Pentacon 200mm f/4

kyrcy · Joined: 23 Feb 2015 Posts: 124

I am not sure if more than one version of the Pentacon 200mm f/4 exists, but I would like to ask about its performance and if it suffers considerably from chromatic and other aberrations. I do not have another lens of the same focal length but I do have a Jupiter-37A and a Tair-3S if someone can make a comparison to these.

Lloydy · Expire: 2022-01-01

The Pentacon 200 / 4 is my favourite 200, I can forgive it's size and weight when I see the pictures from it. And the f4 isn't bad either, I have faster and slower 200's, the beauty of the Pentacon is it's very good at f4.

This picture is possibly shot wide open, the DoF is fairly small and there are backlit branches in front and behind the Robin, and the CA is minimal, really very good I think.

100%

kyrcy · Joined: 23 Feb 2015 Posts: 124

Oldhand · Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 4:50 am Post subject:

Does this lens have a collar to mount on a tripod?[/quote]

No, no tripod collar on this lens.
Most 200mm lenses don't have a tripod collar. The Takumar 3.5/200 has one but I can't think of any others - although there are probably more that I cannot recall.
OH
#1

uddhava · Expire: 2021-06-21

Lloydy · Expire: 2022-01-01

I use a tripod mount off an old SUN zoom lens, which was too big so I've used a strip of polythene cut from a 5l container which seems to be soft enough to grip onto the taper of the lens, it's never come loose once - and I use it a lot. The lens with the mount is my 'PentaMog' - half Pentacon and half Meyer Optik Gorlitz, as can be seen in the different styles of rings. The Pentacon is a really nice copy, but no better than the Pentamog. I think I have another Pentacon somewhere that's for sale.

marcusBMG · Joined: 07 Dec 2012 Posts: 1318 Location: Conwy N Wales

One potential advantage of the Meyer/Pentacon 200mm is the detachable mount. I took the mount on mine to the local engineering shop and had them take off a couple of mm off the shoulder of the mount on the precision lathe. Now I can use a good quality flanged M42 to PK adapter. The mount has a very narrow base and used unaltered with the standard non flanged original M42- PK adapter was less stable and could allow light leaks (see here).
Good lens no doubt, I also like my tak 200mm f3.5. Both sharp.

chhayanat · Joined: 11 Apr 2016 Posts: 248 Location: The Cow Belt

"...really very good I think."

I can't agree more

Like 1

eeyore_nl · Joined: 09 Nov 2008 Posts: 837 Location: Netherlands

Very nice ... the Pentacon 4/200 is my favourite 200mm lens.

kyrcy · Joined: 23 Feb 2015 Posts: 124

marcusBMG · Joined: 07 Dec 2012 Posts: 1318 Location: Conwy N Wales

Lloydy · Expire: 2022-01-01

This is the Pentacon 135 lens, but the detachable mount is exactly the same and fits both 135 and 200's. The conical mount, usually Exacta or M42, fits the back of the lens and is secured by the threaded ring.

kyrcy · Joined: 23 Feb 2015 Posts: 124

What is the use of the detachable mount on the lens? I can see no manual/auto switch or a pin to press and open the aperture. Is this a preset lens? Is there a way to lock aperture?

Lloydy · Expire: 2022-01-01

It's a preset lens, one sprung part of the aperture ring can be set to restrict the aperture to a maximun required, or it can be set at f22 and both parts of the aperture ring turn together, held together by the spring loading, and allows the aperture to be adjusted seamlessly through the entire range.

The detachable mount is an easy way of manufacturing the lens for different camera mounts. ::

Excalibur · Expire: 2014-04-21

kyrcy · Joined: 23 Feb 2015 Posts: 124

I took photos of the moon at the infinity mark of the lens and they seemed in focus, but photos of distance buildings at the same mark were slightly out of focus (and in focus between the 50m and infinity marks). Is this expected with this lens? I suppose the moon is closer to infinity than anything on earth, but does anyone know from experience if the infinity mark on the distance scale is accurate?

Excalibur · Expire: 2014-04-21

kyrcy · Joined: 23 Feb 2015 Posts: 124

Lloydy · Expire: 2022-01-01

Excalibur · Expire: 2014-04-21

kyrcy · Joined: 23 Feb 2015 Posts: 124

Can anyone with the Pentacon 200/4 confirm if infinity focus matches the infinity stop on the lens or if the infinity stop passes infinity focus?

Excalibur · Expire: 2014-04-21

buerokratiehasser · Joined: 12 Jun 2011 Posts: 470

The mount can be exchanged for a P6 back I suppose.

I never had a Pentacon tele so cannot help with the infinity problem.

Just a general observation, a 500/8 lens has quite thin DOF WO and is extremly difficult to focus really tack-y on the spot. A 200/4 should be somewhat relaxed but similar. There is quite some difference between focus at 2 km and focus at 5 km.
Didn't I hear about people modifying their lenses to remove the hard stop, so they could get the moon and star really in focus WO? Perhaps then your 200/4 is really infinity at infinity but your target building is not.

devinw · Joined: 19 Aug 2016 Posts: 207 Location: Portland, OR

kyrcy · Joined: 23 Feb 2015 Posts: 124

I took more photos and even the moon is not in focus at the infinity stop (but slightly before). So infinity stop does not seem to match with objects that there are close to infinity such as the moon. I do not want to shim the lens or adapter (the adapter should not be a problem anyway as it works fine with other lenses). But if focus can be adjusted in the lens I could take it for repair.