This is a Great Starter Lens - Pentacon 50mm f1.8
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 8 июл 2024
- #PENTACON#INSPIRED#VINTAGELENS
In this video I take a look at the Pentacon 50mm F/1.8, one of the most affordable vintage lenses you can buy right now.
BUY THIS LENS HERE: ebay.to/2QWYK2a
MUSIC FOR YOUR VIDEOS [FREE TRIAL]: share.epidemicsound.com/markho...
VINTAGE LENS KIT: bit.ly/2MxdD8d
VINTAGE LENS ADAPTERS
FOTODIOX M42 - E (Sony): geni.us/SonyM42
FOTODIOX PRO M42-EOS (Canon): geni.us/M42Canon
FOTODIOX PRO M42 - F (Nikon): geni.us/M42Nikon
FOTODIOX PRO M42-Micro 4/3: geni.us/M42MFT
MY PRODUCTION GEAR
Lumix S1H: geni.us/LumixS1HCamera
Sony A7SII: geni.us/M42MFT
Wandrd Prvke Backpack: geni.us/WANDRDPRVK21L
Sony 16-35 F4: geni.us/SonyZeiss1635F4
ROV PRO Everyday Slider: geni.us/ROVPRO
Aperture 120DII: geni.us/Aputure120DII
Aperture Lightdome II: geni.us/LiteDome2
Hoodman Lens Hood: geni.us/LensHood
LitraTorch: geni.us/LitraT
Litra Pro: geni.us/LitraP
BEST Tripod: geni.us/BestPod
Microphone: geni.us/MarkMic
TOO Expensive Battery Grip: geni.us/A7Grip
Hobby Matt: geni.us/hobbymatt
FIND ME ONLINE:
📱 □ IG: / mholtze
🦅 □ TWITTER: / markholtze
DISCLAIMERS:
Some of these links have an affiliate code, if you purchase gear with these links I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you!
With everything going on in the world right now, I thought I would take it back to the lens that ignited the fire of inspiration. What is it about photography that inspires you guys?
A great example of some positive vibes and vintage fun!!! I have numerous random shots that I love but don't show because I know that others might not get my view, but I hang on to them hoping one day that they might inspire my daughter or her children to photograph what they see that is interesting to them. Thanks, Mark for relating or being relatable!!!
Great video Mark! Your message really hit home. It's not always about tech specs and optical perfection. It's also about inspiration and curiosity. I remember my dad had a 35mm Mamiya/Sekor camera with a 50mm lens on it. He worked at Technicolor developing film during the mid-to-late 70's, so he took a lot of pictures. At least it seemed like a lot to me as a pre-mobile phone kid. My dad was definitely part of my photographic inspiration. That camera is long gone. I'm going to find one on eBay! I'm grateful for your videos. I've purchased several Takumar lenses and i couldn't be happier! It all started with your video on the Super Takumar 50mm F/4 macro lens. I've purchased a few more. I love the look for both stills and video. Keep doing what you're doing! We need the positivity and the motivation. You're making a difference.
Hello from Tampa, Florida Mark! Glad to see that you are well and staying busy given the current state of affairs in the world. Photography's versatility is what inspires me... there are a plethora of areas that a person can immerse themselves into when it comes to photography. I am inspired by the broad range of shooting options, no need to be limited to one area. Be well, stay healthy, and encouraged Mark!!!
Nothing currently. Recently my home city was hit with a 5,5 R earthquake, combined with a global crazyness it's full survival mode...
I started with photography this year, primarly film photography and being an East German guy I went for a Praktica. Then another Praktica, and later 2 more Prakticas. One of them came with a later version of the Pentacon 50/1.8 with MC and I didn't really cared about it. So it rested some time in the shelf until I wanted to do portraits with a lot of blur, so I gave it a try. And I was stunned when I saw the awesome results. Later I got a Porst Color Reflex 55/1.4 which is also a great lens, but suffers chromatic abberations, so is basically unusable in certain situations where I then know that I can rely on my Pentacon 50/1.8. I think even on f2.8 it's sharp as hell. And at f4 it's sharper than reality :D
The ability to show intentional and varied perspectives on almost any subject is what inspires me - food being my primary subject. Love that minimum focus distance for a 50mm lens, that fact alone has convinced me to buy it 🤓 thanks for the detailed and entertaining video - really appreciate the ton of footage and varied examples you pack into each upload 🙏🏼
Thanks Jonny! Ya that MIN focus blew me away when I FIRST adapted it. I wish I could have captured that reaction, I think it's exactly what sold me on the lens. The soft backgrounds it rendered were like nothing I had seen on a digital mirrorless before.
What inspires me the most about photography is being able to create something beautiful, and that it particularly important for me right now with the way things are going. I loved the video Mark, I really appreciate the time and effort you put into this. Take care!
Nicely said Leandro! Making something beautiful! Agreed with the importance especially right now.
Mark i'm so pleased that you make a video for this...love!!! I love my Pentacon, it is sooo sharp after 2,8 and its hexagonal bokeh it's so mesmerizin'...at least to my eyes!
awesome video as always Mark!
Thanks a bunch David! Hope you're keeping well during this time mate.
I really love all your videos especially about the vintage lens and how great they are. There's a lot of vloggers tackling with the same content you were one of the best! Keep it up! :)
Very kind of you to say mate, there's just something about this content that keeps drawing me deeper. I can't really stop now lol.
Perfectly imperfect! Best title for a vintage lens review.
Always nice to see your videos Mark. Stay healthy.
Same to you Tony!
