Convergence

Zach Horton

The Pentacon 6 Lens Hit List

This page is devoted to my favorite lenses for the Pentacon Six mount.  It is a companion to my P6 camera comparison page. These are my subjective opinions based upon my own experiences. For a complete list of just about every lens every produced for the system, see pentaconsix.com.  For a great test and comparison of many of these lenses, see The Mother of All Lens Tests.  (Note that if either of these sources ever go offline, I will archive them here.)  My intention here is to give a far more succinct account of the lenses that most people would be interested in using.

First, some general info about who made these lenses:

 

Carl Zeiss Jena:

Carl Zeiss Jena P6 Lenses

Carl Zeiss Jena P6 Lenses

Before WWII this company was known simply as Zeiss. After the war, when Germany was divided up between the victors, Zeiss (based in Jena) ended up on the Soviet Zone. Some of the Zeiss employees decided to defect to Western Germany, where they set up a new company called Zeiss. Many others continued operations in Jena, in what was to become East Germany. Later, trademark ligitation in Great Britain and the U.S. forced the original East Germany company to change its name to Carl Zeiss Jena. The West German Zeiss continued to use many of the original company’s designs (most of which were created by Carl Zeiss himself around the turn of the century) for new clients, including Hasselblad, Contax, etc. They continued to grow into the well-respected giant they are today. Meanwhile, the original company continued to produce lenses for many formats. Their newest line was a collaboration with Pentacon, for the 6×6 Praktisix (later renamed Pentacon Six) system. Great care went into the design and manufacture of this line of lenses, and they are deserving of the high reputation they enjoy today (through they still suffer from the “Jena” appellation, which makes them sound inferior to the company making the Hasselblad lenses).

The first lens produced for the P6 system was the Tessar 80mm f/2.8. It was only made for the first version of the Praktisix, then replaced within a year or two. Nonetheless, it is reported to be a decent lens. It is chrome in finish.

The complete original line consisted of:

Flektogon 50mm f/4.0

Flektogon 65mm f/2.8

Biometar 80mm f/2.8

Biometar 120mm f/2.8

Sonnar 180mm f/2.8

Sonnar 300mm f/4.0

In 1969 the Flektogon 65mm was dropped from the line. It was reported to be the only mediocre lens among a line of top-flight glass. It wasn’t missed. (Note: I have not tested this lens personally.) These lenses went through several finishes. In order, they were: 1. Chrome. 2. Black with a leather band on the focus ring. 3. The cheap “Star Wars” version which replaced the leather band with a crappy plastic band. 3. The famous “zebra” design of silver and black stripes, all metal. 4. All black metal. In general, the zebras and earlier are single coated. The all black versions started in the mid ’70s and are mostly multicoated. However, I’ve noticed absolutely no difference in practice between the single coated versions and the multicoated ones. However, in their forty-year production run, these lenses were optically updated in some cases. Mostly this happened in the ’50s and ’60s. However, the late ’70s or early ’80s saw updates to the 180 and 300. The purpose here was to reduce the weight and increase the usability of these large lenses. These late versions look different from their earlier counterparts, and are marked by the addition of a sliding “auto-manual” switch where previously the lenses had only the standard momentary-action DOF preview lever. Personally, I prefer these last versions. For most other lenses, however, the earlier ones are just as good as the later ones. All production ended in 1991 when Pentacon was liquidated (with one exception, covered in the Exakta 66 section).

Pentacon/Prakticar:

Pentacon manufactured a couple of in-house lenses for this system, first under the “Prakticar” brand and then under “Pentacon.”  These are high quality lenses, but not up the outstanding optical standards of Carl Zeiss Jena.  The two primary lenses, which are both available on the used market, are the 300mm f/4 and the 500mm f/5.6.  The 300mm competes directly with the CZJ 300mm, and while it isn’t quite as good, it can sometimes be had a bit cheaper.  The 500mm, however, is special, as the only other lens this long to be released for the P6 system was a very rare, insanely expensive, and ridiculously large CZJ mirror lens.  While this test demonstrates that the mirror lens is sharper, 500mm Prakticar/Pentacon is definitely the more practical choice.  So this lens, while not included on my Favorites below, represents a unique and important contribution from Pentacon itself.

