Some time ago I enquired about the ‘best’ fast-fifties in m42, and had my impression confirmed that the Takumars 55mm f1.8 and 50mm f1.4 are (universally believed to be) hard to beat, at least as all-rounders. But I also wanted to know what lenses are there that may not be able to compete with the Takumars in every respect, but might outperform them for some specific application or effect. There are obvious candidates like the Helios 58mm f2 (swirly bokeh) or the Macro-Takumar 50mm f4 (close focusing), but I’m not sure the topic has been exhausted. Let me rephrase: what are the rarest and/or the most unusual/interesting 50(-ish)mm m42 lenses you know and like? Alas, usually these also happen to be the most expensive, but let’s ignore that for now.
Rarity is of course a relative concept, but a list of the most ‘desirable’ would probably feature the following near the top: the Pancolar 55mm f1.4 (almost mythical), the Tomioka 55mm f1.2 (in various guises), and the early eight-element Takumar 50mm f1.4 (not that rare, but pretty hot). Being ultra-fast, these are primarily valued for their wide-open bokeh. Another ultra-fast, mentioned less often, is a preset Tamron 58mm f1.2. Not as fast, but a possible contender for the best all-rounder is the original Zeiss Ultron 50mm f1.8: rare and expensive.
At the opposite end come macro lenses: the Macro-Takumar 50mm f4 (esp. the preset version), the Fujinon Macro 55mm f3.5, the Tomioka 60mm f2.8, the M-Travenar 50mm f2.8, and the Alpa 50mm f1.7 (with a few Chinon derivatives). I’m probably omitting a few models, but this is at least a well-defined category with an obvious application.
Finally, there’s a less coherent group of mostly early designs, which seem to be valued for their unusual rendering (at least some have formulas other than the later-standard double-Gauss) and for the number of aperture blades (many are presets). I’ve seen the following mentioned, though this is probably not a complete list: Biotar 58mm f2, Primoplan 58mm f1.9, Quinon 55mm f1.9, Takumar 58mm f2, Mamiya 58mm f1.7, Soligor 55mm f1.8, Petri Orikkor 50mm f2. (I'm limiting myself to f2 and faster, there'll be a lot more if including slower ones.)
Now, these are mostly praised by people shooting digital, who value their rendering for being distinctively unlike that of modern lenses, but I have the impression that these effects are less sought-after in analogue photography — mostly because such effects require a lot of experimentation and adjusting, which, especially given the current prices, are far less suitable for film. Am I right? I’d love to hear what you think on this and what experience you have with such lenses, mentioned or not, as well as whether you have ‘unusual’ favourites of your own!
Rarity is of course a relative concept, but a list of the most ‘desirable’ would probably feature the following near the top: the Pancolar 55mm f1.4 (almost mythical), the Tomioka 55mm f1.2 (in various guises), and the early eight-element Takumar 50mm f1.4 (not that rare, but pretty hot). Being ultra-fast, these are primarily valued for their wide-open bokeh. Another ultra-fast, mentioned less often, is a preset Tamron 58mm f1.2. Not as fast, but a possible contender for the best all-rounder is the original Zeiss Ultron 50mm f1.8: rare and expensive.
At the opposite end come macro lenses: the Macro-Takumar 50mm f4 (esp. the preset version), the Fujinon Macro 55mm f3.5, the Tomioka 60mm f2.8, the M-Travenar 50mm f2.8, and the Alpa 50mm f1.7 (with a few Chinon derivatives). I’m probably omitting a few models, but this is at least a well-defined category with an obvious application.
Finally, there’s a less coherent group of mostly early designs, which seem to be valued for their unusual rendering (at least some have formulas other than the later-standard double-Gauss) and for the number of aperture blades (many are presets). I’ve seen the following mentioned, though this is probably not a complete list: Biotar 58mm f2, Primoplan 58mm f1.9, Quinon 55mm f1.9, Takumar 58mm f2, Mamiya 58mm f1.7, Soligor 55mm f1.8, Petri Orikkor 50mm f2. (I'm limiting myself to f2 and faster, there'll be a lot more if including slower ones.)
Now, these are mostly praised by people shooting digital, who value their rendering for being distinctively unlike that of modern lenses, but I have the impression that these effects are less sought-after in analogue photography — mostly because such effects require a lot of experimentation and adjusting, which, especially given the current prices, are far less suitable for film. Am I right? I’d love to hear what you think on this and what experience you have with such lenses, mentioned or not, as well as whether you have ‘unusual’ favourites of your own!
Last edited: