Zeiss Jena · M42 screw mount · 1965–1986
The Pancolar 50mm f/1.8 was Carl Zeiss Jena's premium normal lens, and in its day it was the one to have on a new Praktica. Wolf Dannberg calculated the first version in 1964. About 38,000 were built from 1965 to 1970, with SSK11 heavy crown glass in four of the six elements. That glass got its high refraction from thorium dioxide, and it yellows strongly over time. Jena redesigned the lens in 1967 around SK22 lanthanum glass and split one cemented group to add an air gap. That second version ran in huge numbers until the mid-1980s, well over 375,000 of them. From 1969 it was the first Zeiss lens with contacts that passed the set aperture to the Praktica LLC electrically, and from 1976 it was multicoated in an all-black barrel. It focuses to 0.35 m, unusually close for a 50 of its time.
On a mirrorless camera
It’s a M42 screw mount lens, and its mount sits 45.46 mm from the film. Every mirrorless mount below sits closer than that, so a plain adapter ring fills the gap and the lens still focuses to infinity. On a smaller sensor it frames tighter, like a longer lens.
Thoriated glass
Some or all of this lens’s production used glass with thorium oxide in it, which is mildly radioactive and turns yellow over the decades. The yellow cast shows in photos and fades under strong UV light. Our guide to thoriated lenses covers how to spot it and what sources say about handling it.
Versions
There are two optical versions. The first, built 1965–1970, comes only in the zebra finish and only in M42, has a shorter barrel, and uses thoriated SSK11 glass in four of its six elements. The second, designed in 1967, splits one cemented group to add an air gap and uses SK22 lanthanum glass, which still holds some thorium but far less. It came in zebra and later all-black barrels, also for Exakta. Electric versions have three contacts for the Praktica LLC, and the first multicoated MC lenses of 1976 have electric engraved on the front ring. The Prakticar 50mm f/1.8 is the second-version optics on the Praktica B bayonet.
First-version lenses carry thoriated SSK11 glass that Zeiss found yellows strongly with age, giving a warm cast and a little less light. Beyond that, expect oily blades, haze and dried focus grease like any lens of its age.
New to old glass? How to check a used vintage lens covers haze, fungus and the rest in detail.
Buying guide
We'd buy the zebra Pancolar at $194 delivered that comes with a hood, a rear cap and an M42 to Nikon F adapter, or the same seller's plain zebra copy at $185, both under the $210–340 band most copies ask. There are at least 46 for sale, mostly from Europe and Ukraine, and one US seller asks $219 delivered for a multicoated MC electric. It has an auto-aperture pin, so pick an M42 adapter that presses it, and the model page lists the adapters by camera. The 1965–1970 first version came only in zebra and uses thoriated glass that yellows to a warm cast, while later zebra and black copies hold far less thorium, so ask for a photo through the lens at something white. Skip the $905 Red MC, where $555 of the price is shipping.
$185.00est. delivered
The lowest delivered Pancolar here from a seller with feedback, a zebra copy at $185 from a 100% seller in Ukraine, with a rear cap in the photo. EXCELLENT is the seller's own grade, so ask for a backlit photo of the glass and one of the blades at f/8.
Carl Zeiss Pancolar 1.8/50 50mm f/1.8 M42, SLR lens. EXCELLENT
$194.00est. delivered
A zebra copy with a hood, a rear cap and an M42 to Nikon F adapter, at $194 delivered from the same 100% seller. That's under the band with the adapter thrown in, and Near MINT is the seller's grade, so ask for a backlit photo of the glass.
Carl Zeiss Pancolar 1.8/50 50mm f/1.8 M42 + Nikon F adapter, SLR lens. Near MINT
Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Oct 12, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ. eBay shows yours before you pay.
Snapshot
Checked . Some may have sold.
Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Oct 12, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ. eBay shows yours before you pay.
Used$185.00est. delivered
$153.00 + $32.00 shipping
Buy It Now$153.00
Good buy
Zebra copy, titled EXCELLENT. Rear cap in the photo.
Seller: vintageandphoto
100% positive
Used$194.00est. delivered
$162.00 + $32.00 shipping
Buy It Now$162.00
Good buy
Zebra copy with a hood, rear cap and M42 to Nikon F adapter. Titled Near MINT.
Seller: vintageandphoto
100% positive
Used$219.00delivered
$219.00 · free shipping
Buy It Now$219.00
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Our take
US seller. MC Red electric, US duties included.
Seller: stal2021
100% positive
Used$256.39est. delivered
$249.95 + $6.44 shipping
Buy It Now$249.95
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Our take
Exakta mount, not M42, shown on a Canon DSLR with an EF adapter. Mirrorless needs an Exakta adapter.
Seller: workfro39
98.5% positive
Used$265.88est. delivered
$198.81 + $67.07 shipping
Buy It Now$198.81
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Our take
MC electric, titled with caps. Ships from Germany.
Seller: qf-foto
99.3% positive
Used$274.99est. delivered
$249.99 + $25.00 shipping
Buy It Now$249.99
Our take
MC electric in the photo. Ships from Hungary.
Seller: charlie_marno
100% positive
Used$164.00est. delivered
$144.00 + $20.00 shipping
Buy It Now$144.00
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Check the seller
Zero feedback. Zebra copy, no mount in the title.
Seller: julma-8745
No feedback yet
Used$905.00est. delivered
$350.00 + $555.00 shipping
Buy It Now$350.00
Priced high
About 3.4 times the median, with $555 shipping.
Seller: michalchovanec
100% positive
Prices change daily. The live eBay search shows everything listed now, including anything new since Oct 12, 2026.
See every listing on eBay ↗eBay searchZeiss Jena · Praktica B
1979–1982
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