[porterHause]

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Anybody recognize that lens? Or is this dude selling the lens on crack and misreading 1:2/55?

[Ira]

Yep. It's been known to happen.

1:1.2 are scarcer than hen's teeth, and cost a king's ransom.

[Adam]

Was there even a 55 F1.2 version made?

[porterHause]

I don't see it listed anywhere, but I do see a couple of mentions of it on the internet. Makes me curious. I emailed the guy, who's asking $200 for a bunch of camera gear including:

Tokina lens 80-200mm 1:4
Asanuma Auto-Zoom lens f= 35-105mm lens 1:3.5
Vivitar Macro Focusing Zoom 28-85mm 1:3.5-4.5

Hope he doesn't think I'm rude for asking for clarification about the 1.2/55 vs. 1:2/55. I'll let you guys know if he gets back to me.

[porterHause]

Takumar 1:2. Bummer.

[gofour3]

Anybody recognize that lens? Or is this dude selling the lens on crack and misreading 1:2/55?

The first Pentax f1.2 lens was the K50/1.2 released in 1975.

Phil.

[Blue]

Was there even a 55 F1.2 version made?

No, Asahi never did. Tomioka and later Yashica made an m42 55mm f1.2 that brings as much or more than the K 50mm f1.2. There was also a Mamiya version of that 55mm. The fastest Tak is the Super Tak, S-M-C, and SMC 50mm f1.4.

[Ira]

No, Asahi never did. Tomioka and later Yashica made an m42 55mm f1.2 that brings as much or more than the K 50mm f1.2. There was also a Mamiya version of that 55mm. The fastest Tak is the Super Tak, S-M-C, and SMC 50mm f1.4.

I had the Mamiya-Sekor 1000DTL with a 1.4 in 1972, 1973 or so while I was in high school. The 1.2 was available with the body for maybe $50, $75 more than I paid for the 1.4. Don't remember, but those extra bucks must have been a big extra hunk of change back then.

It's amazing how the 1.2s simply didn't survive the passage of time. For both Mamiya AND Pentax.

It must be that the premium price really made a difference in sales, and they didn't produce very many at all.

[Ira]

The first Pentax f1.2 lens was the K50/1.2 released in 1975.

Phil.

That's interesting, because like I said above, Mamiya (M42) had a 1.2 at the latest in 1973.

But this is going by memory, and if you remember that era at ALL, things got a little foggy for those of us in high school.

[hangu]

No, Asahi never did. Tomioka and later Yashica made an m42 55mm f1.2 that brings as much or more than the K 50mm f1.2.

I'm interested in hearing more about that. Is it really better than the K50 1.2?

[Digitalis]

nikkor also made a 55mm f/1.2 unfortunately it wasn't anywhere near as good as the classic Noct nikkor 58mm f/1.2 - only 12,000 of those were ever made due to a hand ground aspherical element. they fetch prices upwards of $2000US these days.

[gofour3]

That's interesting, because like I said above, Mamiya (M42) had a 1.2 at the latest in 1973.

But this is going by memory, and if you remember that era at ALL, things got a little foggy for those of us in high school.

Yep could be I'm not sure about other manufactures lenses back then, I got into Pentax in late 1975 when I bough my first SLR the KX and a K55/1.8. There was no way I could have afforded the K50/1.2 as a teenager making around $2.00 an hour! So I did not pay much attention to the other faster lenses.

I have a Pentax “K Series” brochure from 1976 that I checked and it lists the improvements in the new K series lenses:

- The bayonet-mount
- SMC seven layer coatings
- “The world’s first 50mm f/1.2 lens for an SLR camera.”
- “The world’s fastest 50mm SLR lens – the remarkable new 50mm f/1.2 SMC Pentax lens.”

Of course take these firsts with a grain of salt, I have no doubt the K50/1.2 was Asahi Pentax’s first f/1.2, but the world's?? (Note they don't mention 55mm)


Phil.

[jake.astig]

I used to see photographs labeled takumar 50mm/55mm 1.2 featured in Tommy Oshima's flickr page. I first thought it was a mistake but he put the tags in a lot of the photographs so it might have been real. He's taken down the equipment tags though. Am still not certain it exists.

[Blue]

I'm interested in hearing more about that. Is it really better than the K50 1.2?

Those Tomioka are good but I can't say if they are better than the K or A 50mm lenses or not. However, I'd say they are not far off. There are usually one of the Tomioka variations on the bay but not at this minute. Kevin's Camera has about 20 of them at the moment but he has some high prices $800-1200. This lens has a very strong cult following. Here is an example of the Tomioka after they were bought out by Yashica.

KevinCameras

here's someone's Chinon version of the 55mm f1.2 on flickr

Flickr Photo Download: Hanimex, Chinon: both Tomioka?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/norm_p/3001567451/

[Blue]

nikkor also made a 55mm f/1.2 unfortunately it wasn't anywhere near as good as the classic Noct nikkor 58mm f/1.2 - only 12,000 of those were ever made due to a hand ground aspherical element. they fetch prices upwards of $2000US these days.

Canon made an FL mount 55mm f1.2 but I don't know anything about other than it will also fit FD bodies. Its a nice looking lens.

Edit: I have seen them go for a lot less than this even though its essentially an orphan mount.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Canon-FL-55mm-F1-2-EX-/160438310486?cmd=ViewItem...item255ade5656

Edit: Edit:

That's interesting, because like I said above, Mamiya (M42) had a 1.2 at the latest in 1973.

But this is going by memory, and if you remember that era at ALL, things got a little foggy for those of us in high school.

Apparently Kevin's has about half of those 1.2 Tomioka lenses.