Data sheet: Pentacon 200 mm f/4 MC (auto & electric)

Pekka Buttler, 11/2022 (Updated 08/2025)

Specifications

The table below summarises the lens’ key specifications (measurements based on above pictured sample):

Brand:	Pentacon	Lens name	(auto/electric) 4/200 (MC)
Focal length(s) 1	200 mm	Angle-of-view 2	12°20
Maximum Aperture	f/4	In Production	1970-1990 preset 1976–1990 auto/electric
Lens mounts	M42 (auto/electric)	Subfamily (if applicable)	––
Length 3	128,8 mm	Diameter 4	67,4 mm
Filter ring diameter	58 mm	Weight	664 grams
Lens element count	5	Lens group count	5
Aperture blades (S/R/C) 5	6 R	Focus throw	330 °
Minimum focusing distance	270 cms	Maximum magnification	1:11.4
Has manual aperture ring	YES	Has Manual focus ring	YES
Aperture mechanism type	Automatic / Manual	Aperture click stops 6	4•5.6•8•11•16•22

Further notes:
• This data sheet covers both the ‘auto’ and ‘electric’ variants of the m42 mount Pentacon 200/4 MC. They will be referred to together as “Pentacon 200/4 MC”. (The Pentacon 200/4 preset has different measurements, and is not covered by this data sheet.)
• The Pentacon 200/4 MC is the successor of the Pentacon 200/4 preset [data sheet], which was basically the Meyer-Optik Görlitz Orestegor 200/4, but under a different name.
• Importantly, the Pentacon auto/electric 200/4 MC is (unlike often repeated) not the same lens as the Meyer-Optik/Pentacon 200 mm f/4 with a preset aperture. Instead, the lens was fundamentally recomputed to enable an auto aperture construction. Similarly, while the optical design is often described as 5 elements in 4 groups, it is questionable whether it had not been more correct to describe it as 5 elements in 5 groups, as lenses 2 and 3 were not a classical (cemented) doublet, but simply pressed together by a retaining ring.
• All versions of the Pentacon 200/4MC offer a built-in, extendable hood.

Versions

We’ll have to start with some history:
• When Pentacon took over Meyer-Optik’s lens catalogue (and as of yet not implemented designs) in 1968–70, one of the many lenses was the Meyer-Optik Orestegor 200/4, a preset-only lens, available for a wide array of lens mounts using Meyer’s proprietary adapter system (basically, the rearmost part of the lens was exchangeable, allowing the lens to be used on m42, Exakta, Pentina and Altix).
• That same lens was given a new cosmetic look and a new name and continued to sell as “Pentacon 200/4” for many years. For clarity’s sake, we’ll refer to that as the “Pentacon 200/4 preset”. The Problem with the Pentacon 200/4 preset was that being preset lens is an increasingly bothersome proposition as lenses grow longer. At the same time, preset lenses made it easy to place the aperture blades where they ideally should be.
• To make an auto aperture lens out of the Pentacon 200/4, the optics had to be somewhat redesigned, to allow the aperture mechanism to move backwards. This redesign took place in 1976 (relatively late). As a result:
• The Pentacon auto/electric 200/4 is optically not the same lens as the Pentacon 200/4 preset or MOG 200/4 Orestegor.
• There are (luckily?) fewer cosmetic/ergonomic versions of the 200/4 than of other Pentacon lenses. In fact, I’ve only managed to identify one version (albeit it was available both for m42 auto and m42 electric mounts.
• All Pentacon 200/4 auto/electric lenses have multicoating, green feet-distances, and a checkered pattern on the focus ring.

Adapting

This lens cannot be used natively on any current SLR or dSLRs. To use it in its native environment, you will need an m42-mount film body. Luckily there are a lot of those available and in working order.

Thanks to being a fully manual lens (manual aperture, manual focus), the lens can be adapted to all mirrorless cameras using a suitable adapter. Moreover, m42 lenses are so uncomplicated that a simple ‘dumb adapter’ will do the job perfectly. Further, due to the popularity of the m42 mount, special adapters (helicoid adapters, tilt/shift adapters) are readily available. Alternatively, one can choose to daisy-chain adapters (e.g. m42->Canon EF; Canon EF –> mirrorless) which also opens up a wide range of speed boosters .

Using m42 lenses on dSLRs can also be an easy option, depending on which dSLR.
• Canon EF has the shortest flange focal distance among full-frame dSLR’s and Canon’s wide range of dSLRs are able to mount m42 lenses perfectly, using a simple adapter ring.
• Minolta / Sony A dSLRs and Pentax dSLRs are likewise able to mount m42 lenses using a simple adapter ring.
• Nikon F dSLRs have a long flange focal distance, meaning that mounting either M42 or Exakta lenses needs an adapter that uses corrective optics to allow anything close to infinity focus.

Footnotes

1. Focal length is (unless stated otherwise) given in absolute terms, and not in Full-frame equivalent. For an understanding of whether the lens is wide/tele, see ‘Angle-of-view’. ↩︎
2. Picture angle is given in degrees (based on manufacturers’ specs) and concerns the diagonal picture angle. Rule of thumb:
   > 90 ° ==> Ultra-wide-angle
   70–90 ° ==> Wide-angle
   50–70 ° ==> Moderate wide-angle
   40–50 ° ==> ‘Standard’ or ‘normal’ lens
   20–40 ° ==> Short tele lens
   10-20 ° ==> Tele lens
   5-10 ° ==> Long tele lens
   < 5 ° ==> Ultra-tele lens ↩︎
3. Length is given from the mount flange to the front of lens at infinity. ↩︎
4. Diameter excludes protrusions such as rabbit ears or stop-down levers. ↩︎
5. S=straight; R=rounded; C=(almost)circular at all apertures. ↩︎
6. Numbers equal aperture values on aperture ring; • intermediate click; – no intermediate click. ↩︎