Pentacon 300mm f/4

[lholmes549]

I have been viewing the MFlenses forum for some time now but only just joined as I am currently in search of a Pentacon 300mm f/4 preferably in M42 mount, so I can attach it to my film and digital bodies, but the Pentacon 6 mount would also be fine.

If anyone knows of one that is available and can help me that would be great! I'm not looking for a mint copy or anything, even one that needs taken apart and cleaned a bit would be good.

I have checked eBay but the Buy It Now listings are all over £120 which seems a bit much, any help is appreciated!

Many Thanks

[NewStuff]

[Attila]

Simple just wait, if you not willing to pay 100 UKP more , it will come for less, but not much may not worth to wait for months to buy 30-40 UKP less. Personally I not take this lens, heavy....

[lholmes549]

Thanks for the replies!
Hmm okay, had hoped to get it for a bit less that £100 but I guess they're more in demand nowadays...

I'm used to the long focus throw of the Pentacon 135mm 2.8, but I guess with a much wider lens it's not going to be done with finger tips as easily!

[NewStuff]

Maybe the Tair 3 would be better. A lot of people find the focus is far easier. You are looking for the lens from the "Photosniper" kit, and the focus is a knob underneath. it's far easier to hold the lens steady. It's also a lot lighter. Money is about the same, but You might snag a lens without it's photosniper kit cheaper.

[Attila]

Tair is one of the most inexpensive option , but heavy too. Nikon 300mm f4.5 often go in your budget and lightweight excellent lens.

[lholmes549]

I had a look at the Tair before but thought the pentacon was a better option. I don't plan on doing any hikes with this lens and will probably use it mostly with a monopod so the weight isn't that much of a concern
Don't know much about the Nikon, would it be easy to get an adapter for my Canon bodies?

[Excalibur]

[lholmes549]

Thanks for the input guys, I received my Pentacon 300/4 today. Got it for £105 so I was reasonably happy with that! It certainly is a beast of a lens! It probably won't be used without a monopod much. It has been completely disassembled, cleaned and regreased, and is in fantastic condition now and I look forward to using it.

Couldn't find any tutorials of how to take it apart but having taken apart quite a few pentacon 135's it was really quite similar. Could only access the aperture (to clean oil of the blades) via the front, not the back which seemed strange. Anyone have any experience with this lens and taking it apart or getting to the aperture blades more easily?

[OPAL]

Years ago, I've made a comparable test with a friend of mine, with his Canon F1 and his Canon 4/300mm L lens, both with a Kodachrome 25 slide film and tripods! The asolute test winner was, seen in a slide show watched by 20 photographers, the comparable cheap Meyer-Goerlitz MF 4/300mm! My dear friend was so depressed about this results, that he sold his Canon "L" lens right after this test! By the way, I still have this heavy monster using it once in a while, on my 6x6/645 and Canon 5DMkII cameras.

[NewStuff]

In the right hands it is plenty capable of making a good showing against "L" glass. I've altered the exif data on a shot with it (an emu shot at Chester Zoo), and watched people go nuts about it, thinking I'd "given in" and bought some hideously expensive glass, only to get very huffy when I tell them what it was really taken on. Some people will flat out say this "old lens" can't even compete with a cheap 70-300, let alone their beloved "L" glass. It's nice to disabuse them of these notions once in a while.

If I had that kind of money to throw around on glass, I'd probably end up with a nice array of decent lenses instead of a single one with autofocus I'll probably never use.

[OPAL]

The bulky telephoto lens is designed for the 6x6 medium format, and is using on 35mm (D)SRL's only the creamy center of the 6x6 cm film format. High contrast, no distortion and similar sharpness, compared to good 35mm glasses, are the vital advantages of this old heavy monster glass!

[ManualFocus-G]

It's a beautiful lens, but like many older telephotos it sadly suffers from purple fringing on digital.

[08samlan]

Can anybody tell me anything about this particular style of the 300mm F/4?

[Attila]

[Attila]

Welcome! Older edition Meyer, I think same good , more rare , may first one what I seen.