Nikkor-S.C
1.2/55
(F)
Construction: ******
Condition: A-
Elements/groups: 7/5
Optical Performance: 9.5 /10
Estimated value (mint): € 201,-
Original price: DM 600,-
Highlights: Extremely fast, very nice bokeh, very sharp from f2.8 on, built
Downsides: A little soft at f1.2 (Well, who wonders?)
"This is a fantastic lens. You can still shoot when others already have to use a flashgun. Give me a candle and this lens and I will take a portrait. An amazing piece of glass!"
Leica
Summicron-R 2.0/50
(R)
Construction: ******
Condition: A-B
Elements/groups: 6/4
Optical Performance: 9.5 /10
Estimated value (mint): € 352,-
Highlights: Fantastic performance and handling, built
Downsides: "only" f2.0
"Well, it's a Leica! Do you need more?"
Carl
Zeiss Planar T* 1.4/50 ZE
(EOS)
Construction: *******
Condition: A
Elements/groups: 7/6
Optical Performance: 9.5 /10
Estimated value (mint): € 599,-
Highlights: Fantastic performance and handling, built, fast (f1.4)
Downsides: price
"An amazing lens, optimised for the use on EOS cams!"
Nikkor-S.C 1.4/50
(F)
Construction: ******
Condition: A-
Elements/groups: 7/5
Optical Performance: 9 /10
Estimated value (mint): € 101,--
Highlights: Very fast, gentle bokeh, sharp from f2.8 on, built, "glow" at f1.4
Downsides: price, "glow" at f1.4
"This is an almost perfect allround-lens that has a special character! I like it a lot!"
Olympus
Zuiko MC Auto-S 1.4/50
(OM)
Construction: ******
Condition: A-
Elements/groups: 7/6
Optical Performance: 9 /10
Estimated value (mint): € 75,-
Original price: DM 245,-
Highlights: Very fast, very sharp from f2.8 on, built, price
Downsides: hardly any, sometimes a harsh bokeh
"This is an almost perfect allround-lens that can be found for a very good price!"
Voigtländer
Color-Ultron 1.4/55 AR (Mamiya)
(Rollei QBM)
Construction: ******
Condition: A-
Elements/groups: 7/5
Optical Performance: 8.5 /10
Estimated value (mint): € 50,-
Highlights: very fast, optical performance, built, neutral rendering
Downsides: just misses inf.focus at EOS-DSLR
"My second lens with f1.4. This one is at least as good as the Tomioka design. More tests will show if it even beats it."
Auto
Revuenon 1.4/55 (Tomioka)
(M42)
Construction: *****
Condition: A-
Elements/groups: 7/?
Optical Performance: 8.5 /10
Estimated value (mint): € 50,-
Highlights: very fast, optical performance, built
Downsides: a slight "glow" at f1.4
"Finally, I've got a lens with f1.4. Even wide open it is surprisingly sharp. There is some "glow" but you can see many details. Stopped down to f2 (!) it gets sharp and from f4 on pictures get really detailed - and colour rendering gets a little warmer. A very pleasant lens and due to its fast aperture universally usable."
Asahi
Super-Takumar 1.4/50
(M42)
Construction: *****
Condition: B-
Elements/groups: 8/7 or 7/6 (?)
Optical Performance: 8.5 /10
Estimated value (mint): € 40,-
Highlights: very fast, optical performance, built
Downsides: not that sharp at f1.4
"Another M42-Takumar, found for a decent price on a camera fair in good condition. A very nice allround lens."
Pentax-M
SMC 1.7/50
(PK)
Construction: *****
Condition: A-
Elements/groups: 6/5
Optical Performance: 8.5
/10
Estimated value (mint): € 50,-
Original price: approx. DM 200,-
Highlights: optical performance
Downsides: "only" f1.7
"Wow! What a lens! I use this lens with a PK-EOS-adapter. Actually, I guess this is at least one of the the better 50mm lenses I have. It seems even better than the Mamiya 55."
