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  #1  
Old 23rd April 2020, 08:38 AM
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Rob Archer Rob Archer is offline
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Default Mystery lens.

I've recently been given a box of 'photo junk' by an acquaintance and finally found time to go through it. One particular lens intrigues me and I can't find much on-line about it. In particular which camera it fits. Any here point me in the right direction? It's a E. Ludwig Meritar 2.9 50mm s/no 1364857. Photos attached.
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Old 23rd April 2020, 09:11 AM
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Hi Rob it appears to be from an exakta ihagee.

https://www.google.com/search?q=e.lu...w=980&hl=en-US

Review of lens here
https://lenslegend.com/e-ludwig-meri...m-f2-9-review/
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Old 23rd April 2020, 10:44 AM
John King John King is online now
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Default Mystery lens

This was manufactured by Meyer-Optik in Gorlitz. (They bought out Ludwig) I have never used a camera with one fitted but they were not the top of the tree in performance. 3 element and quite basic. The link suggests they were designed for the Exakta but they were also sold with models such as the Prakitca 1VF

Last edited by John King; 23rd April 2020 at 10:47 AM.
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Old 23rd April 2020, 11:37 AM
Richard Gould Richard Gould is offline
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I have a weltaflex with the Meritar lens, and stopped down to around 11, which seems to be the ideal aperture for this lens, it isn't bad, well, triple yes, but performs pretty it will never be a Planar, but not bad, To me it does not look like an exakta mount, they had a veryof visible clip on the outside of the mount that was to clip the lens tight and I dou't see it on the lens,
Richard
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Old 23rd April 2020, 11:54 AM
alexmuir alexmuir is offline
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I was given an Exakta VX1000 camera a couple of years ago, along with some lenses. It worked briefly, then died. That lead me on to buy several more, including another two VX1000, a Varex IIb, several Exa 500 and two other Exa models. Out of all that, only the Varex IIb, and one Exa 500 work. The Varex sounds awful and clearly needs its shutter serviced. The Exa isn’t much better. The lenses, including models by Zeiss, Meyer Optik and others are all in poor condition mechanically. This is a great pity because the cameras are interesting to use, and the glass in the lenses is generally well preserved. Attempts to repair two of the cameras were unsuccessful. I dismantled one of the Zeiss lenses, but am still searching for some of the small parts which escaped in the process. The cost of professional servicing and repair far outweighs the value of the equipment, so my stuff is currently display only.
The Exa 500 was produced, in a different guise, until relatively recently. If you wanted to use this lens, it would be worth seeking out one of the latest examples. I can’t recall what name was on it, but searching for ‘Exa’ on eBay might show some examples. The thing to check, however, is that they retain the Exakta bayonet. I have a feeling they may have changed to M42 at some point. The images included in Martin’s link for the lens are quite appealing.
Alex.


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Old 23rd April 2020, 12:02 PM
alexmuir alexmuir is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard Gould View Post
I have a weltaflex with the Meritar lens, and stopped down to around 11, which seems to be the ideal aperture for this lens, it isn't bad, well, triple yes, but performs pretty it will never be a Planar, but not bad, To me it does not look like an exakta mount, they had a veryof visible clip on the outside of the mount that was to clip the lens tight and I dou't see it on the lens,
Richard


If you look at picture 1, Richard, the little pin that mates with the clip on the camera can be seen just left of the red dot near the figure 16. It doesn’t have the shutter button extension you find on many Exakta lenses, but you would just use the button on the front of the camera body.
Alex


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Old 23rd April 2020, 02:48 PM
Richard Gould Richard Gould is offline
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It could be, but withoit the shutter button on the lens then it would be for one of the last Exakta's made, and AFIK the lenses for the last of these were all made by Carl Zeis, also under state control but the Meritar was a pretty much standard lens on many cameras from the East German camera's, many of which were cheap and cheerful and never made it over to the west, for instance I have in my collection a Certo super Dolly 35mm folder that is not well known in the west, but I have many friends from Poland who have settled over here, and many know the Certo, it was one of the biggest selling cameras in Poland, and still being made up untill the mid sixties, so one of the last folding cameras made,
Richard
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Old 23rd April 2020, 02:48 PM
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Thanks for the input. I guessed it might fit an Exacta. As I don't have one if anyone wants it PM me. You can have it for the postage!
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Old 23rd April 2020, 03:03 PM
John King John King is online now
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard Gould View Post
I have a weltaflex with the Meritar lens, and stopped down to around 11, which seems to be the ideal aperture for this lens, it isn't bad, well, triple yes, but performs pretty it will never be a Planar, but not bad, To me it does not look like an exakta mount, they had a veryof visible clip on the outside of the mount that was to clip the lens tight and I dou't see it on the lens,
Richard
It could be for a Praktina, a better quality version of the Pentacon 35mm or Praktica1V They had a unique bayonet that has never been used on another camera. They are very rare and I have never seen one in the flesh (so to speak).
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Old 23rd April 2020, 04:09 PM
Lostlabours Lostlabours is offline
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Praktinas came after the Praktiflex from KW, they were up market professional cameras the first true system cameras with bulk backs motor drives etc.

The Pentacon 35 also sold as the Contax 35 was made by Carl Zeiss different company, the Pentacon name had to be used on some export models.

The first Praktikas were made by KW as budget cameras build quality was quite different to the Praktinas which were expensive to make.

That lens was never sold in a Praktina mount which is a more sophisticated breech lock mont, you wouldn't buy a 50mm budget triplet with an expensive camera

Ian
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