M42 Lens Recommendations - Update

danny_bhoy

danny_bhoy

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Just for fun I've started dabbling in old/vintage lenses on my DSLR via a M42 to Canon EF converter. Just picked up an old Russian Helios 58mm f2 after seeing some of the crazy, swirly bokeh it produces. Might have a bash at the Helios 135mm f2 next.

Anyone got any other M42 mount lenses that they'd recommend trying on a DSLR?
 
I have a The Helios 44M and a Helios 44-2, a Konica Hexanon 40mm f1.8, a Pentax Super Takumar SMC 35mm f/3.5, a Vivitar 28mm f2.8 'Close focus' Komine and a ultra rare Ensinor 28mm f2.8, which i absolutely love

All are highly recommended and fun to use.
 
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My favourites in m42 are:

Super Takumar 55/1.8 or 55/2 (such a cheap lens to buy, f/2 version is the same lens but with a baffle fitted to slow it down).

Pentacon 100/2.8 preset version

Pentacon 135/2.8 preset version

Pentacon 200/4 preset version (all three Pentacons have butter smooth bokeh, especially the 135/2.8)

Carl Zeiss Jena S 135/3.5 (so sharp across the frame, even from wide open).

The Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon 35/2.4 is a great lens but there are so many dodgy copies out there with mis-aligned elements and broken aperture mechanisms. It's great for close ups and produces wonderful landscapes (in a vintage style), but doesn't have sharp edges. The older 35/2.8 zebra style lens is very similar and usually quite a bit cheaper.

The Carl Zeiss Jena Pancolar 50/1.8 is also very good with the sane caveats as the 35mm Flektogon.
 
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M42 isn't the best you can get for a canon IME, but these are some of the best you can get.

Mamiya-sekor TL/DTL/SX
Fujinon EBC's
Jupiter-9 85mm f2
Tair 11a -135mm f2.8
Tair 3s - 300mm f4.5
Pentax Super Taks
Tamron Adaptall 2 - technically can be any mount.

Personally, I prefered contax/yashica, olympus OM, mamiya 645 mounts.
 
minnnt said:
Carl Zeiss Jena DDR 35mm F2.4
Click to expand...
+1 for the CZJ Flektogon 35/2.4, I got lucky and found mine for a fiver in a charity shop. The CZJ S 135/3.5 is another good choice.

I have a few m42 lenses to sell in the Classifieds in the near future, plus a handful of m42-EOS adapters.
 
minnnt said:
Carl Zeiss Jena DDR 35mm F2.4

A great lens but can fetch a few quid!
Click to expand...
Swissy said:
I have a The Helios 44M and a Helios 44-2, a Konica Hexanon 40mm f1.8, a Pentax Super Takumar SMC 35mm f/3.5, a Vivitar 28mm f2.8 'Close focus' Komine and a ultra rare Ensinor 28mm f2.8, which i absolutely love

All are highly recommended and fun to use.
Click to expand...
manualfocus-g said:
My favourites in m42 are:

Super Takumar 55/1.8 or 55/2 (such a cheap lens to buy, f/2 version is the same lens but with a baffle fitted to slow it down).

Pentacon 100/2.8 preset version

Pentacon 135/2.8 preset version

Pentacon 200/4 preset version (all three Pentacons have butter smooth bokeh, especially the 135/2.8)

Carl Zeiss Jena S 135/3.5 (so sharp across the frame, even from wide open).

The Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon 35/2.4 is a great lens but there are so many dodgy copies out there with mis-aligned elements and broken aperture mechanisms. It's great for close ups and produces wonderful landscapes (in a vintage style), but doesn't have sharp edges. The older 35/2.8 zebra style lens is very similar and usually quite a bit cheaper.

The Carl Zeiss Jena Pancolar 50/1.8 is also very good with the sane caveats as the 35mm Flektogon.
Click to expand...
Kei said:
M42 isn't the best you can get for a canon IME, but these are some of the best you can get.

Mamiya-sekor TL/DTL/SX
Fujinon EBC's
Jupiter-9 85mm f2
Tair 11a -135mm f2.8
Tair 3s - 300mm f4.5
Pentax Super Taks
Tamron Adaptall 2 - technically can be any mount.