Arsenal:

Arsat 250mm f/5.6 lens

Arsat 250mm f/5.6 lens

The famous brand/factory in Ukraine got into the P6 action sometime in the early 1980s. They had already produced a full line of 6×6 lenses for the Kiev 88 camera (a Hasselblad clone). The popularity of the Pentacon 6 system in the Soviet countries lead to increasing interest in a merger between the Russian and East German camera and lens systems. Arsenal, under its Arsat brand, began making P6 mount versions of their Kiev 88 lenses. Then a couple of Ukrainian companies devised a way to modify the Kiev 88 to take P6 lenses. Finally, Arsenal caved in completely and altered the Kiev 88 to take P6 lenses right from the factory. All lens production switched over to the P6 mount. Production on these lenses outlasted either of the German players. Arsenal only shut its doors in 2008.

The Arsenal lenses are a mixed bag. Some are dogs, some are really excellent. In general, as with almost all Soviet optics, the fit, finish, and mechanics of the lenses are far inferior to the East German lenses. However, the Soviet optic industry was well regarded, and optics are another matter. Different lenses were introduced over time. The best appear in my favorites below. Additionally, some lenses include a DOF preview lever and some don’t. Many of the lenses use a standard 62mm filter thread.

Schneider Kreuznach:

The legendary lens company became part of an agglomerate that included Rollei and Exakta in the early 1980s, and was directed to produce a line of 6×6 lenses for the new Exakta 66 camera system that would be the best medium format lenses in the world. It was an expensive endeavor, but the result was an unparalleled line of 6×6 lenses. The line consisted of five primes and two zooms. All were astronomically expensive to produce and purchase. Most were sold in West Germany to consumers who could afford a luxury 6×6 camera system. However, the camera was never all that popular, and thus huge quantities of these lenses were never produced. They did have a long run, however: from 1985 to 2000. In 1991, Exakta bought up some of the P6 assets of Carl Zeiss Jena, and had the new, Schneider owned facilities produce just one set of lens elements: the Biometar 80mm. Schneider then housed them within their own Exakta 66 mechanics, producing a strange hybrid of the two lines. This was done in order to produce a much less expensive normal lens, to make the basic Exakta 66 kit more affordable. It worked, and now most Schneider P6 80mm lenses are versions of the Biometar, either labeled as such, or as the Exakta E, or simply the Exakta. These are all excellent lenses, but they are not in the same league as the Schneider 80mm MF.

Exakta 66 lenses from left to right: 80mm, 60mm, 150mm

Exakta 66 lenses from left to right: 80mm, 60mm, 150mm

These lenses use a body design completely unique among all lenses, ever. It is apparently inspired by high-tech military optics (binoculars) made for German forces in the 1980s. Like the Exakta 66, the lenses are largely coated in rubber. Their other markings include a distinctive blue ring and matching aperture and distance markings. Love it or hate it, you won’t see any other lenses in this style. Each lens also includes a fantastic DOF preview lever on the bottom front. These are much easier to slide with the tip of a finger than the finger-slicing tabs on Zeiss Jena lenses! When new, these lenses included optional lens shades that snap in place using a special bayonet system. It works great, but those hoods are completely unavailable now. For that reason, I designed a new hood system that allows me to adapt Hasselblad hoods to the Schneider bayonet mount. If you are interested, you can purchase these from me via Ebay. The hoods, either originals or these replacements, are a great feature that allow the use of smaller square hoods rather than generic circular ones, and free up the filter threads for quick changes of filters without disturbing or removing the hood. Additionally, the hood can be easily mounted or removed in under a second. The Russian and East German lenses lack this capability.

Custom Exakta 66 lens hood by Zach Horton

Custom lens hood by Zach Horton

And now…

My Favorites

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I’m going to divide these into three tiers:

1: World Class

These lenses are so good that they rank among the best lenses every produced for any medium format system,ever. I’m only includes ones that are actually available for purchase for a reasonable price. The entire P6 system is worth it for these three lenses, in my opinion.

