Prinz — budget Japanese preset telephoto lens, Dixons own-brand, T2/M42/Pentax K fit
The Galaxy 200mm f/4.5 extended Dixons' Prinz-branded telephoto range in the 1970s. Like its siblings it is a preset-aperture design on a shared T-mount platform also supplied to lenses sold under names such as Soligor and Optomax, marketed as an affordable step up for existing SLR owners.
The lens has a T2 rear thread carrying interchangeable adapters, most often a dedicated M42 screw mount, with Pentax K bayonet fits also documented. Filter thread is 52mm, and surviving examples typically weigh around 230g. Aperture presets from f/4.5 to f/22 with a long focus throw and a minimum focus of several metres.
Testers describe generally sharp, well-corrected images once stopped down, aided by the long focus throw for fine manual adjustment at distance. Wide open the rendering softens and contrast drops, and the plain iris gives unremarkable rather than distinctive out-of-focus backgrounds.
Copies are common and cheap on the UK used market, roughly £10 to £30 depending on condition. Check for haze or separation in the rear group, smooth but firm preset-ring action, and a securely seated M42 or Pentax K adapter, since these can work loose with age.