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Fujinon 55mm f/2.2 AX mount
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 18, 2018 4:19 am    Post subject: Fujinon 55mm f/2.2 AX mount Reply with quote
Got this Fujinon 55mm f/2.2 in old Fuji AX mount. Tried it out for the bubble bokeh. It is there. But I need to find better lighting situation to test it more, especially during the daytime. Sharpness wide, can only say it is ok.

Funny story behind this lens: originally I got a Makinon 24-50mm. I thought it was a PK mount so I got a PK adapter. After the lens arrived, I learned it is a Fuji AX mount. So I had to order an AX to Nex adapter, shipped from China. The Makinon lens is rather mediocre. So I decided to find an good Fuji AX mount lens to utilize the $20 adapter. Through the internet search for Fuji AX mount lens, I found this is an interesting one. In the end, a should-be-less-expensive lens turns out to cost me quite some dollars. Smile)

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PostPosted: Sun Nov 18, 2018 8:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Very nice colours vivaldibow .
My son has this lens and likes it for its bubble bokeh.
I have never had it, but did once own some of the other AX lenses.
I was actually underwhelmed by them and sold them all - I never owned this one and as I said, my son likes his.
I did find that the older M42 lenses from Fujinon seemed to render better for me.
I did end up keeping only one however - the 1.8/55 which I found to be stellar.
Tom


PostPosted: Sun Nov 18, 2018 8:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Nice pictures Smile

I used Fujica SLR film cameras, both screw-mount (AZ-1) and bayonet (AX-5), for many years and, as was the habit of the day, tended to ignore the "cheap so can't be very good" f/2.2 "kit" lens in favour of the more "exotic" wider aperture glass.

It's only in recent times, with the increase of interest in the "bokeh" effect, that I've re-acquired a screw-mount f/2.2 and am rediscovering this little lost marvel Smile

If you get the opportunity, (and can find an adaptor to suit), the Pentacon 50mm f/2.4 in Practika bayonet mount can give similar but subtly different effects. Both lenses have a "4 elements in 4 groups" arrangement, but do differ in layout, so don't perform identically.

Enjoy Smile


PostPosted: Sun Nov 18, 2018 10:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Get small highlights and the bubbles are epic, this is sunshine reflecting on the leaves of a Holly tree. The leaves are very reflective, perfect for this test shot that I take to find the bubble factor of a lens.


Without highlights, the bokeh is nice.


PostPosted: Sun Nov 18, 2018 11:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I recently acquired a Fujica STX-1n, mostly because I've had a deep respect for Fujinon lenses for a long time, and saw this as a way of acquiring a few. Mine came with a normal lens -- the 50mm f/1.9. So far, I've shot only one roll of film with the camera, but I haven't had it developed yet. Anyway, after seeing these and other images taken with the f/2.2 lens I think that maybe I need to add one to my small Fuji outfit. I happen to like the "bubble" bokeh this lens creates. They remind me a little of the sort of bokeh I get with my Canon FD 50mm f/1.4 SSC.

Which other bayonet mount Fuji lenses are standouts?


PostPosted: Sun Nov 18, 2018 12:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
cooltouch wrote:
I recently acquired a Fujica STX-1n, mostly because I've had a deep respect for Fujinon lenses for a long time, and saw this as a way of acquiring a few. Mine came with a normal lens -- the 50mm f/1.9. So far, I've shot only one roll of film with the camera, but I haven't had it developed yet. Anyway, after seeing these and other images taken with the f/2.2 lens I think that maybe I need to add one to my small Fuji outfit. I happen to like the "bubble" bokeh this lens creates. They remind me a little of the sort of bokeh I get with my Canon FD 50mm f/1.4 SSC.

Which other bayonet mount Fuji lenses are standouts?


There may be some standouts for sure.
I have only had the 1.6/55 and the 1.9/28, as well as the short standard zoom (I've forgotten the range)
All were good but not great in my opinion.
I passed them along to other collectors.
Tom


PostPosted: Sun Nov 18, 2018 4:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
cooltouch wrote:
Which other bayonet mount Fuji lenses are standouts?