A worthy tribute to this lens, the love of your family history and that spark that ignited the flame. Not to mention you showed the lens in a wonderful light, duration of the video in under 7 mins? Impressive!
Your videos get better with every new release! I love your content! You should definitely have a bigger subscriber base
Thank you for this video man. My granddad gave me is 50 mm Cannon F 1.2. That was my first lens and what got me into this field.
Appreciate your videos and I appreciate your connection with that lens man. I know exactly how you feel
Can't believe I missed this video - thought I binged watched all of your vintage lens videos 😀
I can relate to your story. I got my Canon FD 50mm 1.4 from my father and can still remember how he took photos back then, when my brother and I were still kids.
Now thanks to your videos regarding vintage lenses I can put this lens into use and learn about photo and video 🙂
Thanks for this video! I had a similar experience that got me "hooked" on vintage lenses when I first tried the SMC Takumar 28mm f/3.5 paired with light coming through leaves. The end result of how the light and color are captured, and the twigs/branches melt way is nothing short of magical. I'm a newcomer to the Pentacon 50mm f/1.8, and I was drawn to it with how the bokeh looks wide open in forest scenes. The form of bubble bokeh it has is just what I've been looking for. Living out in the Pacific Northwest, I can't wait to take this Pentacon out on some hikes. This is going to be good.
Just discovered your channel and you've really inspired me to explore so much more, thank you for the awesome content!
Thanks Chance! Happy to hear it. Let me know if you have any questions.
I watched this review repeated times since you released it. I think the real quality of this Pentacon lens appears in video. Your video shots have this cinematic glow which I like a lot. This dreamy, sometimes surreal look is what I am loving with vintage lenses. I also like the manual focusing process - it connects me in a different way to the shooting process than using auto-focus. I still have some modern auto-focus lenses with good follow focus (combined with my Sony A7R III) but mostly I am using old glass with my beloved beaten-up Sony A7. I have to give you credit (next to a very few other channels) for drawing me deeper into the world of digitally adapted vintage lenses what helped to remind me to the time (in the 60s) when my father gave me my first 35mm viewfinder camera (Agfa Silette). Thank you for that.
It’s no wonder it was the lens that helped get me sucked in. You describe it perfectly mate! Thank you!
I just love the vibe of this video and your honest love for these vintage lenses. I saw this lens already in your older video, so i just needed one for myself. And it is perfect because od all these imperfections.
Thanks mate, ya I compared it to the Contax Carl and Takumar...seeing how far I've gone down the rabbit hole and seeing how I didn't really do a dedicated video, I figured it was maybe time. Especially with all going on in the world right now, bring it back to the roots.
Mark Holtze yes, it is just such a joy to just think about something different right now. Especially when my country is in quarantine. And btw, youve also helped me to pick Helios for my gf. Shooting video and taking photos is such a different experience now because of those two.
favorite RUclipsr such story telling, great video Mark! Thanks for keeping us entertained during our quarantine, hope you and your family are doing well!
Thanks mate! Appreciate you being here. We are all good, how are you guys holding up?
@@MarkHoltze Doing well for the time being just hoping our government comes through for the self employed!
I'm just starting out in photography, been using a dslr for about a month only so I'm still very green, but I've always been inspired by images, I rely a lot on visuals and fun little details. I like drawing a lot so the will to create my own images was always in me, and I feel like photography is just one more way to do that, to play with what I see and others don't, to give it a new twist, or simply document stuff I like :) your story with this lens is really beautiful and inspiring, and I fully agree with you on the sentimental value being greater than specifications and sharpness. I love vintage lenses and busy texturized bokeh so this video was extremely satisfying to watch :) thanks, Mark!
Thanks so much for sharing Denise! I would love to be able to draw, the mind is limitless in terms of its imagination.
The beach shots with the apparent aperture blade pattern is one of my fav's, not sure exactly why, it just works for me there.
Keep up the good work really enjoying your content
Thanks Ryan! I will for sure!
Hadn't come across this channel before until searching for a review for this lens. Great video, you can tell its a sentimental lens to this guy, it's not the usual RUclips video review, it's good to see someone more individual with their videos. This guy has pretty much sold me on this lens, I love the softness and the stylised bokeh and background blur, he got some great video shots. I love the look of older movies from the 60s and 70s so this will go great with my bmpcc 4k.
Beautiful video mark I loved it
Thanks Craig. Appreciate your time.
I was really happy to discover your video. For me, this lens is also something very special and together with the Praktika MTL5 it brought me to photography. They belonged to my grandmother and she used it from the early 80s throughout the 90s as a journalist. Later when she retired she gave me all her gear and for a couple of years I was shooting mainly with this lens on her Praktika. Now, I am using it on my Sony A7 and it's still my favourite lens. I really enjoy it's character and imperfection and often it's thr only lens that I take with me. A couple years ago, the aperture got stuck and I even serviced it myself, really simple.
Amazing story mate. Thanks for sharing it. So great to be able to continue to use these creative tools all these years later.
Fantastic work. Love the story behind your obsession with vintage lenses.
Thanks Chris! Felt it was time after climaxing at the Contax Zeiss set, being sort of the high end level vintage lenses, not accessible for everyone.
What inspires me most of photography, is the ability to see something beautiful, something that no one else could see, and capturing it in a way that can last a lifetime.
Seeing the world through they eyes of someone else, opens you understanding about reality.
Thank you Mark, for your story!
Perfectly stated Jonathan! Seeing beauty really is a freedom we all have, it's a shame when people try to rob you of that.
@@MarkHoltze thank you.
