You made me do it! Pancolar Electric 80mm f/1.8

Spotmatic · Joined: 18 Aug 2008 Posts: 4045 Location: Netherlands

Damn, I didn't want to bid but I could not resist...

Click here to see on Ebay

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

It was a damn good bargain ! Congrats!

kds315* · Expire: 2021-03-09

Congrats!! darn good lens, the prices go up fast,
I payed EUR180 for my MINT one.

Attila, you and your board are GUILTY!! Wink

no-X · Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 10:40 pm Post subject:

You'll love it. It's the best short-tele-lens I have ever tried. And one of the lenses I would never sold. S-M-C Takumar 50/1.4 and eMC Pancolar 80/1.8 are the two things I'd take alogn when going to desert island Very Happy

kds315* · Expire: 2021-03-09

Did you see that one Click here to see on Ebay.de !!! Shocked

koji · Expire: 2012-12-27

This is a pretty nice lens, congratulations.
I have four (3 Prakticars, 1 Pancolar). Very Happy

some tips: Prakticar 80/1.8 is somehow cheaper though you may have to
modfy it to M42 mount or buy a Praktica->EOS adapter. Really nice thing
about this Prakticar 801/8 is its MFD is much shorter 65cm, whereas
Pancolar has 83cm as its MFD.

MFD = Minimum Focusing Distance

kds315* · Expire: 2021-03-09

can be seen here:

Spotmatic · Joined: 18 Aug 2008 Posts: 4045 Location: Netherlands

Whoa, nice lenses there! I agree that prices are on the rise. But to tell you the story of the purchase: I really was not planning to buy it. I wanted to go to bed but decided to search on eBay for a few minutes. And here it was, the auction ended in a few minutes. At that time the highest bid was at 249 euros. I opened another tab with my bid already entered, and went back to the item page. I kept refreshing and saw the price going up to 251 euros in the last 15 seconds. I waited until 6 seconds, clicked the other tab with my bid and hit the button...

One problem with this type of sniping is the adrenaline rush... It took me two hours to finally get to sleep. Laughing

If it arrives here, I'm planning to do a little shoot-out. It's been done before by others, but I really want to see the differences -with my own eyes- between:

- SMC Pentax-FA 77mm f/1.8 Limited
- Jupiter-9 85/2
- SMC Takumar 85/1.8
- Pancolar 80mm f/1.8

Now I have searched quite a bit yesterday, but what's the story behind the Pancolar? I see that the 80mm Pancolar came quite a bit late on the market. Praktica quickly went to the Praktica bayonet mount. I also see there are variations with ridiculously low serial numbers (the one I won on eBay has serial number 1500, that must be my lucky number Smile

) but also longer serial numbers.

Nevertheless, I'm sure it'll fit nicely into my collection! Another lens saved from the lens mutilators Laughing

no-X · Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 9:06 am Post subject:

I have no experience with 77/1.8, but I think the Pancolar is (of these 3) most close to Takumar 85/1.8. Pancolar has a bit lower axial CA, Takumar has better MC. Their bokeh is quite different, but much similar, than when you would compare to e.g. Jupiter, Biotar or Helios... Both of them are capable of nice "3D" effect Smile

LucisPictor · Expire: 2013-12-03

Congrats! That's a fantastic lens! (I had the chance to use one yesterday, now I know.)
The price is OK, I would not call it a bargain, but it's a fair price.

Spotmatic · Joined: 18 Aug 2008 Posts: 4045 Location: Netherlands

atosz79 · Joined: 05 Jan 2009 Posts: 15 Location: Budapest, Hungary

THAT was a bargain....

Click here to see on Ebay.de

Spotmatic · Joined: 18 Aug 2008 Posts: 4045 Location: Netherlands

atosz79 · Joined: 05 Jan 2009 Posts: 15 Location: Budapest, Hungary

No, I'm not the lucky buyer.
I already spent too much on lens this month.

Perhaps next time...

Mal1905 · Expire: 2011-11-18

Congrats on the lens Spotmatic, and also to the buyer of the bargain Pancolar...

Spotmatic · Joined: 18 Aug 2008 Posts: 4045 Location: Netherlands

OK, the Pancolar has arrived! Quite fast I think.

But again I'm very disappointed of the CZJ quality. There's always something wrong with CZJ lenses in my experience. What's the problem? The diaphragm is inoperative. It clicks in all f/stops, but the diaphragm does not close regardless of the setting of the A/M switch.

It's also a quite used lens so it seems from the outside but I expected that. Optically it's great. So what would you do? Return it or keep it? I honestly feel 250 euros is a little steep for a lens in this condition, rare or not.

no-X · Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2009 4:58 pm Post subject:

I'd contact the seller, describe the situation and propose return or discount for reparation (if you know a serviceman, who could check in advance, if the aperture can be repaired or not).

bawang · Joined: 26 Mar 2008 Posts: 548 Location: Indiana, USA

I have a Flek 4/20, absolute mint, except for the same issue you described.

Yeah, I agree with no-X. I once received a Yashica FX3 with Flash and CZ1.7/50 with corroded battery compartment. I wrote to the seller and he suggested a discount refund which I take.

I can't read German but if the issue is not clearly stated in the listing, I would definitely contact seller.

Good luck.

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

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

Have the pin resistence when you press it?

And when you close the apertures with the A-M, the pin move to inside?

Perhaps this let you know if the mechanism is broken or if only the arm is out of the blade's handle.

this to know the possible gravity the defect and to have a base to negotiate the discount. The salesman is a professional, that usually makes their own repairs, and as so he knows than you are going to speak to him although he does not recognize it.

Rino.

PaulC · Joined: 23 Dec 2008 Posts: 2318

Unfortunately, stuck aperture blades are common with CZJ lenses, which are all 20 to 60 years old now. I've had to have three repaired and I console myself with the thought that once that is done they should be good for another 20 years or more. It's better (for me anyway, as I live out in the global backwoods) to repair them and know they are good than to lose the postage sending them back and then taking pot-luck on the next one, which might also have to go back.

You should get a discount for having to pay for the repair - I did when my 180 Sonnar turned up with stuck blades.

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

hacksawbob · Joined: 28 Feb 2007 Posts: 1293 Location: LANCS UK

take the rear off and look in side, it is just three screws if it is the same as the other electrics, then you can asses better from what you see inside, you dont need to strip it down any further.

PaulC · Joined: 23 Dec 2008 Posts: 2318

kds315* · Expire: 2021-03-09

I would - before doing anything yourself with that lens - describe the situation accurately to the seller. Offer to have it repaired at his cost (I know two very good repair shops here in Germany if you need that). If he refuses that, you can still decide to keep it (I would NOT at that price) or return it and ask for a full refund (I assume that defect was NOT mentioned in teh auction text).

I had to do this several times and except once, it worked out.