The 50mm f/1.2 always impressed me, I believed I could see more detail through the viewfinder in low light with that lens fitted than I could see with the naked eye. I sold it relatively recently on eBay, it went to a collector in Japan who reckoned it was the first he had seen for sale in several years collecting, so not a common thing, but worth keeping an eye open for.

One of the reasons I went with the Fujica AX-5 when I changed from the AZ-1 was the fact that with the XD (not XS) adaptor fitted, I could use screw-mount lenses in open-aperture auto-exposure, both shutter priority and Program modes! This was ANY auto-aperture screw-mount lens, not just Fujinons! Consequently I didn't need to change my existing glass, so never bought any other AX-mount Fujinons other than the 55mm f/3.5 macro (now sold). This was also a very good lens Smile

Of the screw-mount Fujinons I kept (and still use on my Pentax DSLR's), my favourite is the 35mm f/1.9, though the 85mm f/4 "Soft Focus" lens is probably fairly unique (how many other lenses can you think of that are designed NOT to be sharp?! The 16mm f/2.8 full-frame fisheye, the 19mm f/3.5 and the 100mm f/2.8 are all worth a mention and were all available in AX-mount as well.

The standard short zoom referred to by Oldhand would be the 43-75mm, a perfectly adequate lens, in my opinion, and the first zoom lens to be supplied as a "kit" lens when sold with the AZ-1 in the late '70's. There was also a 29-47mm wide angle zoom, which was very good of it's type, but I must admit to making both of these lenses redundant with a single Tamron Adaptall-2 28-80mm.

That covers my experience with Fujinons, hope it's of some use. I feel confident you'll not be disappointed with any of their primes Smile


PostPosted: Sun Nov 18, 2018 4:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks for the responses, Oldhand and kypfer. One of the first things I picked up after getting my Fujica was a Tamron Adaptall-2 mount for it, which gives me access to the dozen or so Tamron zooms I own, as well as a few descent Tamron primes. But I would like to pick up a few AX mount Fujinons. After posting my above message, I went over to eBay and looked around. It's pointless trying to do a search just on 'fujinon' since it delivered some almost 6,000 hits. I finally just tried ' fuji ax' and that narrowed it down to a more manageable 441 hits, a number of which were for aftermarket lenses.

kypfer, you mentioned selling your f/1.2 to a Japanese collector. I'm noticing some fairly high prices on some Fujinons. I guess there must be enough collecting interest on these lenses to justify those prices.

While doing this search, I came across the AX-3 and then later the AX-5 cameras. Both remind me a little of the Canon A-1 the way the shutter speeds and program settings are shown in a little window. I wouldn't mind picking up one of these cameras some time soon. Kypfer, you mention the AX-5's versatility with M42 lenses -- does this by any chance extend to the AX-3, do you know? I think I'll need to do some research to find out the difference between the two. Also, I noted that both have four contacts on the base for a winder or motor drive. So far, I've only found the Winder AX. Was there a motor drive made for these cameras?

Sorry, I'm getting off topic from the original post. I should probably start another thread.


PostPosted: Sun Nov 18, 2018 5:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
cooltouch wrote:
Kypfer, you mention the AX-5's versatility with M42 lenses -- does this by any chance extend to the AX-3, do you know? I think I'll need to do some research to find out the difference between the two. Also, I noted that both have four contacts on the base for a winder or motor drive. So far, I've only found the Winder AX. Was there a motor drive made for these cameras?


Only the AX-5 was totally versatile with the screw-mount lenses. The AX-3, like the AX-1 and the STX-1 would only use the screw-mount lenses in "stop-down-metering" mode, so could not take advantage of the more expensive "XD" adaptor and could make do with the "XS" adaptor.

