I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the photos coming from my new-to-me Pentacon Six TL medium format camera. The images are sharp, the chassis is strong, and I’m feeling more comfortable using this bad boy.
So now I need to invest in some additional lenses. Because, honestly, the 80mm f/2.8 Carl Zeiss Jena Biometar kit lens that came with this unit is nice … but I want to add a little spice to my life.
That means I need a telephoto lens.
And after searching online and trying to find that sweet spot between affordability and functionality … I think I found it.
Take a look at this guy.
This is a 500mm telephoto lens from East Germany. It was manufactured by the German optics company Meyer-Optik Görlitz, and it has the Pentacon Six (“P6 Bayonet”) mount. This thing stops down to f/5.6, so although it’s not going to catch super action shots, I will be able to snag some sweet distance shots with it. And added bonus – it comes with the original lens caps, which is great as well.
Now I have to get this unit and test it out. But here’s the new problem with purchasing camera gear, and it’s all thanks to that fat slob in the White House. You know … Orange Foolius.
Anything that was purchased in a foreign country and shipped to America will now involve a tariff. The shipper is most likely going to jack their price up on the item, which means I GET STUCK PAYING THEIR TARIFF. Yeesh.
It took plenty of searching … all over the interwebs … but I finally found someone in Indiana who’s selling this lens. A quick negotiation on price … and the camera lens is on its way to me.
Great.
Because I want to make this Pentacon Six TL really work for me. Whether it’s nature shots or artistic shots or experimental shots … I need this camera to really shine. And for that, I have to add various interchangeable lenses to increase the camera’s effectiveness.
Once this lens arrives … I will have TWO Pentacon-mountable lenses in my collection. I’ll probably need two more – there’s a Zodiak fisheye that might be within my budget for next year, and if there’s a way to cobble a lens that can expose below f/2.8 … you know, for night sky photographs that absolutely sparkle … I’d be good with that.
In other words, this Pentacon Six is now part of what I’m calling my four-camera arsenal. This and my three Nikons – my regular Df, my infrared-modded Df, and my 35mm F2S (“Athena”) – will now make up the bulk of my camera weaponry.
Just in time for Competition Season 2025. Because I want this Pentacon Six TL to earn some silk with its output. Some way, some how.
And a camera lens that looks like an elephant’s leg … could be a great step towards that goal.
Let’s make this happen.
Chuck The Writer 
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