BEST 50 mm M42 Screw mount?

ruilourosa · Feb 28, 2010

i am shopping and wonder what is the best, or one of the best lens for my spotmatic around the 50mm focal!

thanks

BobD · Feb 28, 2010

The SMC Takumars (or any of the Takumars) are hard to beat, especially the
50/1.4.

Rick A · Feb 28, 2010

Ricoh, Pentax, if you can find one, a Zuiko, Yashica, and I'm sure thats not even a start. Any body want to chime in on the European and Russian lenses?

Rick

Pumal · Feb 28, 2010

Super-Multi-Coated Takumar f/1.4

2F/2F · Feb 28, 2010

All quality SLR manufacturers have had absolutely outstanding normal lenses for the past 50 years (meaning since the era of widespread SLR use began). You can't really go wrong with anything. The best one is the one that is fully functional, in excellent condition optically, lets in enough light at the maximum aperture to satisfy you, and is either free or cheap.

Indeed, one of the great things about 50mm lenses is that they can be made very well for a very reasonable amount of money. As such, there really aren't that many "bad" ones in existence.

I am very pleased with all of the following 50mm SLR lenses that I own or have owned:

Pentax M42 Takumar 50mm f/1.4
Nikon F Nikkor-S 50mm f/1.4
Canon FD 55mm f/1.2 S.S.C.
Canon FD 50mm f/1.4 S.S.C.
Canon FDn 50mm f/1.4
Canon FDn 50mm f/1.8
Minolta MD 50mm f/1.7

There isn't anything that any of them leave me wanting for. They are sharp, beautiful, fast, and cheap.

FWIW, my least favorite is the Canon FDn f/1.8, and this is only because the out of focus areas are a little more "harsh" than the others, not because it isn't sharp.

kristopher_lawrence · Feb 28, 2010

The new Zeiss ZS...

eSFotos · Mar 1, 2010

Carl Zeiss Jena Pancolar 50mm F1.8 MC will kill all others ...
My fav among so many 50's.

Ian Grant · Mar 1, 2010

eSFotos said:
Carl Zeiss Jena Pancolar 50mm F1.8 MC will kill all others ...
My fav among so many 50's.

Only the odd rare well made one They can be almost on a par with the Takumar but because of poor build quality many aren't. I have 2 Pancolor's as well as a number of 50-55mm Super Takumars/ and SMC versions.

Without a doubt the best M42 50mm's are the Takumars.

Ian

Steve Smith · Mar 1, 2010

I have a 50mm f2 Takumar on my SP500 whic I cannot fault. If you don't actually need to go lower than f2 then the only advantage to the faster lenses is the extra brightness in the viewfinder.

I have not looked but I would think the f2 lens sells for less than the f1.4 or f1.8

Steve.

tony lockerbie · Mar 1, 2010

Without a doubt it would have to be the 1.4 Takumar for your SP, anything else is just sacrilege. Prices are on the way up, but they are still a bargain, and don't dismiss the older single coated Super Takumar, still a great lens, and one I actually prefer for B&W.

Steve Smith · Mar 1, 2010

tony lockerbie said:
Without a doubt it would have to be the 1.4 Takumar for your SP, anything else is just sacrilege.

Not sure about sacrilege!!! My SP500 came with the f2 lens and I even got the original packaging which has "Pentax SP500 with Super Takumar 50mm f2.0 lens" printed on the box.

But I agree with you in principle!

Steve.

Ian Grant · Mar 1, 2010

tony lockerbie said:
Without a doubt it would have to be the 1.4 Takumar for your SP, anything else is just sacrilege. Prices are on the way up, but they are still a bargain, and don't dismiss the older single coated Super Takumar, still a great lens, and one I actually prefer for B&W.

The older Super Takumars are Coated that doesn't mean "Single Coated" multiple coating was first used by Zeiss in 1938 although probably only became more prevalent in the late 50's & 60's.

What Pentax introduced was Super Multi=coating based on technology developed in conjunction with Zeiss.

Ian

dynachrome · Mar 1, 2010

Best 50mm M42 lens

If you can accept 55mm instead of 50mm then some of the nicest ones are the 55/1.8 SMCT and 55/1.8 SMC. The 55/2 versions of these lenses seem to be the same but with different markings. The 50/1.7 Alpa (Chinon) is a very good lens. It was made for the Si 2000 (also a Chinon) and focuses to about 1:3.

darinwc · Mar 1, 2010

I'm surprised no one has thrown around some Zeiss weight yet.
I dont have one, so I can't comment.

swittmann · Mar 1, 2010

I have a Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 1:2 5,8 cm T lens with M-42 mount on my Praktica MTL 5 B, which I really love. Someone gave it to me as a gift several years ago. I like it for its contrast and sharpness as well as for its build quality.

Pumal · Mar 3, 2010

I have an MC Flektogon 2.4/35 Carl Zeiss Jenna DDR S/N 47786 that I like a lot.