Personally, I prefered contax/yashica, olympus OM, mamiya 645 mounts.
Click to expand...

Some awesome suggestions there guys - loads to chew on. I can see eBay getting a hammering for the next few weeks :)
 
Kei said:
M42 isn't the best you can get for a canon IME, but these are some of the best you can get.

Mamiya-sekor TL/DTL/SX
Fujinon EBC's
Jupiter-9 85mm f2
Tair 11a -135mm f2.8
Tair 3s - 300mm f4.5
Pentax Super Taks
Tamron Adaptall 2 - technically can be any mount.

Personally, I prefered contax/yashica, olympus OM, mamiya 645 mounts.
Click to expand...

Forgot about the Tair 11a - it's a real cracker!
 
Alastair said:
+1 for the CZJ Flektogon 35/2.4, I got lucky and found mine for a fiver in a charity shop. The CZJ S 135/3.5 is another good choice.

I have a few m42 lenses to sell in the Classifieds in the near future, plus a handful of m42-EOS adapters.
Click to expand...

More or less certain my next dabble will be with a 135mm for portraits. If I can find a CZ for a decent price I'll snap it up.
 
danny_bhoy said:
More or less certain my next dabble will be with a 135mm for portraits. If I can find a CZ for a decent price I'll snap it up.
Click to expand...
I better get started on putting a sales thread up for my spare m42 lenses tomorrow then ;)
 
Industar 50-2 is a fun lens. It's tiny, smaller than the adaptor.

...and Contax Zeiss lenses are far superior to CZJ. .. with a price to match.
 
You may want to check out this bad bokeh boy, it's the Meyer Optik Gorlitz Trioplan 100mm f2.8 lens, I borrowed one for a while a few years ago, beautiful thing, although a bit costly second hand, but if it's swirly mad crazy circular bokeh balls your after then this is the one.....!!!

http://www.meyer-optik-goerlitz.com/kickstarter_trioplan/



Here's a shot I've found on my flickr taken with the Meyer Trioplan 100mm f2.8 quite a few years ago;


Single poppy by Peter McCullough Photography, on Flickr
 
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Alastair said:
I better get started on putting a sales thread up for my spare m42 lenses tomorrow then ;)
Click to expand...
kendo1 said:
Industar 50-2 is a fun lens. It's tiny, smaller than the adaptor.

...and Contax Zeiss lenses are far superior to CZJ. .. with a price to match.
Click to expand...

Guys, this was meant to be a little cheap foray into vintage lenses to satisfy my curiosity & cure a little case of GAS....I'm gonna need to sell some of my EF lenses to fund it at this rate! :)
 
In the last few years before getting AF lenses for business, I have used mostly a 50mm f2 prime, you'd be surprised what can be bought from wandering around local antique shops etc.
 
Yip, quite pricey alright, but it's the swirly bokeh mad boy heaven, lovely bright circular bokeh balls, nice effect alright......!

Just found these Meyer Trioplan 100mm f2.8 dedicated images via flickr, some crackers, check them out at your leisure;


https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=meyer trioplan 100mm f2.8
 
danny_bhoy said:
Cheers all. I've not got my eye on a Contax Zeiss Sonnar 135mm 2.8 - I can see this getting rather expensive, rather quickly.
Click to expand...

You won't go wrong with any 135mm M42 lens.

I have this one, which is a Helios. it has a built-in lens hood that slides in and out as required, comes in very useful at times.

Ignore the title, (Helios 58) that was the lens used for the photo.




Helios 58 by Alan Perry, on Flickr
 
killwilly said:
You won't go wrong with any 135mm M42 lens.

I have this one, which is a Helios. it has a built-in lens hood that slides in and out as required, comes in very useful at times.

Ignore the title, (Helios 58) that was the lens used for the photo.




Helios 58 by Alan Perry, on Flickr
Click to expand...

I like the look of that Helios 135mm Alan. I've just picked up a Helios 58mm too as it happens.

I do like the thought of owning some Zeiss glass though. There are some mint ones on ebay for £150-ish.
 
ianmarsh said:
The only m42 I use regularly is my Jupiter 11 zebra, 135mm f4 preset. A big ugly hunk of metal with a tiny front element which looks purple, but it took one of my favourite shots of my daughter which hangs on my wall:

1402_Sossie_008-Edit-Edit-Edit by Ian, on Flickr
Click to expand...

