Das Objektiv, Meyer-Optik Görlitz Orestor 2.8 135mm (1)

Der Name Meyer-Optik-Görlitz ist mehr als das

Today an adventure started, it arrived on a rainy day (typical). A perfectly restored Meyer-Optik Görlitz Orestor 2.8 135mm. It in such a good condition that it is practically impossible to judge its age, many thanks to Maziar Moarefi for this fine work.

My edition of the Meyer-Optik Görlitz Orestor 2.8 135mm is manufactured with the M42/Pentax mount, which makes it perfect for my A-Mount Sony Alpha A99V camera. It is one of the earlier versions with the typical zebra look (black and silver stripes). The lens was produced by the Meyer company in Dresden East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic, in the 1960ies. It is the 15 aperture blades iris.

First Impression

It’s solidly built, with a no-fuss preset aperture and satisfyingly smooth and very long-travel focus action. I like the long focus travel, while it makes for an easy manual focus. The focus seems very accurate compared to the Pentacon. It’s quite compact, and again compared to the Pentacon, about half a centimeter shorter.

Value

I do not buy lenses as an investment, though in this case the glass will continue to increase in value as they are not very simple due limited availability in good condition. It has therefor become a bit of a collectors item and the price of these lenses has gone up significantly in recent years, I forsee this trend to continue.

Why I got it

I was looking for this lens due to its attributes. It is renowned for its amazing bokeh which should spectacularly good at pretty much any aperture, due to that beautiful, perfectly circular 15-blade iris, it carries a hell of a good contrast with soft tonal transitions. These attributes is surely the reason why it earned its nickname “Bokeh Monster” and the “Bokeh King”. The lens highly loved as a portrait lens, but due to its flexibility it has many other appliances as it fit for all types of artistic photography where shallow depth of field and beautiful bokeh are key.