Carl Zeiss Jena 180mm f/2.8

This legendary lens is based upon a design produced originally for the 1936 Olympics (nicknamed the “Olympiad”), updated and scaled up to 6×6 medium format coverage. There are very few lenses with this kind of speed, focal length, and coverage. The lens easily covers 6×9, and produces very sharp images, even when wide open. And at wide open, that’s some gorgeous bokeh! A spectacular lens in every way. Its only disadvantage is its size and weight. There are many times when it has to stay at home.

Schneider Xenotar 80mm f/2.8 MF

This was Schneider’s entry as the best 6×6 lens in the world. It measures up. It blows away the Zeiss 80mm Planar f/2.8 made for the Hasselblad system, and that is considered the best of the best. It is sharp wide open, has mechanics to dream of (like all of the Exakta 66 lenses), and has a special character to its rendering that makes it more pleasing than any other medium format 80mm lens I’ve ever seen. It is a legend, and users definitely covet their rare copies. It is rare because it was very expensive to produce, and though it remained in the lineup until 2000, most users purchased the much cheaper Zeiss Jena Biometar in Exakta 66 clothing instead. To this day, sellers and buyers often confuse these two different lesnes, particularly as the Biometar was for some time labeled a “Xenotar E,” which sounds pretty similar. But those two letters, “MF,” make a world of difference between an excellent lens and a stellar, one-of-a-kind one.

Schneider Kreuznach Curtagon 60mm lens.  Photo by Zach Horton.

Schneider Curtagon 60mm f/3.5

This was Schneider’s widest lens for the format (though they perennially planned a 40mm Curtagon that never arrived). Though only a moderate wide (equivalent to something like a 35mm lens for the 35mm format), it is spectacular. It manages to generate a huge image circle and still maintain excellent edge sharpness across all apertures. It is, without a doubt, the single best wide angle lens for the P6 system, and perhaps among all 6×6 lenses. Compared to the Flektagon 50mm, it is also amazingly small, and uses 67mm lens filters instead of 86mm, despite being a half stop faster! I cannot recommend this lens enough. I’ve own two copies and found them both to be equally superb.

2. Really Excellent Lenses

 

Arsat C 250mm f/5.6

This was a late addition to the Arsat line, introduced in the 1990s, and it it’s a great lens. At 250mm, it is quite compact and light. These later generation Arsat lenses also have better finish and mechanics than the earlier ones (though it is still crude by German or Japanese standards). Razor sharp, you can’t go wrong. The only downsides (the price to pay for such length at such a small size) are a relatively slow max aperture (f/5.6) and not a lot of coverage. It won’t cover more than 6×6, and some users even claim to see some vignetting at 6×6. I haven’t noticed this, however.

Arsat 30mm fisheye lens.

Arsat 30mm f/3.5 Fisheye

This is the 6×6 Arsat lens with the highest reputation, and its is well deserved. It compares with the similar Zeiss lens made for Hasselblad, which cost $4k! This lens can be had for under $300. Many would place this in the World Class category, but I include it here because it is really a specialty lens. You won’t get as much use out of it as those optics. But if you need a fisheye or the widest possible lens (and a wickedly sharp one at that, so long as you are okay with fisheye distortion), this is where it’s at. It is, however, an incredibly large and heavy lens, so be warned! Filters, which are inserted at the rear element, are rare to nonexistant. Also, the lens lacks a DOF preview lever. This is not a big deal, as the lens produces almost infinite depth of field anyway.

Carl Zeiss Jena Biometar 120mm f/2.8

This lens performs as excellently as its 80mm counterpart, but gives a bit of extra length that is really useful for portraiture, etc. It is, nonetheless, much smaller and lighter than any 150 or 180 options, and thus represents a good compromise lens for many purposes.

