Chinon 55 / 1.7

[Lloydy]

I got this Chinon 55 1.7 in a junk shop today, it was attached to a Chinon CX camera and they wouldn't sell the lens seperate so I had to pay £10 for the whole thing, now I have yet another Chinon camera.......
But the lens looked nice, and on a very quick test in the garden I think I will like this lens. Whoever made it.





Wide open, it doesn't look as though it has too many bad habits.

[Oldhand]

This lens looks very similar to my Auto Revuenon 1.7/55 and may be the same lens - at least from the same stable.
I used it this afternoon - after noticing your post Lloyd - and I will put up some images shortly. I think I had better start a new thread instead of hijacking yours though.
1.7/55 and 1.7/50 lenses seem to be a winning formula in lens design, as there appear to be lots of excellent lenses in this specification.
It will be great to see some more images from it. BTW, I think that you did well in buying the camera and lens for so little.
Well done
OH

[Lloydy]

I think this is a very common lens, also found as Auto Revunon, Hanimar, Argus, Agfa and Cosinon. It appears to have the same coating and some similarity to my Mamiya Sekor 55 1.8, which I rate very highly.
Feel free to add pictures from this lens to the post Tom, it's about the lens not me.

[Oldhand]

Here is one from this afternoon - a windy windy exercise in frustration.
Anyhoo here we are:
OH

[iangreenhalgh1]

[Lloydy]

I already have way too many 50 - 58 mm lenses, 51 of them, 20 in M42 and I wouldn't have bought this Chinon other than it was cheap, and I couldn't remember exactly which of this style of lens is attributed to Tomioka, it's the 1.4 not this 1.7 but it still seems like a good lens for a tenner, even less if someone buys the damn camera.

[Lloydy]

[Lloydy]

Wide open and minimum focusing distance.



Wide open, infinity - focus on the gates. The mess in the bottom left is the wall I was resting the camera on which would be out of focus at minimum.

[Oldhand]

Thanks Lloyd.
I have since had a little play in Picassa, and although this isn't strictly kosher, here is a variation on the last image. I like it more.
OH

[Lloydy]

It poured with rain today, just right for a fastish 55. All these were shot either wide open or one stop down, and they are all processed, but very little sharpening if at all, just levels, contrast and maybe a crop.











I like this lens, I surely have sharper lenses that don't need as much levels / contrast done ( and to be fair the Chinon required a lot less than some other lenses I have. ) but it's still a very nice, easy, lens to use. The bokeh is excellent, given the right circumstances there is swirl that isn't as pronounced as the Helios 44-2 and bubbles that are subtler than the Fujinon 55 2.2.
Will it usurp my favourite Mamiya Sekor 55 1.8? I don't know. That'll be decided on a sunny day shootout.