F1.2 lens from the past

wolan · Joined: 30 Jun 2015 Posts: 577 Location: Zurich

Hi,
which MF f1.2 lens from the past would you recommend:
- for its optical quality (sharpness, low CA etc.)
- for its artistic value (Bokeh, overall rendering, whatever etc..)

Thanks.

Pancolart · Expire: 2013-11-18

I like the way you phrase it. How far back in time you'd like to travel Wink

?

blotafton · Joined: 08 Aug 2013 Posts: 1636 Location: Sweden

How about this?

50mm for optical quality. Canon, Nikon, Minolta.

58/57mm for bokeh. Canon, Konica, Minolta.

55mm, a mixed bag. Canon, Olympus, Revuenon.

wolan · Joined: 30 Jun 2015 Posts: 577 Location: Zurich

Pete · Joined: 01 Feb 2011 Posts: 240 Location: Denver, San Jose

For optical quality would be the Nikkor 58 1.2 NOCT

For artistic value would be the Nikkor SC 55 1.2

Rick1779 · Expire: 2014-06-06

I'd say canon 55/1.2 aspherical or minolta 58/1.2

cooltouch · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 9096 Location: Houston, Texas

I own a Canon FD 85mm f/1.2 Aspherical and I can highly recommend it. Very well color corrected and quite sharp, even wide open. I've read that some folks prefer the Aspherical over the later "L" lenses, but I've never used an 85mm "L", so I can't comment one way or the other. I sure do like mine, though.

I also own an FL 55mm f/1.2 and an FD 55mm f/1.2 SSC (not the aspherical, unfortunately). I have compared these two lenses, and the results are identical. The Canon Museum's Lens Hall shows them to have the same number of elements, groups, and iris blades -- which is a pretty good indicator that they are all the same optical formula. I've done quite a bit of photography shooting with these lenses wide open and I've found them to be quite sharp and reasonably well corrected with respect to CA.

I always evaluate my lenses at their most challenging setting. This is almost always with the lens wide open, and if it is a zoom, at its maximum extension. If a lens passes muster under these conditions, then I know that, stopped down a moderate amount, it should be an excellent performer.

The Minolta, Nikon, and Pentax f/1.2 normals are also very good, and I suspect the Oly f/1.2 normal is as well.

calvin83 · Joined: 12 Apr 2009 Posts: 7584 Location: Hong Kong

CONTAX Planar 55/1.2 and 85/1.2

simbon4o · Joined: 19 Dec 2011 Posts: 390 Location: Bulgaria

Canon FDn 50mm 1.2 L and Rokkor 58mm 1.2 are my favorites Smile

. The Canon is amazing and very small for 1.2, sharpness - awesome and perfectly usable at 1.2. The Rokkor - legend, not so well corrected but the bokeh is very nice in some conditions, also it is maybe the best 1.2 lens for landscape Smile

. I have never seen so sharp 1.2 50mm lens when closed down to F8.0-11 it is amazing. And I am using it on 42mp...

bhargav · Expire: 2014-11-24

I have a Canon FL 55/1.2 and I quite like it for its overall performance. Bokeh is quite pleasant and it is reasonably sharp.

ZoneV · Expire: 2011-12-02

I love my Rokkor 58mm f/1.2. From web images I think it has a bit less glow than the Canon 55mm f/1,2.
The Canon Fd 50mm f/1.2L would be likely on of the sharpest.
The Konica 57mm f/1.2 I use often at the moment, but I think the pictures are less "good" than from the Minolta.

Lightshow · Joined: 04 Nov 2011 Posts: 3666 Location: Calgary

Rokkor 58/1.2
Canon LTM 50/1.2

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

I had Tomioka, Nikon AIS , several noname Revuenon etc , Canon FL , Canon FD all sold, they are okay , Tomioka probably best from all of them.
Nikon has nice bokeh, others are pretty mediocre.

I still have Minolta MD 50mm f1.2 from latest series, this is best from all what I did ever try. Best coating, wide open sharpness and nice bokeh as well.
Konica 57mm f1.2 has nice wide open sharpness, even better bokeh than Minolta has.
Pentax SMC A is sharp wide open , bokeh is nice .