Six Vintage 50mm f1.4 Lenses - Tested and Compared! 

Perfect Sunday when Zenography drops a new video talking about delicious f1.4 lenses.

It would be interesting to take the exact same shot with all lenses, it makes spotting the differences much easier. I did the comparison once with four 50's and the results were quite illuminating.

I have owned the Canon and the Minolta and still own the Super Takumar but my favourite has to be the Konica Hexanon 57mm f1.4. It’s as sharp as a tack with lovely dreamy out of focus areas. It also provides bubbles till Tuesday. It has an all-metal construction and is built like the proverbial. It’s also aesthetically pleasing with a matt black finish and a silver ring featuring the hyper focal distance scale. I recommend you try one if you haven’t already done so. Thanks for the video, it was very informative.

Another nice video thanks . Back when when my Nikkor 50 f1.4 came out of the box for the very first time I put a Hoya Skylight 1B on to protect that beautiful pinky looking coating and I never even thought about the natural colours of the lens being on the cool side. The biggest factor was the film in that regard, and I veered away from Kodachrome and Agfachrome and Ektachrome towards Fujichrome which was cheaper and I thought warmer, making the world look a better place, then came Provia and Velvia - hallelujah. But since I went digital I’ve never managed to get anything quite the same. So back then, for me, it was probably the choice of film and filter that determined the look of the world more than the lens - and there wasn’t anything like your great videos to make such interesting comparisons. I sense a Fuji camera coming on with the simulations to take me back, unless the brand new FM/FE inspired Z-fc drags me back to the mirrorless future first🤔 by the way, one reason for the increased price over some of the others - the oldest Nikkor still fits Nikon dslr today, and allows easy Aperture priority metering on the enthusiast and pro range of bodies, so they’re still useful for those who haven’t yet gone mirrorless. Last week on holiday my new Sigma Art zoom failed but the holiday was saved by an old 28 2.8Ai 😀

Weird: Nigel's peanuts become gold-coated diamonds after the sellers see his videos. Thanks for your work, it's always a treat to watch your reviews.

Great review. Just ordered a Canon FDn 50mm f1.4 for video work and this video was incredibly helpful in that decision. And the most laid back and relaxing delivery of the content on RU-vid. Subscribed. Thank you. = )

I have an earlier SC version of the Nikon, it's a little soft wide open, stop it down a little and it gets sharp & contrasty. Keep a lookout, there are deals on Nikon glass. I really like the images from the Minolta!

My impression is that Takumars in general seem to have a warm tone. The 50 f1.4 however seems to me to be on the cooler side.

Yes, I have the Minolta 58mm, Canon FD 50mm SSC, and Pentax 50mm (8 element version). I agree with your assessment. I’d add my Minolta Rokkor-X PG 50mm 1.4 is even more of what Minolta does well and perhaps better background blur. It’s one of my favorites. I often use the Pentax for black and white. Keep up the good work on these videos. My wife and I enjoy them!

I only have one 50mm f1. 4, a Nikkor s-c non ai on my wonderful Nikkormat ft2 all black camera. Focuses to 0.6m and built really well. I enjoy using the camera with this lens and love the results. I have a Yashica fxd quartz with a 50mm f2 ml lens which focuses to 0.5 is my smallest and lightest slr which also has AE which if I am lazy I enjoy. £12 from a charity shop. Excellent. If I had the 1.4 I would have to carry extra weight. My Pentax spotmatic with the 50mm 1.8 is my favourite all rounder. Classic.

i love the glowing effect the minolta gets wide open and then stop down to get more contrast sharpness if i need it.

I shot on a Yashica range finder with the 1.4 lens for years until it was stolen, then it was a Minolta Hi-Matic with a 1.4(?) until I got a K-1000. Still have both. Over the years I have collected many vintage lens and over the last 2-years went on a vintage collecting binge of lenses and cameras. Now because RU-vid presenters feature these vintage lenses and cameras, lenses I usually picked up from free to $5-$25, and cameras from free to $30-$50, are now out of reasonable reach. Such as it is, but RU-vid presenters do and important service, especially for those new to photography, and help to preserve, even grow the hobby, ensuring that MFG's keep designing and making new equipment. Even the price of film is coming down and is more available due to the increased interest in film. Thanks for the trip through the old, but great vintage glass as I think I have most of them somewhere in all these boxes on the shelves. Some are still waiting for my attention at the work bench, as fungus and dust inhabit many of them.