Carl Zeiss Jena Flektagon 50mm f/4.0

This lens is relatively slow, and has only average corner performance, but is very sharp in the center and produces great images. It is the standard wide angle for many folks. It’s a great bargain, but in my opinion, the Schneider Curtagon 60mm is superior in every way (though much more expensive, and as wide)! Another disadvantage of this lens is the enormous lens filters it requires (86mm), and correspondingly huge lens hood. It is also quite a heavy lens. For value and optical quality, however, it works beautifully.

Schneider Tele-Xenar 150mm f/4.0

While slower and shorter than the Zeiss Jena Sonnar 180, this lens produces gorgeous images and is much more practical regarding size, filter threads (67mm vs. 86mm), and weight. I prefer it in many cases. However, if you can take the size and weight, the 180 is ultimately a superior lens (and cheaper too!).

Carl Zeiss Jena Sonnar 300mm f/4.0

I absolutely love this lens. It is long and fast, and produces images comparable to the 180mm. Unfortunately, it is even larger and heavier. Really, it’s impractical, and even difficult to shoot handheld. For this reason, this lens has never attained the popularity of its shorter 180mm cousin. The lenses are actually the same diameter and mechanically almost identical; the 300mm is just longer and heavier.

3. Very Good Lenses

 

Carl Zeiss Jena Biometar 80mm f/2.8

This standard lens is really outstanding. A bit soft wide open, but sharp and excellent thereafter. It is also small and compact (much more so than the Schneider normals). Ultimately, however, nothing particularly characterizes it as special, beyond just being an excellent normal lens.

Arsat Volna-3 80mm f/2.8

This lens is equal to the Biometar optically. Perhaps a bit sharper, but with less pleasing bokeh. Later versions, marked with yellow paint, are pretty slick. Mechanically, this lens is able to focus closer than the others, but at the risk of generating a light leak… All in all, I like this lens a lot, but like the Biometar, nothing makes it stand out in any special way. On the Kiev 88CM, its DOF preview lever can be used, where the Biometar’s can’t (it is covered by the camera mount).

The Arsat 120mm f/2.8 and 150mm f/2.8 may be candidates for this category, according to reports online, but I’ve never used them. Other Arsats not mentioned here are generally to be avoided. The Pentacon 500mm lens is unique and excellent, but requires a monster tripod to operate; it’s like a bazooka. I consider it to be a very niche lens as a result.

One final note: The P6 mount is very simple, rugged, and versatile.  As a result, it is not difficult to adapt P6 lenses to other camera systems.  They won’t go on a Hasselblad, due to flange distance issue, but they can be adapted to any 645 or smaller format camera.  I have used them extensively on Mamiya 645 cameras, as they are superior optically to most of Mamiya’s lenses (and in the case of the Schneiders, they are mechanically superior as well).  Most of these lenses also have very substantial image circle, and can be used on 6×7 and even 6×9 cameras that can handle the flange distance (i.e., cameras without mirrors, such a baby speed graphics).

To read my comparison of P6 cameras, go here.

23 Comments

  1. You forgot one other lens for the Exakta 66 that is one of the best for 6×6 – the Schneider Tele-Xenar in 150 mm focal length. I have that one along with the 60mm Curtagon and 80mm Xenotar to round out my collection. These Schneider lenses are top notch lenses and better than my Hasselblads.

    • zhorton

      March 1, 2016 at 11:19 am

      Hi Richard, I agree with you: the Tele-Xenar 150mm f/4 is a fabulous lens! I put it in the “really great” instead of top category simply because it is overshadowed by the more unique CZJ 180mm f/2.8 Sonnar, and I didn’t want to double up on a similar focal length. I own the exact same three Schneider Exakta 66 lenses as you, and have indeed been very impressed with the Tele-Xenar. It is slower than the CZJ Sonnar, and thus more practical when traveling, etc., as it is significantly smaller and lighter. Though I’m not a Hasselblad shooter myself, I’ve seen comparisons between the Exakta 66 lenses and Hasselblad equivalents, and read many comments and reviews online, and it seems that many people agree with you that these lenses are better than even those by Hasselblad/Zeiss! Thanks for your comment!

