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Canon 50mm f/1.8 Serenar
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 08, 2016 12:39 am    Post subject: Canon 50mm f/1.8 Serenar Reply with quote
This is a Canon 50mm f1.8 Serenar Type I that was given to me. It was so cloudy and hazy that you couldn't even see through it. Using some info I found online, I disassembled the lens and cleaned it up. This was my first time doing this and it was actually very easy. I realize this lens is a simple design, but it's a great one to learn on. The only mistake I made was installing one of the elements backwards. This caused the lens to only focus very close. After correcting my mistake, I made these quick test shots with it.

I was sitting on my covered patio in deep shadow as the sun was setting. The lighting conditions are less than ideal. My primary purpose was to see the color rendering and the bokeh at various apertures. My point of focus was the eyes of the bumble bee. However, I missed focus on the first couple. I made adjustments to one photo (nothing drastic) and applied them to all photos. However, I did not do any sharpening. I am very happy with the results and plan to use it extensively this weekend.

f/1.8
1.8 by Scott Poupard

f/2
2.0 by Scott Poupard

f/4
2.8 by Scott Poupard

f/5.6
4 by Scott Poupard

f/8
8 by Scott Poupard

f/11
11 by Scott Poupard

f/16
16 by Scott Poupard

Last edited by LifesShort on Fri Apr 08, 2016 5:33 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Fri Apr 08, 2016 2:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
It's a great little lens. I own one that I'm guessing is a Type I also -- chrome plated. The later ones had a black focusing collar. Anyway, the results I got with mine were rather incredible.


PostPosted: Fri Apr 08, 2016 6:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Yeah, this lens is a gem indeed. What is your serials guys?


PostPosted: Fri Apr 08, 2016 7:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I've only had mine a couple weeks and it had lots of haze too but cleaned up it is very good.
Going to a wedding tomorrow and this is the lens i'm taking. Smile
my serial is 63305.


PostPosted: Fri Apr 08, 2016 9:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
LifesShort wrote:
This is a Canon 50mm f1.8 Serenar Type I that was given to me. It was so cloudy and hazy that you couldn't even see through it. Using some info I found online, I disassembled the lens and cleaned it up

Congrats with the succesful cleaning. It appears to be a nice lens now!
Like 1 small


PostPosted: Fri Apr 08, 2016 9:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
A great lens indeed and you made a good job.
I have the next version without Serenar branding but very similar ( quite an heavy lens for the volume) .
Have you some links to the onfos you found on the web?


PostPosted: Fri Apr 08, 2016 11:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
memetph wrote:

Have you some links to the onfos you found on the web?


Here is the page that gave excellent instructions on disassembly of the lens:

http://jelabs.blogspot.com/2011/04/canon-serenar-f18-50mm-ltm-lens.html

With a spanner, it is very easy to take apart and put back together. Just make sure you don't do what I did and put one of the elements in backwards!


PostPosted: Fri Apr 08, 2016 12:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Nordentro wrote:
Yeah, this lens is a gem indeed. What is your serials guys?


The serial number on mine is 66317. I would love to know when it was made. According to the online Canon Camera Museum (http://www.canon.com/c-museum/en/product/s18.html), production began in November of 1951. I don't know of any way to determine the year of production of a particular lens, though.


PostPosted: Fri Apr 08, 2016 2:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Here's a pic of mine mounted to my P:



S/N: 75876

Yep, it's small, but it's a heavy little lump, isn't it. Must be all brass and glass beneath the chrome.

Here are a couple of pics I took with mine mounted to my EOS XS. Just about extreme macro is all it was good for on the EOS. The first is a pic of some acorns, shot at f/8. The second is a 100% crop.




PostPosted: Fri Apr 08, 2016 5:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
That's definitely extreme macro!


PostPosted: Fri Apr 08, 2016 8:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Wow, sharpness is incredible!


PostPosted: Fri Apr 08, 2016 11:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
SN: 63305, 66317, 75876

All of them are Type 2 Serenars and all are made in 1952. Almost 22000 copies where made in 1952 from SN: ~58900 to 80700. The Type 1 was made in less than 800 copies in 1951 and do not have Japan at the beautyring and is slightly lighter built (251g vs 271g). Wink


PostPosted: Sat Apr 09, 2016 12:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Nice to know. That little lens is a year older than I am. Still works as well as the day it was born, too.


PostPosted: Sat Apr 09, 2016 12:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Nordentro wrote:
SN: 63305, 66317, 75876

All of them are Type 2 Serenars and all are made in 1952. Almost 22000 copies where made in 1952 from SN: ~58900 to 80700. The Type 1 was made in less than 800 copies in 1951 and do not have Japan at the beautyring and is slightly lighter built (251g vs 271g). Wink


Thanks, but I'm confused. Mine looks exactly like the one pictured here at the Canon Camera Museum:

http://www.canon.com/c-museum/en/product/s18.html

If you zoom in on the photo of the lens, you can see that it has "Japan" on the beauty ring. According to the Museum, the 50mm f1.8 Type II is black and is not a Serenar. Also, the 50mm f/1.8 II that they show was not marketed until 1956. Is there a possibility that there is more than one version of the chrome lens? Am I misunderstanding the nomenclature?

