Canon FL 50 1.4 early version question?

[Mr. Disjointed]

Canon FL 50 1.4 early versions

I can't find much info on the first version 6-4, the Canon Museum has it listed at weighing 280g and the Specs all match the second version (6-5) equally except for weight and the optical formulas used.

*when I say second version, for the sake of clarity I am not referring to the "II" model (7-6), which apparently is a third version

The reason I ask and I'm interested is that I found a very very nice 50 1.4 sample with a 5 digit serial number, glass appears amber and it only weighs 260g. I assume the first version was radioactive (30% thorium oxide sand in the mixture and only one inner element) and the Canon Museum has it as a 6-4 with a 6-5 that followed the next year (65-66).

How can you tell short of disassembly?

[casualcollector]

6-5? Never heard of it. I have what I assume to be a 6-4 with a 5 digit serial. It came with an FP. I am not good at counting reflections! I tried weighing it on a spring scale but got a different # every time. Range was 250 - 300 grams.

OOps. Just took a look at the museum site and the image they have for the 1966 6/5, 1.4 - 1 does not match my example. The stop down ring on mine is marked A M.

[Mr. Disjointed]

See, I'm just the opposite until I looked closely I never realized there was a 6-4 formula ? I knew about the 6-5 and 7-6 because of the 50 1.4 II which impulsively made me look a while back, what the differences were and that's how I discovered about the 6-5 and 7-6 formulas back then, never really gave any thought or explored further.

Pacific Rim Camera has info on them, not much but pictures of each displayed. I never really used my electronic scale for a lens before, I did weigh it 3 times though with no variance?

It just seems that a 6-4 formula would logically weigh less than a 6-5? Maybe, since Canon does not have the weight for the 6-5 formula listed ...they have it backwards? The missing weight is the 6-4 and 280g is for the 6-5 formula they think is missing? Or.... 30% Thorium Oxide sand in elements creates one dense glass compound considering a 6-5 formula weighs 20 grams less?

It just seems so easy to think again about trivial things such as this, knowing the evil Emperor has been dethroned puts my mind at ease to be trivial again I guess... like a war is over?

[Lightshow]

[Lightshow]

6E/4G looks easy to ID.
https://global.canon/en/c-museum/product/fl99.html
https://www.picfair.com/pics/08278856-canon-fl-50mm-f-1-4-lens

(I) 6E/5G
https://global.canon/en/c-museum/product/fl100.html


(II) 7E/6G
https://global.canon/en/c-museum/product/fl101.html


I'll see if I can find a pic of a 6/4.
Found a few...
https://www.pacificrimcamera.com/pp/canfl50f14.htm
Looks like a 6/4 and a late & early 7/6's, the 6/5 on Canon's site shows a dot above and below the aperture ring.

[stevemark]

Lightshow - thanks a lot for the information and images!

What's the difference between the [7/6] 1.4/50mm and the [7/6] 1.4/50mm II ?

S

[Lightshow]

I'm guessing they just dropped the II at some point, I honestly didn't know there were any variation till I went looking for pics.