Pancolar and Pentacon 50mm 1.8 MC, Test

[francotirador]

This is a

[martinsmith99]

Not a lot in it. Wide open I pefer the Pancolar for bokeh, but after that I like both. The Pentacon seems a little cooler tone-wise.

[mflex-on]

Pancolar has better contrast.

[Pancolart]

But what version? Zebra differs from MCs and there are few Pentacons.

[mflex-on]

... and there is a 2/50 Pancolar from 1959 ...

[francotirador]

This is the latest version of Pancolar, MC. What must be noted that at f22 the focus has shifted backward. The wall has much more detail than the Pentacon

[estudleon]

Hi Francotirador. Nice to see another argentino here.

1- very good test. Thanks for sharing.

2- The last Pancolar MC (in white) is less warm than the older versions, but still a bit warm.

3- The pentacon is a bit cooler and not as sharp as the pancolar.

4- The pentacon has less CA.

5-In b&w I found that the pentacon has better rendering.

6-In M42 lenses At F/16 and 22 the blades should not open at the same apertures all the time. If you go to F/16 from F/22, that F/16 could be not the same if you go to F/16 from F/11. From F/22 the aperture of F/16 could be smaller than the F/16 from F/11. I don't know why.

7- Both very good lenses.

Rino.

[francotirador]

Hola, lo pongo en español porque es para tu comentario solamente,
Si un lente, Cualquiera no te abre con el mismo diametro en iguales valores, solo puede ser porque esta sucio. La mejor manera de probaresto es poniendolo en A (automatico ) a f22 o 16 y cambiar a M una y otra vez y si ves que tarda en responder no hay dudas, esta sucio. Yo le llevo todo a Nascello. para mi el mejor.
Te mando un saludo y talvez nos conozcamos un día haciendo fotos.

Hi, I put it in Spanish because it's for your comment only,
If a lens will not open any of the same diameter in the same values, can only be because it is dirty. The best way to test this is just place in A (automatic) to f22 or 16 and change to M again and again and if you see it takes to answer no doubt is dirty. I took everything Nascello. for me the best.
I send a greeting and maybe we know a day of photos.

[lwsy711]

Good test, have both. But the prices are not comparable, pentacon is a better choice on performance/money.

[Excalibur]

[estudleon]

Pentacon/meyer focus from 33 cm

Pancolar focus from 35 cm.

The difference exists but it's small.

Rino.

[Pancolart]

Sadly quality standards are much higher for Pancolars, so you need some luck when buying.

[mflex-on]

[Excalibur]

[seuret]

Well, everybody said it, so am i - The pancolar is sharper(not a big surprise), the bokeh is very pretty:). I like it more, but unfortunatly i posses the pentacon ))) and i love it. My first lens and i'm still using it

[ManualFocus-G]

I found that Pentacons tend to have aperture problems, but Pancolars are even harder to find a good one...often the blades are stuck AND the focussing is stiff

[semso]

According http://www.slrlensreview.com/web/ Pancolar is not sharper than Pentacon




first tabel is pentacon
second pancolar


regards semso

[estudleon]

Hi.

I know that test. I don't know the circumstances that envolved these tests. I don't know what that numbers mean. Why eg. 137 and not 135 or 138 ? Who determinated this? There aren't images to support the numbers. I prefer test with pics and text.

Anyway, I have both lenses and, beleave me, the pancolar is a better lens. The IQ of th CZJ is a different thing. The pentacon is a very good lens, of course with very good image at F/8-11, and the pancolar MC 1,8/50 is very good too from F/4 to 11, but the last produce an image at F/5,6-8 that doesn't the pentacon. And better build too.

In B&W film I like the coldest rendering of the pentacon.

Rino.

[Pancolart]

From a point of view - what to buy from Ebay the story is:

Though Pentacon is decribed as fully working in Ebay advert only 6 out of 10 will be optimally sharp due to different errors (not all production series were good).

9 out of 10 Pancolars will produce optimal sharpness (higher quality standards).

But then again, you will pay minimum 50 EUR for nice Panco, whereas you might get Pentacon for 15 EUR. There is a saying that could be applied here also: "If you buy cheap you buy twice."

Check my nick bytheway .

[semso]

You can buy Pentacon for next to nothing (I have a four of them).

Look at last buy (only 4 euros)

[Pancolart]

Lucky you. Take them all if you can . I guess the price will stop rising around 30-40 EUR for good looking Pentacon and 100 EUR for Pancolar. Don't forget about demand in Asia .

[estudleon]

Here, in Argentina, both are near u$s 50. Yes, pentacon isn't cheap at all.

Rino.

[Pancolart]

Or check prices reached from Greece sellers. It makes me wanna buy a lorry, pack my collection and rent a flat on Greek coast .

[martinsmith99]

Whichever lens you pick you will have a very sharp optic at all apertures. They're both very and there isn't enough in it for me to pick the best. I have the Pentacon and love it.

[patrickh]

For the millionth time we find that sharpness is only one factor among many that determine what an individual may like in a lens. Lively discourse as on this thread helps us all understand better what we are doing


patrickh