{"id":38813,"date":"2023-06-28T00:12:45","date_gmt":"2023-06-27T23:12:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/?p=38813"},"modified":"2026-01-14T08:30:14","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T07:30:14","slug":"meyer-optik-gorlitz-domiplan-50mm-f-2-8","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/meyer-optik-gorlitz-domiplan-50mm-f-2-8\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Meyer-Optik G\u00f6rlitz Domiplan 50mm 2.8"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction<\/span><\/h2>\n
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Meyer-Optik G\u00f6rlitz Domiplan (Black Version) on Nikon Z6<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Meyer-Optik G\u00f6rlitz <\/span>Domiplan<\/b> is a very small and compact lens, a classical anastigmatic triplet lens. It was the standard kit lens on EXA II cameras but was also sold as kit with many EXA I & Praktica cameras. <\/span>Opinions on the Domiplan are very different. Some love it for its sharpness and its bokeh, especially its so-called “Soap Bubble” bokeh, others think it is nothing more than average in performance.\u00a0<\/span>In the manufacturer’s brochure of this lens from 1960 you can read:<\/span><\/p>\n

“With our new Domiplan 2.8\/50 mm we have combined the advantages of the modern lens mount and the fully automatic pressure diaphragm with an extremely inexpensive three-lens construction<\/span>.<\/em>”<\/p>\n

I’ll come back to “the fully automatic pressure diaphragm<\/em>” later in the review.\u00a0Also as the first point in a features list in the same brochure you can read:<\/p>\n

” – Inexpensive<\/span> three-lens anastigmat of the proven triplet type”<\/em><\/p>\n

The underlining is done by me, not in the original text. So it should be clear that we are dealing with a cheap and simple lens. Just to have our expectations at somewhat right levels. Do not despair though! It can produce very nice pictures and is quite cheap too.\u00a0 Continue reading and it might be the next lens you invest in after all. Let’s have a closer look!<\/span><\/p>\n

Sample Images<\/span><\/h2>\n
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Nikon Z6 | Meyer-Optik G\u00f6rlitz Domiplan 50\/2.8 | f\/2.8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Nikon Z6 | Meyer-Optik G\u00f6rlitz Domiplan 50\/2.8 | f\/2.8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Nikon D7200 | Meyer-Optik G\u00f6rlitz Domiplan 50\/2.8 | f\/2.8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/p>\n

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Nikon Z6 | Meyer-Optik G\u00f6rlitz Domiplan 50\/2.8 | f\/2.8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Nikon Z6 | Meyer-Optik G\u00f6rlitz Domiplan 50\/2.8 | f\/2.8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Most of the sample images in this review and many more can be found in higher resolution here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Specifications<\/span><\/h2>\n

Focal Length: 50mm<\/span>
\n<\/span>Aperture Range: 2.8 – 22<\/span>
\n<\/span>Number of Aperture Blades: 6<\/span>
\n<\/span>Min Focus: 0.75m
\n<\/span>Filter Size: 49 mm<\/span>
\n<\/span>Lens Mount: EXA I, EXA II, Exakta, Praktica, Pentacon, M42<\/span>
\n<\/span>Weight: 135g<\/span>
\n<\/span>Length: 40mm<\/span>
\n<\/span>Elements\/Group: 3\/3
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\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Variations<\/span><\/h2>\n

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The earlier and most widespread versions of this lens is the so-called \u201czebra\u201d version with silver\/black checkered grip rings for aperture and focus. The zebra version came in two variants one with a lever at the base of the lens and the other without one. The latest version is all black. Although the black version is newer, all versions are identical in regards to optical construction and should have the same optical performance. I have used both the checkered and the all black version for this review, both of them with M42 mount.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Meyer-Optik G\u00f6rlitz Domiplan (Zebra Version) on Nikon Z6<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Handling<\/span><\/h2>\n

The lens is very small and light and feels cheap in terms of build quality and material used. It was meant to be cheap from the beginning though. The B&W checkered version is all metal though. It is known that the lens has problems with its aperture mechanism as it is prone to breaking, probably due to the cheap materials used inside the lens. I am normally very fond of small lenses but in this case it has made the lens too fiddly to use. <\/span>The focusing ring is too narrow and too close to the aperture ring, which makes the operation somewhat difficult but has good resistance\/feel with good grip on the all black version.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The optical composition of the lens is a Cooke Triplet designed in 1893 by Dennis Taylor in the UK. It is a three glass elements in three groups design, the same optical design as the several times more expensive Meyer-Optik G\u00f6rlitz Trioplan.<\/span><\/p>\n

Aperture ring is marked from 2.8 to 22 and stop clicks both at full-and half f-stops. Apropos aperture settings, let’s talk about this “fully automatic pressure diaphragm<\/em>” feature. There is a stop-down pin on the rear of the lens that stands out of the plate in its normal position. On EXA\/Praktica cameras this pin was depressed when you pushed the shutter release button to close the aperture to the set value. Otherwise the aperture is always wide open irrespective which aperture setting you have chosen on the lens. This would allow you to focus with wide open aperture, which makes the focusing easier then stopped down because the viewfinder image is at its brightest when the aperture is wide open.<\/p>\n

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Stop Down Pin on the Rear of Domiplan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Fortunately the adapter that I have for my mirrorless camera pushes this pin all the way in and holds it there, that closes the aperture to the set value at all times and I don’t need to worry about it, otherwise all the pictures would be taken at f\/2.8 no matter what I have set on the lens.<\/p>\n

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Domiplan with the M42 to Nikon Z Adapter<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Optical Features<\/span><\/h2>\n

Sharpness (infinity)<\/span><\/h3>\n

Let’s look at the sharpness and three points in the frame as marked in the image below!<\/p>\n

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Nikon Z6 | Meyer-Optik G\u00f6rlitz Domiplan 2.8\/50 | Infinity Sharpness Chart Scene<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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LR Settings Used for Images in the Sharpness Chart<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Nikon Z6 | Meyer-Optik G\u00f6rtlitz Domiplan 2.8\/50 | Infinity Sharpness Chart<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sharpness in the center of the image is just OK\/usable at f\/2.8. At f\/4 it is good and from f\/5.6 and smaller the center sharpness is very good. Midframe is not so good at larger apertures and needs to be stopped down to f\/5.6 for OK and to f\/8 for good sharpness and to f\/11 for very good. Corners are just bad, first stopped down at f\/11 they are just OK, which looks to be the sweet spot for across the frame sharpness. At f\/16 it still looks OK across the frame while diffraction effect starts showing, at f\/22 diffraction effects decrease overall sharpness a tad.<\/span><\/p>\n

The contrast is low at all f-stops.<\/p>\n

It doesn’t look to be an optimal lens for landscape photography,\u00a0 So let’s look at the portrait and closeup sharpness.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sharpness (Portrait)<\/span><\/h3>\n

For portrait photography we look at the sharpness in the image center, inner center circle and outer center circle on either side of the third rule intersection.<\/p>\n

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