Rollei
Planar SL 1.8/50
(Rollei QBM)
Construction: ******
Condition: A-
Elements/groups: 6/4?
Optical Performance: 8.5
/10
Estimated value (mint): € 70,-
Original price: approx. DM 200,-
Highlights: high optical performance and rendering, excellent handling
Downsides: just misses inf.focus at EOS-DSLR
"What a beautiful lens! But it does not only look great, it produces wonderful pictures."
Canon
EF 1.8/50 II
(EOS AF)
Construction: ***
Condition: A
Elements/groups: 6/5
Optical Performance: 8.5 /10
Estimated value (mint): € 80,-
Original price: approx. DM 200,-
Highlights: optical performance, price
Downsides: built, sometimes AF problems
"Really fast, sometimes I think that this f1.8 is faster than my other lenses' f1.8 and with an excllent performance. A great 50mm AF lens if you can cope with the plastic body. It feels like a toy and shoots like a pro-lens. Plastic fantastic!"
Sigma
AF Macro 2.8/50
(F AF)
Construction: *****
Condition: A-B
Elements/groups: x/x
Optical Performance: 8.5 /10
Estimated value (mint): € 151,-
Highlights: optical performance, 1:1 macro mode
Downsides: "only" f2.8, AF sometimes slow
"Despite being a rather 'dated' AF lens, this Sigma performs well and offers nice maco abilities."
Carl
Zeiss Tessar 2.8/50
(M42)
Construction: *****
Condition: B-
Elements/groups: 4/3
Optical Performance: 8.5 /10
Estimated value (mint): € 50,-
Highlights: optical performance (centre), built, looks ;-)
Downsides: not that fast with f2.8, loses at the edges
"As a typical Tessar this beautiful Oberkochen lens (originally built for the Icarex TM) produces very nice images which only deteriorate towards the edges. But this is not visible on an APS-DSLR."
MC
Volna-9 2.8/50 Macro
(M42)
Construction: *****
Condition: A
Elements/groups: ?
Optical Performance: 8.5 /10
Estimated value (mint): € 60,-
Highlights: sharpness, optical performance, close focus
Downsides: "only f2.8"
"The Volna-9 is a close-up lens for M42 (or as 9K for PK-mount). It produces an extremely sharp picture, just what you expect from a macro lens, but it also renders colours well and show a very nice bokeh. And this is something special."
Industar-61L/Z-MC
2.8/50
(M42)
Construction: *****
Condition: A
Elements/groups: ?
Optical Performance: 8.5 /10
Estimated value (mint): € 50,-
Highlights: sharpness, optical performance, close focus
Downsides: "only f2.8"
"A lens that shows pretty similar characteristic to the Volna-9 but does not focus as closely, although it can be used a close-up lens. It is considerable smaller than the V9 and very pleasant to use."
MIR-38
3.5/65
(P6/M42)
Construction: ******
Condition: B
Elements/groups: ?
Optical Performance: 8 /10
Estimated value (mint): € 251,-
Highlights: Very nice images on a format 135 cam or DSLR
Downsides: very heavy and huge
"As a lens for medium format it offers a nice quality on smaller frames, but it is a real monster for a 65mm lens!"
Mamiya
Auto Sekor 1.8/55
(M42)
Construction: *****
Condition: B+
Elements/groups: 7/5
Optical Performance: 8 /10
Estimated value (mint): € 40,-
Original price: approx. DM 180,-
Highlights: built, optical performance, handling
Downsides: perhaps a little softer than others
"That's one of my favourite manual 50mm-lenses (although it is a little "longer"). OK in sharpness (a little softer than others) and resolution, very nice colours, a fine bokeh, excellent contrast - not much left to be wanted!"
Meyer-Optik
Görlitz Primoplan 1.9/58 V
(M42)
Construction: *****
Condition: B-
Elements/groups: 5/4
Optical Performance: 8 /10
Estimated value (mint): € 40,-
Original price: approx. DM 180,-
Highlights: optical character, sharp from f4 on
Downsides: a little softer wide open
"The Biogon's 'cheaper' brother from the 50s of the 20th century shows a very special rendition and is a rather rare item today."