      • Zach, do you consider the Carl Zeiss 180mm f/2.8 with the C/Y mount to be the actual same lens as the 1936 Olympics 180mm? It seems to have been made much more recently. I don’t know if the Jena name is meaningful with this lens or not. Thank you.

        • I’m referring to the Contax lens, the Kyocera type of Contax.

          • zhorton

            November 4, 2018 at 1:56 am

            Hi Lisa,

            That’s a great question! The C/Y 180mm Sonnar is indeed a descendant of the same formula. It seems, however, that Zeiss added one rear element to this updated design, probably for color correction (but I’m just speculating). I can tell you that I prefer my CZJ P6 Sonnar on medium format to my C/Y Sonnar on 35mm. Both produce beautiful images, but P6 is creamier. Whether this is due to it being the original formula, or simply the fact that larger image circles are just sweet spot for the Sonnar design, I can’t say.

  2. Mikalaj / Nicholas Packajeu

    July 31, 2016 at 1:03 am

    There is also a recent Petzvar f=3.8 120 mm lens for Pentacon Six by Ivanichek. I own a copy, it can be useful as it has the shortest minimum focusing distance of all Pentacon Six mount lenses. As for its image character, it does a bokeh exactly as you’d expect from a Petzvar lens, e.g. seen on a few images on its manufacturer’s website:
    http://ivanichek.com/Medium%20format%20Petzvar%20Petzval%20lens.htm

  3. ian (los angeles)

    December 11, 2016 at 11:38 pm

    Thanks for the review of the line. Very interesting. I came across this because I am trying to sell my exakta 6×6 with prism (and wl finder) and 150 mm schneider lens. Both mint. Think I shot one roll of film! Loved the idea of them but never got used to the system and have switched to digital anyway. Will post on ebay some time this month. No idea what to ask — if anyone has any suggestions please post.

    • If you haven’t already sold your lenses then have you tried them with a digital body you may be presently surprised

      • zhorton

        May 7, 2017 at 4:17 am

        Yes, I have used these lenses with a medium format digital back, and they hold up really well. In my experience, the strongest lenses on digital are the Schneider lenses (absolutely outstanding) and the Sonnar 180mm. The CZJ 50 doesn’t hold up as well, which isn’t surprising for a retrofocal design. I haven’t shot much digital with the Russian lenses, but I expect the later versions of the 30mm fisheye and 150mm, both of which are very sharp, to perform well on digital.

  4. Adolfo Rozenfeld

    February 22, 2018 at 1:32 am

    Excellent! Thanks for the info. Do you need an adapter to use them on a Mamiya or Pentax 645? Thanks again!

    • zhorton

      July 30, 2018 at 7:17 pm

      Adolfo, yes, simple adapters are available to mount P6 lenses on both Mamiya and Pentax 645.

  5. My doubts is that can these lens(Carl Zeiss jenna 180 mm f/2.8 multi coated pl Mount lens) be used for shooting feature film on my red epic,black magic Ursa4K pl Mount camera,?,formerly weather these lens were used for shooting feature films?,expect a early reply regards dr asok,India

    • zhorton

      July 30, 2018 at 7:21 pm

      Dr. Asok, I would say that the best of these lenses (in my “really good” and up categories) would work very well to shoot 4K video provided a large (medium format, not 35mm) sensor is used. I have shot with the equivalent size/resolution sensor for stills and they hold up well. Some of the lesser lenses don’t, as noted in my reviews. As for 8k video, I haven’t tested them at quite that resolution, but my guess is that the best of them (including the Schneiders and the CZJ 180mm) would fare just fine.

  6. Hi Zach,
    Do you recommend the Arsat C 80mm F2.8 it is not listed on your page. If you could just clarify for me.

    Regards

    Mark

    • zhorton

      July 30, 2018 at 7:24 pm

      Mark, at least in its final form, the Arsat C 80mm is very sharp, so if resolution/clarity is what you’re going for, then I do recommend it. However, it is a harsh lens in terms of bokeh, so if that’s what you’re after, I don’t recommend it. Personally I’m more interested in lens character than clinical sharpness, so I find it the least interesting of the P6 80mm choices.

