Auto Rikenon 50mm 1.4 EE

tkbslc · Joined: 02 Jul 2009 Posts: 194 Location: Utah, USA

I recently acquired a Auto Rikenon 50mm 1.4 EE. It is a bit different from normal m42 auto lenses as it has a separate tab for stopping down the lens with Ricoh's EE shutter priority system. The problem is that there is no manual switch and the Ricoh special tab is in the way of a flanged adapter. Any advice for converting this so I can use it on a digital and be able to use another aperture besides wide open?

And I guess on a related note, is this lens worth the trouble? I don't have any other 50mm 1.4 (I have a helios 58mm f2, though, that is very good)

tkbslc · Joined: 02 Jul 2009 Posts: 194 Location: Utah, USA

Images of lens. Looks like the Serial number is 37? Smile

casualcollector · Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2009 2:32 am Post subject:

Talk about early production. Look at all those zeros in the serial! That one looks like it's been banged around a bit. Maybe you can perform a leverectomy. I don't think you'll be hurting its value much. I have an excellent condition copy and thing it's a good performer on film.

orly_andico · Joined: 02 Jul 2008 Posts: 253 Location: Philippines

it may be "valuable" due to the low serial number.... a lever-ectomy would screw that value. There are lots more 50/1.4 M42 lenses out there such as the Pentax SMC Takumar and Super Takumar which are mechanically excellent (much more than any Ricoh).

tkbslc · Joined: 02 Jul 2009 Posts: 194 Location: Utah, USA

who would it be valuable to in this banged up condition?

Is there some way to temporarily fix the normal m42 pin in without ripping the lens it apart? I have a flangeless adapter I could use if the pin was pushed in some other way.

And I know there are better 50 1.4's, but I got this for basically free and don't really need another 50. If I could get it to work, great, but if not I will just use my Helios 44M.

sidecar · Joined: 09 Jul 2009 Posts: 10

yes being metal, its nothing like the later production Rikenon lenses. I have a 50/2 and 135/2.8, the latter is surprisingly not a bad looking/performing lens.

spiralcity · Joined: 02 Oct 2008 Posts: 1207 Location: Chicago, U.S.A

I have a XR Rikenon 50mm f/2. I actually do not like the lens at all. I tried selling it on ebay at least 3 times and have come up empty. Starting bid was 9.99 USD... Confused

sidecar · Joined: 09 Jul 2009 Posts: 10

yes thats identical to mine, e
xcepting mine says:
XR RIKENON 1:2 50mm L
L instead of S

sidecar · Joined: 09 Jul 2009 Posts: 10

one thing about Rikenon's I forgot to mention

although they use PK mounts, they have a different register to Pentax, not by a lot at 0.04mm, but perhaps enough to make them look soft
Look under Ricoh

http://www.graphics.cornell.edu/~westin/misc/mounts-by-register.html

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

I have the earlier version of this lens (non-EE, with A-M switch) as sold by Sears with their version of the Ricoh TLS.

Its a very nice lens, I like it a lot for low-light and portrait work. I seem to take it more than my Super-Takumar 55/1.4, I think I trust it more at f/1.4. The construction quality is excellent, not Takumar-class, but close.

That said, you can easily find a very cheap Ricoh TLS (maybe under the Sears brand) with the early version lens that needs no modification. Look for one under $20. And hopefully with no damage to the filter ring.

tkbslc · Joined: 02 Jul 2009 Posts: 194 Location: Utah, USA

So I finally got around to trying this on my digital SLR. I fixed (bent) the auto pin in so that I could have aperture control. Well, I can honestly say that I am pretty impressed with the lens considering I was not expecting much.

Some samples:

f1.4

f2

f5.6

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

Very nice !

You have a very lovely daughter !

tkbslc · Joined: 02 Jul 2009 Posts: 194 Location: Utah, USA

D1N0 · Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 2536

Can't find much about this lens, but it looks like Cosina made it. An early adaptation of the 55/1.4 Tomioka design maybe. The lens seems to be radioactive. Typical yellowing.

rear, maybe flat but I imagine some curvature

pics from auction

KEO · Joined: 27 Sep 2018 Posts: 775 Location: USA

D1N0 · Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 2536

D1N0 · Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 2536

Found another image on ebay with a higher serial, so apparently a second batch was made. Also clearly visible a curved rear element, so no Tomioka derivative.

#1 serial

#2 rear element is convex

55 · Expire: 2022-06-15

D1N0 · Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 2536

D1N0 · Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 2536

It also seems to be different from the later XR rikenon 50/1.4 in K-mount. That also has a curved rear element but doesn't seem to protrude as far back from the mount. (m42 and K have the same flange focal distance) My Chinon 50/1.4 also K-mount has a flat rear element.

image ebay