I just received a MOG 50mm yesterday. It was attached to the front of an Ihagee RTL1000. It'll go on my Kine Exacta when I get that back and also on my EM1 MkII.
Mark, can you believe you're at over 50k subscribers? Truly well deserved. Happy Holidays to you and your family from Manchester UK.
Oh my gosh, I love this lens so much!
I used to like this lens, although with Multi Coating. I switched the lenses around, the second one being a Helios (whatever model it was, had every single one of them). What made the Pentacon great is the focusing distance you mentioned. The other thing, expectadly, is the flare resistance. It was the choice when the Helioses blew the image away with a nasty flare.
Bought the Pentacon mint with a Praktica MTL5B. But! The best M42 I own is by far the Zenitar-M 50mm f/1.7. It is outstandingly sharp wide open, I may have told you already.
Also, I'm a huge fan of the work you put into the videos. I've never seen anybody doing such a good job in lens review videography. All the best, Mark. Your long time follower.
Zenitar-M 50mm f/1.7 is a great lens. It is pretty rare and has top optical quality. I have made a test Zenitar-Takumar 50mm: the IQ is pretty much the same. I kept the Zenitar. :)
Awesome vid as always!!
Thanks mate! You staying busy during these times?
I have pretty much exactly the same lense as you and use it with the all black 1958 Practika L it was originally sold with and I absolutely love it. Took a few rolls of film to get used to, but that's also what makes it so rewarding.
It's such an honor to have such an amazing friend as you. I admire your work so much. I'm picking this one up locally together with SIX other vintage lenses for 50€ very soon ^^ I'll let you know when I post some pictures with it, or just keep your eyes open on the IG feed :D
Very well done. Interesting, entertaining and useful.
I have just got one...this video encourages me to explore more.. thanks.
I'm in over my head with these now lol. Let me know if you have any questions Irene!
4:38 That's an absolutely amazing scifi-looking bokeh :)
Wow. Your blog video is very well thought, built and edited. You went that extra mile. Subscribed.
Thanks mate, I can't help myself really, I figured if people are going to watch, try to make it as informative and nice looking as possible.
Really enjoyed this. Thanks for sharing that personal story! 🙏🏽 And I'll be picking up one of these lenses 😎
Thanks for watching Mikel!
The Pentacon 50mm was my first vintage lens as well. I got it because of your recommendation from the video where you showcased 3 different 50mm vintage lenses and I absolutely love mine :)
3 50's ya! I figured it was time to do a dedicated video on the lens that started it all! How do you like yours?
@@MarkHoltze I don't get as much depth of field out of it, because I'm on a m4/3 sensor and the lens is very soft at f/1.8. But at f/2.8 the image becomes much sharper and for the 30 bucks I paid for it, I couldn't be happier! Also the build quality is nice. It almost weighs more than my camera. :D
It is my first vintage lens too! Although I have got a more or less the same focal length lens (CZJ 58mm f2), I found out that I love this lens more than the new toys. It leads me in the vintage lens collection!
It's that funny! The new toys, once the shine wears off, so does it's lustre for sure! I just find myself naturally drawn to want to shoot with these old lenses.
I really don't understand why you don't have more subscriptions. Your Videos are really high quality and a pleasure to view for my eyes. ;) Keep it up.
Thanks Mex, I don't think about it often, but I think this stuff is quite niche and less visited vs say, iphone 12 videos lol. Nobody cares about old tech except the few of us, majority are looking for the NEXT best thing, because hype is a beast lol.
Very kind words my friend, thank you for the support.
Amazing, I had been working as a filmmaker for a few years already when my dad suddenly revealed to me that he used to take photos with a full frame camera and developed them in my grandmother's bathtub (and completely ruining it in the process). So he dug for his old Praktica MTL 5 in the basement and showed it to me. It came with the Pentacon 50 1.8 and I immediately fell in love with retro lenses. While he also gave me a Pentacon auto 4/200 MC I have not put it to use much because I'm a sucker for the swirly bokeh.
So then I picked up the 29mm 2.8 penta, a helios 44 and a 44M, and the MIR-1B and modded it to maximize the ultimate bokeh (thanks Mathieu Stern).
It's simply amazing how much character these lenses have, it became my favorite way of photography.
So yeah, we've got a slightly similar story haha
I had a very similar experience with the Pentacon 50mm: It was the first vintage lens i bought - in pair with a broken tessar - and it was the very start of a great journey in this world. Since then, the way i do photography has changed significally!
Changing the subject: I know the minimum focus distance is important because the lens it designed to work well from there to infinity, but another milestone in my vintage lens story was the day i bought my M42 to sony E mount focusing helicoid adapter! It's cheap and it works just like a vartiable extension tube which let you focus to infinite when you don't want macro shots... and can turn every M42 lens in a macroish lens ;-)
Been hearing great things about the focusing Helicoid, I need to look that up, see what the deal with it is. Your story is similar to mine, adapting changed things for you! That's so cool, glad it's not just me ;)
Waiting eagerly.
Hopefully didn't disappoint :)
SOLID!!!! Another great video! I have the Canon fd 24&50mm and they were my grandfathers as well, I shoot with them often.
Honestly the best place to start if you're lucky enough. FD's are a great place to start.
@@MarkHoltze Yeah! I want to get the 85mm and I believe there is 135mm out there too. I think that would make a solid little kit!
Great video as usual! I did come across this once. I manged to take a few shots and noted the very nice combination of F1.8 aperture and close focus abilities - great possibilities for super smooth backgrounds! My copy was very beaten up and broke down, but there has been an itch ever since...
