Pentacon 29mm f/2.8 Do you have any idea?

donTTouchonlywatch · Joined: 01 Jun 2009 Posts: 63 Location: Turkey

Thank's for your's comments...

spiralcity · Joined: 02 Oct 2008 Posts: 1207 Location: Chicago, U.S.A

donTTouchonlywatch · Joined: 01 Jun 2009 Posts: 63 Location: Turkey

no-X · Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2009 7:31 pm Post subject:

Quality varies among copies. You can get very good lens, but very bad one, too.

donTTouchonlywatch · Joined: 01 Jun 2009 Posts: 63 Location: Turkey

spiralcity · Joined: 02 Oct 2008 Posts: 1207 Location: Chicago, U.S.A

donTTouchonlywatch · Joined: 01 Jun 2009 Posts: 63 Location: Turkey

mflex-on · Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2009 9:28 pm Post subject:

I had 5 bad copies already. # 6 is good on EOS 5D. Surprise!

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

mikel · Joined: 24 May 2009 Posts: 26 Location: SW Europe

I got one new copy 1 year ago, and I don't use it very much: it's quite soft at borders wide open, but once you stop down to 4-5.6 it becomes very usable. Mine is a "auto MC" copy.

I like the field of view on crop cameras. I also like the "vintage" look it provides, as if you were shooting with old film (has some sort of magenta cast and soft contrast). Well, I have to say that I'm spoilt as I'm used to the SMC Takumars' fantastic contrast, color and sharpness. But I've started using the pentacon again just for fun and looking for the special look it gives.

Build quality and touch is very good, and has a very interesting 0.25 mts MFD that is very usable for funny close ups.

Helios · Joined: 05 Jan 2008 Posts: 537 Location: East of France

I'm afraid it is not the best M42 28/30mm ... Tokina, Chinon, "Nonames" are often better and offered at the same or lower price ... I use my takumar, Mir-10, Tamron 2,5 , Lydith , but never this lens . Very Happy

no-X · Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 11:32 am Post subject:

Majority of cheap 28mm and 35mm lenses were much worse, than my copy of this lens (I sold it, Komine Vivitar 28/2.8 a Tokina Vivitar 28/1.9 are better, Kiron Vivitar 28/2.5 was about the same in terms of sharpness, but it had more CA). Here is a full-size sample at f/8:

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

It has very nice colors and contrast.

It can have an misaligned element. Is the "normal" defect.

For general use, it should be OK. For critic job, hmm..

It's average lens in resolution, in my taste.

Rino.

no-X · Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 12:55 pm Post subject:

I think the main problem is the risk. If you find a good copy, there are not many lenses which will perform better for the same or lower price. Komine 28/2.8...

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

If I don't remember in the wrong side, the lens (in the orestegon version) was showed in the film "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" and was used like a everyday use lens.

Think that this is the key.

Rino.

GrahamNR17 · Expire: 2012-09-06

Here is the Prakticar (Orestegon) version. Cheap film/good processing combination. I like the lens a lot. It is much sharper than my Lydith in the corners.

mflex-on · Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 3:42 pm Post subject:

I have the Prakticar 2.8/28 as well. It renders good colours and sharpness, even in the corners from 4-5.6 up - on my EOS 5D.
The Orestegon is a little bit weaker but good as well - maybe one stop later.

One thing I still miss is a good metal hood for the Meyer Orestegon/Pentacon 2.8/29 - any advices?

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

mflex-on · Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 4:42 pm Post subject:

Ashley Pomeroy · Joined: 07 Jun 2009 Posts: 9

donTTouchonlywatch · Joined: 01 Jun 2009 Posts: 63 Location: Turkey

donTTouchonlywatch · Joined: 01 Jun 2009 Posts: 63 Location: Turkey

mikel · Joined: 24 May 2009 Posts: 26 Location: SW Europe

After reading this thread I just decided to give a second opportunity to this lens of mine that I had in pure ostracism... well, it was a real rediscovery: I like the fov in a crop camera, and even dare using it wide open for close ups and funny portraits. As stated some post ago, once stopped down (from 5.6 on) border softness disappears and it becomes a very usable street-lens (I happen to be very comfortable shooting with a 43,5mm-equivalent focal length).

Some samples of the photos I lately took with this lens:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/-mikel-/tags/pentacon29f28/

mflex-on · Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2009 1:08 am Post subject:

Want to add a stream with 2.8/29 Meyer Orestegon pictures. You should never prejudge a lens ... after all bad experiences with other lenses of that construction, built later as Pentacon, I like that old Meyer:
Sharpness, Bokeh, Colours.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26086448@N00/sets/72157622560068873/

Arkku · Joined: 28 Feb 2007 Posts: 1416 Location: Helsinki, Finland

I really don't like this lens. Even the shots people show as good examples of what it can do, are either such that the lens doesn't matter (i.e. good photos on their own? =), or if they show some characteristics of the lens, I generally don't like it. That's purely subjective, of course. In objective terms, the lens is not sharp even compared to other cheap offerings in this focal length and the bokeh is somewhat busy, although fans of swirly bokeh can certainly get some at close distances (e.g. as demonstrated in one of the photos in mflex-on's flickr set linked above).