That's awesome Ian - I do love me some backlighting :)

I'm sold on the fact that 135 will be my next focus length to try - just a matter of which lens.
 
danny_bhoy said:
I like the look of that Helios 135mm Alan. I've just picked up a Helios 58mm too as it happens.

I do like the thought of owning some Zeiss glass though. There are some mint ones on ebay for £150-ish.
Click to expand...


I have a Zeiss 50mm, which I bought quite a few years ago, but I think my Helios 58mm is jus as good. Be careful with older Zeiss lenses, the focus rings can become quite stiff after a while and need to be dismantled for servicing.


The image below was taken with the Helios 135, not a great subject, but does show how sharp this lens can be. In fact I think I might have oversharpend this one and looking at it again definitely oversaturated...:)





IMG_0056.JPG Helios 135_1 by Alan Perry, on Flickr
 
A couple of tips from a vintage lens addict with a collection that covers far too many different lens mounts...
  • The lenses you want will not all be available in the same mount. You can save some money on adapters by planning ahead - note it's a little different for EOS than mirrorless due to the register distance. Several mounts convert very easily to other mounts, for example if you're using a mirrorless camera a Rollei QBM adapter can work as a m42 adapter with the addition of a vintage Rollei QBM-m42 adapter plate that's cheaper than getting both the QBM and m42 adapters and it lets you use one set of extension tubesvor bellows (QBM) for lenses in both mounts. QBM is not the only mount that can do this. It might enable you to spend a bit more on a better adapter.
  • Be very careful with screw mount (e.g. m42) lenses if the focussing ring is a little stiff (a frequent issue with the CZJ Flektogon 35/2.4, for example). Bayonet mounts were developed for a very good reason - you can't screw the lens off the mount whilst focussing and have it bounce off the floor.
  • Be ware that very similar named lenses can have very different reputations and values to collectors, e.g. that bargain CZJ Flektogon 35 you've spotted on eBay may be the less desirable CZJ Flektogon 35/2.8 and not the sought after CZJ Flektogon 35/2.4. Some lenses are available in so many different variations that it seems next to impossible to a newcomer to tell them apart, e.g. the five or more variations of the Minolta 135/2.8.
  • Look at a range of lens mounts and try and specialise in one or two, it's easier to spot bargains when you're focussing on a narrower range of lenses. m42 lenses are easy to find but because there are so many different makes and models they can be confusing, you should also consider inestigating Contax/Yashica, Minolta, Canon FD and Rollei QBM if they will mount to your camera body with the right adapter.
  • Don't overlook vintage zoom lenses, there are some real gems to be had.
  • Some lenses are available under more than one brand/model and the lesser known versions can hide a bargain, e.g. my Helios 44M is badged as Auto Cosmogon which was the brand used for the US export market.
  • If you're using a Canon full-frame camera body you must be aware of mirror clearance issues and researching lenses very carefully.
  • Not every seller on eBay can spell even when the name is written on the lens in front of them, widening your search terms can find the bargains others miss. eBay has some very powerful and efficient search terms for finding multiple misspellings in one search - if you want more guidance on this attach a fiver to the back of a PM ;)

If I was starting again with vintage lenses I would specialise in one of the following:
  • Minolta - the most consistent family of vintage lenses for image quality and appearance. Take a shot with any Minolta lens and the result will have the same colour reproduction. You don't get this with any other manufacturer. Leitz took several lenses from Minolta to re-badge for their Leica SLR system.
  • m42 Carl Zeiss Jena/aus Jena East German lenses and their budget Soviet clones, e.g. the Helios 44M
  • Carl Zeiss in either Contax/Yashica T* or Rollei QBM HFT - can be big bucks for the quality lenses in both of these mounts
  • Rolleinar QBM - overlooked budget range of lenses for the Rollei/Voightlaender SLRs. Some very nice lenses (made by Mamiya and Tokina) that won't break the bank.
 
