[Projector] Pentacon AV (Diaplan) 80mm F2.8 Review – like Torioplan Soap Bubble Bokeh

Hello, my name is hiron. I am a vintage lens addict. (Twitter / Youtube)

This time, I review the projector lens Pentacon AV 80mm F2.8.

I was looking for Soap Bubble Bokeh lens and met Pentacon AV 80mm F2.8.

This is the great favorite of Torioplan’s alternative lens.

However, in order to use it, it is necessary to modify the projector lens to mount it. I didn’t expect myself to modify the lens.

How to convert Pentacon AV to M42 mount

I filmed the process of remodeling the projector lens Pentacon AV 80mm F2.8 to an M42 mount camera lens.

Subtitles are in Japanese, but please refer to this Youtube if you like.

Pentacon AV (Diaplan) 80mm f / 2.8 is a lens with the same lens configuration as Torioplan.

When I saw this projector lens Pentacon AV 80mm F2.8 as a Torioplan alternative lens on the Internet, I didn’t know how to use it with the camera.

Later, however, I was able to research the remodeling method online and install it on my own with M42 mount and helicoid.

I also learned about Pentacon by meeting this projector lens. It was a manufacturer in East Germany that was born by integrating several camera manufacturers.

Prior to that, Pentacon AV 80mm F2.8 was manufactured by Meyer Optik and was called Diaplan. Therefore, Pentacon AV and Diaplan are the same projector lens.

Pentacon AV (Diaplan) 80mm F2.8 mount remodeling example

Since Pentacon AV 80mm F2.8 is a projector lens, it can be used as a camera lens by attaching a mount and helicoid to it.

I purchased several Pentacon AV (Diaplan) 80mm F2.8 on ebay and made various mount modifications.

The two outside of the photo above installed this projector lens on a helicoid adapter.

In the center, this lens is certainly installed on the lens barrel of SMC Takumar.

How to convert Pentacon AV to M42 mount

Parts used for camera mount installation

• 52mm-43mm step down ring
• M52-M42 helicoid adapter

Select a mount adapter (to use Pentacon AV 80mm F2.8 with a digital camera)

This Pentacon AV 80mm F2.8 has been modified to an M42 mount lens.

If you want to use M42 mount lens with PENTAX digital SLR, you need a mount adapter called M42-PK. It is a thin adapter.

If you use this lens with a SONY mirrorless camera, you will need a mount adapter called PK-NEX.

Use a mount adapter suitable for your digital camera.

  Soap Bubble Bokeh movie shooting by Pentacon AV 80mm F2.8

I shot Youtube video with Pentacon AV 80mm F2.8. You can see that this lens creates Soap Bubble Bokeh.

I used SONY Alpha 7II as the camera body for this video.

Photo samples by Pentacon (Diaplan) AV 80mm F2.8

Here are some sample photos taken with the Pentacon AV (Diaplan) 80mm F2.8.

Soap Bubble Bokeh photo samples

This Pentacon AV 80mm F2.8 is a lens that Soap Bubble Bokeh is really created.

Introducing Soap Bubble Bokeh photo samples from various situations I took.

This is the photo when I first used this lens. I was surprised that the slight point light source in the back of the subject became Soap Bubble Bokeh.

Sunlight through trees is a suitable subject for generating Soap Bubble Bokeh.

And Christmas illumination is a great subject for taking photos of Soap Bubble Bokeh.

This is a wind chime. A wind chime is attached to some shrines in summer. Photos with wind chimes as a subject are very popular on Japanese Instagram.

Other photo samples

Here is a picture of a scene where Soap Bubble Bokeh does not aim to be created.

Pentacon AV 80mm F2.8 is a projector lens, so it doesn’t have an aperture. For this reason, landscape photos are a little soft.

A close subject photographed with this lens looks beautiful like a very good camera lens.

This photo is not Saop Bubble Bokeh, but Bokeh that is not so is also beautiful.

Pentacon AV 80mm F2.8 Review Summary

This time, I reviewed Pentacon AV (Diaplan) 80mm F2.8.

This projector lens has the same lens configuration as Torioplan and can create Soap Bubble Bokeh. However, to use it with a camera, you need to modify its mount.

When I used this lens for photography, it was really easy to get a photo of Soap Bubble Bokeh. I can say that this lens is the favorite lens as an alternative to Torioplan.

Thank you for reading to the end.