Lenses made in former USSR (now Ukraine) by Zavod Arsenal (Завод Арсенал) in Kiev (Ukrainian: Київ; Russian: Ки́ев);
made in former East Germany by
Meyer-Optik in Görlitz, and Carl Zeiss in Jena (both near Dresden, home of Pentacon);
made in former West Germany by
Heinz Kilfitt in München, and by Joseph Schneider in Bad Kreuznach (later Schneider lenses in unified Germany).
Other manufacturers of P-6 80 to 90mm lenses may exist that I'm not aware of.
Lenses arranged approximately chronologically according to year introduced, shown here mounted on my Hartblei 1006M. The notes as written have been gleaned from various sources and should not be assumed to be authoritative in any way, shape, or form. I am not an expert, just a collector—my information may be flawed.
About the P-6 mount: The lens mount was designed by the East German firm KW in the mid 1950s to be used on their new camera, the Praktisix, introduced at Photokina in 1956. The mount was a virtually identical, but scaled-up, copy of the mount they had designed for their Praktina 35mm camera a few years earlier. The 2¼" x 2¼" medium format Praktisix entered production in 1957. The mount was later largely (but not exactly) copied for use on the Ukrainian Kiev 66 (which became the Kiev 6C a year later in 1969, and then the Kiev 60 in the late 1980s), the Exakta 66 in the 1980s and 1990s, and was used on aftermarket modified versions of the Kiev 88 starting in the early 1990s (Brenner B.I.G., KievUSA, Hartblei, Arax, Wiese Fototechnik, and others), and finally in the late 1990s was used on the factory-produced Kiev 88CM (or sometimes 88CB). The Praktisix/Pentacon Six, Exakta 66, and Kiev 6X versions of the mount all use a breech-locking knurled ring to secure the lens in the mount. The Kiev 6X has a slightly smaller inner diameter on its ring as compared to the Pentacon Six and Exakta 66 cameras, which can cause mounting troubles with certain lenses and accessories. Also, the slot for the positioning pin is not always as deep on some examples of the Kiev 6X as it was designed to be on the Praktisix, which can prevent certain lenses from seating flush against the inner shoulder of the mount. The various versions of the Kiev 88 that use the mount either have a breech-locking ring (with a leverage tab to grip) or a "twist and lock" bayonet type mount.
The mount is referred to by a variety of different names, including "Pentacon 6", "P-6", "K-6", Kiev Type "Б", or Kiev Type "C". The latter two are particularly confusing because the Ukrainian Kiev factory originally referred to their version of the P-6 type mount with the Cyrillic letter "Б" and their Kiev 88 screw mount with the Cyrillic letter "В". However, the Cyrillic letter "Б" equates to the Latin letter "B", which caused such confusion with the Cyrillic "B" (which equates to the Latin letter "V") that they later began referring to the P-6 type mount with the letter "C" (Some literature suggests that the "C", which if Cyrillic would be equivalent to the Latin letter "S", stands for "Six", as in "Pentacon Six"). Current convention at the Kiev factory is to label their P-6-mount lenses with the letter "C" and Kiev 88 lenses with the letter "B", thus avoiding confusion with the Cyrillic to Latin conversions.
Zavod Arsenal, Kiev: INDUSTAR-29 (ИНДУСТАР-29) — f2.8/80mm
Standard lens for the original Ukrainian Salyut (or Saliut, and usually "cалюm" in Cyrillic lowercase letters) camera. The Salyut, an ersatz copy of the original Hasselblad 1600F, was introduced the same year as the Praktisix, in 1957, and was built through 1972 (the Hasselblad F-series cameras were ironically discontinued that same year in 1957, replaced by the superior and long-lived 500C). The Salyut was the predecessor of the Salyut-S (usually "САЛЮТ·С" in Cyrillic uppercase letters ) and later Kiev80/88 (Cyrillic КИЕВ 80/88), the camera on which the pictured Hartblei 1006M is based. Although the INDUSTAR-29 lens was never produced in P-6 mount, it is shown here with Kiev88 to P-6 mount adaptor because of its camera heritage. When mounted on its native Salyut camera body, this lens uses a semi-automatic aperture, which has to be cocked for each exposure separately from winding the camera. This lens was also sold rebadged as "VITOFLEX".
Meyer-Optik, Görlitz: PRIMOTAR — f3.5/85mm — MAYBE???
The Praktisix, built by the East German firm KW, went into production in 1957. A very rare PRIMOTAR f3.5/85mm version may have been used briefly at the very beginning of the production run, which is listed in some literature but there is no evidence that it was a factory-produced lens for this mount. It is more likely a remounted version of the PRIMOTAR f3.5/85mm used on the postwar Ihagee Exakta 66 (not to be confused with the late model Exakta 66), Primar Reflex II (made by a branch of Meyer Optik), and KW's own Meister Korelle, which they produced just prior to the introduction of the Praktisix (KW stood for several different things over the years, but in 1957 was the short name of VEB Kamera-Werke Niedersedlitz). It may have been produced just as a "mock up" lens to pair with the new camera for press releases prior to the camera's formal introduction and final lens development. (Note that this picture is only a simulation of what this lens may have looked like).
