"Standard" Lenses - 40mm - 60mm - Must Haves

Oldhand · Last edited by Oldhand on Mon Sep 02, 2013 6:14 am; edited 3 times in total

This is an unusual topic, but members of this forum are well qualified to answer it.
In the range of standard 35mm film lenses that are useful on DSLR cameras - around focal lengths between say 40mm and 60mm (thanks Calvin)- what is/are your must have lens/es and why.
I am most interested in the reason(s) that you include this/these lens(es) in the list.
Thank you in advance for your contribution
OH

calvin83 · Joined: 12 Apr 2009 Posts: 7555 Location: Hong Kong

I suggest expand the range to 40mm to 60mm to include some of the shorter FL standard lenses and macros.

In fact, the diagonal of 35mm film is about 43mm. Pentax do made a 43mm lens which is a 'true' standard lens.

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

There are many good lenses to use on DSLR's
Contax C/Y 50/1.4 Zeissy
Topcor 58/1.4(1.8 ) Sharp wide open & nice bokeh.
Rokkor 58/1.2 Bokeh & color
Leica R Sumilux 50/1.4 nuff said.
Yashica ML 50/2 color color color, and cheap.
There are certainly others

timo832000 · Joined: 09 Jun 2008 Posts: 544 Location: Germany / Cologne

My personal favorites:
#1 SMC Pentax M 1.7/50 cheap, well build and very sharp (even wide open)
#2 SMC Pentax 1.8/55 also cheap well build, sharp, nice bokeh
#3 Leitz Summicron-R 50 (1st version) build to last forever, sharp & contrasty, beautyful color and tone rendering

As you can see I prefer the medium fast 50s but there are so much other fine 50s. Just try them.

Timo

BurstMox · Expire: 2016-08-02

Be carefull, big surprise :

Helios 44 Rolling Eyes

. enough fast, very cheap, good quality, bit soft wide open, sharp in other stops, very good built quality .

But I'm not sure it's an uncommon topik here Very Happy

(or maybe it was ironical?). I think there is somewhere at least one topik about your best standard (~50mm) lens Smile

enzodm · Joined: 11 Sep 2010 Posts: 350 Location: Italy

Let me interpret "must have" not as my favorites, but those you have at least to try and have in your collector cabinet. Not rare legends: for me must haves should be also possible to have, sort of beginners kit.
So:
- I agree on Helios 44: cheap, sharp.
- Tessar 50/2.8, Zeiss for cheap (maybe the only one), easy to find, better if zebra so you have a classic look in front of your digital.
- Industar 50/3.5: again cheap, pancake, sharp, unpractical Smile

- One 55/1.4 told as been produced by Tomioka. A number of brands available, and my Rikenon copy is really nice in most aspects.
- One Pentax 50mm, which I do not yet have even if easily found. I never bought a K adapter...

The others are "want have" Smile

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

In this focal length may even hard to say which one is not, usually all okay, some of them more than others, you will get hundreds different idea , due usually people love them and suggest what they have Smile

so take any what is fit into your budget.

ariban · Joined: 30 Apr 2012 Posts: 159 Location: Kolkata, India

I have always loved the 50mm. and by extension lenses around that focal length. Even on APS-C a fast 50 is a workhorse- subject isolation and sharpness.

I have a few of them,

1.The smc P-M 50/1.4 - not the easiest to shoot. Quite dreamy wide open. But sharpens up when stopped down and a fine bokeh

2. The smc P-FA 50/1.7- fast as a thief, beautiful sharpness and fantastic rendition of tones. A 6 bladed aperture- the bokeh grows on you.

3. The Takumar 55/1.8 - have 2 of them - an Auto Tak and a a SMC Tak. Not easy to differentiate between them but despite their age- as good as any, except for the bokeh fringing at times.

