I was lucky to find this lens in decent condition for very little money, but the focusing ring was stuck and the front element wasn't perfectly clean. It took some work to bring it back to being functional, but it was worth it.

The Meyer Optik Primotar 50mm f.2.8 is currently one of the rarest lenses in the world, as it was only produced for 2 years between 1959 and 1960, trying to compete with the more popular Zeiss Tessar.

Although being an early Tessar based design, It certainly does have its own character, and it's a sharp optic already wide open, mostly in the center. It produces the distinctive Meyer Optik bubble bokeh, present in so many of the lenses made by this company, like the Oreston and the Trioplan.

My copy also produces a halation effect on the highlights, I suppose because of the aging of the lens single coating.

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Why use the Primotar:

1) Vintage rendering, unique character

2) Sharpness and colors

3) Beautiful, distinctive bubble bokeh whe used wide open, can "swirl"

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Weaknesses:

1) Handling: the focusing and aperture rings are very small and are not easy to grab

2) Minimum focusing distance of only 0.70m

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