Pentacon Prakticar 2.8/24 MC

Anu · Joined: 14 Apr 2009 Posts: 879

I got this baby today for a humane price of 30-40 euros. There is basicly nothing in the interwebs about this lens, so I was wondering if the good folks here know a bit about the lens. Is it some super rare prototype production item, or maybe rebadged Leitz or Lomo?

This lens is M42-screw mount lens. However, it may have been factory converted (or otherwise very professionally converted) from some other mount (B-bayonet?) as the distance scale has little to do with the actual focus distance - while the minimum focus is indicated properly (18 cm), infinity is reached at the 50 cm mark. Or maybe the gearing has been changed for whatever reason at some point.

The lens is... ops, was auto aperture only lens with no manual switch, so I had to destroy the lens to make it fully usable on a digital camera. So now it is fully manual lens.

Build quality is quite good and solid, only the aperture ring is slightly wobbly (a bit like CZJ-rings). And the lens is compact, which is a feature I like, though the filter ring is 52mm, which I don't like as most my lenses share 49mm ring.

Optically the lens is far better than I expected - I have the Pentax K20D, a high pixel density APS-C camera, so bear this in mind. I was expecting something similar to image quality of typical 'kit-lenses', but instead the lens proved to be capable of producing stunning quality. Already wide open most of the image is very sharp and it just gets better.

Bokeh wide open seems good, again better than expected. I took most of the test shots wide open as I didn't have proper screw driver earlier today to open the baby up and force those aperture blades to move, so can't reallly tell anything about bokeh on smaller apertures.

Contrast seems very strong, but haven't really tested it much - but some of my test shots showed much more contrast than my bare eyes do.

Distortions seem to be quite well controlled. There is little barrell distortion, but nothing to worry about.

There are a couple of flaws, when it comes to IQ, as well:

First, there are some chromatic aberrations - Lightroom took care of that easily, so not a big deal.

Second, flaring can be a problem. It was such a dull day out today that I couldn't really point the camera at the sun as I didn't see where the big fireball was, but still a couple of test shots did show surprising flaring issue. However, I must confess, that I did not use a hood (as it was not sunny at all, besides I don't have a 52mm hood).

If you can find this very rare lens and can live with the flare, I highly recommend buying it - I no longer have the thirst for the wide Flektogons as this lens is simply stunning (on APS-C), especially for the price.

It seems like my question of the lens turned into a small review. I will try to post samples someday, if I remember. Anyhow, here are to images of the lens - I hope someone can provide me with information regarding this lens.

mflex-on · Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 5:35 pm Post subject:

I suppose it is a part from Japanese production - sigma alike.

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

I never seen any +1 this is Japanese lens. Nice to know it's quality is good. These kind of lenses quality is very mixed I found excellent ones and crappy ones too.

koji · Expire: 2012-12-27

The last time (a couple of weeks ago) I peeked eBay, there was one
for a sale. No one took it.

This lens is made by Sigma (so people said), nothing other I know of.

If the photo made by this lens is "stunning" quality, I may get it too. Very Happy

Anu · Joined: 14 Apr 2009 Posts: 879

Here are some crops of an image I took today.

First two crops are from the center - one is unprocessed, the other has some basic Lightroom processing (sharpening and CA-removal mainly).

The second set is crops from the edge.

The image was shot wide open ( f/2.8 ). Sorry, I don't have good test images for other apertures available today. Also, I must emphasise that the camera used was 14,6Mp APS-C.

I will try to post other samples (at smaller apertures) later this week.

Anu · Joined: 14 Apr 2009 Posts: 879

This time full images, again wide open and processed.

hk300 · Joined: 30 Oct 2008 Posts: 1041 Location: Hong Kong

i also believe it was sigma made.

In fact Sigma was one of the few makers of PrakticaB mounts.

I have this lens in 28/2.8 badges as Praktica ... it is a good performer, and i have a faulty Sigma version of this 24/2.8 super-wide.

