M42 camera bodies and lenses

A quartet of M42 SLRs

Between 2016-2017 I acquainted myself with these mechanical M42 SLR cameras and lenses. These four camera bodies left a lasting impression on me for personal, historical and sheer shooting pleasure along with the lenses I used them with. Aside from shooting film, I also adapted the lenses to my trusty Fuji X-E1.

Yashica Penta J + Yashinon 5cm  f2

I have a special affinity for the Yashica Penta J since my dad taught me how to take pictures using this camera. This was the first M42 mount body produced by Yashica. It doesn't have a light meter and the shutter speeds are limited from 1/2-1/500 + B but the viewfinder is fairly bright (at par with the Pentax Spotmatic) assisted by a split image focusing screen. The standard Yashinon 5cm f2 lens is rather special and has caught the attention of aficionados which has driven its value up recently.

Pentax Spotmatic SP + Super Takumar 50mm f1.4

This is the camera most closely associated with the M42 mount. It gets more credit for popularizing the M42 screw mount than the much earlier Zeiss-developed Contax S later known as the Pentacon SLR, shown below. It is similar in size to the Yashica above with a similar spec'ed viewfinder but equipped with more comprehensive shutter speeds from 1s-1/1000 + B. The built-in light meter is broken on this flea market find. I bought this camera primarily because of the sought after Super Takumar 50mm f1.4. 

Pentacon ZI + Isco-Gottingen Westagon 50mm f2
Pentacon F + CZJ Tessar 50mm f3.5

These two immediate descendants of the Contax S were manufactured in the former East Germany by Pentacon in the 1950s. They have a rather interesting shutter speed selector arrangement. There's a switch in the back which selects between slow (B-1/20) and fast (1/50-1/1000) shutter speeds. The shutter speed indicator wheel located behind a plastic window spins when the shutter is released. A very neat feature! Handling this camera is reminiscent of Leica screw mount bodies including the knob wind film advance. However, the compact and light body is ultimately let down by a rudimentary ground glass focusing viewfinder (tip: best used on a sunny day) and there's no instant mirror return. It was a time capsule shooting experience with these two cameras.

More info on Contax/Pentacon 35mm SLRs.

Fujica ST801 + Zeiss Jena Tessar 50mm f2.8

A very sophisticated mechanical M42 camera, the Fujica ST801 was very much ahead of its time. It sports a compact body, bright viewfinder fitted with a split image prism, 1s-1/2000 (!) shutter speeds + B with a built-in light meter which uses a 6V battery that is still readily available. This is my pick of the lot!

Lesser Fujica siblings

The Fujica ST701 has a top speed of 1/1000 and the light meter requires the obsolete Mercury cell. While the entry level ST605's light meter works with modern batteries, the top shutter speed is only 1/750. Nevertheless, these two cameras share the same compact body and bright viewfinder with its top of the line brother - ST801.

M42 lenses

Fujinon 28mm f3.5

Quantaray 28mm f2.8

Vivitar 28mm f2.8
+
Fujinon 55mm f1.8

Soligor 35mm f2.8

Mir 1B
+

Helios 44M-4

Carl Zeiss Jena Pancolar 50mm f1.8

Carl Zeiss Jena Pancolar 50mm f2

Fujinon EBC 55mm f1.8

Mamiya Sekor 50mm f2

Pentacon 50mm f1.8

Yashinon 50mm f1.7

Good Light!