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 main types of finish are listed by chronological order:

• type 0: black or alu finish, slim barrel, manual or preset diaphragm
• type I: alu finish, knurled focusing ring, manual, preset or semi-auto diaphragm
• type II: black and chrome with a bumpy rubber focusing ring
• type III: black with wide chrome stripes
• type IV: all black with a diamond pattern on the focusing ring, sometimes with MC multicoating, then with electric contacts fot the last Praktica bodies using the M42 mount

The lenses are listed, with the types known to exist for sure:

• 20/2.8 Flektogon (IV+MC, IV+MC+electric)
• 20/4 Flektogon (III, IV), there is a version (finish III) with special diaphragm transmission for the Pentacon Super
• 25/4 Flektogon (II, III)
• 35/2.4 Flektogon (IV+MC, IV+MC+electric)
• 35/2.8 Flektogon (I preset, II)
• 40/4.5 Tessar (I manual)
• 50/2.8 Tessar or T (0 alu manual, I preset, I semi-auto, III, IV)
• 50/1.8 Pancolar (III, III+electric, IV+MC, IV+MC+electric)
• 55/1.4 Pancolar (III), with special diaphragm transmission for the Pentacon Super
• 58/2 Biotar or B (0 black manual, 0 alu manual, I preset, bigger I semi-auto)
• 75/1.5 Biotar or B (0 alu preset, I preset)
• 80/1.8 Pancolar (IV+MC+electric)
• 80/2.8 Biometar (I preset)
• 135/3.5 Sonnar or S (IV+MC+electric)
• 135/4 Sonnar (I preset)
• 135/4 Triotar (I preset)
• 180/2.8 Sonnar: changeable lens mount, first black preset, then Pentacon 6 type
• 200/2.8 Sonnar (IV+MC, IV+MC+electric)
• 300/4 Sonnar: changeable lens mount, first black preset, then Pentacon 6 type (0 black preset, changeable mount)
• 500/8 Fernobjektiv: changeable lens mount, manual diaphragm, first black finish, then leatherette finish
• 35-70/2.7-3.5 Vario-Pancolar (IV+MC)
• 80-200/4 Vario-Sonnar (IV+MC)
• 2x converter (IV)

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).

Isco lenses

Isco was a succursal of Schneider, and made a lesser range of lenses. They made some in M42 mount. Here are the known types of finish:

• type I: all chrome, slim barrel manual diaphragm
• type Iex: all chrome, external diaphragm release, probably for the early Praktica or Edixa
• type II: chrome, big knurled rings
• type IIex: idem, external diaphragm release
• type III: all black, big knurled rings
• type IV: shape of inverted cone, black with wide chrome stripes, auto diaphragm
• type V: shape of inverted cone, all black, auto diaphragm

The lenses are listed, with the types known to exist for sure:

• 35/3.5 Westron (V)
• 50/1.9 Westromat (V)
• 50/2.8 Westar (I)
• 50/2.8 Westanar (Iex, II, IIex)
• 50/2.8 Iscotar (V)
• 135/2.8 Tele-Iscaron (III)
• 135/4 Isconar (V)

Schacht lenses

Schacht also made some M42 lenses. Here are the known types of finish:

• type II: black with wide chrome stripes, auto diaphragm

The lenses are listed, with the types known to exist for sure:

• 50/2.8 Travenar-A (II)
• 50/2.8 Travenar-R (II)

Schneider lenses

Schneider made some of their lenses in M42 mount. The types of finish are listed in chronological order:

• type I: all chrome or chrome with bright black regions, manual or preset diaphragm
• type II: black with wide chrome stripes, knurled rings, sometimes with Edixa markings
• type LM: like type II with the possibility to mount a selenium light meter above the lens
• type IIb: like type II with thinner chrome stripes and flatter rings, auto diaphragm, sometimes with Edixa markings
• type III: all black with a leatherette ring around the base, auto diaphragm
• type IIIb: like the III, with slightly conical focusing barrel
• type electric: black and leatherette with very thin chrome stripes, electric contacts for Praktica

The lenses are listed, with the types known to exist for sure:

• 28/4 Curtagon (II auto, LM, III, IIIb)
• 35/2.8 Curtagon (LM, III, IIIb)
• 35/4 PA-Curtagon: shift lens with its own special finish, manual diaphragm
  • older version with focusing ring on the rear, behind the shift ring
  • later version with focusing ring on the front
• 50/2.8 Xenar (I manual, IIb)
• 50/1.9 Xenon (LM, III, IIIb)
• 135/3.5 Tele-Xenar (IIIb, electric)
• 200/5.5 Tele-Xenar (II preset)
• 300/5 Tele-Xenar (I chrome, prototype lens)
• 360/5.5 Tele-Xenar (II preset)
• 45-100/2.8 Variogon (IIb auto)
• 80-240/4 Tele-Variogon (IIb auto)

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. The types of finish were:

• type 0: all chrome, slim barrel, manual diaphragm
• type I: all chrome, sometimes all black, knurled rings, preset diaphragm
• type II: black with wide chrome stripes, auto diaphragm, sometimes with Edixa markings
• type IIb: like type II with the stripes very close together

The lenses are listed, with the types known to exist for sure:

• 35/3.5 Auto-Culmigon (IIb)
• 35/2.8 Auto-D-Quinaron (II)
• 40/3.5 Cassaron (0)
• 50/2.8 Auto-Cassaron (IIb)
• 55/1.9 Quinon (I chrome semi-auto)
• 55/1.9 Auto-D-Quinon (II)
• 85/2.8 Culminar (0)
• 100/3.5 Auto-D-Quinar (II)
• 105/3.8 Cassar (0, removable lens head)
• 135/2.8 Quinar (I chrome, I black)
• 135/2.8 Auto-D-Tele-Quinar (II)
• 135/3.5 Auto-D-Tele-Quinar (II)
• 135/4.5 Culminar (0)
• 200/4.5 Tele-Quinar (I chrome)

Rodenstock lenses

Rodenstock made some lenses in M42 mount, but they are quite uncommon.

• 30/2.8 Eurygon
• 50/1.9 Heligon

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.