| Author: | | New Member Registered: February, 2019 Posts: 15
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: February 4, 2019 | Not Recommended | Price: $30.00
| Rating: 6 |
| Pros: | Mechanically smooth | | Cons: | Optically average | | Sharpness: 7
Aberrations: 7
Bokeh: 7
Handling: 7
Value: 6
Camera Used: K2, ME Super, K30
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A good and reliable lens that only really suffered from being overpriced in the secondhand markets of today's online shopping frenzies where things get trendy and faddish too easily.
Do people realise there are at least two "Auto Chinon" 1.9 designs available? One is very plastic and one with more metallic in design and finish. I have both and the plastic version is better. It's slightly better than even my "Auto Chinon" 50mm f1.7. Most odd because most people seem to rubbish plastic and champion metal. Anyway, this is a fairly ordinary lens in my book. I really cannot fathom out why so many people rate it so highly. It's good, but not that good. I've given a rough average of both the lenses I have as one combined scoring total. Pentax 50mm at A and M SMC design levels are better at f2 and f1.7 in terms of image sharpness and CA outcomes.
| | | | | | | Loyal Site Supporter Registered: October, 2012 Location: Medina, OH Posts: 7,224
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 3, 2015 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 10 |
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My copy of the Chinon 50 mm f 1.9 is fully as sharp as the Chinon 50 mm f 1.7 at least for situations where there is no major source of flare. It does not claim to be Multi-Coated, like the 1.7. In the inside tests I conducted, the 1.9 in several instances actually out-resolved the 1.9. The sharpness I have observed is higher than any other lens I own except for the Pentax D FA 50 mm f 2.8 macro, which possesses a degree of sharpness beyond reason or need.
Lack of multi-coating might be a negative for those seeking a 50 mm lens for outdoor usage, but a hood like the metal Fotga 49mm I use should help reduce
flair problems.
The lens is light weight, well constructed, sharp, and all-in-all a real bargain for those seeking an M type 50 mm lens for generally less than $25.00, and sometimes less.
| | | | | New Member Registered: April, 2014 Posts: 3
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: June 28, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $10.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Cheap, sharp, Depth of field, looks good | | Cons: | All Manual, Aberrations | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 6
Bokeh: 7
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: Pentax K-3
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Really nice Lens for 10$
I found it at a yard sale for only 10$!
(Basically the only Pentax-K-mount lens I could find).
Really good investment! for 10 bucks this is a really
nice peace of glas. It usually costs around 30$ on eBay. | | | | | New Member Registered: July, 2013 Posts: 3
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 16, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $20.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Superb colors,very sharp,build quality,the super smooth focus ring | | Cons: | none significant | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 10
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This lens is very sharp wide open what ever others tell you!
I think many are fooled by the short DOF of the 1,4-2,0 primes,but when nailing the
focal plane the sharpness is there.
The colors are punchy and clear and the handling is like a dream.
And I can not detect any visible CA in my pictures.
Very smooth and precise focus.
The picture below is taken at f/1,9
 | | | | | | | New Member Registered: December, 2010 Location: Vigo Posts: 2
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 24, 2011 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | Sharpness between f4 and f11 | | Cons: | low performance at wide open aperture only suitable for soft portrait photography | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 7
Bokeh: 6
Handling: 6
Value: 8
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I think this lens was at home before I was born, so it was built more than 30 years ago  . It was the kit lens for the Chinon film cameras in that time.
I guess potential buyers of this lens would be very-low-budget buyers who want to upgrade the 18-55 kit lens and start using prime lenses. So I will compare its performance with the Pentax-DA 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 AL I´ve got too @ 50mm focal lenght.
The Pentax DA has a f range @ 50mm between f5.6 and f40. The Chinon between f1.9 and f16 and one-half-stop scale. So they are comparable between f5.6 and f16:
Sharpness. Winner: Chinon:
Center: Chinon is much better @f5.6 and slightly better at rest, but f16 where the performance is similar.
Borders: The Chinon defeats the kit lens by far at any f
CA's. Winner: Draw:
Both lenses do not show issues in the same f-range.
Lens Distortion. Winner: Draw:
The Chinon do not show any significant distortion. Same for the kit lens @ 50mm.
