Canon Serenar 50mm f/1.8 -- it's THAT good.

uhoh7 · Joined: 24 Nov 2010 Posts: 1300 Location: Idaho, USA

had it out today

100

BeardsAreBest · Joined: 09 May 2014 Posts: 286 Location: Australia

Just received mine,
Full of fungus and a bit hazy but for $60 i can live with it.
pulled down cleaned out most of the goobs and a quick dash outside in the diminishing light
grabbed a quick shot i thought was wide but when i looked after was F2.
Still this at ISO 1000.

#1

Bring on tomorrow!!

Oldhand · Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 10:12 am Post subject:

Looks pretty good.
Well done on the clean and lube job too.
OH

bernhardas · Expire: 2017-05-23

edited

cooltouch · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 9097 Location: Houston, Texas

Very nice. Good sharpness at point of focus. It appears that the fungus has had little, if any effect.

calvin83 · Joined: 12 Apr 2009 Posts: 7554 Location: Hong Kong

I had this lens too and it works pretty well on film. Sold mine for $70 after I get a copy of 50/1.4 and 50/1.5.

Nordentro · Expire: 2015-01-29

So you discovered Canon RF lenses, shhh do not tell anybody Wink

I have the Black 50 1.8 with fine mills, the 50 1.9 Serenar collapsible, the 50 1.5 (Sonnar) and the Black 50 1.4 (Japanese Summilux) and I also have the 35mm 1.8 mentioned in this thread which is a Planar type.

Your lens is made in spring/summer in 1952 and is a Type 2 lens (approx. 22000 copies made). The Type 1 came in 1951. The Type 3 was the first lens without the Serenar name and it came just before christmas in 1952 and have IR-marking (yours do not). The black and satin chrome on alloy 50mm 1.8 came in 1956 and was produced until 1975 (Type 5 to Type 8 ). There was also an optional black lens with black aperture ring and distance scale which was supplied with the black Canon Cameras. They have all the same optical scheme (6:4) and they all have Amber coating.

Anyway, congratz with a nice lens!

newst · Joined: 21 Oct 2014 Posts: 617 Location: Troy, MI USA

My copy is a later version, produced after Canon dropped the Serenar labeling. It is a great all around 50mm. I just had it cleaned (fungus) and even though there is some permanent damage to the coatings you can't tell it in the final images.

I set myself a project this year, to shoot almost exclusively rangefinder lenses with my A7. I already owned several and purchased a few more last December/January. Primarily Canon lenses as the prices are generally lower and the quality is very high. My current Canon LTM kit consists of:

Canon 28mm f2.8
Canon 35mm f1.8
Canon 35mm f2.8
Canon 50mm f1.2
Canon 50mm f1.4
Canon 50mm f1.5
Canon 50mm f1.8
Canon Serenar 50mm f1.9
Canon 85mm f1.8
Canon 100mm f3.5
Canon 135mm f3.5

tf · Joined: 29 Sep 2017 Posts: 162

One another Canon Serenar 50mm 1:1.8 lens review
Nice lens, no issues, cool RF look

Nordentro · Expire: 2015-01-29

tf · Joined: 29 Sep 2017 Posts: 162