Thanks for your help.


PostPosted: Sat Apr 09, 2016 6:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
The Canon Museum are somewhat simplified. There where in total eight types of this lens according the great Canon lenses book from Peter Kitchingman Wink (four in chrome and four in black)


PostPosted: Sat Apr 09, 2016 12:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Nordentro wrote:
The Canon Museum are somewhat simplified. There where in total eight types of this lens according the great Canon lenses book from Peter Kitchingman Wink (four in chrome and four in black)


Okay. Thanks for the reference and for clarifying. I'll have to look into getting a copy of that book.


PostPosted: Sat Apr 09, 2016 5:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
LifesShort wrote:
memetph wrote:

Have you some links to the onfos you found on the web?


Here is the page that gave excellent instructions on disassembly of the lens:

http://jelabs.blogspot.com/2011/04/canon-serenar-f18-50mm-ltm-lens.html

With a spanner, it is very easy to take apart and put back together. Just make sure you don't do what I did and put one of the elements in backwards!


Thanks a lot .
My Canon is very similar to your Serenar.



PostPosted: Sun Apr 10, 2016 1:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Very nice! have a black and chrome Canon 50 1.8, SN 212804, that I bought years ago with a Canon VT rangefinder. (I love Canon rangefinders and it was so cheap that I couldn't resist.) The lens was serviceable even as purchased, especially in low light, but did have quite a bit of haze. I finally got up the nerve to disassemble and clean it a few months ago and have been enjoying it even more.


PostPosted: Sun Apr 10, 2016 3:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
just like memetph' copy mine says "Canon lens", not Serenar. According to Kitchingman it is a 'type 4', the last and most common, serial No. 88496 to 170760, 82.000+ copies made between 4/53 to 3/56, of the fully chrome Canon 1.8/50.
Type 3 and 4 say "Canon lens", not Serenar, but as on Cameramuseum any version that is fully chrome commonly might be referred to as a Serenar.
@ LifesShort or anyone interested in Ktchingman's amazing book: when I got mine ordering from him directly via email had been the only way, his email address: peterk@canonrangefinder.com

Canon f1.8 50mm by andreas, on Flickr

hardly have been using it, battled instead with various copies of the later 'black' versions which all have haze to some degree. The fully chrome is clean and seems to outperform them all. It feels so very heavy for such a small lens, my copy acc. to Kichingman weighs 271 grms, that is almost 100 grms more than the somewhat bigger, later black versions.
a sample taken with the Ricoh GXR M

Untitled by andreas, on Flickr


PostPosted: Sun Apr 10, 2016 4:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
My wife and I took our grandson to an historic cotton plantation today and I used this lens exclusively. Overall, I'm very happy with it. My only complaint is that it is very susceptible to flare. So much so, I'm wondering if maybe I need to take it apart and clean it again. Here are a few photos from today's outing. You can click on any image to see the full size version. I'm amazed at the detail this lens is able to capture.

100MSDCF-007 by Scott Poupard, on Flickr

100MSDCF-006 by Scott Poupard, on Flickr

100MSDCF-058 by Scott Poupard, on Flickr

100MSDCF-054 by Scott Poupard, on Flickr

100MSDCF-047 by Scott Poupard, on Flickr

100MSDCF-011 by Scott Poupard, on Flickr


PostPosted: Sun Apr 10, 2016 1:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Wow, incredible textures, Scott, and such warm earth-tones.


PostPosted: Sun Apr 10, 2016 2:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
A wonderful southern US atmosphere I have always had a weak spot for, would be nice to see more photos made around your house or cottage/hut/cabin or whatever the right word is Whoo Turtle


PostPosted: Sun Apr 10, 2016 4:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
cooltouch wrote:
Wow, incredible textures, Scott, and such warm earth-tones.


Thank you.


PostPosted: Sun Apr 10, 2016 5:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Marek wrote:
A wonderful southern US atmosphere I have always had a weak spot for, would be nice to see more photos made around your house or cottage/hut/cabin or whatever the right word is Whoo Turtle


I wish this was my place! These were taken at a state park here in Georgia that's only about 15 miles from my house. I didn't have much time to spend taking photos because my wife and I had our grandson with us. I plan to go back by myself sometime soon so that I can take all the photo I want. I, like you, have a weak spot for this type of place and could spend hours learning about it and photographing it.

I don't know where in Europe you live, Marek, but one day I hope to make it to your part of the globe. I love the U.S. landscape, but I would love to visit places that have architecture that is 1000 or more years old.


PostPosted: Sun Apr 10, 2016 10:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Really nice atmorphere indeed and the Serenar does its job nicely Wink
I`m going to Nevada next week and hope to see some interesting sites too Like 1 small

+1 to Andreas. Kitchingmans book is really good and amazingly detailed about all the rangefinder Canon lenses.
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