Meyer-Optik, Görlitz: PRIMOTAR E — f3.5/80mm
This was the first officially recognized standard lens for the Praktisix. It was only issued during the first year or two of production. This lens is unusual among the "standard" lenses because it can operate in either automatic or stop-down manual mode.
Carl Zeiss, Jena: TESSAR — f2.8/80mm
(4 elements/3 groups)
Faster than the Primotar E by half a stop, and furthermore carrying the Zeiss name, this was an optional upgrade standard lens on early Praktisix cameras. Like the Primotar E, it was only available during the first year or two of Praktisix production. At the time, Zeiss Oberkochen (West Germany) also produced a Zeiss Tessar, which they were in the process of phasing out in favor of the new Zeiss Planar lens. Although the core Tessar and Planar designs had both originated in the nineteenth century, it wasn't until advances in lens coatings in the 1950s, which reduced internal flare, allowed lenses with more elements to be built on an economical scale. Thus the four element Tessar (both East and West) was replaced by the new five element design, named the Planar in the West and the Biometar in the East (Zeiss Jena at that time had begun to lose the rights to use many Zeiss names). Both the Meyer 3.5/80mm and the Zeiss Tessar 2.8/80mm were dropped in favor of the Biometar 2.8/80mm.
Carl Zeiss, Jena: BIOMETAR — f2.8/80mm
(5 elements/4 groups)
Standard lens for later Praktisix and all Pentacon Six cameras (Styles 1 through 4), and optional on the Exakta 66 (Style 5 only), which went through at least five entirely different styles of finish during its 30+ years of production, as shown below. Also shown are two interim styles produced during the transition from the first (aluminum barrel and leatherette focus ring) to second (black barrel and nubbly focus grip) styles. The two variations of the fourth style show the first iteration (chrome front edge of focus ring) that was used from 1976 through the late '80s, and last style (all black with different font on label ring) which was used only during the last years of production. Note that the second Style 4 lens shown here is in the serial number range 42,000 to 48,000, which were produced just months before the collapse of the communist system in East Germany, and used a recalculated lens formula (from 1979) as compared to all other Biometars produced from the late 1950's through 1990 (lens formula calculated in 1956). The last lens shown was an optional lens for Exakta 66 later models as a cheaper alternative to the Xenotar MF (below), and is sometimes referred to as "BIOMETAR III".
Incidentally, all of the Carl Zeiss Jena lenses for the Pentacon Six followed the same pattern of style progression as the Biometar 80mm shown below, except for Style 5. This includes the Flektogon f4/50mm, Flektogon f2.8/65mm (up through "Zebra" only), the Biometar f2.8/120mm, the Sonnar f2.8/180mm, and the Sonnar f4/300mm.
As a personal note, the first Style 4 Biometar shown here is my "standard" standard lens on the Hartblei, used for everyday shooting. The results obtained with this lens are superb. Also, the Style 1 Biometar below has been multi-coated by ARAX at the Kiev Arsenal factory, which accounts for the color of the coating that can be seen in the photo below. Original Style 1 Biometars were only single-coated.
Style 1 - Leatherette focus grip and polished aluminum barrel - circa 1959 to 1962
"Mixed" styles - Mix of Style 1 and Style 2 components
These lenses above show style elements of both "Biometar 1" and "Biometar 2", possibly built during the transition between the first and second styles, or possibly assembled with leftover parts from the first style after the second style had been put into full production. As with most Eastern Bloc production, making quotas was more important than consistent stylistic details, so if a particular part was in short supply it would not be unusual to use out-of-date parts to assemble new products.
Style 2 - Nubbly focus grip and black enamel barrel - circa 1962 to 1967
Style 3 - "Zebra" - circa 1967 to 1976
Style 4 - Modern all-black - circa 1976 to 1990
Two sub-styles, first has chrome front edge, second is totally black and new font.
Second sub-style only used for last year of production.
Style 5 - Exakta 66 - circa 1991
Zavod Arsenal, Kiev: VEGA-12B (ВЕГА-12Б) — f2.8/90mm
(5 elements/4 groups)
Introduced in 1968 with the short-lived Kiev 66, this became the standard lens on the Kiev 6C from 1969 to about 1985, as well as the Salyut-S starting in 1972, and the Kiev 80 starting in 1975. This lens is the perfect example of the confusion caused by the early Arsenal lens mount naming conventions, because the lens was sold in versions with Cyrillic as well as versions with Latin labeling, and in both P-6 as well as Kiev 88 mounts. Although the lens name (VEGA) appeared in either Cyrillic or Latin lettering, the lens mount identifier was always in Cyrillic. Thus you will find P-6 mount lenses labeled "ВЕГА-12Б" (fully Cyrillic) as well as "VEGA-12Б" (mixed Latin and Cyrillic), and K88 screw mount lenses labeled "ВЕГА-12B" (fully Cyrillic) as well as "VEGA-12B" (this is actually mixed Cyrillic and Latin). To make matters more confusing, when the P-6 versions of these lenses are sold in Western venues they are almost invariably referred to as "VEGA-12B", the fully Latin conversion of "ВЕГА-12Б", obviously creating confusion with the lenses marked "VEGA-12B" that are actually K88 screw mount. All of these naming rules are of course to be taken with a grain of salt—since production consistency and attention to detail have never been closely associated with manufacturing practices of the former Soviet Union, it is not too hard to find lenses with markings that defy any logic of any kind (for instance, the pictured P-6 mount Vega is marked "ВЕГА-12B").
