Meyer Optik Goerlitz 50mm/f2.8 - some snaps.

[martyn_bannister]

All right, it's a domiplan. (FULL SET HERE)


Or is it a Prakticar 50/2.8 ???? Certainly seem to be identical lenses. Have to try this one out too


All these shot with the domiplan.

[Seele]

That's the much-maligned Domiplan alright: there's been a fair few variants in markings, even as Domiplan, your "Prakticar" version is seldom seen, and I have a most unusual one marked "Orestor" which is of course a bit of nonsense.

[iangreenhalgh1]

Lots of strange markings on the Meyer/Pentacon lenses...

I have three different Pentacon 1.8/50s in PB mount, clearly different makers and designs but all labelled the same, two are similar and are probably both Meyer lenses, the third one is much smaller and could be a Japanese lens, possibly a Sigma; It's nearly as small as the 2.4/50 Pentacon 'pancake'.

I also have an M42 1.8/50 Pentacon and an M42 Meyer Oreston 1.8/50, they are virtually identical but also different to any of the PB mount Pentacons.

Then you have the confusing fact that some PB mount Pentacon 2.8/28 and 1.8/50 lenses were labelled 'Carl Zeiss Jena' despite being obvously Pentacon lenses, I have directly compared a CZJ labelled 2.8/28 to both of my Pentacon 2.8/28s and all three are identical.

The most confusing is the 135mm lenses, there is the CZJ 3.5/135 and the Pentacon 2.8/135, but the Pentacon lens appears in PB mount with CZJ labelling and there is also a 2.8/135 Pentacon made by Sigma in Japan...

[martyn_bannister]

[Seele]

[KarelDH]

hi,

now i see these, i have a copy of the Domiplan ( i think) labeled pentaflex-color .

looks the same only its totally black ( no stripes) an it has a purple coating instead of a blue one.

so is this one made by Meyer ?

[ManualFocus-G]

Martyn, great shots! Love the colour in #2.

This lens is indeed found in many naming variants, all of which are the same lens.

It can be found as:

* Domiplan
* Meyer Optik Domiplan
* Pentaflex Color
* Prakticar

* And now Seele's Orestor named version (madness!!)

Ian - Don't confuse the Domiplan 50/2.8 with the completely different Oreston 50/1.8, which as you rightly point out has been renamed as well:

* Meyer Optik Oreston 50/1.8 (M42 / Exakta)
* Pentacon auto / MC / electric 50/1.8 (M42 / Exakta (for the auto))
* Pentaflex 50/1.8 (M42)
* Prakticar Pentacon 50/1.8 (PB)
* Meyer Optik Prakticar 50/1.8 (PB)
* Carl Zeiss Jena P 50/1.8 (PB)

The Oreston was the same lens throughout it's life, as far as I know (other than coating / styling / automatic aperture mechanism changes).

Note: The Pancolar was only branded under four names as far as I know:

Carl Zeiss Jena Pancolar 50/1.8 (M42 / Exakta)
Jena Pancolar 50/1.8 (M42 / Exakta)
aus Jena Pancolar 50/1.8 (M42 / Exakta)
Prakticar 50/1.8 (PB)

[Seele]

They're all made by Meyer, just different labelling.

[martyn_bannister]

And various ideas as to optical scheme - either a "Cooke Triplet" or a "Tessar" design seem favourite. Any definitive info on which is correct?

[Seele]

Triplet.

[iangreenhalgh1]

Yup, Triplet like the Meritar, the Domiplan is actually a decent lens stopepd down, above f8 it sucks, the bokeh is busy and distracting, but as it's a small, light lens, not bad for just walking around if the sun is shining and you don't need to use large apertures.

I'll have to take some pics of my various 1.8/50 Pentacons, I have 4 and a Meyer Oreston 1.8/50.

1. Pentacon 1.8/50 PB (plastic, aperture stuck wide open, converted to EOS mount)
2. Pentacon 1.8/50 PB (plastic, same as above but working, not converted)
3. Pentacon 1.8/50 PB (plastic, smaller, may be made in Japan)
4. Pentacon 1.8/50 M42 (mint, all-metal, same as Oreston I think)
5. Meyer Oreston 1.8/50 M42 (mint, all metal)

I have seen the Pancolar 1.8/50 in PB mount, but I have also seen what is clearly a Pentacon 1.8/50 the same as the two plastic ones I have also labelled CZJ, same as I've seen a CZJ labelled Pentacon 2.8/28.

I never use my Domiplan due to having the Oreston and M42 Pentacon.

Oreston 1.8/50:



M42 Pentacon 1.8/50:



Domiplan 2.8/50:



Pentacon 1.8/50 PB plastic:



All shot wide open, clearly the Domiplan is the least sharp and has the busiest, most distracting bokeh. The Oreston and M42 Pentacon are probably almost identical, they perform very very similarly, the plastic PB Pentacon is, I think, optically different, it is similar but has different bokeh and contrast imho, very sharp though, may be the sharpest of the lot although the Oreston and M42 Pentacon are also sharp.

[estudleon]

Did you try the Domiplan at F/ 16?

IMHO, that aperture is the best for triplets rendering.

Rino

[Seele]

After Carl Zeiss Jena acquired Pentacon in 1985, it also got the rights to put its name on Pentacon products, so if a lens marked "Carl Zeiss Jena P" then it's a Pentacon lens. But of course, Pentacon acquired Meyer as its lens department anyway.

There's a method to the madness in Meyer's naming convention. In the vintage era, lens names were all over the place, but roughly speaking, Arististigmats were four-element symmetricals, and Trioplans are obviously triplets.

Then some sort of unified system were adopted: what's probably the first was the "Prim-" series: Primoplan for high-speed asymmetrical lenses, Primotar for Tessar-types, Primagon for inverted-telephoto design.

The "Domi-" series for the 35mm format followed: Domiron for double-gauss, Domiron form Tessar-type, Domiplan for triplets.

Then came the "Orest-" series: Oreston for double-gauss, Orestor for Sonnar derivatives, Orestegor for tele-tessar derivatives, Orestegon for inverted telephoto, etc.

[martyn_bannister]

[martyn_bannister]