42mm screw lenses

The 42mm screw mount was introduced in 1947 with the Zeiss Ikon Contax S 35mm SLR, then it was adopted by KW on the Praktica. Later it was chosen by Asahi for the Pentax family of SLRs. It was also used by the Russians on the Zenit. In the 1970s that lens mount became to be old-fashioned, and was progressively replaced by bayonet mounts by all the manufacturers that used it, except on some Zenit. Very recently Voigtländer reintroduced a 42mm screw mount SLR with the Bessaflex.

This mount is also called Pentax screw mount, even if it was not invented by Pentax, or Praktica screw mount (same remark), or shorlty M42.

There were a huge amount of lenses produced in that mount, made by all sorts of manufacturers, and it would be impossible to list them all here, if at all. Only the most important ranges of lenses can be listed.

Carl Zeiss Jena lenses

The first 42mm screw lenses were released for the Contax S, and made by Carl Zeiss Jena. The first generation was in alu finish, with manual diaphragm, then preset diaphragm, then semi-automatic diaphragm (automatically closing, having to be wound manually). Later the auto lenses existed in black and chrome with a rubber focusing ring with humps, then in black with wide chrome stripes, then all black with a diamond pattern on the focusing screen. This last generation existed with MC multicoating, then at last with electric contacts for the last Praktica bodies using the M42 mount.

• 20/2.8 Flektogon
  • black with diamond pattern, MC
  • black with diamond pattern, electric contacts, MC
• 20/4 Flektogon
  • black with chrome stripes
• 25/4 Flektogon
  • black with chrome ring, rubber focusing ring with humps
  • black with chrome stripes
• 35/2.4 Flektogon
  • black with diamond pattern, MC
  • black with diamond pattern, electric contacts, MC
• 35/2.8 Flektogon
  • alu finish, big barrel, preset diaph
  • black with chrome stripes, focusing to 0.18m
• 50/2.8 Tessar
  • alu finish, big barrel, preset diaph
  • alu finish, bigger barrel, semi-auto diaph with winding lever
  • black with chrome stripes
  • black with diamond pattern
• 58/2 Biotar:
  • black finish, slim barrel, manual diaph
  • alu finish, slim barrel, manual diaph
  • alu finish, big barrel, preset diaph
• 75/1.5 Biotar
  • alu finish, slim barrel, preset diaph
  • alu finish, big barrel, preset diaph
• 80/2.8 Biometar
  • alu finish, big barrel, preset diaph
• 135/3.5 Sonnar or S
  • black with diamond pattern, electric contacts, MC
• 135/4 Sonnar
  • alu finish, big barrel, preset diaph
• 135/4 Triotar
  • alu finish, big barrel, preset diaph
• 180/2.8 Sonnar
  • black finish, preset diaph, changeable lens mount
• 200/2.8 Sonnar
  • black with diamond pattern, MC
• 300/4 Sonnar
  • black finish, preset diaph, changeable lens mount
• 500/8 Fernobjektiv
  • black finish, manual diaph, changeable lens mount
  • leatherette finish, manual diaph, changeable lens mount
• 2x converter
  • black with diamond pattern

Carl Zeiss Oberkochen lenses

Made by the Western Carl Zeiss company.

Designed for the Icarex TM and SL706:

• 25/4 Distagon (few produced)
• 35/3.4 Skoparex
• 50/1.8 Ultron (concave front element)
• 50/2.8 Tessar
• 135/4 Dynarex

Designed for the VSL 1 (TM), and sold with Voigtländer or Rollei markings:

• 25/2.8 Color-Skoparex = 25/2.8 Distagon
• 35/2.8 Color-Skoparex
• 50/1.8 Color-Ultron = 50/1.8 Planar
• 85/2.8 Color-Dynarex = 85/2.8 Sonnar
• 135/4 Color-Dynarex
• 200/4 Color-Dynarex

These two ranges of lenses are required to activate the open aperture exposure reading of the SL706 and VSL 1 (TM).

The 50/1.8 Color-Ultron existed under the name Ifbagon 50/1.8 to go with the Ifbaflex M102, a name variant of the VSL 1 (TM).

Schneider lenses

Schneider made some of their lenses in M42 mount. The oldest lenses were all chrome, or black and chrome. The next generation was in black with thick chrome stripes. They were usually advertised for the Wirgin Edixa, and some of them were wearing Edixa markings. The last finish was all black with a leatherette ring around the base (28, 35, 50 and 135 lenses with auto diaphragm).

• 28/4 Curtagon
• 35/2.8 Curtagon
• 35/4 PA-Curtagon
• 50/2.8 Xenar
• 50/1.9 Xenon
• 135/3.5 Tele-Xenar
• 200/5.5 Tele-Xenar
• 300/5 Tele-Xenar (old generation, all chrome, prototype lens)
• 360/5.5 Tele-Xenar
• 45-100/2.8 Variogon
• 80-240/4 Tele-Variogon

It is reported that the Rollei SL-Xenon 50/1.8 made for the Rolleiflex SL35 (see Rolleiflex SL35 lenses) existed in M42 mount too, maybe experimentally.

A weird 35/2.8 C-Curtagon lens with a very compact barrel appears regularly at Ebay auctions, it is not sure whether it was designed for a camera model or for some other optical device. It has the same look as a quite recent enlarging lens, but it has a focusing ring, and a diaphragm ring with no preselection nor automation. Because of its strange aspect, it is sometimes advertised as a prototype at an inflated price, something it is obviously not. A rarer 28/4 C-Curtagon, probably from the same line, has no focusing ring nor diaphragm.

Steinheil lenses

Steinheil made a range of lenses in M42 mount.

• 40/3.5 Cassaron
• 105/3.8 Cassar
• 135/2.8 Quinar
• 135/4.5 Culminar
• 200/4.5 Tele-Quinar

Olympus lenses

Olympus made a small range of lenses in M42 mount, for their FTL body. There is a rumor saying that these lenses were not designed nor built by Olympus, and that they had nothing to see with the later OM lenses. However their characteristics are very similar to the equivalent OM lenses.

• 28/3.5
• 35/2.8
• 50/1.4
• 50/1.8
• 135/3.5
• 200/4

These lenses have an additional pin to lock them into place on the FTL body. On some other M42 bodies, this pin could prevent from mounting them.