Rikenon 50mm f2 question

[blotafton]

Hello! I got the winning bid on a m42 Rikenon 50mm f2 with rubber grip.
This is not the lens I was looking for. The one I actually wanted is a XR Rikenon 50mm f2.

Does anyone know how similar they are?
If the optical design is identical I don't need the XR version.

My favorite 50mm f2 is the Auto Yashinon 5cm f2. I also have both a Minolta MD and MC 50mm f2 that are good.

My intention is to get the f2 versions of XR rikenon, Yashica ML, Pancolar and Cosinon to see which I like the most.

I also have a Summitar and Leonon on my radar.

Do you know any other recommendations to look up?

[pabeu]

Nikkor Ai 50mm f2 or Jupiter 8 might be good options as well.

Interested to listen about your findings and which lenses you liked or disliked and why.

Have fun!

[D1N0]

I think those Rikenon 50's were all made by Cosina to spec (They aren't the same as Cosinons or other rebrands like Revuenon) The M42 ones look like Cosina's and the K-mounts have their serial number on the aperture ring just like K-mount Cosina made lenses. Both Auto-Rikenon and XR Rikenon are 6/5 designs but that doesn't mean they are the same. XR Rikenons main difference is probably the update coatings (apart from being K-mount instead of m42).

[blotafton]

[alex ph]

I recently posted some test images from the RX version of Rikenon 2/50 which renders very well both in colour and BW. I imagine this is the quality you are in search for.

Pentax forums states that "The non-XR lenses have a different optical and physical design and may be distinguished by the lack of the "XR" designation on the lens face." I read similar assertions in some other sources, one of them resuming the difference from the latest models in the following way: "Some Japanese web pages stated that this lens (MFD 0.45m) and the version immediately after, the XR Rikenon 50mm f/2 L (MFD 0.6m) were made by Tomioka (富岡光学), a maker of considerable repute, while the later versions (the XR Rikenon 50mm f/2 S, P and the plain Rikenon without XR) were made by Nitto Optics (日東光学)."

If you watch some online available shots from the later (not XR) models, you still find the same very pleasant rendering, with creamy bokeh and sharp in-focus, like for example here.

I presume you'd be pretty happy with your new aquisition.

[blotafton]

[Ricon]

Have the XR lens but haven't used it since the film days. (I'll try post a pic of it tomorrow)
If it helps, back in the 90's, my boss who was a pro photographer and Leica nut once viewed a pic I enlarged to 8x10. It was taken on a Ricoh KR5 Super II with 50mm f2.
He started rambling how only with Leica you can get such quality blah blah blah. He didn't realize I didn't go out with one of his cameras as he thought and I had taken a consumer Ricoh.

At some point I will use film again and I'm really looking forward to giving the lens some work.

[D1N0]

The L and the S version are plastic and much less nice than the XR version without extra letter. I guess they were made to sell cheaper kits. Some people like the L for it's lower contrast wide open for portraiture. It could be another manufacturer made the plasticky versions. As for Tomioka, I don't think they ever made K-mount lenses. But many Tomioka designs ended up with Cosina later on. So there may be Tomioka DNA in them. Although I think the lens was specifically calculated for Ricoh. I think the optics are the same across plastic and metal version. It's just tolerances were a bit wider in the plastic ones causing a bit of contrast loss.

[Ultrapix]

[Ricon]

[KEO]

[Ricon]

Here is mine. Has skylight filter attached. Realize now it's not the one OP was looking for. Not an expert on my Ricoh lenses. This is a very good lens though.

[kypfer]

[D1N0]

The Auto Mamiya/Sekor 50mm 1:2 is also a very nice lens (if not stiff focussing as Mamiya fifties tend to be).

[Ultrapix]

[D1N0]

[eggplant]

[blotafton]

[Oldhand]

The Auto Rikenon in PK mount is a very capable lens - often called the "plastic fantastic"
Another lens you might like to look at is the Nikkor-S 50mm f2 which is a seven element design and a truly excellent performer
Tom

[blotafton]

[blotafton]

Here it is!

I was a bit surprised to see 0.6m mfd. It is not an issue though if used on a helicoid adapter. But the pin needs to be pressed in for the aperture to work.

The focusing ring is a bit uneven but not terrible.

The aperture ring a bit heavy.

A quick test revealed that there are no optical problems.

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Here it is with the competition

[D1N0]

Very similar to the xr Rikenon, same IR mark position and distance scale numbering. Cosina made I'd guess. It's just focussing in the opposite direction. The XR K mount focusses like Nikon and Pentax.

[KEO]

[blotafton]

[blotafton]

Rikenon test shots.

Raw format, custom tone curves.



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