Auto-Revuenon 50mm f1.9 - made by?

Oldhand

Help please if you know.
Auto Revuenons seem to have a mixed parentage, but I am interested in the origins of this particular lens and any feedback you may have on its IQ and bokeh. It is in PK mount
Many thanks
OH

Oldhand · Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2014 9:49 am Post subject:

OK, I may have found the maker - looks similar to Auto Chinon.
Anyone agree?
Any comment on quality?
OH

memetph · Joined: 01 Dec 2013 Posts: 942 Location: Poland

I have the M42 version and have not tested it yet with the A7. I shall do it and give some feedback. I can just say that it is sharper in the corners than the Sony kit zoom 28/70 at 5,6. I will compare with my SMC 55.
It is light (some plastic in it) and compact, focusing is easy, nice to use.
My sample is little bit yellowish .

Drack · Joined: 27 Feb 2011 Posts: 735 Location: Lithuania

I think I have an identical one. Did some testing on my NX-20 and it seemed to be your average fast 50mm lens. Nothing too special. I did like the bokeh.

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

memetph · Joined: 01 Dec 2013 Posts: 942 Location: Poland

Chinon and Revue often shared the same models. Sometimes even the appearence was the same like my Auto Chinon 35mm f2.8 which exists as Revuenon.

Lloydy · Expire: 2022-01-01

My Auto Chino is the same, it has the distinctive oval focus mark, but the maker is a mystery. It's a decent lens though.

frenched · Expire: 2014-06-17

I'll take a stab at it and say Tomioka. They made Chinon-branded lenses as well, in addition to others.

OH, what's the serial number?

Oldhand · Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2014 8:41 pm Post subject:

Thanks folks for the feedback.

hpmickey · Joined: 09 Nov 2011 Posts: 55 Location: Czechia

Oldhand

Lloydy · Expire: 2022-01-01

I also have Chinon Auto Reflex 28 / 2.8 and Chinon MC 300 / 5.6 both in M42 ( and a second Auto Chinon MC 50 / 1.7 in PK ) and none of these lenses share any similarity at all. It might be they are different ages and therefore different styles and materials as fashion and technology changed, but there was no house style at Chinon.

memetph · Joined: 01 Dec 2013 Posts: 942 Location: Poland

I made a short test this morning and this lens is clearly inferior to the SMC 55/2 on an A7. Only the center is sharp enough.
It could be my sample but I doubt that the majority of opinions that you find about this lens were made on FF cameras.
I have read on a german site ( Revue used to belong to Quelle) that this generation of Revuenon was build by Cosinon.

Oldhand · Posted: Thu Feb 27, 2014 8:57 am Post subject:

Pancolart · Expire: 2013-11-18

This is very good lens IMHO. No plastic, only metal. It goes under the same maker as 1.4/50mm & 1.7/50mm PK CHINON (AGFA, Revuenon). See here to distinguish between COSINA (Porst) and RICOH: http://forum.mflenses.com/pentax-pk-bayonet-1-4-50mm-alternatives-chinon-cosina-ricoh-t60018.html

I still play with idea CHINON made these himself. Lenses use the same smoothest focusing grease as CHINON post Tomioka 1.4/55mm (MC color coated) so they cannot be mistaken for COSINA products that tend to dry.

Samples wide-open,full frame. Click for full size:

TrueLoveOne · Expire: 2013-12-24

Thank you Pancolart! I was looking for that thread, i posted a pic of my f/1.4 version (plus some samples) in there, the design of mine is equal to the f/1.9 version Oldhand posted.

memetph · Joined: 01 Dec 2013 Posts: 942 Location: Poland

We are talking about another lens 50/1.9 not this 50/1.4. This range was 1,9/1.7/1.4.
About the 55/1.4 which a totally different lens , I own a Cosinon which is the same lens as the Revuenon 55/1.4.
I thought that Chinon did not produce its own lenses .
And what about Ricoh ? Did they produce lenses?

Pancolart · Expire: 2013-11-18

TrueLoveOne · Expire: 2013-12-24

@memetph: did you look at the thread mentioned by Pancolart? The lenses mentioned there are from the same range/producer as the f/1.9 in this thread, the f/1.4 50mm, and not the 55mm.

memetph · Joined: 01 Dec 2013 Posts: 942 Location: Poland

Yes I read it.
I might be wrong , but from all those names I think only Cosinon is a lens producer.
Details of construction as screws ring and ,why not , grease can perhaps help you to identify the same origin but certainly not to differentiate.
The japanese industry was wellknown for its flexibilty and its myriad of subcontractants. Changing screws, grease, ring or details of design was surely no problem for an japanese ingineer.
The Pancolart's thread is a nice document . Nevertheless I am not convinced by the conclusions.

TrueLoveOne · Expire: 2013-12-24

It would not surprise me if Cosina were the manufacturer of these lenses. Although the older ones (55mm) were made by Tomioka, also a producer, they even put their name on some brands like Chinon-Tomioka.

People often think or feel like Cosina is "not a good brand" and makes inferior lenses, a third party lens maker for low budget users. That may be the thruth for some Cosina lenses, but sure not all of them! They have made bad ones, so did Tokina, but Cosina also produces lenses for Zeiss nowadays. I guess you may say they know what they are doing.

I have not used my 1.4/50 besides the few test samples in Pancolart's thread mentioned above. I need to clean the aperture blades and take it out some time, it seemed to be a very nice lens. And yes, it might just be a Cosina, but so what?

D1N0 · Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 2494

Thread doesn't have a pic any more

This is my copy:

Auto Revuenon 50mm 1:1.9 by The lens profile, on Flickr

It is pretty sharp wide open and has a nice low contrast rendering (can't stop it down yet). I think made by the same manufacturer as the k-mount Chinon 50's might be Tomioka or the company that took over their lens legacy when Tomioka disappeared from consumer lenses. (Might be Cosina).

Close Bokeh by The lens profile, on Flickr