Thanks Thomas! Ya it's tough to find these in good shape, my dad had one in worse shape than my grandfathers. He kept his stuff pristine though.
كالعادة , محتوى مميزو فيديو مصنوع بدقة و عناية و شعور بالرضا , احييك سيد مارك تحياتي من اسطنبول
اتمنى لك النجاح
شكرا على الكلمات الرقيقة صديقي! لقد استخدمت مترجم جوجل ، أنا آسف إذا قام بعمل رهيب.
@@MarkHoltze no its totally fine 😁, the words are just in place, I'll teach you Arabic if you want 😋
@@RATIBRAJAB Would love to learn!
One of your best videos yet, and very meaningful. Would like to hear more about how you came into possession of the camera and lens from your grandfather.
Funny I actually cut THAT part of the video out. I felt it pushed the image examples a little too far down the line and nobody would really care to hear more about that. Maybe I should have left it in lol.
Mark Holtze well, it’s a lens review, and what I’m asking for is probably an Instagram story separate from the lens. It’s hard to appease a wide audience. Ultimately, it’s your vision and your story, and this lens has a different origin story than your previous lenses, which tended to be eBay/loaned/collector sales. So, just from a Holtze fan standpoint, I’ve seen you go to collector sales (several videos about that), and I’ve heard you talk about borrowing lenses from fans, but when it comes to your most personal story, I was interested in hearing more about that. Of course, it could be a story better kept to yourself. Thanks for the work!
Curse you Mark Holtze! Because of you I now own a Canon FD 28 2.8 and FD 50 1.4. You started me on the hunt! I take back my curse lol. I am loving my "new lenses" and would never have thought to look at them without your excellent videos. Keep up the great work!
Worried me for a second there James, i'd hate to steer you wrong mate. Glad you're enjoy your new lenses, that's how I like to view them myself, my "NEW" lenses ;)
Such a great video. And a great lens. I'm glad I own 1. I can't wait to start using it.
Fantastic lens! Glad you enjoyed the video my friend! Stay safe out there!
@@MarkHoltze most welcome. Definitely staying safe. I hope you are too.
I used one of these on a Praktica that was loaned to me by my college when I was studying black-and-white film photography back in the '90s. I remember when I got my own camera after a few weeks on the course - a (still old at the time) Canon AE-1 with FD mount - I thought "this is it, I'm never going back". Fast-forward 25 years and I'm all over the older M42 glass. The 30mm f3.5 Pentacon is amazing for video on S35/APS-C sensors but I've held off on getting the Pentacon 50mm 1.8 as I'm so happy with my Helioses and Takumars and I remember how bad I thought the Pentacon 50 was at the time. Perhaps Mark will change my mind today...
You have many "better" options, there's no reason to go back to this lens. If it wasn't "free" and my grandfathers I probably wouldn't have cared so much. It was those two initial thoughts that made me want to adapt it. I was at the time stunned by the results of the old lens, but since then Takumar's, Helios and Contax Zeiss have elevated teh game. Much respect to the performance of this and my low expectations though :).
@@MarkHoltze I can see a place for it though - you do make it look good! - it has another flavour which could be useful in music videos and times when you want a harsh flare or very close-focus but not absolute, terrifying sharpness like the CZJ Pancolar 50mm 1.8 (the sharpest lens I own, it needs a lube so doesn't get used often enough).
I love the Pentacon. It's sitting on my Fuji all the time.
Love that combo myself. Fujifilm with Takumars GO
I own this lens and love the color. One of my favorite m42 along w my Yashica yusinon DX 50mm f1.4 another sweet m42.
My emotional lens is the yashica ML 50mm 1.9. I had this on old yashica film slr and it was my only lens i had to shoot w my sony a6000 when i bought it open boxed 4 yrs ago. I still have my a6000 and like 30 vintage lenses along w adapters. Then 2 yrs ago I upgraded to film and thats 90% of my work. Bought into Minolta Film camera XK XE7 and XD. and I have metal m42 to MD adapter.
I own the Pentacon Multi Coating 50 1.8 and I love it! I don't know if yours is older than mine (because of the Multi Coating) but both of them are truly beautiful.
Mine is older, I have that one as well (my dad's) but the aperture blades won't engage. I can use it wide open though. Major difference is just in the multicoating, not sure how easy it would be to tell the difference. Also the MC design moved farther away from the Meyer optic lens look physically becoming more it's own.
My first vintage lens was my 35mm Carl Zeiss Jena. It was not practical to use (can't change the aperture), it was not the sharpest, but it was by far my best looking lens and the rendering was awesome. I never bought a modern lens ever since... I think there is an amazing philosophy behind vintage lenses. It's not about specs, perfect rendering or prestige, but about the look you get, wether you like it or not.
Totally! The experience for sure!
My first good photos where done with this lens on a Praktica B&W film, aperture full open at minimum focus distance, now I know why, thanks for the info Mark.
CREAMY background at min for sure! I actually couldn't believe it when I first adapted HOW CLOSE I could get.
@@MarkHoltze Actually all my family albums are shot with this lens since I was born 😆 I almost abandoned until recently purchased a mirrorless and wanted to tear out the eyes with the Kit lens noise in video (f3.5 minimum aperture) Mostly shoot amateur handheld so miss the stabilization (which my camera doesn't have) but that could change in a future with external stabilizator ￢￢
your grandad would be proud mate! Great job. Not all that is new, shines the brightest.
Photography for me lets me do what I cant do normally express myself I can't draw and when I explain things can get confusing. But when I have a camera in my hand I feel I can create something that makes me feel happy and make other people happy too.