  7. Hi Professor Zack,
    I read your commentary that’s contained within “The Pentacon 6 Hit List.” My reason for commenting on your “take”, vis a vis, the “Pentacon 6” is that I have the Biometar 80mm F2.8, the Biometar 120mm F2.8, & the 180mm Sonnar F2.8. The 180mm Sonnar F2.8 M.C. is in like new condition & I intend to expose a few frames using it (& the others) in the next few days.

    I’m looking over my shoulder now (age 86), but I consider myself a very lucky man to have these lenses to mount on my Kiev 60 & “shoot” some of my sculptor wife’s bronzes in short order.

    Thanx 4 offering your expert commentary on “The Pentacon 6 Hit List.” It’s certain to help both experienced & inexperienced photographers.
    Bob Pilgrim

  8. Hi Zach! Great article here. Wondering about what would be the s35mm equivalent of the Jena 180 2.8 ? Trying to shoot some scenes of a movie with legendary glass and this lens has my attention now.

    Best

    • zhorton

      June 26, 2019 at 7:05 am

      Hi Franco,
      While Carl Zeiss Jena made the most out of this design for medium format, both they and the West German Carl Zeiss also continued its use in 135 format. Over the years Zeiss “improved” the design, so it’s hard to get something perfect, but one version that does look great for motion pictures is the Zeiss 180mm Sonnar 2.8 for the Contax C/Y mount. The problem for S35 is that the lens has such a narrow FOV–you have to film at quite a distance! That’s the beauty of the CZJ 6×6 version: it becomes more like a standard portrait FOV. Good luck with your shoot!

  9. Thank you for this summary page! I have been using P6 lenses for over 20 years, and have owned virtually all lenses available in native P6 mount at one time or another. This includes some really rare early Meyer lenses made for the KW Praktisix prior to both Meyer and KW being absorbed into the Pentacon consortium (incidentally, the “Pentacon”-branded lenses were simply updated versions of old Meyer lenses). I also once maintained a website documenting all of the “standard” lenses (80mm to 90mm range) available in P6 mount over the years…I had counted 16 different “standard” lenses produced! The Schneider Xenotar MF was undoubtedly the best of the bunch.

    The only lens that I think is missing from your greatest hits list is also probably the cheapest lens available in P6 mount: the Vega-12b 90mm f/2.8 that was the standard lens on the Kiev 6C from 1969 to the mid-80s. This is a really fabulous lens that is often overlooked because of its lack of polish and age. In my opinion it is optically superior to the Volna-3 (later Arsat C) that replaced it, and matches or beats a well put together Zeiss Biometar. I liked my Vega-12b so much I sent it to the Ukraine to get multicoated back in the early 2000s (when that service was offered). I just used my Vega-12b adapted to my digital camera to take photos of the comet Neowise a few days ago!

    There was a time not long ago when you could find a really nice Vega-12b online for $15 or $20…nowadays they are getting into the $50 range. The 90mm focal length makes a great portrait lens when adapted to a full-frame digital camera, or a really nice mild telephoto when adapted to a crop sensor camera.

  10. Adolfo Rozenfeld

    October 28, 2020 at 1:13 am

    Fantastic article, Zach!
    If possible, I wanted to ask you – many people talk about adapting P6 lenses to other medium format systems (particularly 645) I am trying to find out about the opposite. I read that the P6 mount flange depth is about 74mm, while systems like Mamiya 67 and Pentax 67 are longer (around 80mm?) Are you aware of any reason why a Takumar 105 2.4 for example? wouldn’t work on a P6 o Kiev 60 camera? Thanks!

    • zhorton

      May 7, 2022 at 11:12 pm

      Optically they should work just fine. The problem is mechanics. Mamiya RB67 lenses require a special mechanism to cock, and that’s bulky and expensive. We have an adapted system for the Mercury Camera System, but it would not be practical for system cameras like the P6 line. Controlling aperture for preview vs. taking exposure is another issue. But yes, if you physically adapt the lenses and work with them manually, they can work!

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