I just discovered my dad has a pentax spotmatic camera and they have the M42 screwmount for their lenses. I m hoping to find a ultra wide angle lense for this camera (15-25mm or something). Anyone know much about these lenses and which ones are good? Is the only place to find such old lenses ebay?

Thanks in advance

Hi Connor. The best place for found M42 screw lenses is ebay, you found tons of them, just search for "M42". If you want to know more about, go here :

http://www.mflenses.com/Lens-Review/index.php

there is lot´s of info. I think there are some of them ultra-wide angle, poersonaly i know the Carl Zeiss Flektogon 20mm/f2.8 . You can use all this lenses in Canon EOS or other modern digital SLR with adpator, there are tons of adaptors in ebay. Personaly i use now only some Zeiss lens in my EOS but not M42, is Contax Yashica with adaptor for Canon EOS. Are superb optics.

Shure Carl Zeiss are the best. Pancolar 50mm/f1.8 and Sonnar 135mm/f3.5 is great lenses in M42 screw format.

Hello,

check the Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon 20mm f/2.8 or f/4

Both lenses and not too expensive.

Carl Zeiss is not necessarily Carl Zeiss. After WW2, German optics were divided between Western and Eastern Germany, and Carl Zeiss optics were produced by the VEB Jena in the East (all the manufacturing equipment was "liberated" and sent to the USSR but the trademark remained with the Germans). However, mathematic calculations and trademarks are above politics and nothing prevented East Germany to produce excellent wide-angle Flektogon lenses for their Pentacon lens series designed for Praktica cameras. If you buy a M42 to Canon/Nikon/whatever adapter for using a DDR-made Flektogon, you will never regret it.

Pentax lenses. Very good, almost as good as CZJ. If You still interested here is a link :
http://whitemetal.com/pentax/index_pentax_lenses.htm
A review of all M42 Takumars. But I would go for Flectogon. I had one in the past.

Hi guys!

A warning about Carl Zeiss Jena products. Optically they're fine,but the lens body is a fairly soft alloy. I have a Pancolar 1.8/50mm which is now only serviceable as a lupe,the reason being that the metal stud on the aperture mechanism is harder than the lens body. Over the years this stud has worn away the lens body material in this area with the result that it's now permanently on 1.8.........Admittedly I purchased it second hand and I assume it had some hard usage before I got hold of it. My 2.4/35 Flektogon,on the other hand,is still working.........Other GDR lens manufacturers-Meyer,Görlitz for example-also use(d) the same alloy for their lens bodies.

I use frequently a Carl Zeiss Pancolar 1.8 50mm and a Carl Zeiss F3.5 135mm Jenna DDR (i hope this is the correct designation as i don't have it here with me) and all i can say is that they are superb!
i also have a Sigma Z 24mm... still tests to be made because i had to open it do disable the "auto" system... first impression is that it is no match for the carl Zeiss ones but then again... it's 24mm cheap.

edit: just a heads up... for Nikon you need an adapter with glass or you loose infinity... that is one of the reasons that brought me to Sony Alpha system :-)

I've used Pentax Spotmatic cameras since the '70s and can assure you the factory SMC (Super Multi Coated) Takumar lenses are excellent and probably won't cost you a month's rent. The Carl Zeiss name has a wonderful ring to it but in the end will not provide any better performance.

Connor, if You still watching this. It is true, East German equipment had inconsistent quality due to "communists politics" regarding raw materials. Glass from Jena is unmatched, but barrels of their lenses not so. Today, after 30 years, all depends on luck. I got three pancolars, all garbage. But If You still look for good wide m42 lens try mamiya. Sekor SX 21mmis only auto and only f4, but as good as CZJ. Funny thing, I keep it on Praktica body.
Regards.

I got one and it's amazing i especially like the colors.
That's why you call them inconsistent i guess.

Hi Uzay. No no. Glass is good. I used to have one in early 80's, electric on LLC. I used it as picture taking lens and in enlarger, very good to. Inconsystency was in other materials used to make the lens (plastics, metals etc.) Same for the cameras. Look how many models of praktica Pentacon was spitting out, every two years some changes. They ran out of one stock of something and had to substitute with something else. DDR was forbidden to import electronics from the west, Pentacon had to use own or russians, that's why most of prakticas today has useless lightmeter.( Often the problem are only contacts, made of copper instead of gold.) All my pancolars had the same problem, focusing ring jammed. I belive they are from one and the same batch of production sent some 30 years ago to America. Low quality plastic gave up over the time. Lucki You Uzay ! You have a good copy. Enjoy it.

.........................that's why most of prakticas today has useless lightmeter.............

Hmmmmmm. I use two Praktica TL1000 bodies with various lenses, both around twenty years old now, seen some rough usage in Lappland amongst other places. The light meters work perfectly.........unlike the Olympus OM-1 which I inherited from my father. Cost me about DM300,00 (ca. ?150,00) to get a couple of duff contacts in the light meter repaired. Comment from camera shop salesman,"Ah yes, we know about this problem........."

for mor information http://www.wholesaledigital.co.za/m42home.htm