The canon LTM 50mm 1.4 is another outstanding lens in this category …. i have a feeling you’d really love it too - gives some pretty wild bokeh. surprised you’ve never covered the Canon range of leica thread lenses, they seem right up your alley.

Thanks for another great video. The f1.4 lenses have their benefits, I suppose. They certainly have the cachet of being the best of their day. The fastest lens I have is an f1.8. Even an f1.8 in my experience as a rank amateur photography hobbyist is that when shot wide open, the depth of field is so shallow that it can actually be detrimental. For example my cat's eyes might be in focus but the ears and whickers are blurry. Same with a closeup of a flower. I need to stop down to get everything in focus. For what I shoot, a f1.4 lens would be unnecessary and too expensive for what I need. For me f1.8 is fast enough although an f1.4 stopped down to f1.8 might be sharper. Thanks again and I'll look forward to your next video.

Another great video! Yashica lenses were always very underrated as they lived in the shadow of Zeiss. The cameras were the same, Yashica was the Toyota to CONTAX's Lexus and they were excellent. Yashica ML lenses offer good value for anyone with a C/Y mount camera and are much more than just poverty lenses for people who can't afford Zeiss.

Great videos!! I'd love to see you review the Fuji Fujinon 50mm 1.4. Please keep up the great work.

Always interesting reports about vintage stuff. Follow your Chanel for years. Congrats!

I adore your videos. Tons of unique content. You definitely activated a vintage lens maniac inside me (to the bitter grief of my wife) and helped to navigate through this ( _sometimes_ ) not so inviting world. But, just FYI, I watch all of your videos at 1.5x speed, pausing for photos. Probably I'm too _millennial_

Thanks for the insights and the beautiful sample shots. I stopped here and there to take a closer look at the pictures and then forgot about the technical aspects.

Another great topic Nigel. I own 3 lenses of your set : the Zuiko, the Canon and the Minolta. I use the Minolta as an impressive macro lens by using an FD/55mm inverter. It is possible to focus 2/3 cm from the subject (I use a Canon New F1, A-1 and an Oly OM-10 MkII with a FD/M43 speed booster + the inverter).

How timely, I just picked up a Canon FD 50mm f1.4 a couple of days ago. I have a pretty decent collection of 50mm vintage lenses, and that Canon surprised me with its sharpness wide open; haven't seen anything like that in my other vintage lenses. Its blur is also fantastic, even stopped down. The copy I have also just happens to have perfectly damped focusing. It does have color fringing that doesn't go away as fast stopped down as my other favorites, but that's irrelevant if shooting B&W.

Hi. Another typical example where less is better. If you were looking for the "blurry thing" and are not happy with the Yashica ML 50mm f/1.4, then the Yashica ML 50mm f/1.7 is also a "Zeiss clone". The optical construction (6 lenses in 5 groups) is very similar to that of the Zeiss Planar 50mm f/1.7. The f/1.7 gives swirly results very similar to those of the Biotar or the Helios 58mm lenses. For half the price of the f/1.4 lens.

I bet a lot of us are using crop sensor cameras instead of full frame digital cameras which means a vintage 50mm lens is really essentially a telephoto lens. For my camera it calculates to an 80mm lens (crop factor 1.6). A 28mm vintage lens calculates to a 45mm lens which gives you a close approximation to the old film slr set-up with a 50mm lens. There are a lot of nice 28mm f/2.8 lenses out there. I have one that works very well.

I agree with you that your Yashica and Minolta lenses have fantastic colors. After watching this video, I'm definitely going to try to have my GAF labeled, Tomioka made, 55mm 1.4 lens fixed!

We really look forward to Sundays, and a new Zenography video. Would loved to have seen a Carl Zeiss Jena 50mm Prakticar lens in with this group of tine optics.

My favorite 50mm 1.4: auto revuenon on a Fuji x-t20 with a kipon-baveyes focal reducer. Love that combo

Got the canon fd, can't wait for it to arrive! I'm dabbling into oldie lenses

Sorry you didn't have a chance to shoot with the Konica Hexanon 50mm f1.4 -- a really nice lens. Exceptionally sharp & with the traditional Konica color signature. Should you run across one... do not hesitate!

I have the Yashica 50mm f1.4 but also try out the Yashica 55mm f2.8 Macro which is a far more useful lens as it focuses down to 9 inches.

