Meyer-Optik Görlitz Trioplan 100mm f/2.8 mini-review

I like fast lenses for the pleasing bokeh that they often create.  I use a Canon 6D now, which is a full frame camera.  I have some fast lenses that I really like (85mm f/1.8 and 135mm f/2), but I like "normal" focal lengths in the 40-50mm range.  I read a lot about some of the old lenses, and a Rokkor 58mm f/1.2 is something that has legendary characteristics.  As I read about these older lenses, another one caught my interest.

The Meyer-Optik Görlitz Trioplan 100mm is a Cooke Triplet design that was made in the 1950's.  It has only three lenses in three groups.  The Cooke Triplet is one of the first and simplest designs to correct for the seven Seidel aberrations.  One side effect is that out of focus highlights take on a soap bubble look.  Also, light objects can get a halo around them.  This makes for a very unique lens.

I've seen them in Exacta and M42 mounts.  The m42 mount can adapt directly to the EOS mount and be used on Canon SLRs.  Here's a picture of mine with the m42 to EOS adapter on.

It's a neat look in aluminum.  It looks a little funny on the camera, but it creates a really neat look.  I'll see about polishing it up later.  

The first image is shooting into a tree while focuses at MFD.  The sky between the leaves turns into the "soap bubbles."

 

This one was taken close to the MFD while I was waiting at a soccer practice.  The composition isn't great, but it shows the unique bokeh.

I also found that it has been pretty easy to focus using the 6D and the standard focusing screen.  I used to have the high precision screen on my 5D, but didn't find it very beneficial.  I didn't use many old lenses on it though.

Some nice features of the Trioplan are a long focus through.  It turns almost 360° vs. the 90° or so of current auto focus lenses.  This really lets you have fine control when focusing.  This is true of a lot of older manual focus lens, though.  The other nice thing is that the aperture setting is "declicked."  What this means is when changing the aperture, you can stop anywhere between the f-stops, and there is no clicking sound when moving to each stop.  This makes it great for video.

These sell on ebay between $350-600 plus now.  Many are sold from Poland and Germany, so make sure to check worldwide when searching.  The exacta mounts are much more common, but I think that you'd have to Frankenstein an m42 mount over the existing exacta mount, and then maybe adjust infinity focus.

I did a lot of research on these as I tried to purchase one.  I'm happy to answer questions if you have any.