VIgnetting. Winner: Draw:
The kit lens shows some vignetting @f5.6 but it is not critical. The vignetting on the Chinon is well-controlled too.
Color. Winner: Kit Lens
Colors are slightly more vibrant for the kit lens @ 50mm. Do not forget the Chinon is a vintage lens.
Bokeh. Winner: Kit Lens(!):
Yeah, the bokeh of the kit lens is softer at same aperture f5.6. (But remember the widest apperture of the kit lens is f5.6 @ 50mm !)
The huge sharpness difference makes the Chinon the overall winner in IQ. But wait. If you are planning to buy this lens is probably because you want to use it mostly at wide open aperture. At f1.9 and f2.8 the sharpness is very low even at center. If you want to use this lens for street photography at low light condition or you usually make large crops of the framing during image postprocessing, I do not recommend this lens. If you want it for soft portrait photography, it is an interesting purchase.
The bokeh is normal at wide open aperture. You will notice the typical diaphragm hexagons when there are light spots in the backgroung. For portraits I would say the best bokeh is at f3.3. Do not expect an extremely sweet bokeh, but the lens will show an acceptable performance.
The Chinon was a kit lens and during "film age" the 50mm focal lenght was the standard until the appearance of first zoom lenses, so probably the lenses you can find for sale where extensively used for 15 or 20 years. My lens was always handle with care but extensively used too. Its focus ring shows some play, I would say around 1mm, but it is still thight and smooth and it is not a problem for focusing. If you have a Pentax K-x I do not recommend this lens because focusing is a very tough task. Mounted on the Pentax K-5 it works much better.
Lens sweet spot is f8. Between f6.7 and f9.5 the performance is very good
I recommed this lens for soft portrait photography and if you want to take sharp pictures under good light condition. But do not pay more than a few bucks for it | | | | | New Member Registered: February, 2013 Posts: 1 | | Review Date: May 13, 2017 | Recommended | Price: $13.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Solid, very good sharpness, ao aberations | | Cons: | None | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 8
Value: 10
Camera Used: Pentax Kr
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Tested against Pentax SMC FA 1.7 50mm, I cannot see any difference between the two; if anything, the Chinon is slightly better, except for no autofocus and an odd effect if used on Av - the Chinon seems to underexpose by a stop, though on manual setting and using the green button for setting shutter speed the camera gives a spot-on reading, albeit at one stop slower than the Pentax.
I would recommend this lens.
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: July, 2009 Location: London Posts: 212 | | Review Date: March 28, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $15.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Metal consruction - excellent performance | | Cons: | Nothing I could find | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: K20
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Bought it for macro reverse mounting. Had it several years, play with it every now and again, but cannot get over for such an old lens, the smoothness of operation. The lack of CA, the sharpness to the edge of the APC sensor.
| | | | | New Member Registered: September, 2011 Posts: 13 | | Review Date: November 25, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $5.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Price, Size, Sharp, Build, Focus | | Cons: | Plastic aperature ring (, Manual) | | Sharpness: 10
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 7
Value: 10
Camera Used: K10D, K-3
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Bought from flea market for next to nothing. Slight dust inside, but for 5$ you can't get everything. As said, all manual lens with original K-mount. Nice, smooth touch to focusing. Only thing I don't like is the plastic aperature ring. Beats the Pentax 18-55mm kit lens in sharpness anyday.
Update:
Tested this lens against DA50mm f1.8 and Chinon is winning in IQ. I have used this lens for quite a while now in situations where AF isn't necessary and really love it!
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: February, 2011 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 1,251 | | Review Date: June 27, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $10.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Size, Build, Price, Sharp, Bokeh | | Cons: | Manual Everything, Lens Flair | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 7
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 5
Value: 9
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This lens is an absolute gem in my opinion, as soon as you get past the manual focus and manual aperture you will struggle to fault this lens.
It is built like a Limited. Its focus ring is smooth, with a nice balanced resistance (slightly firmer than FA77 ltd).
I highly rate it wide open (f/1.9) It is sharp from about F/2.8..
The bokeh is brilliant, I think it is very close to the FA 77ltd in this regard, except for some slight highlight rings, but it doesn't put me off at all. See HERE for comparison.
Hope gives you an insight into the little beauty.
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