It really is the core of it. A lot of that has changed with influencers and lifestyle bloggers using photography in a slightly different tone, all good, but it's nice to share the rout 66 experience with those who feel the same about it.
Would be so cool to be able to show my Grandad what can still be done with his old photography gear.
@@MarkHoltze yeah he would love it and im sure have so many ways to use it, too. were very spoilt with what we can do with a photo after the fact. cheers mate stay safe got my new super takurmar 300mm to test and review too will let you know how it goes
I think 30cm is the optimal minimal focal length for a lens. Any closer and I'd be paranoid I'd scratch the lens on something - yes I'm talking to you Laowa 15mm Macro lens! Ace video mate! I love seeing how your channel has grown over the last two or so years. That's a great story that it all started with your grandfather's lens - congrat on 20k subscribers too! What a well deserved achievement.
Thanks dude! How are you guys keeping during this crap?
@@MarkHoltze Trying to keep positive as best I can, but lots of TV people are out of work right now. It will bounce back. I really should be taking advantage of this forced down time to bang out some fresh content for my channel ;)
Love this video for its back story alone, and you delivered this with a hint more passion/emotion I felt too because of it. This lens is definitely not for everyone as you say, but it’s flaws are definitely it’s qualities. The Pentax 6x7(67 II) was used a lot by beauty photographers (Mario Testino also used one extensively) because the lenses were very good with skin, just not sharp sharp if you get me.
As ever I look forwards to another instalment and above all mate stay safe in these quite mad times.
Thanks so much John! The Pentax 6x7, a friend of mine Holly has been using that for portraits lately and her photo's were blowing me away. If I go full medium, that's what i'm going for. I think the weird thing with photography, portraits especially is you don't want 1:1 image clarity. I'm not sure that's how one wants to be remembered. The subtle glow and softening of the complexion definitely makes an image a little more nuanced, I guarntee the model posing would be happier with it as well. There's nothing worse than seeing an overly photo shopped potrait where the skin looks so clean and crisp, yet almost computer generated.
Not so bad for product photography, but different when photographing humans. Most models will just look at their weak spots anyway directly.
Also just a matter of personal opinion. Thanks for watching and the kind words!
Mark Holtze totally agree. Horses for course as they say. I know that Sony has some of the sharpest lenses there are but I’d hate to use on beauty shoot for instance. But then this is where the beauty -no pun - comes in with older lenses, as you so rightly have been saying.
I actually shot my short film with this lens as the main choice on a Sony A7s mkII. It worked great! We also used a Pentacon 29mm for wider shots, but we discovered in post that it was a bit too soft at the edges.
That's amazing! Where can I see the film?
@@MarkHoltze I'm still waiting for responses from a couple of film festivals so it hasn't really had it's premiere yet. I'll let you know as soon as I'm able to share it publicly :D
Nice Mark. I also have the Pentacon 50mm, inherited from my late father. Interesting though that I have had slightly different results from your copy. Maybe my copy is slightly younger? Wide open I actually get a little more contrast, and the bokeh is smoother. Not very contrasty, to a little bit more to what you were getting. Oh and the CA is not too bad at all wide open. There is a little but not much. Still, like you I LOVE the close focus you get with it. a perfect balance between my normal fast fifty and, my dedicated 50mm Macro. I do love putting it on my K-1 from time to time (maybe more so over the next few weeks). Keep the videos coming, I love watching them.
Your copy could be cleaner as well. I think this version was the first version after the Meyer, but could be wrong. K-1 is also a fantastic camera, better still's camera than my Sony A7sii
I had a Zeiss 50mm 1.8 as my main lens on my EP1, yet since I got this lens (Pentacon 1.8) I am finding it better than the Zeiss, which I had no fault with. I think stopped down the Pentacon has the edge on the Zeiss, is all. I don't say that about the more modern variants, just this particular Meyer Optik rebranded model. I do use a Zeiss 28mm 2.8 which is my sharpest 28. The Miranda 28 is almost as good, I can highly recommend tat one, made by Cosina I believe. All these old lenses benefit from a good clean out. Most have a bit of haze in them which will destroy the contrast. Fortunately, this can be restored in post, yet there is something very satisfying about making images straight out of the camera without the need for any post processing. I always prefer that if I can manage it.
✊
I love old lenses and one thing that you may want to explore is using setup like this: Mirrorless camera + camera adapter for helicoid (M42 or M65) + Helicoid (or the appropriate length) + helicoid adapter to lens (M42 for the Pentacon) + your Pentacon 50mm lens. This may sound like a complicated setup, but it is not and I use it almost everyday. What it gives you over your normal M42 to mirrorless adapter is this: the most amazing ability to focus even closer and on all of your lenses. Yes! You get infinity to whatever the lens is made for, but you also get much closer with the addition of the helicoid focusing ring which will push the whole lens out further from your camera. Woohoo. I use this on everything I shoot except for the Nikon lenses that give me auto focus, especially the S lenses made for my Z6. But everything else is fair game. I am talking Pentacon 6, Pentacon M42, Pentax M42, Exakta, older Canon, even some 35mm slide projector lenses which do not have any apertures, but do have the most amazing bokeh. I recently began playing with the cheap miniscus view finder lenses from old, cheap, twin reflex cameras. Not the quality TLRs, but the cheap ones like Kodak Duaflex IV, etc. Way, way cool and it opens up some amazing artistic effects. If you look for me on Facebook, I am the one with a white donkey profile, you will see some of these TLR images. Radial blur like you would not believe.
I will google Helicoid setups now, you're not the first to mention it, feels like it could be a whole new world. Thanks for the wonderful comment, going to be referencing this a couple of times! Appreciate it Kevin!
