Still looking for my "perfect" 50/55mm

ludoo · Expire: 2011-12-05

I'm narrowing down the search for my "perfect" 50/55mm, but it's hard. Smile

I might have a candidate, but it's a rare lens (no-X has it and says it's the sharpest 50mm in M42). In the meantime I got a cheap Rikenon XR 50mm f2, since urban legend says it's one of the sharpest 50mm ever produced: I can attest it's sharp, as sharp as the Flek 35/2.4, but its colors are not as good as those from Zeiss or Pentax lenses (at least from the few shots I took), and its oof areas are a bit nervous and flat, not as 3d looking as other more reputable lenses. Its sharpness makes it very easy to focus though, and that alone makes it a really nice lens. I also got a second SMC Takumar, this time a super cheap 55/2, and while I absolutely love its bokeh, colours and 3d-like rendering, it's definitely less sharp than the Rikenon (both my copies, the 1.8 and 2, are) and this makes it harder to focus and results in less detailed pictures.

So, bar the mistery lens above which I'm actively looking for, what could I try that is *really* sharp (as in, much sharper than the SMC Tak 55/1.8 or /2), has the same 3d feel as the better Zeiss or Pentax lenses, and mounts on a Pentax DSLR? Probably the Pancolar MC, but they tend to fetch absurdly high prices. Or the old Nikkor non-AI 50/2. Both of those are on my to-get list, when I manage to find them at good prices.

Edit: I dread the time when I'll start looking for my "perfect" 24mm, as they cost much more than the 50s. Smile

fish4570 · Expire: 2012-03-21

i am looking, too, ludoo. i like oddball stuff. my "working" normal is a good takumar 55/2. thinking i might try a helios 44m-4. i liked what the preset helios version did, but i don't like preset in a lens that gets most of the work. and i like compactness. the tak 55/2 is pretty stinking compact. i liked very much my pentacon 1.8 until the auto aperture mechanism went south ...

Chris Watson · Joined: 12 Apr 2010 Posts: 168 Location: Fort Worth

Granted, I don't have the collection some on here do but I do have two in the 50 range that I love. One is the Mamiya Sekor 55 1.4. It has very smooth bokeh and gives me wonderful colors. It's the last lens featured in this clip....

http://vimeo.com/10197920

My new favorite though is my third 50 mm: the Helios 44M. It's a Russian copy of the Carl Zeiss design and goes for dirt cheap on Ebay.....

http://vimeo.com/10942299

Good luck!

woodrim · Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston

I just added my first pictures from a Mamiya 55mm to a post by that name.

ludoo · Expire: 2011-12-05

I have both the Helios and the Mamiya 1.4. The Helios is nice, both the 44M-2 which has a similar rendering to the SMC Tak 55/1.8 with less sharpness, and the 44M-6 which is very sharp and has nervous bokeh. Their main problem is a tendency to flare and consequent loss of contrast.

I did not use the Mamiya enough to form a definitive opinion, from the few pics I took it seems a nice lens, sharp and with great bokeh. But it's too big and heavy to use as a main lens.

aoleg · Joined: 22 Feb 2008 Posts: 1389 Location: Berlin, DE

Zeeke · Joined: 17 Apr 2010 Posts: 174 Location: Sweden

Zeiss Planar 50 f1.7 is the best 50mm lens.If you get a sharp copy it's nothing that beats it at f1.7 and it gives good 3D feel and nice colors.
Poor minimum focusing distance is the only negative.
Very Happy

And I have tried many 50mm lenses

3 Pancolar.2 Pentacon,Zeiss ZK 50mm f1.4, 2 Pentax Fa50 f1.4,Pentax FA 50 f1.7,Pentax A 50 f1.4,Pentax A 50 f1.7,Pentax M50 f1.7,Pentax M 50 f1.4,Pentax K 55 f1.8,Takumar 50mm f1.4,Helios 77M4;Helios 44M-7,Zenitar K2,Voigtlander 58mm f1.4,

Zeeke · Joined: 17 Apr 2010 Posts: 174 Location: Sweden

And off the Pentax 50mm lenses, the A series is the best .....

ludoo · Expire: 2011-12-05

fish4570 · Expire: 2012-03-21

yes, the pentax 55/1.8 is the same as the 55/2. just a little do-dad that stops it from opening to 1.8. hey ludoo, could your focusing issue have something to do with your focusing screen? my spotmatic is difficult for me to focus, the praktica better. my fujica st605 is EASY to focus ...