Anu · Joined: 14 Apr 2009 Posts: 879

The minimum focus distance and filter size are the same with Sigma and this lens, but I noticed that the focus ring rotates into the opposite direction!

There is also one funny detail about this lens: the aperture blades are (re)constrcuted in the opposite way to the norm, the ugly side to the front and the pretty side towards the camera - doesn't seem to cause any problems, so I'm not going to tear the lens part to fix it Wink

Anu · Joined: 14 Apr 2009 Posts: 879

I took some test shots today to get to know the lens better.

Here is a sample what happens when the sun is in the frame:

It was better than I expected, tough I will be buying a lens hood one of these days.

Here are some crops. First unprocessed center shots with f/2.8 and f/5.6:

Here are unprocessed edge crops, again 2.8 & 5.6

And finally a couple of crops at 5.6 with CA correction and sharpening:

Sorry, no f/8 crops, even though it seems to be the peak aperture Wink

Very happy with the lens.

Anu · Joined: 14 Apr 2009 Posts: 879

They are so cute, aren't they Smile

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

Last shoot is superb! Lens so so I didn't find it to good.

estudleon · Joined: 15 May 2008 Posts: 3754 Location: Argentina

The last pics (and the others too) is excelent!

The photographer is better than the lens!!

Farside · Expire: 2013-12-27

DSG · Joined: 04 Mar 2007 Posts: 544 Location: London, UK.

I'm supprised noone here has mentioned the Carl Zeiss Jena 29mm f2.8 MC yet...Its a bone fide East German Zeiss Jena. And while it cant match my Japanese Carl Zeiss 28mm f2.8 Distagon T* for sharpness, its pretty good for a cheap M42 lens.

Here is a 100% crop from the CZJ 29mm:

And here is one from the Distagon:

And just to show how good they are here is one from a Sirius 28mm f2.8 Macro:

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

This Prakticar 2.8/24 is a Sigma, I had one years ago.

It's an indifferent lens imho, can produce some nice shots but isn't anything great. For me it's strong point was the lack of linear distortion.

The best of the cheap 24mms is the Tokina one (also seen as a Hoya).

Lloydy · Expire: 2022-01-01

That Pentacon is surely out of the same stable as the Sigma Superwide ? Cosmetically it's a ringer for one I have.

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

declan · Joined: 17 Dec 2009 Posts: 162 Location: Indonesia

the looked is so Sigma, same inside?

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Yes, it's just the Sigma with a different name on it. The company that imported Pentacon lenses into the UK was also the importer for Sigma which is why there are so many Sigma made 'Prakticars' in the UK these days. Avoid them, they are not comparable to the Pentacons.

declan · Joined: 17 Dec 2009 Posts: 162 Location: Indonesia

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

I had the Sigma 24mm badged as a Carl Zeiss Jena. It was only okay, sharpess was fine stopped down, I found it too soft in corners at larger apertures on film, colours and contrast were okay. I liked the perspective and used it a lot in the 90s as it was the only 24mm I could afford, but these days I think you can find better 24mms for not much more.

The other Prakticar badged Sigmas are not great, the zooms are pretty poor, I did try the 28mm and can't remember that much about it, far behind the Pentacon 28 I think. I had the 135mm and it was not as good as the Pentacon one.

declan · Joined: 17 Dec 2009 Posts: 162 Location: Indonesia

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

I would recommend the 2.8/28, 1.8/50 and 2.8/135 Pentacons in PB mount, they are so cheap but really excellent, better than the M42 versions imho, having later multicoatings is surely one reason.

declan · Joined: 17 Dec 2009 Posts: 162 Location: Indonesia

Since now I'm using 24/2.8 with 2x cf,as we all know the fov is became standard or normal. I'm thinking glektogon 20/4 or tokina 17/3.5 to get more wider. Whay do you have in mind? Prefered pentax pk mount

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

I don't have experience of the Flek 4/10 but it's got a good reputation.

I do have the Tokina 3.5/17 and it's a superb lens, I would recommend that one to everyone.