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Production
1952 – 1964
Country
Germany
Optical
3 elements in 3 groups (Cooke triplet derivative)
Updated
Jul 18, 2026
Meyer-Optik Trioplan 100mm f/2.8
M42 · 100mm · f/2.8
Compiled from 3 real reviews · AI-assisted · accuracy-checked · Updated 18 Jul 2026
Overview
The Meyer-Optik Görlitz Trioplan 100mm f/2.8 is one of the most polarizing lenses ever made, and it owes its entire legend to a single optical flaw. Its design dates back to the 1930s, when the German company Meyer built a lens on the Cooke triplet concept — the first optical formula that allowed correction of most aberrations at the edges of the frame using just three elements in three groups. In its day, a 100mm lens at f/2.8 was considered a genuinely fast telephoto. The formula survived for decades; the last classic version, the Trioplan N, arrived in 1960 as a totally revised design with an upgraded black body, an automatic diaphragm mechanism, and a high-index glass element that improved optical performance over earlier models — though the core three-element formula remained unchanged. In classic lens circles it is simply known as the 'bubble bokeh' lens, and it carries true cult status: loved and loathed in equal measure. That cult became a speculative bubble of its own — copies that sold for around £130 in the early 2010s were fetching £300–£600 on the used market by 2016, with reviewers openly calling it 'overhyped' and its prices 'absolutely crazy.' The mania grew so intense that the Meyer Optik Görlitz brand was revived (eventually under OPC Optics) to reissue the lens as the Trioplan II, including limited titanium-grey runs of 100 pieces at a €1000 premium and a gold-leaf edition of just 10 pieces at €3499 that sold out immediately. People love it because nothing else renders out-of-focus highlights the way a triplet with uncorrected spherical aberration does — the pictures, as one reviewer put it, have 'that certain indefinable something' that turned an obsolete formula into a legend.
Verdict: Buy this lens if you want a look, not a measurement. No modern 100mm — with its aspherical elements, ED glass, and computer-corrected perfection — will give you backgrounds that erupt into hard-edged discs of floating light, nor the gentle, low-contrast, Biotar-flavored color that holds the in-focus plane together. That is the entire argument: you are buying a specific, unreproducible rendering that has been cult-famous for decades, plus the bonus of a genuinely smooth, calm bokeh from f/4 onward when you need restraint. Do not buy it if you prioritize sharpness, contrast, or flare resistance — modern lenses beat it on every technical metric, and high-resolution sensors only widen the gap. Do not buy it if busy, attention-stealing backgrounds irritate you, because the bubbles are not a garnish; they are the main course and they will fight your subject for the viewer's eye. And do not buy it at hype-inflated prices without verifying condition — this is one of the most overhyped lenses in the classic market. It is for the portrait and walkabout photographer who shoots slowly, chases backlight, and believes the out-of-focus parts of a frame deserve as much character as the sharp ones.
Optical Character
Bokeh
Famous for its distinct 'soap bubble' bokeh, where out-of-focus highlights render as strongly outlined discs, an effect caused by the triplet formula's residual spherical aberration.
Color
Characterful and slightly vintage, with one reviewer comparing it favorably to older Zeiss Biotar lenses.
Sharpness wide open
Soft wide open, which is considered part of its character, but it sharpens up meaningfully when stopped down.
Flare resistance
Poor flare resistance, prone to severe veiling flare that washes out the frame when strong light hits the front element.
Contrast
Notably low global contrast, which is a defining trait and can make manual focusing difficult.
Vignetting
Heavy when wide open.
