Meyer-Optik Gorlitz 58mm f/1.9 Primoplan on NEX 5N

[pdccameras]

Hi Gang,

This week I won an auction for a Meyer 58 f/1.9 "Imoplan" screwed onto an M42 Praktiflex. I did pay full retail, approx. $150 USD, but it seems like a wonderful lens. I am assuming this lens is a Primoplan, with its front lens ring re-named for export reasons.

I shot some quick images this afternoon on the NEX. I shot the lens mostly wide open but noticed none of the crazy bokeh effects I have seen associated with this lens - probably due to my lack of bokeh-ability.

The lens is sharp to my eyes. I did minimal PP to the raw images, some minor levels tweaking and mild clarity adjustment / unsharp mask to luminosity channel only (85%, radius: 1 pixel, threshold: 4). Tomorrow, I'll follow-up with some non-flower pics.

Enjoy the show!

Paul

the rig



#1


#2


#3



#4


#5


#6

[Jeff Zen]

Great images! Thanks for picture of lens on camera too.

[Spotmatic]

Nice samples indeed! And the Primoplan is not renowned for its crazy bokeh though.

[pdccameras]

Thanks for the nice comments Jeff and Peter. Here are a few more close focus pics, I will post some long-distance shots later.

All the best,

Paul

#1


#2


#3

[iangreenhalgh1]

Yup, that's a Primoplan, and by the looks of it, a great performing one too, looks sharper than many copies I've seen, which probably indicates it doesn't have the fine scratches on the front that plague this lens and other 1950s ones like the Biotar 2/58.

Excellent images you made with it, congrats, enjoy your new purchase, and you actually got it fora bit less than what they often fetch.

[ManualFocus-G]

Excellent samples indeed, particularly number 6 in the first set This is a cracking lens with lovely rendering, the model with the crazy bokeh is the Trioplan (particularly the 100/2..

[iangreenhalgh1]

I've often wondered why the Trioplan has that crazy bokeh, it's 'only' a triplet after all, and I've never found another triplet with bokeh anything like it, even the Trioplan 2.8/50 I have (which is superb BTW) is rather different. The Primotar 3.5/135 has somewhat similar bokeh but still distinctly different.

[pdccameras]

Thanks Ian and Graham! The copy I have is in very nice shape, optically. The focus helical is a bit stiff, so I have been treating with a few drops of lighter fluid every other day or so.

I know what you mean about the bokeh of the Trioplan - not sure what about that particular triplet makes it stand apart. Perhaps it has something to do with the type of glass that was used, or the optical formula, or maybe even the kind of polishing compound that was used the grind the lenses! One thing for sure is that it seems to be fairly consistent among samples of the Trioplan. I haven't tried it myself, but I bet that the front cell focusing models of the Trioplan used on older folding or viewfinder cameras do not exhibit the phenomenon to the same degree as the unit focusing models.

Best,

paul

I have noticed, that a bit of lens extension will typically accentuate any bokeh effects. Here are few more with the Primoplan on a bit of extension:

#1



#2



#3

[atiratha]

Oh, the Primoplan is plenty sharp in the center! (got two copies myself) but the corners leave a lot to be desired till about f/5.6. The optical scheme is very similar to Biotar (the difference being one doublet split into two elements, I think). I seem to recall No-X had a list of many optical schemes with examples of lenses where they were used. It does swirl to an extent but much less than Biotar and you really have to try to make it swirl.

[IAZA]

congrats Paul, nice samples

[pdccameras]

Thanks Atiratha and Iaza.

Yes, most definitely, it has a sharp center. I have only shot the lens on the crop body NEX, so I haven't had a chance to check out the corner performance on the 5D. As had been said here on numerous occassions, the crop bodies have really given new life to some of these older generation lenses!

Atiratha, here is what I had found for the optical formulae:


58mm f/1.9 Primoplan



58mm f/2 Biotar





Best,

Paul

[Attila]

Congrats, great lens! Imoplan is very interesting, why Imoplan?

[scsambrook]

[pdccameras]

Thanks, Attila!

Why Imoplan?

I believe this has something to do with the trade restrictions placed on trade marks between East & West Germany after WWII. You see this often on Zeiss lenses of the era. The lens came on an East German KW Praktiflex branded as an FX55. Also the front trim ring seems to sit further forward than normal, like the original Primoplan ring was replaced with the Imoplan one.

Best,

Paul

[iangreenhalgh1]

Actually Paul, I bet the original Primoplan ring is underneath and they just screwed a new one on top.

[Fabian]

[iangreenhalgh1]

Interesting. I have a couple of pre-war uncoated Trioplans for medium format, I think 10.5 and 13.5cm, I'll have to stick em on bellows on my NEX and see what they do.

[pdccameras]

[iangreenhalgh1]

Cool, that's what they did with the CZJ lenses they altered for export, and when you said the ring looked a bit closer to the front than usual, I thought it was probably what had happened here too.

That rounded of triangle is the 'Erste Qualitate' symbol, (first quality) which was a mark they put on GDR items as a designator of quality.

[Fabian]

Yes, most times there's a '1' inside of it. An empty one is a first for me, but so was the 's' on this Telemegor.

[pdccameras]

Thanks for the info! I should have known, I have an 80mm f/2.8 Tessar in Exakta mount with the same kind of dual ring

[wuxiafu]

nice lens with very special bokeh, enjoy with it!

[exaklaus]

[Fabian]

Nice to read, thanks.

[atiratha]

I wouldn't say the Primoplan was a banana. I think it was not originally intended for export, so it wasn't even given the ratings. (given that in the centralized economy, it was meant to be cheap alternative to Biotar), only Biotar was, but given intermittent supply shortages of Biotars, sometimes Primoplan had to be exported. It wouldn't be so rare in a centralized planned economy. The other reason it was never given the 1Q rating could be the very very soft coatings. By the way, I have two Primoplans - one with an empty triangle and one with S in triangle (some sources say it means Sonder, i.e. Special in terms of quality). Their performance is, however, very comparable.