Thanks for this comparison - lots of work behind a film like this. I'm addicted to Pentax old glass and have a nice 50mm f1.7 SMC which came with my ME Super back in the early 1980s but the Yashica 50mm 1.4 has a nice look too. I'm trading in my modern Sigma 50mm f1.4 EX DG HSM (towards a Sony A7 body). Don't like the ultra sharp, gritty look from the Sigma and it also weighs about 2lbs. Keep up the good work - much appreciated and a Sunday treat ;-)

Very nice review. I really like the Minolta 58 / 1.4 there are 3 or 4 versions, the autorokkor is earlier than the last two versions (MC), I have the first version of the MC, many say that the second is better although the optical design is the same . I think MCs have a bit better contrast at f 1.4 due to better coating.

Ah ha. I get what you mean by harsh blur, I quite like it, the way it pushes in front of the subject, giving a 2 step perspective. I know I have a yashika camera, wondering what lens it came with, if it was a removable, might be a rangefinder. A top 5 harshist lenses video would get me on eBay.

I purchased a beat up olympus 50 f1.4, with separation at edges of lens groups, just to give it a try. It's a wonderful lens with great colors, is very sharp with extension tubes, and (maybe due to separation) has just enough highlight glow to add that special something. I much prefer it to my pentax 50 f1.4 (sharper, but flatter colors and a 'clinical' look to my eye). You should check out mamiya sekor m42 lenses, they are full of character and a lot of fun to use. Thanks for another great video!

Nice video ! I will have to add a f1.4 lens example to my Zuiko standard lens lineup.

Have to save this for when my granddaughter goes for her nap I shoot Pentax on film, XM + super program, and adapt to fujifilm. Thanks for another video.

Fantastic set of photographs, Nigel, and good to see that the lens info is included, it helps immensely. In the 70's I shot Nikon film and I agree with you that Nikon's pallete is on the cooler side of the spectrum, couple that with shooting Ektachrome slides and the world turned blue, lol. It was said, back in the day, that if you shot portraits and weddings the camera to have was a Canon, if you were a photojournalist you shot Nikon. Of course, film wasn't a variable so the difference had to be in the lenses. I have a couple of the lenses you test in this video (the Nikon and the Pentax) - these lenses were, of course, classed in the professional end of the market and it shows, in image quality and construction. I am taken, however, by the Minolts 58mm f1.4. The colours from that lens are second to none, in my opinion; it is the perfect focal length for use on APSC sensors, getting you as close tothe magical 85mm portrait focal length as it is possible to get. I really must look out for one. I can hear my wallet squealing as I type this :-) Great video, thank you, Sir. George

I have acquired quite a few nifty-fifties (50~58mm) in the 1.2-1.4 ultra fast to fast range. The 1.4's are often the best bang for the buck, IMHO. My favorite vintage glass in this category...the Super Takumar (7 element) 50/1.4, Nikkor 50/1.4, Nikkor 55/1.2, Jupiter-3 50/1.5, Canon FD 50/1.4 (chrome lip), Sears (Tomioka) 55/1.4. No issue for me as it relates to the venerable Thoriated glass...I am well aware of the radioactivity (former nuclear engineer and CRA on a nuclear powered sub) and know the exposure is insignificant when the lens is used as designed.

It's true that film cameras didn't go up in ISO, but they could go down. We didn't use ND filters, but we use ISO 25 films, as Kodachrome and so on.

An excellent description of the characteristics of each lens! Tell me Is it better to buy a Canon FD 50mm 1.4 lens with an SSC signature? And how much better will the FD 50mm 1.2 SSC version be?

I was going to finally spring (buy) for a Nikon 85mm f2 ais lens from EBay, that costed 250.00 dollars altogether. But then I watched Ted Forbes video about owning a lens for years, went to use it one day. Only to find insect was inside it! He didn't know how it got there, but said on rare occasions did it show up on the image. After that video changed my mind on buying any vintage or used lens. It might have bedbugs in there!

Hello there! Nice video, Nice leases and nice folklore music at the end 👌. Take care

Another wonderful segment. Simply wonderful. So... I have taken the lens off of a few parts grade Yashica Electro 35's and mounted the Yashinon DX 1.7/45mm lens to a focusing helical with a Sony mount for the A7. The images have the color pop you so eloquently discuss. It really does stand in stark contrast to the Nikkor lenses of the era, which are surgical, yet subdued. I recently got the Minolta 1.4/58mm and am really looking forward to seeing what I can create with it. One more note on the Yashinon DX 1.7/45mm... I mounted one on a 58mm helical so it became a macro lens that only focuses within about 1.7 meters. It may be my favorite lens for close-up work.

