The Final Results...

Well, I have decided that this Pentacon 50mm ƒ/1.8 lens is going to be the last M42 50mm lens I ever buy.  I don't even see the need to get a 50mm ƒ/1.4, because this lens is that good.  Originally called a Meyer Optic Oreston 50mm, you can get the idea that it is a damn good lens.  Some have said it's far too clinical, cold, and unyielding.  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?  This is probably one of the best lenses I have ever used next to a Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 50mm ƒ/2.8.  The Sharpness of a Tessar is fantastic, and probably, albeit barely, one of the sharpest lenses you can ever buy.  There's a reason why Hassleblad only uses Zeiss glass.
But at the same time, the Meyer/Pentacon lens is similar to the Pancolor lens, at least in design. 
I've put this lens through it paces, from shooting B&W film, digital, and now colour consumer film, I must say that it has performed beyond my expectations.  Without knowing how well it would work, I didn't have very high hopes for it, and bought it to actually increase the value of a Praktica camera I was intending on selling.  I was even more dismayed when the lens arrived, in pieces.  The centre stack was separated from the barrel, the glass was full of haze, and fungus.  I was quite upset, and let the seller know that the lens arrived in far worse shape than they said it would.  Thankfully I was able to put the lens back together, and got it to focus at infinity and close focusing as well.  Needless to say, after the harsh email I sent to the seller, they refunded the entire purchase, allowing me to keep the lens.  I was still very far from impressed, but at least I got the lens for nothing.. monetarily..  Mind  you, had I had to send this lens out for repair, I probably would have spent far more on the repair than on the amount I spent to buy it! 
Well I took the final steps and took the lens apart. Element by element... and cleaned it fully.  From a simple purchase, that would have cost roughly $40.00 (including shipping) to a near full lens refurbishing, that probably would cost near $200.00 at a repair shop.  It was NOT a cheap purchase, but thankfully by doing the repair and cleaning myself, it has flipped the lens and made it a very worth while purchase.
Above image of the street was taken on this lens prior to the cleaning of the elements, and honestly, I was not impressed with it after I took that image.  It left me rather saddened to think I picked this lens up, and that it was producing some mediocre results, at best.  Image to the left, well, that's the image quality after the cleaning and full refurbishing of this lens.  Just incredible!  My first image was in B&W of an Emu that I took early in April, which the sharpness of the image just blew me away.
On that note I would highly encourage anyone with the chance to pick up one of these phenomenal lenses.

Keep those shutters firing!

Cheers