The Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Oreston 50mm 1:1.8, the precedent to the Pentacon Auto 50mm 1:1.8, is a very well-made legacy manual focus lens with 6 (non-coated) elements in 4 groups and 6 (six) straight aperture blades. The lens is acknowledged for its excellent optical performance and unique character, especially with renderings of warm colors when stepped down to its mid-range apertures (f/5.6 to f/11).
Though the lens performs well wide open, some users note it can be slightly soft at f/1.8, while becoming sharper when stopped down. The lens, manufactured over several iterations (including the zebra and all-black versions), portrays images with a distinctive vintage look and excellent bokeh.
The lens, often described as a 'bokeh monster,' was produced by Meyer-Optik Gorlitz in East Germany from around 1960 to 1971 and can be found with M42 and EXA/Exakta mounts. Earlier iterations are typically black with silver stripes (zebra), later versions are all black. The lens has a very close minimum focus distance of 0.33 meters, making it very versatile for shooting in various situations, often making it a favorite for both portrait and macro photography.
The lens measures 52mm (diameter) x 48mm (length, weighs around 220 grams, and takes 49mm filters. and enjoys a rating for Sharpness at 9.0, Aberrations at 9.0, Bokeh at 9.2, Handling at 9.4, and Value at 9.2 on PentaxForums.
On the Canon EOS 300D, the first 6.3MP entry-level DSLR introduced by Canon in 2003, the lens is a comfortable fit (via a M42 lens adapter), with the focusing ring at just the right distance forward. Even for its age, the robust and well-built lens is still an excellent performer, and the focus throw is glide-smooth.
Exposures are aperture priority with the lens aperture set to f8 and exposure compensation at -2/3 stops for a better color concentration. Images were tweaked further on the desktop image editor for tone, brightness, and contrast.