@@MarkHoltze , I put a couple of images on my google photos to give you an idea of what I am talking about... Most of the time I do not use extension tubes.
photos.app.goo.gl/jPgQA2DCPTC6PzKe7
Nice work once again Mark. Don't have the Pentacon that you have but have the MC Versions (one has a declicked aperture ring) and also have got the Meyer Optik Görlitz Oreston 50mm F1.8 very similar to your Pentacon. Yeah I know what you mean about the MFD. I can feel you when you talk about vintage lenses... Its a disease and I love being infected.
An infection I really don't mind ;)
vintage lenses are defiantly a great option for photography, they are a great way to experience faster primes on the cheap, but hear is the catch, if you discover them too early in your photography beginnings these days and you don't have the skills to over come the lack of auto features they can be dissmissed as to awkward to use, on the flip side when you discover them later on after you bought a load of modern primes and you now have the skill to use them its like why didn't i discover them earlier.
i love them, they are just so characterful in image rendering
That’s an interesting take but I love it! Thanks for that mate!
Bought this lens for less than 5 dollars today. It was a bit dirty on the outside, but the glass is in perfect condition. Needless to say I'm quite happy with my purchase. Love the short focus length
Awesome, that was a steal. Great bargain for an awesome, classic lens. 👍🏾
A very early lens added to my kit that got me into vintage lenses was a Pentax-M 50mm F1.7 and then I got the pentacon 135mm F2.8 I used those two lenses for almost everything until I discovered the takumars and now I have almost a full set just missing the 35mm F2 and 15mm F3.5 for my takumar set
Very interesting, and high quality production - although I was here for the 'vintage Penthouse' part. (Once upon a time Praktica cameras and lenses were the alternative if you couldn't afford Made in Japan equipment.)
I have the 29mm F2.8 version that looks exactly like Eastern Zeiss for that one ;). It just looks so much like a contax Zeiss lens physicall (MC coating instead of T*, made in G.D.R instead of Made in West Germany)...east vs west, iron curtain type tuff for that. Going to be all doc and no review lol
Fantastic editing. I'll look for one of these.
Adding this lens to my eBay wishlist, thanks. I would love to you see do a video on the Helios 40-2 85mm f/1.5. This will be the next one I save up to purchase for my Sony a7.
Man brother why don't you have a million sub 🤩👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾 please #keepfilming
The "youtube" gods don't like me or more likely I'm "just not good enough" which is fine, because with a million subs comes outrageous expectations I guess lol.
Thanks for the vote of confidence mate.
@@MarkHoltze bro your good enough 👍🏾🤩💪🏾 it's the $h!t RUclips algorithm 🤣👍🏾 #keepfilming
Its funny because I've also got mine from my grandfather. And a few canon FD lenses. He gave them to me without any camera and told me to sell them, but I've always found the engineering behind them so cool and amazing, that I kept them as a collector item. Funnily enough, in 2015 I've bought my first DSLR, a Canon 650D and tried using the lenses, but without success. Ended up selling my camera a few years later before moving into the UK (actually sold majority of my things), but the lenses stood around since they've belonged to my grandfather. Just about 4 weeks ago, bought myself a canon 750D, because got tired of having quality loss images from my phone.. And the lenses were just there, in a box inside my closet. Picked them out and went on Google to find out if I could ever use them again with a old camera, and it turns out I can use them with my actual camera using adaptors.
Since then I've been vibing with these vintage lenses 😊😊
Came to learn that they're actually worth a fortune, but not in a monetary way, but in a sentimental way. The images I can get with my pentacon have their own life. They're magic in their own little way and I love it. I've tried printing a few photos I've taken with it and its hard to put to words the magical feeling.
The other few lenses are also quite good for how old they are, older than me in fact.
Vintage lenses are perfect being imperfect ❤️
Brilliant comment mate, thanks so much for sharing!!! ✊!!!!!
I found a Practica MTL3 with a Pentacon Auto 50mm F1.8 as you might now on my Instagram. I paid only £10.00 for it! My version of the lens is a later version (1978 I believe). I noticed the lens gets very sharp at F4 too so it makes me think the optical formula remained the same. The focus is incredibly smooth, about 320 degrees with the same minimum focus distance.
My first adapted in 2016 to my Canon 80D. This lens was a disease with thousands of dollars invested in old "junk" these days in 2023. Fun video. Agree fully!!!
glad i'm not the only one lol. Power in numbers!
i found one for $60 over on ebay i might pick it up for the a9 thanks mark still a expert when it comes to picking vintage glass
I picked on up off of FB marketplace locally and paid $30 still attached to the Praktica MTL 5 it was mounted on LOL. So check FB marketplace, Kijiji etc. Lot of people selling the Prakticas with the lenses on them for cheap as they do not know what they have.
Not bad, make sure the condition is perfect. If you can find one for $30 that's a bargain...$60 isn't terrible, but I feel you're giving the vendor all the value at that price. Might be able to find one attached to a Pratika camera somewhere local as well.
Can't wait, I just recently got a Praktica MTL 5B and along with it this exact lens (Just as the Lord intended)
Nice! Let me know how you like it! Is it the Multi-Coating version?
Searching 50mm lens. i found one for sale, Pentacon, ok, lets search about it, found your video, bought it, and subscribed! thanks for sharing!!
Figured I needed to put out a dedicated review for the lens that started it all for me. Glad you found it helpful mate, enjoy the lens when it arrives!
