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Pentacon Six mount

Pentacon Six mount is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Pentacon Six mount rather than just read about it. In short: The Pentacon Six mount (commonly abbreviated to P6, or Б in Cyrillic) is a breech-lock bayonet lens mount originally used by several medium format single-lens reflex cameras from East Germany. The lens mount was originally designed by Carl Zeiss Jena and Kamera Werkstätten (KW) for the Praktisix camera.

Pentacon Six mount — main illustration
Pentacon Six mount — illustration

Key takeaways

  • Pentacon Six mount belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Pentacon Six mount to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Pentacon Six mount from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Pentacon Six mount (commonly abbreviated to P6, or Б in Cyrillic) is a breech-lock bayonet lens mount originally used by several medium format single-lens reflex cameras from East Germany. The lens mount was originally designed by Carl Zeiss Jena and Kamera Werkstätten (KW) for the Praktisix camera. KW later merged with several other companies to become VEB Pentacon; the Praktisix was improved and renamed the Pentacon Six. This camera was manufactured for a much longer time (almost 40 years) and exported widely; hence the lens mount became associated most with the Pentacon Six name, rather than the original Praktisix.

Variants

Original The P6 mount is a simple bayonet mount. It has three short tabs on the lens; they are identical and correct orientation is assured by the placement of a post in front of the "top" tab. A pin holds the diaphragm open for fully open metering and focusing; this pin is released before the shutter is opened. The flange focal distance of mount is 74.1 mm. The lens is inserted into the front of the camera and is held in place by a rotating collar. This variant is seen on the Praktisix, Pentacon Six, Kiev 6C and Kiev 60.

Exakta 66 The Exakta 66 added a TTL metered prism coupled to the shutter speed dial on the camera body and the aperture ring on the lens. It does this by projecting slightly over the front of the camera, allowing a rotating cam on the specially designed Schneider lenses to tell it what aperture setting was selected. And for lenses with a maximum aperture other than f/2.8, a separate pin projects from the lens to the prism to tell it the maximum aperture.

Kiev 88 modifications The Kiev 88 is essentially a clone of the first Hasselblad - the 1600F/1000F. Like the Hasselblad, it has a threaded lens mount and Kiev-Arsenal manufactured its lens range in both the Pentacon Six mount (for the Kiev 60) and the Kiev 88 screw mount. However, there was interest in using Pentacon Six mount lenses from Carl Zeiss Jena and others on this camera (nicknamed the Hasselbladski). Thus various third parties worked to machine a P6-compatible lens mount into the Kiev 88. A major issue is the fact that the Kiev 88 has a greater flange focal distance than the Pentacon Six, requiring the lens to be recessed into the front of the modified Kiev 88. This causes physical clearance issues with some lenses, particularly the Exakta 66 lenses with a cam and possibly a pin for coupling the lens to a TTL prism. A consequence of these early modifications is that the lens mount became twist-lock instead of breach-lock; the lens is inserted and turned.

Kiev 88СМ The Kiev 88СМ is a later version of the Kiev 88 manufactured with a P6 mount from the factory. Like the earlier Kiev 88 modifications, the lens is recessed in the front of the camera body. However it returns to the breach-lock origins of the mount. It has an "internal collar" that is turned by a tab accessible from the front of the camera.

Cameras From KW/Pentacon:

Praktisix Pentacon Six From Exakta GmbH:

Exakta 66 From Kiev-Arsenal:

Kiev 6C Kiev 60 Modified Kiev 88's Kiev 88С Kiev 88СМ ARAX Hartblei Adaptors are also available. They allow the use of P6 lenses on Mamiya 645, Pentax 645 and Contax 645 medium format cameras, Canon EF, Canon FD, Nikon F, Minolta AF, Minolta MD, Contax/Yashica, Pentax K, M42, and Leica R 35 mm cameras, as well as Lumix and Olympus micro 4/3 (m4/3), 4/3 system. There are also tilt and shift adaptors for most of the 35 mm lens mounts, making use of the larger imaging circle to allow control over perspective or focus.

Lenses

References

External links Praktisix Story by Coopiecat JAPAN Specifications of Kiev/Arsat/Arsenal/Arax lenses

Illustrations

Pentacon Six mount: Pentacon six lens and lens adapter
Pentacon six lens and lens adapter

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Pentacon Six mount

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Pentacon Six mount claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Pentacon Six mount before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Pentacon Six mount ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Pentacon Six mount

In research
Pentacon Six mount appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Pentacon Six mount in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Pentacon Six mount is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Lens mounts, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Pentacon Six mount outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.
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How to study Pentacon Six mount in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Pentacon Six mount means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Pentacon Six mount out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Pentacon Six mount in simple terms?

The Pentacon Six mount (commonly abbreviated to P6, or Б in Cyrillic) is a breech-lock bayonet lens mount originally used by several medium format single-lens reflex cameras from East Germany. The lens mount was originally designed by Carl Zeiss Jena and Kamera Werkstätten (KW) for the Praktisix ca…

Why does Pentacon Six mount matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Pentacon Six mount?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Pentacon Six mount.

Tags

  • Lens mounts

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