New Member Registered: February, 2019 Posts: 15 | | Review Date: July 16, 2023 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: N/A |
| Pros: | Sharp from F4 to F8 and sharp to infinity | | Cons: | CA at F1.7 in some shots | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 7
Handling: 10
Value: 7
Camera Used: Digital full frame
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Probably the best 50mm I've bought in terms of quality of build and overall comfort of use and - most importantly - realistic image quality. Nice real colours and realistic contrast. OK for "bokeh" but better backgrounds than most artsy lenses.
At infinity this is poor wide open with heaps of soft blur and chromatic aberration, but it soon sharpens up to give astounding quality from F4 to F8. CA vanishes at F4. Things go slightly softer at F11 but not by much. Close up and visual quality is really nice and centrally sharpish at F1.8.
It's all pretty much better than my two Takumar 55mm F1.8 and F2 lenses. Like many Takumar 55mm lenses, this has "Thorium" yellow glass - often in the rear section - so could potentially damage digital sensor technology. So don't keep it on your camera. Google all the "Thorium" debate and work it out for yourself.
A bit overpriced when over $50 for a 70 year old piece of kit, but you can find some going at reasonable cost when sellers don't try to rip you off.
Easy to open up and do aspects of a basic service. Front glass really awkward to remove as all the glass is sealed up in a difficult to grip and difficult to dismantle internal cylinder sleeve. Apertures open nicely and with a neat and even shape balance.
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New Member Registered: November, 2013 Posts: 14 | | Review Date: March 22, 2016 | Recommended | Price: $50.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | very sharp lens | | Cons: | nothing | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: fujifilm x-e1
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very similar to the zeiss planar 1,7/50
very sharp, nice bokeh, good color rendition, high contrast
best results f 5,6-8 | |
New Member Registered: August, 2013 Location: near Boulder Colorado Posts: 10 | | Review Date: August 26, 2013 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | very sharp at middle apertures, build quality, cheap, manual focus only | | Cons: | no auto/man switch, manual focus only | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 10
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Both photos taken with a K-01 ISO 1600, 1/20 f/2.8
Mine is the single coated version without the "-M" in the name. I bought it on a Yashica TL Electro-X in the summer of 1973. I glued the auto pin down with JB Weld.
The lens is a bit soft wide open nice and sharp by f/2.8 sharpest at f/5.6 and f/8, and declines due to diffraction after that.
I can see a little bit of Chromatic Aberration at the corners when wide open.
In the first photo you can see flare. This was a very low light situation, and there were (relatively) bright points just outside the frame.
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Veteran Member Registered: June, 2013 Location: Nevada, USA Posts: 3,348 | | Review Date: July 31, 2013 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Solid construction, very sharp with reduced aperture, excellent colors | | Cons: | No A/M switch, boring bokeh | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 3
Handling: 9
Value: 10
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My copy of this lens has amazing color rendition and is extremely sharp, especially when stopped down to f/8. I could not see aberrations in my stopped down shots. The control rings are well sized, easy to grab, and operate very well. Aperture starts at f/1.7 and the next step down is f/2. This step is marked with a tiny dot next to f/1.7 and is very a short click. You would almost miss it if you didn't know about it.
There is no A/M switch to control the aperture so you will need to glue down the aperture pin or modify the internals of the lens. I glued my pin down after debating it in my head. My bokeh turns out boring, especially compared to a Helios 44M.
I am very pleased with this lens as a walk around lens where I would want as much sharpness across the picture as possible.
I got this lens in a kit full of other goodies so no price is given for my review.
Enjoy the pixel peeping below!
IMGP2280 by poweredbypoptarts, on Flickr
IMGP2309 by poweredbypoptarts, on Flickr
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