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Explore the world of vintage lenses through repair notes, real test shots, and detailed archive threads packed with images.

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Meyer-Optik Oreston 1.8/50mm M42
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Hi folks

Picked this up on fleabay for 13ukp in excellent condition, all metal, feeels really well made, focus and aperture are perfect and smooth, feels like a Zeiss in quality.

Took it out just before sunset as I love the light at this time of day.

Bokeh test wide open:









Sharpness test, f16:



100% crop:





100% crop:





100% crop:



Glare test:



[url=https://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20115
/big_4077_CRW_8338B_1.jpg][/url]

Ca test:





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Very fine lens, often underrated ... I do really like its bokeh (and i like your pics #1 and #4, too) ...

Congrats for your buy, i paid mine a bit more than 16 UKp ...


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I like this lens too, pretty shame it's price level.


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13ukp BIN inc shipping is a good price for a excellent condition one, but it is a common lens, well, the later Pentacon versions are certainly very common, can be had for 5-8ukp, I paid about a fiver for one a while back and liked it but the aperture stuck wide open, hence I replaced it with this Oreston.

I think this lens is really nice, has the Meyer characteristivs I am becoming used to and is perhaps the sharpest of my Meyer/Pentacon collection, it definitely handles galre better thn my earlier silver bodied Primagon, probably because it's Multi-coated and I think the Primagon is single coated.

The bokeh, with those circles is similar to my Primotar, reminds me also of the Trioplan 2.8/100 which is a good thing imho!

Now I have this Oreston and the Primagon, Primotar, Pentcon version of the Orestegor 200 (oh, and a Domiplan) I aim to colelct the rest of the Meyer set - Telefogar, Primoplan, Trioplan, Helioplan etc...


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Today, the Oreston was my lens-of-the-day on my Pentax K20D here in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I have previously used this M42 copy mostly for shooting around my boring usual residence in a thick pine forest, with fairly consant light. Today I was on the streets and in artifact-filled shops with quite varied light.

And I find that the K20D meters VERY inconstantly with the Oreston, much more so than with any other M42 I have walked around with. Once I get the exposure right, it is beautiful. Great detail, great bokeh, great feel, but it is NO GOOD for grab-shots on my K20D. Bother. On the K20D, the Oreston just demands more controlled conditions.

I brought few Meyers on this extended trip. Tomorrow's lens-of-the-day will be the Trioplan 100/2.8; in a few days, the Telemagor 180/5.5. The Primagon 35/4.5, Helioplan 40/4.5, Domiplan, and Primotar-E 50/3.5, will all just have to await my return. And the Pentacon electric 50/1.8 -- I wonder if that will meter differently than the Oreston?


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RioRico wrote:
Today, the Oreston was my lens-of-the-day on my Pentax K20D here in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I have previously used this M42 copy mostly for shooting around my boring usual residence in a thick pine forest, with fairly consant light. Today I was on the streets and in artifact-filled shops with quite varied light.

And I find that the K20D meters VERY inconstantly with the Oreston, much more so than with any other M42 I have walked around with. Once I get the exposure right, it is beautiful. Great detail, great bokeh, great feel, but it is NO GOOD for grab-shots on my K20D. Bother. On the K20D, the Oreston just demands more controlled conditions.

I brought few Meyers on this extended trip. Tomorrow's lens-of-the-day will be the Trioplan 100/2.8; in a few days, the Telemagor 180/5.5. The Primagon 35/4.5, Helioplan 40/4.5, Domiplan, and Primotar-E 50/3.5, will all just have to await my return. And the Pentacon electric 50/1.8 -- I wonder if that will meter differently than the Oreston?


Strange, I found my Oreston meters great on my EOS 10D, none of those shots I posted required more than 0.25 of a stop change in exposure when opening as RAW in Photoshop. My Pentacon 1.8/50 also meters fine.

I don't have a Trioplan otherwise I'd try that today.

I did shoot these with my Primotar 3.5/135 yesterday, was trying to find that nice circular bokeh. This lens has the usual Meyer character but isn't as sharp as the others, pretty disappointing really, might be good for portraits though...









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Hi I have the Meyer Optik Telemegor 25cm f5.5 M42 18 blade aperture(chrome brass version,see todays post "seen some weird things") in ex++ condition and just been CLA'd,I can post it in Market place if anyone interested.Regards kryss.


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Hi, I have this lens+ Pentacon version,received the Meyer on a ex++ cond. Hanimex Practika super TL M42 body for $5 Can. at a local auction, don't use body but lens is used often.


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About the inconsistent metering -- that was due to operator error. Which means, I f*cked up. I didn't have the camera's metering switch set firmly in position. Oops. Set into place, the Oreston meters just fine. Today will be another day to walk around Canyon Road (the quaint gallery district here in Santa Fe) and I will give the Oreston another chance.

My one quibble with the Oreston and Trioplan is that they have narrow bodies. I depend greatly on Catch-In-Focus (CIF) aka Trap-Focus, because my delaminating eyeballs are not as sharp as they once were. CIF requires that the electrical contacts on the Pentax camera body be safely shorted-out, and the Meyers are too narrow to cover the contacts, unless I use a wide-flange NIF (no infinity focus) M42 adapter -- great for closeups, lousy for everything else.

Thus I must be VERY careful with focus, so no grab shots. My focusing split-screen requires a well-lit subject, so no dim shots. Or I must stop-down a bit for thicker DOF. I don't have these problems with the Primagon because it has a wider base that DOES short the mount contacts. But I didn't bring the Primagon on this journey. The Helioplan and Oreston and Trioplan will all be nice-to-have but not constant-usage lenses. Ratz.


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The pentacon version has the adventage of the MC.

The lens can be cleaned very easily.

Nice to have and to use.

In my taste, should be my second option in M42 50 mm lenses.

Rino.


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Hi Rino

I have to ask, what would be your first choice? 1.8/50 Pancolar?

I just got one of the early all-metal Pentacon 1.8./50s n excellent condition, I will do a side-by-side comparison with the Oreston 1.8/50 and my Helios 44-M4 shortly. I have a few other 50s but not in M42...


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iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
Hi Rino

I have to ask, what would be your first choice? 1.8/50 Pancolar?

I just got one of the early all-metal Pentacon 1.8./50s n excellent condition, I will do a side-by-side comparison with the Oreston 1.8/50 and my Helios 44-M4 shortly. I have a few other 50s but not in M42...


In 50 mm, my first choice is the SMC/S-M-C 1,4/50 takumar.
My second choce, the 1,8/50 pentacon MC.

The pancolar with white MC, the latest model, is a very good 50 too, but I prefer the SMC/S-M-C takumar 1,4. Both are in the warm color rendering side.

The pentacon MC is my first choice in the cold color rendering.

Rino.


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Thanks for the info Rino, I always value your opinions. I have a few 50s but still have not added a 1.4 or 1.2, I will when funds allow!

I am shortly to do a side-by-side comparison of all my 50s:

Olympus Zuiko 1.8/50
Pentax-M 2/50
Petri CC 1.8/55
Helios 44-2 2/58
Helios 44M-4 2/58
Meyer Oreston 1.8/50
Pentacon 1.8/50
Meyer Domiplan 2.8/50
Yashica DSB 1.9/50
Industar 50-2 3.5/50


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Got this lens the other day at a flea market, on a "Praktica super TL...

24$ Canadian.....

I think i'm gonna love this one !