{"overview":"The Meyer-Optik Görlitz Trioplan 100mm f\/2.8 is a short telephoto lens built around the classic three-element Cooke triplet formula, supplied here in M42 screw mount for use on mid-century SLRs. Produced by the East German optical works at Görlitz, it was intended as a portrait and medium-tele lens and has become known today for the distinctive 'soap bubble' bokeh its simple optical design produces on specular highlights.","market_narrative":"At recent UK auction, hammer prices for the M42 Trioplan 100mm f\/2.8 have been modest, with a 2023 sale at £62 and a February 2026 result of £81, giving a two-sale median of around £71. With only a pair of saleroom records to reference, this is a thin dataset, and what a clean M42 Trioplan is worth in 2026 can swing with cosmetic condition and glass clarity; the reissued modern Trioplans and the earlier pre-war variants sit in very different markets and should not be conflated with these screw-mount results.","buying_guide":"Because the Trioplan uses only three elements in two groups, any fungus, haze or cleaning marks on the front or rear surfaces shows up quickly in images, so inspect the glass with a torch from both sides. Check the 15-blade preset aperture for oil migration and confirm both the preset ring and the working aperture ring turn cleanly, and test the long focus throw for stiffness or sticky helicoid grease, which is common on examples that have sat unused for decades. Confirm the M42 thread is undamaged and that the lens is the screw-mount version rather than an Exakta or later rehoused copy, as mount type materially affects price.","specs":"The listed configuration is a 100mm f\/2.8 short telephoto in M42 screw mount; no further specification data was supplied for this page.","faq":[{"q":"How much does a Meyer-Optik Görlitz Trioplan 100mm f\/2.8 M42 sell for at UK auction?","a":"Recorded hammer prices sit between £62 and £81, based on two UK saleroom results from 2023 and 2026."},{"q":"What is a Trioplan 100mm f\/2.8 in M42 mount worth today?","a":"On the current evidence the value of a usable M42 Trioplan 100mm is broadly in the £60 to £80 range at auction, with cleaner copies pushing toward the upper end."},{"q":"Why is the Trioplan 100mm collectable?","a":"The three-element triplet design renders out-of-focus highlights as sharply defined circles, the 'soap bubble bokeh' effect that drives most of the current buyer interest in the lens."},{"q":"Is the M42 version the same price as the reissued modern Trioplan?","a":"No — the sales figures here relate only to the vintage East German M42 screw-mount lens, and the modern reissued Trioplan trades in a separate and much higher price bracket."}],"confidence":35,"reasoning":"Only two unverified auction records and no SPECS or variant data were provided, so pricing commentary is directional rather than statistically robust."}

{"overview":"The Meyer-Optik Görlitz Trioplan 210mm f\/3.5 is a long-focus three-element triplet lens from the East German maker, designed for medium and large format use where its simple optical formula and longer focal length suit portraiture and distance work. It belongs to the Trioplan family, a line whose name has become closely associated with distinctive out-of-focus rendering often nicknamed the \"bubble bokeh\" lens.","market_narrative":"Hammer prices at UK auction for the 210mm f\/3.5 Trioplan are thinly traded, with the only verified result in our records being £180 in November 2025 — a wholesale saleroom level, not a retail asking price. With a single data point, what a 210mm Trioplan is worth today sits around that figure for a usable copy, though clean examples in original presentation can sell for more when condition and completeness are exceptional. Buyers tracking the price of this lens should treat the £180 figure as a starting reference rather than a firm market median.","buying_guide":"Inspect the elements carefully for fungus, haze and cleaning marks, all common on Meyer-Optik glass of this era, and check the front and rear coatings for scratches. Work the aperture through its full range looking for oil on the blades and sluggish action, and turn the focus helicoid end to end to confirm it is smooth rather than stiff or sticky. Check edges for any sign of separation or balsam haze between cemented elements, and confirm the mount and any adapters match your intended camera system.","specs":"Listed as a 210mm f\/3.5 Trioplan; no further specifications, mount details, weight or production data are provided in the source record, so other figures are omitted.","faq":[{"q":"What is a Meyer-Optik Görlitz 210mm f\/3.5 Trioplan worth today?","a":"On the limited UK auction evidence available, a usable example sells for around £180 at hammer, based on a single verified 2025 result; cleaner copies with original cases or hoods can achieve more."},{"q":"How much does a 210mm Trioplan sell for at UK auction?","a":"The one recorded hammer price in our data is £180 from November 2025, so the current value sits near that level until further sales build a fuller picture."},{"q":"Why is the Trioplan name collectible?","a":"The Trioplan series is widely known for its distinctive out-of-focus rendering, often called bubble bokeh, which keeps demand for the family broadly steady even though the 210mm focal length is less commonly traded than shorter Trioplans."},{"q":"What should I check before buying one?","a":"Look for fungus, haze, coating scratches, oil on the aperture blades, smooth focus action and any signs of element separation, as these are the typical faults on vintage Meyer-Optik lenses."}],"confidence":35,"reasoning":"Only one verified sale and no SPECS or variant data, so confidence is capped well below 50 per rule 8."}