M42 lenses

I've recently been playing around with various old M42 fit lenses bought cheaply from Ebay and some have given quite decent results. Here's some examples - all shots were taken with the lenses wide open:

MIR-1B 37mm F2.8



MIR-1B showing unusual bokeh



Helios 44-2 58mm F2 (cost all of £2.40)



Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 50mm F2.8 (£5.01 including an M42 camera)



Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 50mm F2.8



Soligor 135mm F2



I've also got a couple of other lenses that cost 99p each (Prinz Galaxy 135mm F3.5 & Hanimex 35mm F2.8 ) that I haven't tried out yet. Definitely a cheap way to get some interesting prime lenses - the Helios 44-2 and Carl Zeiss Tessar are both very cheap lenses that are well worth having IMHO.

Great pics !
Its a fun way to get gear with buried treasure to find

Nice shots!

Niblue, have you had any problems mounting the Helios? I have one, but mine doesn't seem to mount all the way in (and I'm obviously not forcing it in). I'm using an original Pentax M42 adapter.

By the way, for some years, this lens and a Zenit EM were my only tools, and what great shots I've got from those days!

Thanks!

No - it seems to work fine including getting infinity focus.


I've been quite impressed by the Helios in the limited time I've used it so far. It seems quite sharp wide open and contrast & colour seem good as well.

Ok, I must have been doing something wrong, because my Helios mounted nicely this time.

The results are great! Quite fine wide open, very sharp stopped down a bit, no longitudinal chromatic aberration, very nice bokeh (unlike your 37mm MIR-1B, that's one hard-edged, nervous bokeh). But it has no flare resistance whatsoever and contrast is all gone when shooting in contra light.

I have another lens that makes my delight: a Meyer Optik Gorlitz Lidyth (30mm F/3.5). It's sharp-sharp, even wide open, very small and light, and has a very peculiar bokeh (the OOF areas look as if they were painted on a canvas with a brush, they are not buttery-smooth but not nervous either). Also, no contrast at all in contra light.

I believe these old babies are no substitute for modern Pentax glass at all, but they are works of art of yesteryear, wich I love to use sometimes exactly for their weaknesses. The rendering is quite individual, and gives a special personality to the photographs.

Example: I have in my hands a little Toyota Auris book (those little books used to sell the car), and all the pics were taken at sunset, with the sun in the frame, with a lens that flares like crazy and has lots of veiling.

It can really put a style to the work, and there is art in knowing when and how to use these lenses weaknesses.
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Flink

Flink - good to hear your having some success with the Helios. The Lydith is a lens I'm looking for as I'd heard it was a good perfomer. You should get results posted up as I'd be interested to see them.