Just bought a Minolta PF 58 f1.4 for my Minolta XD-11.

In 1976 german photographer Günther Richter conducted an mtf-test between the Canon FD 1,4 / 50mm s.s.c. and the Leica 2,0 50mm. The test setup was set at Rodenstock with the then most accurate technology. The Canon won.

Дошло до того, что ставлю Лайк ещё до просмотра. Очень хорошие обзоры!

I have Canon 50mm 1,4 and Zuiko 55mm 1,2 also Fujica 50mm 2,0, using them in different situations, but i like them all. I do really like black&white photografing, so i suggest testing these lenses with b&w comparing other optics. Otherwise why not testing optics only as colour fotography?

Just in time for bed. Your Fuji recipe video was awesome. The olympus I have gives very unique flair. Never seem it on another lens

I think color itself doesn't matter, I can produce whatever color I want in post production. The built quality, sharpness, rendition and the focus ring feeling is my concern.

Wonderful video. I have had the Takumar, Canon FD and just had a really lovely Yashica fall into my hands at a thrift store. The Yashica looks like it came from an estate sale and was complete in its original box and packing. I’m really looking forward to using it as the focus is so smooth on this lens. Really has a great feel in the hands and a non radioactive lens.

My least favorite was unexpectedly the Canon and the Nikon because they're too sharp and too tidy looking. Reminds me of modern lenses with their lifeless, clinical and sterile looking images. I liked the Takumar for the defocus areas transitioning very well in some images. Pentaxians seem to think that Takumars and the like have brilliant colors because Pentax DSLR's have very very saturated images. I have seen other comparisons with Nikon lenses and they tend to produce a darker image with very different colors compared to other makers, and I think its not a good thing. But they're all fairly similar. What really counts is the 3D pop to me. You should have also included each lenses looks in terms of Black and White.

You're spot on for the Minolta Rokkor 58 1.4 PF , it's my prefered lens for now , though I've not yet putted my hands on a Canon New FD. The Takumars are a bit overrated , I think.

In general, your videos are well done. However, regarding the Minolta MC Rokkor - PF 58mm F1.4, there is no evidence that it is radioactive. What information source did you use to conclude that it's radioactive? Yes, Minolta did make some radioactive lenses such as earlier versions of the Rokkor 58MM F1.2 which I have, but I've not seen any reliable source that has measured the F1.4 version to be radioactive.

I am familiar with and love the colors from Minolta (which I have) but Pentax pastel got me by surprise! Anyway, it surely depends also on sensor. Now, I would test them also on X-Trans sensor from Fujifilm. I mean, would Minolta look as beautiful on Fijifilm sensor? Then what about Pentax? And so on... Thank you for the presentation!

I have the Minolta 50mm 1.4 MD Rokkor adapted for my Sony A6500 and it's one of my favourite lenses.

Very good review as always, but I loved the song, what is the group? Thanks

I have an aps-c camera and trying to find the equivalent minimum docus distance with adapted lenses...seems like faster lenses are needed for aps-c, to get the same results as full frame

Character, warmth, an organic look,…this old beautys show you the 70th and the 80th! The modern lenses are just calculated to be fast and more faster… instead of showing you personality or some art… A collection of these lenses will react different on different modern cameras I think. Today I use the Pentax and two Nikon on my GH5 and GH5s, but I went the next logic step. I bought an old Nikon F3 and shot on b/w film and develop it in my bathroom and scan it with my GH5 and a Nikon 55 micro lens….awesome!

I think the Minolta 58mm lens should not have been included in the comparison. On the other hand, I think a comparison of various 58mm lenses would be very interesting, lenses like this Minolta, the Zeiss Biotar and the Takumar, if you can afford them, the Helios 58s, the Tomioka/auto Rikenon/auto Sears, again if you can afford one. I think Konica might have one, or maybe it's a 57mm. Then there's the Meyer Optik Gorlitz 59mm, is it? And? And?

Congratulations for taking interest in such photo-hobby

It really is hard to beat that Nikon.

I like the 58mm Sears Auto f/1.4 (Tamioka manufactured) lens... Especially on a crop sensor camera (like my A6600) for portraits (81.2mm equivalent)...

Hi!! Which one of the Minolta and Canon would fit better with fujinon lenses?

Excellent video! Does anyone know if vintage radioactive lenses like the Super Multi Coated Takumar 50mm 1.4 will damage new mirrorless sensors?

I've got two 1.8 lenses and although ISO aint the big problem anymore I still use them for the same reason - their extra light capability. Either to be able to lower ISO or avoid flash at night time.