Nikkor
2.0/50 (AI)
(F)
Construction: *****
Condition: A-
Elements/groups: 7/5
Optical Performance: 8 /10
Estimated value (mint): € 75,-
Original price: approx. DM 200,-
Highlights: Very nice bokeh, very sharp even at f2
Downsides: "only" f2
"This f2 Nikkor really is a nice lenses. Some photographers I know even prefer it to the 1.4/50 if the faster f-stop is not needed."
Nikkor-H
2.0/50
(F)
Construction: *****
Condition: B
Elements/groups: 6/4
Optical Performance: 8 /10
Estimated value (mint): € 75,-
Highlights: Very nice bokeh, very sharp even at f2, cheap street price
Downsides: "only" f2
"This little Nikkor is one of the sharpest pre-AI Nikkor lenses you can find. With a little patience you will even find a nice-priced one. Definite recommendation, if f2 is enough!"
Helios-81N
2.0/50
(F)
Construction: ****-*****
Condition: A-
Optical Performance: 7.5/10
Estimated value (mint): € 25,-
Highlights: very sharp even at f2, very cheap street price
Downsides: prone to flaring, "only" f2
"A Russian standard lens for the Nikon-System. Very sharp!"
Yashica
ML 1.7/50
(C/Y)
Construction: *****
Condition: A-
Elements/groups: 6/5
Optical Performance: 7.5
/10
Estimated value (mint): € 45,-
Original price: approx. DM 190,-
Highlights: nice optical performace and tonality, very good for portraits
Downsides: a little soft until f2
"This lens, which was developed with Zeiss kwow-how but with another design than the Planar 1.7/50, is due to its sharpness and tonal character a very nice portrait lens at a crop-DSLR and a good alrounder at a film SLR."
Pentacon
auto 1.8/50
(M42)
Construction: *****
Condition: A-
Elements/groups: 6/4
Optical Performance: 7.5 /10
Estimated value (mint): € 40,-
Highlights: nice pictures
Downsides: soft at f1.8
"A really nice lens. Can produce sharp and pleasant pictures."
Helios-44M-6
2/58 MC
(M42)
Construction: ****
Condition: A-
Elements/groups: 6/?
Optical Performance: 7.5 /10
Estimated value (mint): € 30,-
Highlights: built, price
Downsides: not many
"My newer version of the Helios is a very good lens in absolute mint condition. Fun to use and producing very good pictures. But since it has no manual aperture control, I can’t use it at the Zenit-E or the Praktica L2 without adjusting the lens."
Helios-44-2
2/58
(M42)
Construction: ****
Condition: B-
Elements/groups: ?
Optical Performance: 7.5 /10
Estimated value (mint): € 30,-
Highlights: built, price
Downsides: not tack sharp
"This lens shows a very nice rendition. The pictures are sharp but not extremely sharp, the resolution is good but not amazingly high, still it is a very pleasant lens that can produce very nice captures."
Carl
Zeiss Jena Tessar 2.8/50
(EXA)
Construction: *****
Condition: A
Elements/groups: 4/3
Optical Performance: 7.5 /10
Estimated value (mint): € 35,-
Highlights: better performance than the Domiplan
Downsides: price
"Not faster than the Domiplan, the Tessar still produces better pictures. You only can see that when using a good film but there is a difference."
"aus
Jena DDR" (CZJ) T(essar) 2.8/50
(M42)
Construction: ****
Condition: B+
Elements/groups: 4/3
Optical Performance: 7.5 /10
Estimated value (mint): € 35,-
Highlights: nice performance, price
Downsides: only f2.8
"A nice but not very fast lens. If you don't need more than f2.8 you will like this basic design."
Industar-50
3.5/5cm
(M42)
Construction: ****
Condition: B-
Elements/groups: 4/2
Optical Performance: 7.5 /10
Estimated value (mint): € 25,-
Highlights: size, price
Downsides: size, only f3.5
"The Industar-50 is the earlier M39 version of the 50-2. It is a M42-copy of a Carl Zeiss Tessar-M39-lens with a surprisingly high performance. My copy has the inscription "5cm" and Industar in cyrillic. And it really renders nicely."
