Canon Serenar 5cm f2

vroger · Expire: 2016-10-21

What is known about the Canon Serenar 5cm f2? I just purchased this on eBay. I know it's rare but not much else other what's on the canon museum page. http://www.canon.com/c-museum/en/product/s20.html

Here is the eBay auction.

http://m.ebay.com/itm/351553205342?_mwBanner=1

Anyone have a idea of collector value?

It will I assume take a bit to get to the us, but of course I'll post results.

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

Probably like like from same age, low contrast sharp lens, not sure.
I had a few early Canon RF lens all was excellent top performer.

Nordentro · Expire: 2015-01-29

I have it. It`s a heavy well built little lens. The front element surface of my copy has lots of scratches which affects the IQ, so I can`t say much about its performance. Looking forward to your results! Wink

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

Nice find there.

I would make a post asking for info here:

https://www.leicaplace.com/forums/12/

Brian, who often posts there, knows the Canon RF lenses really well. He may be able to tell you more.

It's obviously Canon's version of the Leitz Summitar, and may well be better. The Summitars had very soft coatings and its really hard to get a good one. Be sure to shine a light through yours when you get it. Smile

"It was the second lens designed by Seiki Kogaku (later became CANON) optical engineers. First was the 3.5/5cm Elmar copy. This was close to the Leitz Summar design, so it was the first Canon "highspeed" lens..." Sonnar 2 RFF

"The 5cm f/2 lens is not all that common but does pop up from time to time and usually attached to Canon CCCo S-II. The RARE bird is the SK version of the 5cm f/2 issued in Feb 1947 and was only in the market for seven months before the Seiki Kogaku name was dropped in favour of Canon Camera Company (CCCo). Only one SK lens has appeared on eBay in the last 9 years. It is the only lens besides the 50mm f/1.9 lens which during that era, Canon ran similar serial numbers on two different focal lengths. Both had serial #s beginning with 20001. This is one reason why Canon never introduced the 5cm f/2 as a 50mm f/2 lens as I presume they couldn't see any real difference between the 5cm f/2 and the 50mm f/1.9. Actually there isn't really and it was just a tweak of the lens formula as the schematics are the same for both lenses. So far I have yet to record any f2 or f1.9 lenses which have the same serial number. The highest SK 5cm f2 recorded is #20214 and I own #20232 which has CCCo on the front ID ring. Not many were made and even less have survived."
CanonRFinder RFF

PS you may already know the lens sold once before and was returned...i think.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Canon-Serenar-5cm-2-with-caps-rare-/111771192079?hash=item1a06150b0f:g:EfsAAOSwQPlV9f7b

A decent one of these, it appears, is worth 500USD. Kevin Cameras has one much higher but it's not selling Smile

If you know a good technician who would clean it up for a reasonable price, it might be quite easy to sell to collectors. But the old glass must be handled with care. Much of the damage is done in cleaning over the years.

I think I would first shoot it carefully on a FF camera at various apertures, infinity landscape to check for centering issues. Is one edge softer than the other? If it's OK, well you cannot loose Smile

He had this listed in a strange place.

PS:1329 made (Feb.1947-Aug.1949) according to R.HOOPER
Not truly RARE, but certainly hard to find. For example, only 1800 85/1.5 lenses were made, and a good one goes for 500USD. But they don't come up much. Over 50,000 50/1.2s were made, if I'm not mistaken. But only 2200 85/1.8 (late black)

Great find, really. Smile

Fingers crossed it's in decent shape.

vroger · Expire: 2016-10-21

Thanks for the responses. Wonder if the first buyer didn't pay etc. He has a good rating. I'm honesty more interested in it for the history, and assuming if I find I don't use it much could move it for at least breaking even I'm normally happy. ( note, I have yet to sell a Manual lens... )

ok, I also like shinny lenses... Razz

mo · Expire: 2016-07-30

Its a very pretty lens and you got it for a very nice price.I hope it works out for you and its a good lens.

kuuan · Expire: 2014-12-26

lovely lens, great price!
imo pretty much any 50mm built before around 1960 is interesting and fun to play with Smile

scsambrook · Expire: 2011-11-18

uhoho7 wrote
it's obviously Canon's version of the Leitz Summitar, and may well be better

I think maybe you made a 'mis-typing' here Wink

From the drawing in Kitchingman's book (and the 6/4 construction mentioned on the Canon website) it seems to follow the pattern of the Summar rather than the 7-element Summitar.

An interesting lens and I think vroger did well to buy it.

padam · Joined: 09 Oct 2012 Posts: 175 Location: Hungary

Sometimes with these Canon lenses the haze reaches a condition where it can't be removed anymore. It is a hit-or-miss, basically.
And that affects the IQ (and the value).

vroger · Expire: 2016-10-21

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

vroger · Expire: 2016-10-21