Originally posted by BigMackCam And what if you had to choose a single favourite, and why?
Hahaha, I was asking myself why on earth I left out a few lenses I really love (and get regular use), when I found you are asking me to choose ONE!
Ok, ok. I choose the Revuenon 1.2/55mm. Another pentaxian expressed on this same thread his preference for the Pentax 1.2 50mm, compared with the Tomioka-made Revuenon. This is interesting. I agree that the build is not on par with the great construction of the Pentax (especially the K version.. but the Pentax-A is more practical to use). Though I found the Revue optically superior, with a magic mix of glow and sharpness wide open, and sharpening up nicely once stopped down. It beats the Porst in K mount hands down, and it beats the Pentax by a smaller margin. I own the three lenses, but these are MY impressions, with MY examples. You can't ask vintage lenses to be consistent. Some examples are better, some are much worse. Even modern optics - bought brand new! - show an impressive variance, as the lensrentals tests have proven.
This is the good and the bad of vintage objectives. Some disappoint, some are much better than expected. If we find a lens that consistently surprises us with great pictures, better stick to it and learn to use it at best.
Now I have chosen, let me mention five other lenses I had in mind
Pentax-A Star 1.4/85mm (expensive but still worth buying for its incredible sharpness and great build)
Auto Takumar 1.8 /85mm (one of the best portrait lenses ever)
Soligor C/D P 2/135mm (Tokina-made, another very good portrait optic)
Super Takumar 1.4/50mm 8-elements (the best fast single-coated fifty, great build)
Helios 44 2/58mm M39 (a cheap lens with a wonderful rendering, after sanding down the distancer/washer my example correctly focuses to infinity)