@@MarkHoltze Its a really special video! History, editing, the images captured with it, already bought thr adaptor, lets wait! Thanks again, be safe.
Aloha Mark, thank you for sharing your love for these old lenses. I have both the pentacon and meyer in my collection. I do love their minimum focusing distance and their soft quality wide open. I am shooting now with a Olympus F Zuiko auto S (Olympus Pen F) 38mm 1.8 lens that I really like. I did a quick search and did not find anything you made about it. I use an A6000 so the 38mm focal length works well for most situations. Its minimal focus is also small .35 m so you can get close. You should try and share about it. Thank you again.
I've not tried any Olympus lenses unfortunately, I need to get my hands on some. Thanks mate!
@@MarkHoltze I hope you will. they are going for around 50$ us. The Olympus Pen F has half frame, and the lens is compact and seems to work well with asps sensor like my a6000. Not sure but looks like it is close to its focal length on a crop sensor.
All of your videos have been great, but something about this one, the whole vibe, I just felt more. Is it because it's not your standard review? Introspective? I really hope you can continue making these videos or more. I think photography for me is being able to let other see the world how I see it, and how to tell a story in a single picture which can be frustrating for me as a filmmaker. I love having more frames, camera and subject movement! But how can you convey that in a single photo? That keeps me going.
ok i just got it for 10$, and I'm going to take this has an opportunity to get into photography! Thanks to you
Mark
ps: keep up with the amazing content as always !
I have this lens and I love it😊
So it's NOT just me! ;) Thank goodness!
I don't use this lens too often but I do love the min. focus distance.
ALMOST a macro, but not quite ;)
@@MarkHoltze When I need to get closer, I always have my favourite CZJ Flektogon 35mm f/2.4
@@piotrchmielewski4817 is it macro lens? I am looking for a vintage macro lens but I need a distance from.object minimum 15cm.
@@usables4028 Flektogon's min. focus distance is 20 cm.
Hi..thanks for the video..Bought today a Praktica MTL3 with the 50mm f1.8 for 7.50 euros..I'm new to this hobby..hope everything works well..
I once purchased the Pentax sterio adapter in a market, the seller said it had some sort of adapter jammed on it.
The supposed adapter came off relatively easily and turned out to be the front ring of the Pentacon 50mm.
One of the dangers of mirrorless cameras is the existence of cheap adapters and the ability to try out the numerous inexpensive lenses available.
Therein lies addiction.
That's just it, $9-$20 and pretty much any mountable lens can be yours! ;
Love Pentacon 50mm F1.8. I have about 5-6 of them, all different versions :)
I have the MC version of this lens as well, the aperture blades don't engage though, trying to figure out why.
@@MarkHoltze My MC version has some kind of fault there as well.
But when I use an adapter that is pushing on the small "Auto aperture pin" it works fine.
Even if the selector for manual / auto aperture is not working properly.
Also MC version has more rounded blades, so nicer bokeh @f2,8.
Again great video !
It's indeed not the best 50mm but the sum of its weaknesses creates great images. I have 2 favorites M42 lenses, this Pentacon and at the opposite in terms of sharpness, quality, image definition the Tomioka 55mm 1.4. and I love both as they give totally different feelings. The only weakness of the Tomioka is that the read element is too long and when focusing to infinity on a Canon FF the mirror gets stuck, no problem on APS-C or MFT.
Yes, yes and yes.
I did find a difference between your copy and mine! So, yours is an "auto" and mine an "electric", the only difference should be that mine has the electrical contacts to comunicate with the camera, but watching your footage I realized that also has different flares, more controlled and purple-ish. I guess it has some coating, 'cause the front element is purple-ish too.
No MC on this one, I have the MultiCoating version of this lens that was my dad's but the aperture blades don't engage. I think this one was the first version after the Meyer copies and they evolved them later on. Electric definitely a later version due to the improvement in camera body electrics.
Close min focus on yours as well? Optically they're probably the same designs, just different coatings.
@@MarkHoltze Yep, 33cm minimum focus, loving it! For what I found out, yes, the design didn't change with time, so I would agree that the glass elements and such are the same but the coating is different. Ah, vintage lenses, so many versions and variants!
Yours seems pretty sharp for me tho. And yeah i noticed most vintage 1.8's do glow quite a bit wide open- my takumar has an extreme orange glow that i wouldnt really call chromatic abberation and the russian industars have a unique low contrast wide open that give a sort of misty feel- all without messing with the sharpness too much. And it looks so dope when used right
The orange glow from the Tak is probably thorium decay that yellows the elements. You can reverse that with extended UV light exposure (Black light for 24 hours).
The vignetting also seems to add to that, I find the glow is hard to find on the sample images, it was much easier to spot on the hobby matt test, which is why i felt I should use it.
ohhh right its from the yellowed elements! And i am absolutely not going to reverse that anytime soon, it's really pretty!
love ya vids 👏
@@rams6702 Ya I dig mine as well, NEVER going to reverse it ;)
Nice and interesting review. And the video shots are the prettiest I’ve seen from you.
What camera did you use?
And color grading? Was it manual ? LUTs ?
Thanks mate,. Stills were all done on the Sony A7sii, many of them from a long time ago I had to go back through the catalog considering the lock down here and the ability to not get a good variety of shots. I always colour grade everything myself, no LUT's. Video portion was shot on all three cameras, C100 mark 2, Sony A7Sii and Lumix S1H.