4. The CZJ Tessar 50/2.8 - Not the sharpest kid on the block but has a nice bokeh and handles colours and tones well

5. The CZJ Pancolar 50/1.8. Mine is actually my Dad's 1970 it was purchased. The aperture ring is a bait loose now but it is what other 50mms should, ought and must aspire to. Fantastic wide open and things only get better on stopping down. Very little fringing and a bokeh that I love.

6. The smc A 50/2 - well unless stopped down it is less than competent.

7. My latest is the dmc P FA 43mm f1.9 Limited. Always thought it was a glorified 50mm. It is sharp make no mistake and handles tones like a champion. The bokeh however could be better (not like the Pancolar nor the 50/1.4). Its construction? Well hard to beat this....

The 43 is new to me. I will pick up the FA 50mm/1.7 anytime for quick work and the Pancolar when I have time. I guess other manufacturers make/ made good 50s too. But a 1964 Nikon 50/1.4 was not impressive to me. The later 50/1.8 is better (1.8 lenses are easier to handle).

The MUST HAVE crown would be given by me to the Carl Zeiss Jena Pancolar 50mm f1.8

Arijit

Aanything · Expire: 2014-05-30

DigiChromeEd · Joined: 29 Dec 2009 Posts: 3460 Location: Northern Ireland

Mos6502 · Joined: 20 Jun 2011 Posts: 960 Location: Austin

The preset tessar 2.8/50 for it's sparkly boke' and round highlights at all apertures.
The pancolar 2/50 for its sharpness and incredibly smooth rendering.
The Zeiss Icarex Ultron 1.8/50 for its sharpness, unique design and uniquely stylish look.

Less special, but worth having:
Yashinon 2/50 for its subtle but unique rendering and corner to corner performance wide open.
Meritar 2.9/50 for its classic triplet rendering.
Mamiya Sekor 2.8/50 - an uncommon (but not rare) Japanese tessar type with nice performance.
Schacht Travelon 1.8/50 - an uncommon lens with a peculiar sharpness, and rendering, you have to see the results to understand.
Biotar 2/58 - sparkles and swirls, a classic.

There are plenty more that are good. But I think the above are special for some reason or another.

eddieitman · Joined: 12 Apr 2011 Posts: 1246 Location: United Kingdom

OK here goes my List
Number 1 Zenitar 50mm F1.7 Pure Magic just renders so well even wide open
Number 2 Chinon 55mm F1.7 For it's Unique Monet style painting
Number 3 Auto Takumar F2.2 the 1st great rendering 3d almost and warm
Number 4 Minolta MD 50mm F1.4 Just a great lens color, sharpness etc
Number 5 Konica 58mm F1.4 Another great lens, color, and sharpness wide open and 3d pop
Number 6 Pancolar 50mm F1.8 Great Lens lovely tones and rendering with zeiss pop
Number 7 Pentax 50mm F1.7 great contrast and sharp wide open
Number 8 Yashica ML 50mm F1.7 every bit as good as the zeiss, almost but 1/5th the price
Number 9 Helios 44 everybody must own this, its great for the money

But if i can only have one the Zenitar

norland · Joined: 10 Aug 2013 Posts: 165

Certainly would not want to be without the Helios 44-2 -- totally reliable, sharp and good colours.

That said, once a lens hood arrives for a recently purchased Industar 50mm, its tiny size will probably make it an ever-present backup in the "going places" camera bag (camera's default lens is a Sony 18-135).

But if you allow for the APSC's 1.5x crop factor, there's an unexpected contender ... a little Soligor 35mm f2.8 pre-set (serial number 2710262), which despite not being multi-coated has been producing image quality well beyond expectation.
With that crop criteria applied, Tokina 28mm f2.8 RMC could also stake a claim, but not used it enough yet to be sure.

barryreid · Expire: 2015-11-04

For me, there are a couple...

Contax C/Y 50mm 1.7, the colour rendition is amazing, bokeh a bit harsh tho'
Pentax' 50mm 1.4 SMC-M is an all round nice lens with good bokeh.
And finally, an off the wall selection, the Canon TS-E 45mm which pretty sharp and has such creative potential.