ludoo · Expire: 2011-12-05

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

Increase your budget and lens will be sharp really.

ludoo · Expire: 2011-12-05

Zeeke · Joined: 17 Apr 2010 Posts: 174 Location: Sweden

I have Contax Zeiss Planar 50mm f1.7 for my Pentax K-x,an simple but expensive conversion...

http://www.leitax.com/zeiss-contax-lens-for-pentax-cameras.html

fish4570 · Expire: 2012-03-21

hmmm. it may well be an issue with the dslr over the slr.

ludoo · Expire: 2011-12-05

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

DSG · Joined: 04 Mar 2007 Posts: 544 Location: London, UK.

fish4570 · Expire: 2012-03-21

why i like my super takumar 55/2:

OM · Joined: 15 Jan 2010 Posts: 166 Location: Southern England

Nice shot fish Very Happy

I'm waiting on delivery of a Helios 44M - can't wait to try it out...!

cheekygeek · Joined: 05 Aug 2008 Posts: 183

GORGEOUS image, fish. That is a night (moon-illuminated) image, is it not?

It made my german/portuguese wife speak perfect french: "It has that Mise-en-sc�ne" she said. Then she had to tell me what that means. Smile

(After 30 years she's still full of surprises).

fish4570 · Expire: 2012-03-21

You are very kind, cheeky, and your wife's compliment brings a smile to my heart.
The shot was made in early morning this month, just as the sun barely peeked over the trees across the creek. I have shot that scene with several different combinations.

Here is the first iteration, shot on a very cold morning in February, I think, with my Bessa R and Industar-50, on bw400cn, the same film as above. As you can see, I have trouble keeping the horizontals and verticals straight with my rangefinder Crying or Very sad

:

rawhead · Expire: 2014-04-29

I've had a bunch of 50s in the past; slowly pruning away. I even donated my Super-Tak 50/1.4 to my roommate/apprentice (lol) since I got a hold of the AF version (FA 50/1.4). A couple that I will never let go are the Voigtl�nder Color-Ultron 50/1.8 and the Carl Zeiss Ultron 50/1.8 (although the Zeiss Ultron may one day be *upgraded* to a better copy, as mine has some slight rust-on-aperture-blades issue).

hinnerker · Expire: 2015-08-09

I cant really count the lots of 50/55mm lenses i did own and tested for which fits best..

Two of the following i kept in my pocket as the best besides two others...
(Summilux 1.4/50mm and Canon 1.2/55mm SSC fits best, Summicron stays and the SMC Pentax 1.4/50mm too)

My personal ranking:

1. Leica Summilux 1.4/50mm
2. Canon 1.2/55mm SSC
3. SMC Pentax 1.2/50mm
4. Leica Summicron 2/50mm
5. Yashica ML 1.2/55mm
6. SMC Pentax-M 1.4/50mm
7. Yashica DS-M 1.4/50mm
8. Zuiko 1.4/50mm
9. Rikenon Mamya 1.4/55mm
10. CZJ Pancolar 1.8/50mm Zebra (tested all versions)

Further i tested lots of lenses from friends or i did have owned..

Tomioka 1.2/55mm
Minolta PG 1.2/58mm
Yashica ML 1.4/50mm
Zeiss Planar 1.7/50mm
Zeiss HFT Planar 1.4/50mm
Voigtl�nder C.Ultron 1.4/55mm (?)
Zeiss Ultron 1,8 (Tronnier) in M42 for Icarex TM

and lots more..

....

nearly all cheap lenses which fits on my Canon's

So Attila is right, take a bit money in your hand, buy lenses and test which one fits best for your needs..

There is no 50/55mm which fits or cover all needs..

The Summilux gives the best Bokeh/sharpness/contrast/colorendering and its an alltime classic lens..
The Canon SSC 1.2/55mm fits for my needs in a fast lens, not in terms of Bokeh..

To find a lens, which delivers you all, what you want and wish from one single lens, is nearly impossible. IMHO you need 3 or 4 lenses for different things..

But if you are searching for the best compromise, take the SMC Pentax-M 1.2/50mm. Its nice in Bokeh, sharpness and colorendering and very fast.

Cheers
Henry

ludoo · Expire: 2011-12-05