Recently joined and some inherited gear

Hi There

I have recently inherited the following equipment and I am planning on getting a K-5 to use the M42 lenses on. I grew up with a Pentax SV but shamefully went to canon for a DSLR. Any advice on the gear below would be great it all seems to be in good condition.

Ashai Pentax SV
Ashai Pentax Spotmatic II
Nikkormat N with 50mm Nikor-S Auto 1:1.4 50mm
Leica Modell IIIb Sunmar f-5cm 1:2 and Elmar f-9cm 1:4
Praktica MLT3
Ilford Advocate with f/4.5 35mm
Zeiss Ikon with Zeis Tesa 1:2.8 8cm lens
Voigllander Compur Camera

SMC Takumar 1:1.4 50mm
Super Takumar 1:1.8 55mm
Carl Zeis 1:2.8 28mm
Pentacon Auto 1.8 50mm
Ashai Super Takumar 1:3.5 35mm
Ashai Teletakumar 1:5.6 200mm
Palinar Wide Angle 1:2.8 25mm
Ashai Takumar 1:2.8/105mm
Ashai SMC Takumar 1:3.5/135mm
Photax 1:8 500mm
Hanimex 1:5.5 f=300mm

Thanks

Depends what you now want, Pentax-wise, in terms of how you want to use the kit, and so I would suggest that:
Some are worth keeping.
Some are worth selling to fund other items
Some are worth virtually nothing at all!

That rationalisation might help.

Carl Zeis 1:2.8 28mm : this is a wonderful lens if it's the Contax Zeiss ? I have one and there a comparison on another forum between this and the Pentax 31 Ltd. the CZ compares very favourably. The 28/2 is even better (but much much more expensive) !

SMC Takumar 1:1.4 50mm, Pentacon Auto 1.8 50mm, Ashai Takumar 1:2.8/105mm, Ashai SMC Takumar 1:3.5/135mm : more very good lenses !

How would he be using a Contax lens on a Spotmatic or Practica?
He even has other Practica lenses It is just possible I suppose, but it wouldn't match any of the other stuff

The Carl Zeiss 1:2.8 28mm probably wasn't made in Germany. It was
probably made under licence in Japan by Cosina?? It will say made under licence in blue lettering on the lens. I doubt if CZ Germany even knew anything about that lens, it was possibly ordered direct by the UK branch/importer. Fairly average Japanese lens but anything CZ goes for a premium on Ebay mostly to Canon users, so I would sell it for around £60 and buy a Pentax 28mm or Sigma 24mm.

The Ilford and Leica cameras (plus lenses)are worth selling on ebay they should be worth decent money. Possibly the Zeiss Ikon and Voigllander as well.

The Nikon lens is quite valuable, not too sure about the Nikormat.
Of the Pentax lenses the 50mm f/1.4 and 105mm are the most valuable, but I would keep them to use on digital.

Make sure that you buy a Genuine M42 to Pentax K adaptor to use on a K-5. The cheaper ones can get stuck.

The Photax 500mm probably has an M42 T-Mount on it. You would be better buying a Pentax K T-Mount off ebay for about £5. A T2-Mount is the same with an extra ring which can be removed.

It would appear that the (incorrectly referenced?)"Contax Zeiss" 28mm F2.8 lens could actually be an East German "Carl Zeiss Jena" lens (like this one: http://www.flickr.com/photos/horizon616/3117636445/). If it is then it is NOT a Cosina product, but a "genuine" East German lens from the same stable as the renowned 135mm F3.5 - as such, it should be good!

BTW: I would keep the Praktica MLT3 because it has fully auto diaphragm operation with appropriate M42 lenses! I had one for years (and later bought another one) and, for the time/price, it is pretty good (and NOT as anywhere near as "clunky") as the Zenits.

BTW2: I also have an Edixa Prismat - that is a lovely camera with a silky-smooth and quiet shutter -, which I bought s/h when I left college in 1969, so it is at least 45 yrs old! (from the tatty state in which I bought it, I would say nearer 50+!). I bought the Praktica to partially replace that but only because the latter has a built-in meter and the Edixa does not! However, if you can find one, the Edixa is a lovely piece of precision machinery from the 1950s/1960s - and a lot nicer than the later automatic versions (one of which I tried a few years ago - very "tacky"!)

John

I'm quite sure that's a Bayonet lens. It seems to have a large cap at the back. Even if it was made in GDR some of the later CZ stuff was simply rebadged from other GDR factories such as the 29mm ones.

The OP will be able to confirm if his lens has blue lettering "Made in Japan" on the side. Some sources say they were made by Sigma, but it would be strange if Sigma undertook the manufacture of budget primes at a time when zooms were all the rage, unless it was part of a full package

You could be right! The Cosina version can be seen here link. From those reviews, it might not be too bad!

As for the 29mm lens, IIRC that was a Meyer-Optik lens.

Also, there was a Japanese-made "CZ" 75-300 zoom - I had one for the Prakticas, but soon traded it for something else because it was not very sharp. I think that was probably a Sigma version.

Ah yes lads, my bad re. CZ 28/2.8. I seem to have got over-excited when I saw that listed without considering the RF factor !

Just pulled the trigger on a K-5 and I can't wait.

Been sorting the lenses into my kit bag tonight and I can confirm the 28mm f/2.8 is a Carl Zeiss Jena and it says made in Japan. I have taken a couple of test shots with the 55mm f/1.8 and it seems good so far but not too much time to play yet.