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

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

eddieitman · Joined: 12 Apr 2011 Posts: 1246 Location: United Kingdom

/My bad yes 57mm so many damn lenses i lose track lol

Oldhand · Posted: Sun Sep 01, 2013 9:49 pm Post subject:

So glad that folks are realising that this is not another "what is the best standard lens" type of thread.
Some lenses have a quality about them that endears them to us for one reason or another.
It is this characteristic that makes them a must have
A very interesting list
OH

mo · Expire: 2016-07-30

The macro-takumar 4/50 such a nice lens or any specialist macro lens, they open up a whole new world,and they are just a useful lens to have.I really have to thank the guys on this forum for encouraging me to buy it,many years ago now Very Happy

eddieitman · Joined: 12 Apr 2011 Posts: 1246 Location: United Kingdom

Just to demonstrate the magic in the Zenitar here is a pic i shot wide open by accident (did not notice the lens had gone to auto from manual) but for wide open it captures light in a magical way.

Lloydy · Expire: 2022-01-01

OMG......I've just looked down my updated list and counted 49 lenses in that range! Shocked

Some are lenses I have a few of, the common 50's that came with the cameras. So, after much thought, I think these are my favourites.

For sharpness, the Rollei Planar 50 / 1.8. Closely followed by the Rokkor 50 / 1.4

For colour, the Rokkor 50 / 1.4 or the Zuiko 50 / 1.4 - which is also a delight to use.

Best all rounder? the Rokkor wins, with the Zuiko, Canon 1.8 and Pentax 1.7 fighting for a place in the camera bag.

But....they also fight with the Chinon 50 / 1.7 which surprises and pleases me when I use it, and any of the Helios which are never far away from the camera bag.

Rokkor 45 / 2 ? mmmm, I like it a lot but it frustrates me. I get some excellent results from it, and some rubbish. I think it's me though, not the lens.

If I'm feeling like a challenge, then I use the CZJ Tessar. I love the center sharpness and fall off towards the edges. But I have to remember to think about that as I use it.

I like the Industar as well, it has a special quality about it.

I can't get on with the Fujinon 55 / 2.2, there is sharpness, there are nice colours. I just can't get consistency from it. Pretty much the same with my Pentacon's - and I love the Pentacon 30

eeec · Joined: 16 Jun 2013 Posts: 45 Location: Edmonton, Canada

So many lovely 50s Smile

The one I would never let go of is the Canon FD 50mm f/1.4 - such a classic rendering with perfect colours that you know it came from a legacy lens, but it's all so smooth and professional that it matches anything out there from any era.

The other one everyone should own somewhere in their kit would be the Helios 44-3. Stuffed with charm and unique character. The preset aperture is a joy to use and makes me wonder why companies ever stopped making such lenses.

Maybe I'd also make mention of the Volna-9. Stopped down a little bit and you get the unique bokeh stars... it's a lovely macro performer.

mzzyhmd · Joined: 01 Jul 2013 Posts: 99 Location: Florida

From my very little experience I'd suggest Pancolar 50/1.8. Super duper lens IMHO

miran · Joined: 01 Aug 2012 Posts: 1364 Location: Slovenia

From my extremely limited experience Minolta Rokkor MD 50mm/1.4 is a very good lens. It's one of my most used lenses, top 3 for sure.

DanielT74 · Joined: 01 Apr 2011 Posts: 204

Many great lenses in this range, but for what it's worth, my top five contenders would be

Noct-Nikkor 58/1.2 (very expensive but if you're after a top quality fast glass, it can't be beat)
Leica Summilux-R 50mm E60 (very expensive and probably overpriced due to rarity but damn fine)
Canon FD 55/1.2 Aspherical (fantastically sharp and still reasonable, bokeh could be busy)
Zeiss Macro-Planar 50/2 (pretty damn perfect)
Minolta PG-58/1.2 (bokeh king)