Alastair said:
A couple of tips from a vintage lens addict with a collection that covers far too many different lens mounts...
  • The lenses you want will not all be available in the same mount. You can save some money on adapters by planning ahead - note it's a little different for EOS than mirrorless due to the register distance. Several mounts convert very easily to other mounts, for example if you're using a mirrorless camera a Rollei QBM adapter can work as a m42 adapter with the addition of a vintage Rollei QBM-m42 adapter plate that's cheaper than getting both the QBM and m42 adapters and it lets you use one set of extension tubesvor bellows (QBM) for lenses in both mounts. QBM is not the only mount that can do this. It might enable you to spend a bit more on a better adapter.
  • Be very careful with screw mount (e.g. m42) lenses if the focussing ring is a little stiff (a frequent issue with the CZJ Flektogon 35/2.4, for example). Bayonet mounts were developed for a very good reason - you can't screw the lens off the mount whilst focussing and have it bounce off the floor.
  • Be ware that very similar named lenses can have very different reputations and values to collectors, e.g. that bargain CZJ Flektogon 35 you've spotted on eBay may be the less desirable CZJ Flektogon 35/2.8 and not the sought after CZJ Flektogon 35/2.4. Some lenses are available in so many different variations that it seems next to impossible to a newcomer to tell them apart, e.g. the five or more variations of the Minolta 135/2.8.
  • Look at a range of lens mounts and try and specialise in one or two, it's easier to spot bargains when you're focussing on a narrower range of lenses. m42 lenses are easy to find but because there are so many different makes and models they can be confusing, you should also consider inestigating Contax/Yashica, Minolta, Canon FD and Rollei QBM if they will mount to your camera body with the right adapter.
  • Don't overlook vintage zoom lenses, there are some real gems to be had.
  • Some lenses are available under more than one brand/model and the lesser known versions can hide a bargain, e.g. my Helios 44M is badged as Auto Cosmogon which was the brand used for the US export market.
  • If you're using a Canon full-frame camera body you must be aware of mirror clearance issues and researching lenses very carefully.
  • Not every seller on eBay can spell even when the name is written on the lens in front of them, widening your search terms can find the bargains others miss. eBay has some very powerful and efficient search terms for finding multiple misspellings in one search - if you want more guidance on this attach a fiver to the back of a PM ;)

If I was starting again with vintage lenses I would specialise in one of the following:
  • Minolta - the most consistent family of vintage lenses for image quality and appearance. Take a shot with any Minolta lens and the result will have the same colour reproduction. You don't get this with any other manufacturer. Leitz took several lenses from Minolta to re-badge for their Leica SLR system.
  • m42 Carl Zeiss Jena/aus Jena East German lenses and their budget Soviet clones, e.g. the Helios 44M
  • Carl Zeiss in either Contax/Yashica T* or Rollei QBM HFT - can be big bucks for the quality lenses in both of these mounts
  • Rolleinar QBM - overlooked budget range of lenses for the Rollei/Voightlaender SLRs. Some very nice lenses (made by Mamiya and Tokina) that won't break the bank.
Click to expand...

Brilliant advice - really helpful stuff! I've copied it to a word document so that I can consult it before I make any future purchases.

The big thing that has really struck me since I started looking around at older lenses is, as you touched on above, there can be loads of variants of the same lens! I don't think I'll ever get my head around that so expect a PM along with a few beer tokens before I pull the trigger on a 135......just to make sure I'm not buying the least desirable variant possible!!! :)
 
FFordes have two Zeiss Jena 135/3.5 lenses, a more modern one for £25 and the older style lens for £35. Both will be excellent performers:

http://www.ffordes.co.uk/category/Lenses/Pentax/M42_Screw

The Russian clones of these lenses can be had even cheaper - look for a Jupiter 11A or 37A on ebay :)
 
manualfocus-g said:
FFordes have two Zeiss Jena 135/3.5 lenses, a more modern one for £25 and the older style lens for £35. Both will be excellent performers:

http://www.ffordes.co.uk/category/Lenses/Pentax/M42_Screw

The Russian clones of these lenses can be had even cheaper - look for a Jupiter 11A or 37A on ebay :)
Click to expand...

That definitely something to mull over but I've kinda psyched myself up for this model now:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/141923733054?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2648&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
 
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