Mark Holtze thanks
Always aware of your reviews
Thanks Mark! I am just busy cleaning out a fungus hungry Meyer Optik 58mm 1.9 to begin this statewide lockdown. Hey I just watched "Light Between Oceans'. I know, I know......it's a chick flic but OH MY GOD. What did they shoot on? I couldn't find anything about the gear they shot with yet but I swear......go and watch it. It just has to be vintage. Actually it ended up being one of the most gripping stories I've seen of late. If you make a nice dinner for your wife and watch that one, she'll love you for it!
Awesome video dude, loved every second - I actually really enjoy this slightly more introspective review more. Like the lens for you, the video felt more connected and personal, and it shines for that... and the sound design was cool ;) Stay safe bro
Thanks mate! Ya, this one it's kind of hard for it not to go that way, I actually cut out a whole additional 40 seconds going deeper into that story, but it just gummed up the gears I think a bit more. I was already a little weary about the personal stuff before getting into the samples anyway. "Why would people really care?" A question I probably ask myself a little too much. Appreciate your thoughts on it, still need to come up with an idea we can collaborate on. Going to pick the brain a bit.
I was sort of thinking of how we could do a riff on audio being "unsexy". Need to develop it a bit more though. Hope you guys are doing well!
@@MarkHoltze People always care! Well I do anyway...
If we go with audio being un-sexy I propose Pete is our visual representation of audio ;) But I do love that idea!
@@120fps It's like audio being important, but it's so not sexy....it's not sexy for ALL THE VARIOUS REASONS (that actually make it sexy) the whole thing would be sarcastic.
Hey Mark! Is there any lens wider than 35mm, M42 mount this good? Love your channel and content!
Yes! Loads. I’ve done a few reviews. SMC Takumar 20mm 4.5 and 17mm fisheye. The canon FD 24mm 2.8 is great as well!
Great video as always! I'm trying to find this, but on eBay there's a ton of listings for a Pentacon prakticar 50mm/1.8, but physically they don't look anything like the build of this lens o_O
This is the one:
www.ebay.ca/itm/Vintage-Black-PENTACON-auto-1-8-50mm-M42-screw-mount-lens-Canon-Zenit-ZS19/323923658026?_trkparms=ispr%3D1&hash=item4b6b5ac52a:g:Zf8AAOSwNKlefmu3
1.8 “auto” is what you want to search for.
@@MarkHoltze Thank you!!!
The Pentacon 50mm 1.8 went through multiple design changes. Even the optical formula changed when the production was moved from the CZJ to the Meyer-Görlitz factory. You can find the lens which Mark reviewed by searching in Ebay for "early pentacon 50mm 1.8". It might not always be available but with some persistence you will find it. I got mine for €12 quite easily.
I am in London 100 pounds and it is your plus camera multi coated!!
Personally, I value character and a unique look over anything else in a lense. Fuck sharpness- I think this lense looks amazing. I love its soft dreamy look and the color rendition is rustic and beautiful
Fully agree mate. Sharpness doesn’t inspire anything for me.
@@MarkHoltze I really dislike the look of many modern lenses. The sharpness gives them an ugly digital look, and in many cases the edges within a picture or frame break up on the view finder. Many of my favorite films have a soft dirty look to them, and I cant really put my finger on how to describe it. I feel that the more we progress with lens technology the more sterile and uniform they all look. Definitely not for me
I just received my 135mm Minolta - Rokkor f2.8 (the 55mm version) and just after one afternoon and evening of use, I've fallen in love with it. Its exactly what I'm looking for and exactly what I was hoping it would be. The black and white looks incredible on this lens. Its certainly a lens that I think would be right up your alley. Do you have any minolta lenses?
@@trueaddict8733 I don't have any, never see any around either. They're all online. In a purchasing lockdown given the state of things now, but will keep my eyes open when this stuff passes for one.
@@MarkHoltze it's a gem for sure. Same here - I'm still receiving lenses I ordered before all of this started but wont be getting any more for a while. I hope things are safe where you are. Looking forward to more content!
I've bought it today, but unfortunately in my country its around 90$. Will see how it works on my BMPCC6k. I got slightly different version, with more round focus ring. I hope focus throw let me focus manually easier compared to other photo lenses I got.
I like your vintage lens videos.
Also ı Wonder Which lens made biggest impact on you
I almost had that lens back in the day when I was starting my photography adventure - I wanted my own SLR camera and I opted for the Praktica MTL5, with this as a kit lens. But my dad bought me an Pentax ME instead...
Not a bad alternative mate. You still use it?
@@MarkHoltze Nope, sold it decades ago to buy Nikon gear. But recently I've been fantasising to get back into Pentax, maybe with Super A (Super Program), course LX is still to expensive, well see when this craziness around us is over...
The rendering of this lens looks really similar to my Minolta Rokkor X 50mm f1.7, i like it
Rokkor's I hear are fantastic! I've yet to see any personally on hand, even at these vintage fairs I go to. Really need to get my hand on one.
Mark Holtze they are my favorite nowadays. My first one was the 50mm f1.7 I got at a church sale for $3 and since then I’ve been hooked. Some of my favorites were rebranded as Leica’s
I've been trying to mount my takumar on a nikon, but have issues with focusing to infinity.. any ideas around this?
Mark great vid, if this isn’t the sharpest or best you own, what would you say is?
50 wise it could be the 8 element Super Takumar 50 1.4 which I’m just testing now. I would say without those tests, my Contax Carl Zeiss 50mm 1.4 MMJ
Mark Holtze thanks! I’m looking to buy a vintage to pair with my a Sony A73 and something wide up to 35mm, any recommends? Sorry to take more of your time ✌🏻
Nice🔥
Great job, grat video. i follow you. Hi from Italy
Thank you Margine! Stay safe out there my friend!