I have a bunch of 50-ish mm lenses, and seems like each one has unique characteristics.

Excellent teaching

Here in the USA we always called it YA-SHE-CA

Thanks again for your work. I often see you comment, “would like to get my hands on lense XXX”. I would be curious to see your lense to buy or try list. For example, I thought you had a 50 Panacola and have referred to its performance in the past?

Good info.

У меня Yashica ML 50/1.9. На самом деле, Yashica сотрудничала с Zeiss, ноу немцев шли свои стёкла, у японцев свои. По цветам сильно различаются, хотя bokeh может быть похоже...

Very nice

Well done you. f1.4? Who uses that? Well, I do, every time I look through the viewfinder and focus.

Zenography, I want to see your photos in full res on a 3rd party site. RU-vid just doesn\t allow a detailed look at your photos. Do you have a Flickr account or some other place where we can see all these great photos in good resolution? Please post us a link.

Suggestion. Take a look at one of Nikon's all time best lenses, the famous Nikkor PC 105/2.5. It's very cheap. Prices from $ 70, I paid $ 200 for the best I could find.

Hello, I recently put my father's Nikkor 80-200 f4.5 zoom on a Z6. It is fantastic. Have you used this lens before. I'd be interested in your opinion.

Do you have a video about fast rangefinder lenses? For aps-c

One other & then I'll shut up. Three old Nikkors have been converted to fit digital Nikon. These were pre 'AI' (I'm that old) I found a chart on the internet, remove prong and bin, remove mount/flange and file a groove in it to pick up the AI lever. 50 1.4, 105 2.5 & 200 f4 all converted. (I could not get the mount flange off the 135) It works!

Surprisingly the Canon FD lenses were made so cheap and plastic inferior build quality to all of the others, but their image quality is outstanding As always, lovely photos!

I have a Mamiya Sekor 55mm f/1.4 vintage lens. I wonder if it might be a clone of one the those compared in your video. I use it with my Pentax film camera.

I enjoy the shots. I remember shooting with ASA 25 black and white...the other reason you needed a 1.4.

“Skittish and willful”. Describes my old girlfriend

Totally agree on the photography community's over emphasis on sharpness.

For me, the Olympus has something the others don't. I love my Olympus cameras and lenses. The Pen F vintage lenses are also amazing.

I like the Pentax greens in the Takumar 50mm 1,4 I have a number of 50mm Pentax lenses the worst the Pentax 2.0 . The Pentax 55mm1.8 is another great manuel lens lens from Pentax

Still using them for film. They can save a photo in low light.

Old lenses should not die. There is a nice chap in Spain makes adaptors for most lens/body situations, David Llado - trades as 'Leitax' (get it Leica Contax!) I used his kit to mount a 1980's Zuiko lens on Nikon D700. Bargain.

Konicas?

A wonderfull review, thank's a lot! However, there is no reason not to put these vintage 50 1,4s onto vintage cameras, and put a roll of Kodak E100 in it, you won't be disappointed. I believe that another reason for the extra fee for Nikon lenses, is the fact that (AI) fits straight on new Nikon DSLRs. Canon FD lenses that are just as good, don't.

I thought that this video is a good opportunity to ask somewhat different question regarding adaptation to E mount of 3rd party lenses like Tokina, mount would work the best: MD, F, OM, FD or 42?

Minoltas have a beautiful buttery blur. Canon FD 50 / 1.4 probably has the most "modern" or neutral colour rendition.

Well, hello everybody

Is vignetting normal for vintage lenses? Do modern lenses not vignette?

the best 50mm lens was Kern macro switar 50mm/1.8

I like my Pentax-M 50 mm 1.4 on my MFT camera and it is also better than the Oly om 50 mm 1.8 in mechanic, haptic and micro contrasts.

I love my vintage FD lenses 👌🐷

I never understood why FD lenses were so disrespected and under-priced for years and years. Glad I stocked up when they were cheaper than dirt.

Yaßhica is underated but performs well

Minolta has always been the "Bokeh-king", I thought that was common knowledge? Minolta was renowned for its rendering and there is a reason why Leitz (Leica today) struck up a partnership with Minolta, some designs were shared between them on both mounts.

Nice look over these, but such funny talk about oof not even mentionning front vs back qualities. Like talking about a girls back, and not even a world about her face. Guess it's a habit, but not coming from the AC world. Somewhat stunning.

Good news: No, the Minolta is not radioactive.