Steve Smith · Mar 3, 2010

darinwc said:
I'm surprised no one has thrown around some Zeiss weight yet.
I dont have one, so I can't comment.

We had Zeiss lenses mentioned on a thread a couple of weeks ago when I asked about the 135mm Zeiss Sonnar in M42 mount which I got amongst a load of other stuff at a sale.

Steve.

KenS · Mar 3, 2010

ruilourosa said:
i am shopping and wonder what is the best, or one of the best lens for my spotmatic around the 50mm focal!

thanks

If you are looking for the "ultimate" in Pentax lenses but could live with 85 mm., might I suggest the Pentax 85mm Ultra-Achromatic. (No 'glass'... elements are fluorite and quartz... for imaging in the UV to IR range)

Ken

elekm · Mar 5, 2010

Is that a CZ Jena Sonnar? Or a CZ Sonnar? That makes a difference.

As to the "best" question, you'll get all kinds of answers. Because all of these "what is the best" questions will get all kinds of responses.

At a certain point with the Japanese cameras, there wasn't a whole of performance difference between many of the 50mm lenses, as most were based on the Carl Zeiss Planar.

I'm a big fan of the Planar, which is available in a number of mounts, including M42.

darinwc · Mar 5, 2010

"
At a certain point with the Japanese cameras, there wasn't a whole of performance difference between many of the 50mm lenses, as most were based on the Carl Zeiss Planar.
"

I think the original Planar design was 5 elements in 4 groups.
Over time the Planar name became more of a brand than a specific design, as there are 6 element and 7 element designs.
And even though a lens may have the same elements and groups, the exact curvature of the surfaces and order of the groupings vary quite a bit.
Heres some snippets from the web:

new version:
Zeiss calls this the Zeiss Planar T* f/1,4 50 mm ZF
Optics: 7 elements, 6 groups. T* brand multicoating.

canon FD:

Canon FD 55mm F1.2AL
Lens Composition: 6 components 8 elements.

New FD 50 mm f/1.2L
Lens construction: 6 groups, 8 elements

New FD 50mm f/1.4
Lens construction :6 groups, 7 elements

New FD 50mm f/1.8
Lens construction: 4 groups, 6 elements

Nikon:
AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D
Lens construction 7 elements in 6 groups

Nikkor Ai :
Focal length/Aperture: 50mm f/2.0;
Lens construction: 6 elements in 4 groups
Focal length/Aperture: 50mm f/1.2
Lens construction: 7 elements in 6 groups
Focal length: 50mm; Maximum aperture: 1: 1.4
Lens construction: 7 elements i n 6 groups
Focal length: 50mm; Maximum aperture: 1: 1.8
Lens construction: 6 elements in 5 groups

pentax:
50mm f1.4 .. 8-element Super-Takumar (M42 screwmount) with one radioactive (!) element
50mm f1.4 .. classic 7-element Super-Takumar

olympus:
Type: Zuiko AUTO-S 50mm f/1.2
Lens construction: 6 groups, 7 elements

Zuiko 50mm f/1.4
Lens construction: 6 groups, 7 elements

Zuiko 50mm f/1.8
Optical Construction: 6 elements in 5 groups; older version: 5 groups, 6 elements

Steve Smith · Mar 5, 2010

elekm said:
Is that a CZ Jena Sonnar? Or a CZ Sonnar? That makes a difference.

It's a Carl Zeiss Jena DDR but it's only marked S, not Sonnar. Something to do with licensing issues.

Steve.

Ian Grant · Mar 5, 2010

Zeiss, West Germany paid CZJ a substantial amount not to use the names after all Jena held the rights to them, there were issues in the US market where litigation is the way of life for many lawyers.

The CZJ Sonnar's and Flektagon's were superb lenses, but build quality wasn't as tight as Zeiss in the West. Some of the highest quality 35mm images I've seen were shot with an Exacta VX100 and 3 Zeiss lenses a Pancolor 50mm, Flektagon 35mm and a 135mm Sonnar.

Ian

lxdude · Mar 5, 2010

You might as well keep it in the family and get a Takumar for your Spotmatic. The 50mm f1.4 is very highly regarded, in no small part for its smooth bokeh.

I do want to, though, give a shout out to Fuji glass. The Fujinons and EBC (multicoated) Fujinons were great lenses. The 55mm f/1.8 is one of my favorites, along with the 55mm f/3.5 macro.

Shangheye · Mar 5, 2010

50mm f1.4 Takumar..

drkhalsa · Mar 5, 2010

A few months back, a neighbor gave me a Spotmatic F with an 55mm f1.8 SMC Takumar.

What I have come to enjoy about it is the focal length. That extra 5mm over a 50mm lens seemed trivial at first, but I like it better than the 50mm lenses I've used before.

BEST 50 mm M42 Screw mount?

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