Not sure of your definition of "motor drive" versus "winder". The AX winder was capable of both single and continuous exposures, though not at quite the "machine-gun" rate of fully professional kit.

Do be aware, the STX cameras have a mechanical shutter, so will work quite happily without batteries. The AX cameras are all electric (with possibly one back-up mechanical speed, I'd have to check). The electronic control board for the shutter in these cameras was prone to age-related capacitor failure, the very reason I retired my system and moved over to Pentax. The repair wasn't difficult, but sourcing the correct (obscure) low-value miniature calibration capacitors was Sad These days I'd not recommend an AX model Fujica to anyone without first having tested it thoroughly, with film, at all speeds.

A web page I put together many years ago has been archived here http://web.archive.org/web/20040210210552/http://www.toptown.com/nowhere/kypfer/fujica.htm you may find it interesting. Someone else has converted this to a pdf and put a link to it in the files section of the Fujica Camera Yahoo Group here https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/fujica35mmslrs/info


PostPosted: Mon Nov 19, 2018 5:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Oldhand wrote:
Very nice colours vivaldibow .
My son has this lens and likes it for its bubble bokeh.
I have never had it, but did once own some of the other AX lenses.
I was actually underwhelmed by them and sold them all - I never owned this one and as I said, my son likes his.
I did find that the older M42 lenses from Fujinon seemed to render better for me.
I did end up keeping only one however - the 1.8/55 which I found to be stellar.
Tom


Thanks. AX lenses seems quite rare. I am not sure if in the old days, they were not sold well; or Fuji didn't use that mount for a long time. The 55mm/1.8 does seem to get good review. I may get one if the price is right.


PostPosted: Mon Nov 19, 2018 5:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
kypfer wrote:
Nice pictures Smile

I used Fujica SLR film cameras, both screw-mount (AZ-1) and bayonet (AX-5), for many years and, as was the habit of the day, tended to ignore the "cheap so can't be very good" f/2.2 "kit" lens in favour of the more "exotic" wider aperture glass.

It's only in recent times, with the increase of interest in the "bokeh" effect, that I've re-acquired a screw-mount f/2.2 and am rediscovering this little lost marvel Smile

If you get the opportunity, (and can find an adaptor to suit), the Pentacon 50mm f/2.4 in Practika bayonet mount can give similar but subtly different effects. Both lenses have a "4 elements in 4 groups" arrangement, but do differ in layout, so don't perform identically.

Enjoy Smile


Thanks. Will definitely check out Pentacon 50mm f/2.4. These "slow" normal lenses sometimes give surprise!


PostPosted: Mon Nov 19, 2018 5:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Lloydy wrote:
Get small highlights and the bubbles are epic, this is sunshine reflecting on the leaves of a Holly tree. The leaves are very reflective, perfect for this test shot that I take to find the bubble factor of a lens.


Without highlights, the bokeh is nice.


Yes, with or without the bubble effect, I would say the bokeh is quite nice. At least to my taste. When I get a chance, I'll go shoot this lens by the sea, to see how the sea water reflection gives the bubble effect.


PostPosted: Mon Nov 19, 2018 5:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
cooltouch wrote:
I recently acquired a Fujica STX-1n, mostly because I've had a deep respect for Fujinon lenses for a long time, and saw this as a way of acquiring a few. Mine came with a normal lens -- the 50mm f/1.9. So far, I've shot only one roll of film with the camera, but I haven't had it developed yet. Anyway, after seeing these and other images taken with the f/2.2 lens I think that maybe I need to add one to my small Fuji outfit. I happen to like the "bubble" bokeh this lens creates. They remind me a little of the sort of bokeh I get with my Canon FD 50mm f/1.4 SSC.

Which other bayonet mount Fuji lenses are standouts?


Same there. Especially from the Fuji mirrorless cameras and their film effects, I have respect to them as well. Unfortunately, there seems not too many AX mount lens available. There was a Fuji 100mm f/2.8 for sale on ebay. I didn't bid as I have too many 100mm/105mm already.
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