Industar-50-2
3.5/50
(M42)
Construction: ***
Condition: B+
Elements/groups: 4/3
Optical Performance: 7.5 /10
Estimated value (mint): € 15,-
Highlights: size, price
Downsides: size, only f3.5
"The Industar-50-2 is extremely small. It is a M42-copy of a Carl Zeiss Tessar-M39-lens with a surprisingly high performance. I just bought it for fun reasons. (Having such a small lens at an EOS body looks hillarious.) But it really produces fine pictures."
Auto
Rikenon 1.7/50
(M42)
Construction: ****
Condition: B+
Elements/groups: 6/5
Optical Performance: 7 /10
Estimated value (mint): € 45,-
Original price: approx. DM 115,-
Highlights: built, price
Downsides: a little soft when wide open
"A
really nice lens, well built, good colours, very sharp and nice bokeh,
just the highlight bokeh could be a little better."
Yashica
Auto Yashinon 2.0/50
(M42)
Construction: ****
Condition: B-C
Elements/groups: ?
Optical Performance: 7
/10
Estimated value (mint): € 40,-
Highlights: price, built
Downsides: "only" f2.0
"A lens I almost got for free. It is a very nice lens, not stellar but really good."
Pentaflex
Auto-Color 1.8/50
(M42)
Construction: ****
Condition: C-
Elements/groups: 6/?
Optical Performance: 7
/10
Estimated value (mint): € 40,-
Highlights: price
Downsides: not really a fascinating lens, pretty "normal"
"This lens stand in the line of the Meyer Orestor 1.8/50 to the Pentacon auto 1.8/50."
Meyer
Optik Domiplan 2.8/50 1Q
(EXA)
Construction: ****
Condition: A-
Elements/groups: 3/3
Optical Performance: 7 /10
Estimated value (mint): € 15,-
Highlights: price
Downsides: built
"This was a standard lens for the early EXAs. It can produce decent pictures but it is not the best lens imaginable. OK, though."
E.Ludwig
Meritar 2.9/50
(M42)
Construction: ****
Condition: B
Elements/groups: 3/3
Optical Performance: 6.5
/10
Estimated value (mint): € 40,-
Highlights: price, compact size
Downsides:"only f2.9
"A small lens with three internal elements."
Petri
Auto C.C. 1.7/50
(M42)
Construction: **
Condition: B-
Elements/groups: 6/4
Optical Performance: 6 /10
Estimated value (mint): € 15,-
Highlights: price
Downsides: soft when wide open, built
"I would not risk to use this lens under tough conditions, since the Petri is somewhat ramshackly. But it produces better pictures than I expected. Pretty fast."
Auto
Reflecta 1.7/55
(M42)
Construction: ***
Condition: B
Elements/groups: ?
Optical Performance: 5.5 /10
Estimated value (mint): € 35,-
Highlights: price
Downsides: soft when wide open
"Pretty
fast, good performance. No champion but also no disappointment."
Canon
FD 1.8/50 S.C.
(FD)
Construction: ****
Condition: C
Elements/groups: ?
Optical Performance: ?/10
Estimated value (mint): € 45,-
Highlights: price
Downsides: ...
"Not yet tested."
Konica
Hexanon AR 1-7/50
(Konica)
Construction: ***
Condition: B-C
Elements/groups: ?
Optical Performance: ?/10
Estimated value (mint): € 45,-
Highlights: price
Downsides: ...
"Not yet tested."
Non-competitive...
Minolta
MC Rokkor-PF 1.7/50
(EOS)
Construction: originally ****, now **
Condition: D-
Elements/groups: 6/5
Optical Performance: 7.5 /10
Estimated value (mint): € ...,-
Highlights: price
Downsides: Has been messed up. ;-)
"I
have tinkered with this lens to make it usable on an EOS. It works...
well, sort of."