On a personal note, the Vega-12 is my guilty pleasure, since although it is probably the cheapest available P-6 standard lens, it produces images of outstanding quality that can be as sharp as a good Biometar. The slightly longer focal length suits my personal shooting style better than the more common 80mm focal length for these cameras, and it also close-focuses down to just 0.6 meter, much closer than the 1.0 meter minimum focusing distance of a Biometar, and without suffering from the notorious close-focus light leaks of the later Volnas and Arsats. The lack of a manual stop-down lever, which saves it from the close-focus light leak problem, is however also its Achilles Heel—when mounted on a Kiev 88 based camera like the Hartblei it is impossible to perform a depth-of-field preview before taking your picture, so this lens is better suited for use on Kiev 60 based cameras that have camera-mounted preview levers. All-in-all it's a great lens, if you can get ahold of a properly built example—the lens below has been multicoated by ARAX at the Kiev Arsenal factory, while originally most of these lenses were apparently uncoated.
Zavod Arsenal, Kiev: VOLNA-3 (ВОЛНА-3) — f2.8/80mm
(6 elements/5 groups)
Replaced the VEGA-12 as the standard lens on circa 1985 through mid-1990s Kiev 60s and Kiev 88s. As with all Kiev Arsenal lenses, from the mid-90s on this lens was renamed ARSAT (either B or C), which has entirely different barrel markings compared to the VOLNA-3, but is likely identical optically. Rebadged versions of the ARSAT lens also exist marked as "B.I.G.", "Arax", "Hartblei", "Cambron", "KIEV USA", as well as nameless, unlabeled versions.
Joseph Schneider, Bad Kreuznach: XENOTAR MF — f2.8/80mm
(7 elements)
Standard lens on Exakta 66 Model 1, optional on later models. This top-of-the-line, West German, seven element lens is generally regarded as the sharpest, best performing standard lens in P-6 mount. (I do not know the years of production for this lens, but the first batch would have been built with the introduction of the Exakta 66 circa 1986).
(Joseph Schneider, Bad Kreuznach?) EXAKTA — f2.8/80mm
Another cheaper, optional lens for Exakta 66 later models, along with the Biometar Style 5. Some sources cite this as being optically a Biometar lens built by Schneider Kreuznach. (Years of production unknown to me).
OTHER "STANDARD" P-6 LENSES NOT SHOWN ABOVE:
Zavod Arsenal, Kiev: VEGA-2 — f2.8/86mm
Yes, the 86 mm focal length is correct as marked on the lens (8.6 cm)! Exceedingly rare lens made in the 1960s. Some literature lists this lens as the standard lens for the early cameras built for the Soyuz space program, although photos of those cameras appear to have early versions of the VEGA-12 attached. In photos that I have seen that are definitely the VEGA-2 lens (unfortunately not attached to a camera), the barrel and mount appear to be nearly identical to the Industar-29, which may mean that this lens was only produced in Salyut mount.
Heinz Kilfitt / Zoomar, München: MAKRO-KILAR — f2.8/90mm
Specialty aftermarket lens made from approximately 1960 through the mid 1980s for macro photography enthusiasts in a variety of mounts, including P-6. Had a built-in collapsible macro extension tube. Not issued as original equipment for any Pentacon/Kiev/Exakta 66 cameras. The story of Mr. Kilfitt and his obsession with lens quality is legend in the photographic world, and well worth the effort of researching and reading about, but beyond the scope of this webpage. Lenses up to 1968 were built under the name "Kilfitt", then when Heinz Kilfitt retired he sold the company to an employee, who subsequently sold the same lenses under the name brand "Zoomar". Kilfitt-branded lens barrels were typically finished in matte chrome, while Zoomar lenses were made with an all-black finish.
Joseph Schneider, Kreuznach: XENOTAR E — f2.8/80mm
Some sources cite this as being a rebadged EXAKTA f2.8/80mm. Some may only be labeled "XENOTAR" without the "E". With its deeply recessed front element, this lens appears to be nearly identical to the Exakta 66 version of the Biometar. Most likely an attempt to capitalize on the highly-regarded "Xenotar" lens moniker, but with a cheaper lens construction than the XENOTAR MF. Relatively rare compared to other Exakta 66 standard lenses.
Carl Zeiss, Jena: BIOMETAR prototype — f4/85mm
Extremely rare, included in this list simply for completeness of data even though it was just a prototype lens. According to documentation approximately 36 of these lenses were produced in 1979 and 1980, based on a recalculated Biometar formula from 1977.