very good one. Unlike a good copy of the Super-Wide II.

Maybe the 200 3.5 also was a Sigma. There is a not very well known Sigma 200mm F3.5 XQ Scalamatic:
https://2.img-dpreview.com/files/p/TS1600x1600~forums/59450687/894353496cf941508bcd896306708036

Sjak · Joined: 29 Sep 2017 Posts: 696

I think these lenses (29 and 30mm) are the same as the Meyer Optik Görlitz versions.

I own the 29 2.8. I like the saturated colours it delivers; works well on my Pentax K100D and Sigma SD10.

Cabessius · Joined: 28 Oct 2014 Posts: 21 Location: Ibiza, Spain

A comparison (not mine).
According to it, the 30mm is the winner.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TT9nSG6Q-zk

D1N0 · Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 2491

I compared a brick wall shot between the two lenses:

I find the 30 has more geometrical distortion and vignetting, but is sharper wide open and over the entire frame. The 29mm is soft/less contrasty wide open but sharpens up when stopped down. But not as sharp as the 30.

30/3.5 F3.5 by The lens profile, on Flickr

30/3.5 F8 by The lens profile, on Flickr

29/2.8 F2.8 by The lens profile, on Flickr

29/2.8 F8 by The lens profile, on Flickr

Sharpness drop off is much greater on the Pentacon 29mm wide open.