Community Insights
What people love
- The soap bubble bokeh at f/2.8 — strongly outlined, overlapping discs of light that no modern corrected lens produces; one reviewer called it 'the most beautiful bokeh ever' and fell for it more with every frame
- The color rendering, compared favorably to older Zeiss Biotar lenses — a characterful palette that reviewers drooled over alongside the bokeh
- The dual personality: wild outlined bubbles wide open, then genuinely smooth, calm backgrounds from f/4 — two lenses' worth of bokeh character in one aperture ring
- The complete vintage package of low contrast and soft rendering that gives portraits a gentle, forgiving, unmistakably analog mood
- The tactile shooting experience — a long, buttery 330-degree focus throw and a full metal body that reviewers described as a pleasure to handle
- Its cult legend: a 1930s Cooke-triplet-derived formula that survived the decades and became one of the most recognizable looks in classic lens photography
What people dislike
- The same bubble bokeh is the main complaint — detractors find the hard-outlined backgrounds distracting, constantly pulling the viewer's attention away from the subject and into the backdrop
- Terrible flare resistance — veiling flare floods the frame in backlight, forcing you to shield the front element with your hand precisely when chasing the bubble effect
- Very low contrast makes manual focusing genuinely hard; the focus point never snaps in decisively, and several reviewers flagged it as difficult to focus
- Hyped-to-insanity pricing on the used market — copies that cost £130 in the early 2010s ballooned to £300–£600, with reviewers openly calling the lens overhyped
- Delicate-feeling thin aluminium barrel that demands more careful handling than typical 1970s SLR lenses
- The token 15mm ring hood that protects against knocks but does almost nothing to shield the front element from stray light
- Soft, low-contrast performance wide open that high-resolution sensors expose mercilessly
Pro Tips
- Shoot it wide open at f/2.8 — that is what you bought it for. The soap bubbles only appear at full aperture; by f/4 the outlining vanishes and you are left with a merely pleasant, smooth short telephoto
- Hunt for backlit specular highlights: sun through leaves, water sparkle, distant lights, dewy grass. The bubbles need point light sources in the out-of-focus zone to materialize — flat backgrounds give you nothing
- Carry the discipline to shield the front element with your hand whenever the sun is near the frame — veiling flare will wash out your contrast, and the shallow stock hood is nearly useless against it
- Embrace the low contrast when focusing: rock slowly through the focus point and watch for the tonal relationships to settle rather than waiting for a crisp snap that never comes. Stopping down a click or two makes focus visibly easier
- Use f/4 deliberately as your second lens — when the subject needs a quiet, creamy background instead of the bubble chaos, the transformation at f/4 is dramatic enough to feel like swapping glass
- Keep your subject well separated from the background; the outlined bubbles are aggressive and will swallow a subject that sits too close to a busy backdrop
- Lean into the flare when it suits the mood — the same veiling glare that ruins a clinical shot becomes a dreamy, glowing wash if you compose for it intentionally
Compatible Adapters
Real adapters from our shop that fit this lens mount.
Standard · ฿325 · In stock
Standard · ฿325 · In stock
Standard · ฿325 · In stock
Standard · ฿325 · In stock
Standard · ฿540 · In stock
Standard · ฿540 · In stock
Standard · ฿540 · In stock
Standard · ฿540 · In stock
Standard · ฿540 · In stock
Standard · ฿1,250 · In stock
Standard · ฿890 · Out of stock
Standard · ฿890 · Out of stock
Sources (3)
fstoppers.com
Web research
Buy this lens if you want a look, not a measurement. No modern 100mm — with its aspherical elements, ED glass, and computer-corrected perfection — will give you backgrounds that erupt into hard-edged discs of floating light, nor the gentle, low-contrast, Biotar-flavored color that holds the in-focus plane together. That is the entire argument: you are buying a specific, unreproducible rendering that has been cult-famous for decades, plus the bonus of a genuinely smooth, calm bokeh from f/4 onward when you need restraint. Do not buy it if you prioritize sharpness, contrast, or flare resistance — modern lenses beat it on every technical metric, and high-resolution sensors only widen the gap. Do not buy it if busy, attention-stealing backgrounds irritate you, because the bubbles are not a garnish; they are the main course and they will fight your subject for the viewer's eye. And do not buy it at hype-inflated prices without verifying condition — this is one of the most overhyped lenses in the classic market. It is for the portrait and walkabout photographer who shoots slowly, chases backlight, and believes the out-of-focus parts of a frame deserve as much character as the sharp ones.
https://www.35mmc.com/09/11/2020/meyer-optik-gorlitz-100mm-trioplan-ii-review/https://phillipreeve.net/blog/meyer-trioplan-100mm-28-review-sony-a7/https://www.thephoblographer.com/2020/11/16/meyer-optik-trioplan-100mm-ii-review/https://fujilove.com/the-legend-and-the-bubble-bokeh-review-of-the-meyer-optik-goerlitz-trioplan-100mm-f2-8/
Curated heritage archive
A lens with one trick — but it's a great trick. The Trioplan 100mm bubble bokeh is unique in photography. If you want that ethereal, soap-bubble background, nothing else delivers. Just know what you're buying: an artistic specialty tool, not an all-rounder.