Veteran Member Registered: August, 2017 Location: Illinois, USA Posts: 497
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: August 30, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $100.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharp, light, solid build, EBC coating | | Cons: | N/A | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K10D, KP
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The Fujinon 55m macro is a small, light weight easy to handle lens. The build quality is solid, the image quality is superb for such an old macro lens. If you are looking for sharpness, this lens delivers, you will also be pleasantly pleased with the vibrant colors. CA is present but not horrendous and easily fixable in PS. I have yet to find legacy glass where CA wasn’t present, it’s simply par for the course. Last but not least is the Bokeh. If you're a fan of creamy smooth Bokeh, this lens delivers. As far as M42 mount macro lenses go, this lens is a peach!
SIDE NOTE: This lens is getting hard to find, so the 150.00 price range may be a bit low.
UPDATE: A couple of larger files from my KP:
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amateur dirt farmer Registered: December, 2014 Location: probably out in a field somewhere... Posts: 41,766
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 12, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $199.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | clarity, bokeh, color rendition, sharpness | | Cons: | less-than-modern coatings | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 7
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 8
Camera Used: K-5 IIs
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please note that I irreversibly altered this lens to get it to fit flush on a standard M42 adapter... it's been noted that I am a 'butcher' for this, so I don't need the grief....
what a stupendously-capable lens this is - I had read in several reviews that the EBC coatings that Fuji had developed were the equal (at the time) of the SMC coatings that Pentax had introduced, plus the 55 Macro was supposed to be the jewel of the Fujinon line at the time... let's give it a shot!
I purchased mine from KEH, in 'excellent' condition and it is - no marks on the glass, nothing but smoothness in the focus and aperture rings, and original 'Fujinon' lens caps...
it fits (after modification) flush on the K-5 IIs body, in the M42 adapter, with no gaps or light leaks...
it is not a large lens by any stretch, but is all-metal so has a substantial feel, and the aperture ring is difficult to access when mounted on a camera - it is a smallish ring, but turns easily...
firstly, I was not surprised by the lens' sharpness - I expected it in a macro, even this old - I was, however, surprised by the amount of color and light collected by this lens...
it is only f3.5, not a fast lens, but I mostly shot indoors at f5.6 all month long, and only needed to bump up the K-5's ISO only a few times.... f3.5 on this lens can become a little glowy, with a possible loss of contrast in stronger light...
secondly, once you are in the green-button routine, this becomes such an easy lens to live with - quick to focus, beautiful color and clarity, smooth pretty bokeh, and supremely versatile...
and the shots:
 bumblebee in wildflowers by Pepperberry Farm, on Flickr
 combine, winter wheat by Pepperberry Farm, on Flickr
 thistle & bumblebee by Pepperberry Farm, on Flickr
 leopard frog by Pepperberry Farm, on Flickr
 red carpet by Pepperberry Farm, on Flickr
 dewdrops in grass by Pepperberry Farm, on Flickr
and the rest of the album for this lens:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/pepperberryfarm/albums/72157708740273797 | |
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