Manual Focus Lenses Forum

DigiChromeEd · Joined: 29 Dec 2009 Posts: 3468 Location: Northern Ireland

After reading good things about Fujinon lenses here on the forum I recently acquired an early M42 Fujinon 1.8/55 with the silver coloured aperture ring. All test photos have been converted from raw, no sharpening, cropping or pp applied and converted to jpeg. The camera was a Sony Alpha 6000, ISO100, tripod mounted.

f1.8

f2.8

f4

f5.6

f8

f11

f16

Image taken at f8 after my usual pp:-

Minolfan · Joined: 30 Dec 2008 Posts: 3451 Location: Netherlands

A bit misfocused I think.
Left side of the tower is sharper then the front side, isn't it?

DigiChromeEd · Joined: 29 Dec 2009 Posts: 3468 Location: Northern Ireland

Oldhand · Sun Sep 18, 2016 10:09 am

It's a good lens Edgar.
Thanks for sharing these
OH

Paulius · Joined: 25 Nov 2014 Posts: 330 Location: Connecticut

This lens is actually Planar, one of the best around 50 mm lens I have. Find the last one three days ago on flea market for $5.-.
Little bit dusty with tough focus, but after cleaning and lubricating it works like new, sharp wide open, zero color aberration, huge focus zone.

mo · Expire: 2016-07-30

I have this lens,I dont think its very common. I would not say its rare,but its certainly hard to find. It was one of the first lenses I bought and I only used it on Film,I should try it out again with the Fuji X-E1.

TAo2 · Joined: 09 Mar 2012 Posts: 319 Location: Scotland

Hi Ed, ah have four 1.8/55s, 2 EBC, two without and a 2.2 tae finish it off. Tae be accurate they're double gauss derivatives (like the planar and most modern 50s). Never even seen the fabled 1.4/50mm. Tae my eyes, there's no discernible difference between EBC and non EBC. Never ran an in depth test though . . The one with the silver aperture ring doesn't have the aperture tab. Fits M42 or any DSLR with adapters. Ah won't chop the aperture tab off the other three.Only use them on my Fujica ST901. Have a 135mm and a 35mm as well. Love these lenses and wouldn't part with them.They're not rare in the UK but becoming collectible. Expensive on mainland Europe though.

Here's some examples...

Non EBC (film)

Silver aperture collar ( non EBC) Sony A700

EBC (film)

kds315* · Expire: 2021-03-09

great results!!

D1N0 · Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 2717

I Find this lens has a very smooth rendering. I have a ebc copy.

My flickr sample album: https://www.flickr.com/photos/randomdump/albums/72157632596401296

blotafton · Joined: 08 Aug 2013 Posts: 1783 Location: Sweden

Also EBC

tb_a · Expire: 2019-08-28

My copy is an EBC Fujinon 55/1.8 from an old Fujica ST801 (M42).
Examples from Ricoh GXR-M just converted/resized but not manipulated any further.

F1.8:

F5.6:

100% crop of 2nd picture:

I find this lens very sharp and nice particularly at F5.6 but the bokeh at F1.8 is IMHO utterly ugly (one of the worst I've ever seen).

Oldhand · Fri Feb 28, 2020 5:50 am

I mentioned this lens in a recent post.
Time to re-visit it.
This is the EBC 55mm f1.8 in M42 with aperture tab removed.
Some images.
Good lens
Tom

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Alex TG · Joined: 13 Oct 2019 Posts: 221 Location: Ukraine

Another EBC 55mm f/1.8 M42 here

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stevemark · Joined: 29 Apr 2011 Posts: 5365 Location: Switzerland

Really nice image, both from OldHand and Alex! Thanks for sharing them, especially the carefully arranged images from Ukraine!

Stephan

kds315* · Expire: 2021-03-09

WOW guys!! Like 1

blotafton · Joined: 08 Aug 2013 Posts: 1783 Location: Sweden

Great work guys!

Here is a few I've taken with the old metal barrel Fujinon on a Sony a7:
I think the lens has good sharpness, smooth bokeh and great colors.

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Sciolist · Expire: 2021-04-16

A lovely thread of shots Like 1

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Lloydy · Expire: 2022-01-01

It's a great lens, but not one I use a lot. But I did take it for a walk along the brook the other day after the flood had subsided, and it performed wonderfully when stopped down one stop, the signature bubble bokeh wasn't obtrusive and the lens delivered some nice sharp and clear shots with the Sony A7II.
I was actually walkinng, well scrambling and wading, up the brook and I wanted to get this shot showing the fallen tree that has been there for years- but I couldn't get far enough back to use the 55mm lens so I took six shots and stitched them in Photomerge. Sometimes, when the light is changing fast or other things alter the individual images the stitch shows the difference, but this lens produced one the best stitches I've done in ages, the colour and exposure were consistent and any distortion was not apparent.
I have done some PP while stitching, but little more than adjusting contrast. The original stitch was 29 x 20 inch.

100% Crop

KEO · Joined: 27 Sep 2018 Posts: 811 Location: USA

The best old Japanese kit lens I've used. I'm always keeping an eye out for bargains on them.

The later all-black version has somewhat better build quality than the early silver aperture version, but for some reason I prefer the earlier ones.

I've noticed some sample variation (more than likely due to decades of exposure to the real world), but the best ones I have are stellar.

alex ph · Joined: 16 Mar 2013 Posts: 1802

This Fujinon parade is really nice and gives a desire to I add a couple more shots. It's a fine lens for sure. Nevertheless for my taste it does not step out from the range made of Yashinons, Takumars, Rolleis and Minoltas, to pick some of a wider range of best planars. I should agree that its specialty is defined by its very well balanced character. Maybe this all-round balance is the reason why I haven't felt yet a real Fujinon bite.

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bwfcnottingham · Thu Apr 30, 2020 6:56 pm

It is a fine lens , some great images in the thread . Love the old citroen car pic.

I have one in an m42 mount , but it doesn't say EBC on the lens , but i am sure i read somewhere that some lenses might be EBC coated as the manufacturer didn't bother to write it on the lens when it became commonplace to coat.

I will post some pics later ðŸ˜€ðŸ“·

Alex TG · Joined: 13 Oct 2019 Posts: 221 Location: Ukraine

bwfcnottingham · Thu Apr 30, 2020 8:53 pm

tb_a · Expire: 2019-08-28

Alex TG · Joined: 13 Oct 2019 Posts: 221 Location: Ukraine