Mamiya Auto Sekor 55mm f1.4

[ludoo]

Picked this up today for 40 euros at a local repairshop, it's a really beautiful lens: huge, heavy, and with a curiously flat back element. I wonder what optical scheme this is (edit: it's one of the Tomioka-made 55mm 1.4). Will try to shoot a few pictures with it tomorrow, here it is next to the S-M-C Takumar 55mm f1.8, and alone focused at minimum distance.

[Petzval 1840]

Hello:

You have bought a magnificent lens: read this link.

http://forum.mflenses.com/tomioka-zeiss-mamiya-and-55-1-4-design-t22661.html

Bests Regards: David,

[Giac]

I bought some 2 months ago Auto Mamya/Sekor 55/1.4 no. 82786.
I think it's the same as yours. It's a fine lens, only the M-position has to be secured with a piece of paper, otherwise it goes easily to the A-position. Wish you much nice pics with this special lens!

[ramiller500]

The Tomioka association is unproven.

[ludoo]

[ramiller500]

I have a later all-black version of this Mamiya 55mm/1.4 lens and it's great. Mine came with a couple of small nicks in the front element which have not visibly affected performance.

These lenses can often be bought attached to a Mamiya SLR camera (500TL, 1000TL, 500DTL, 1000DTL) for a low total price.

[woodrim]

You're right, Bob, that's how I found one yesterday. I haven't received it yet, but look forward to trying out.

[fish4570]

looking forward to your workout ...

[Chris Watson]

Congrats on the Mamiya.. You're going to love it. Also worth seeking out is the Mamiya Sekor 35mm 2.8. I want to say I have a Tomioka version of that as well (same font as the one pictured in the original post). There's something magical about how it renders images.

Anyway, I'm a videographer so I don't have stills to show but I did shoot and edit this short "retro lens tour" with the Mamiyas (and a Vivitar 75-205 3. on a Canon t2i/550D. Hope you like!

http://vimeo.com/10197920

[ludoo]

[Chris Watson]

[woodrim]

I received my lens today, it's the same as the one in the picture that started this thread. My first impressions are that it's very easy to focus; has a wonderfully smooth focus ring; seems very sharp even at wide open; gets tack sharp when stopped down just a little; great colors; short MFD; and although I'm no bokeh expert (I tend to like all bokeh), I think the OOF rendering is wonderful. Overall, I'm very happy with this lens. Here are some shots from my walk around the yard today - cropped, contrast adjusted, and lightly sharpened:
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[fish4570]

it sure does focus closely ...

[woodrim]

What, no good?

[ilguercio]

Can i share some pics of my copy? I got it today and it's really in good shape, it has just a light scratch on the focus ring.
The rear element is flat.

[ilguercio]

I found the original instruction booklet of the 1000 DTL the lens was attached to and another one with the poor lineup of lenses.
Nothing really interesting apart from the 55 1.4 and the 60 2.8 macro.
However, the formula of the 55 1.4 has the rear element slightly convex on the drawing so i'm quite puzzled about what i've found on my sample.
Does any of you know why?

[dimitrygo]

[ilguercio]

Sure, but since i don't have a scanner i shot it
You can see that the 55 1.4 pictured has a curve rear element but it has silver nose and aperture ring and scale in silver as well.
Mine is all black so i guess the copy i have is some sort of a later design.
I don't know if this is the original lens that came with the 1000 DTL i received but i guess so.
Still, can't understand why the image on the booklet and the lens itself do not match.
So, black version is flat, silver one (partly, actually) has a "normal" rear element.
Any other idead?
The picture is here, for obvious reasons.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1087972/IMG_8942.jpg

[Phenix jc]

Very nice. Thx for sharing.
I've both B&W (TL, DTL) and the SX version. SX was one of my favorite f1.4.
Are we able to distinguish a flat lens from a slightly convex with our eyes ?
Normally B&W or all black is only an aesthetic variation. (But perhaps I'm wrong).

Some nice samples, Woodrim.

Roland Stauber's web site preserved from oblivion
http://mamiya-nc-m42.mflenses.com/m42_lenses.htm
(Or don't forget the wayback machine http://web.archive.org/web/20070221061518/freenet-homepage.de/stauber/mamiya-nc/m42_lenses.htm )

[ilguercio]

Nice question about the surface of the lens but i both have a S-M-C Takumar 50 1.4 and the Mamiya and the latter is surely flat and i can tell when i put the two lenses in comparison.
Even though the rear element of the Tak doesn't really stick because there's a (glass) rim that goes about 1.5 mm further back in the camera i can see the shape of it and it is curved.
The Mamiya, on the other hand, is flat as The Nederlands so it is a different formula from the one pictured in the paper i posted.
Mechanically, it feels much better than the Tak or the Zuiko that i have, it's heavier but fits better on a modern enthusiast DSLR such as my 50D.
The Tak was a bit hideous when mounted and the aesthetics are not to be put aside when it comes to vintage lenses.
The colour of the coating is amber.
I'm posting a few samples in a while.
I just have a question:why is it that the lens doesn't reach infinity with the same adapter i used for the Tak?
The Tak screwed right in place, with the center of the dof scale right in the middle, the same doesn't apply for the Mamiya which screws a bit past the center but still doesn't reach infinity.
The mount itself is probably 1mm raised compared to the outer barrel which i think is a workaround so you dont catch the A/M lever when you screw the lens on the camera (or onto an adapter) but i am stuck at probably 50m of longest focus and i can't go through.
The back of the pamphlet is all about focusing distances and dof at the various apertures for the pictured lenses.
I actually got the orginal box but the seller thought it was legit to destroy it by wrapping it all in tape.




Shot with my 50D at 800 iso 1/40th and 1.4 actually.

Samples at 1.4, no corrections of any sort.

[dimitrygo]

[ilguercio]

I now realize how hard and time consuming is finding information about lenses of the past.

[ilguercio]

Two more samples, autolevels and wb, that's it.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1087972/IMG_9061.jpg

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1087972/IMG_9059.jpg

The tiles are probably better focused.

[ramiller500]

I have an all-black version (for DTL series cameras) with a visibly convex rear element.

[ilguercio]