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Archive 2010 · 50-ish cheap f/1.2 or f/1.4?

AhamB
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p.2 #1 · p.2 #1 · 50-ish cheap f/1.2 or f/1.4?

@justruss: Jim Buchanan and also Leitax sell mount replacements for the Rokkor. That's a lot easier than having to drill holes in an adapter and countersink them yourself (for the FL 55/1.2). The only remaining thing you need to do apart from swapping the mount is to shave the rear element retaining ring (and adjust infinity perhaps, although the Leitax page doesn't mention that) to get a bit more mirror clearance if you're using it on a 5D(mkII).

Oct 29, 2010 at 07:42 AM

Steve Spencer
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p.2 #2 · p.2 #2 · 50-ish cheap f/1.2 or f/1.4?

For a good quality f/1.4 that is quite cheap, the Olympus OM Zuiko 50mm is a good choice as mentioned. The standard advice on these lenses is to get one with a serial number over a million and if possible over 1,100,000. The lenses has had many upgrades over the years and these higher serial number ones are reputed to be better, YMMV. OM Zuiko lenses are also very easy to mount on and EOS camera with just about any cheap adapter.

The Pentax 50mm f/1.4 is also a great option, but realize there are several versions of this lens. Personally, I would get the M42 mount (for ease of adapting it) SMC Pentax 50mm f/1.4. The one to the farthest right at this link:

http://www.pentaxforums.com/lensreviews/SMC-S-M-C-Super-Takumar-50mm-F1.4.html

All but the very oldest Pentax 50mm f/1.4's have the same 7 element 6 group design, but the SMC probably has better coating and it has 8 aperture blades instead of 6 like the older M42 mount 50s, which may give you slightly rounder out of focus highlights when stopped down in some situations. All these older M42 mount pentax lenses are very cheap, so the cost will be low. There are also 3 manual focus versions available in K mount, which are all quite similar to the M42 mount SMC, but will be harder to adapt (you will need to cut an aperture lever), but are not that difficult to adapt either. You can read about those versions at this link:

http://kmp.bdimitrov.de/lenses/primes/normal/index.html

I hope this helps.

Oct 29, 2010 at 08:56 AM

Bifurcator
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p.2 #3 · p.2 #3 · 50-ish cheap f/1.2 or f/1.4?

cogitech wrote:
+1

- 0.5

If you want really nice copies of those in USA prices they're about $250ea. Decent copies are right around the $200 mark and if you're paying "well under $200" for those there's something wrong with them - either scratched up barrels, or bent filter threads, excessive internal dust, oily slow iris leaves, or something like that.

But those are both great lenses! I especially like the Takumar 50/1.4. The Nikon 50/1.4 is also very nice but just a little under those two as one has to be careful of what's in the BG OOF areas in order for it to not go all noisy and stuff on ya. Usually not to hard and it's also appox $50 less than those two too.

For me I'm a bit torn in choosing just one 50-ish lens. A lot depends on the crop factor I think. if it's a 1.5, 1.6 or 2.0 crop factor I kinda think the 1.2 and 1.4 aperture settings are a waste for anything other than making wild posts on sites like this. If that's you're only intent then fine. But the sharpness of the Nikkor 55/2.8 (about $300 used?) or the Tessar 45/2.8 (about $250 used) may outweigh the radical OOF - especially for those crop factors. On a full-frame body the 1.4 and 1.2 makes MUCH more sense though. But then again on a FF body I'd want to try for an AF lens as it's damn hard to focus a 1.4 or 1.2 on the ground glass focusing screens of FF cameras - split-level or no.

And of course going AF changes up all of the options.

Also and BTW, with the current devaluing of the US dollar you might be paying a lot more for these very very soon. Like double maybe. I know for example in just the past 4 to 6 months the Japanese yen exchange rate has gone from about $1.20 to $0.80 - that's not quite half but almost - and ebay lens prices haven't really adjusted for it yet. Considering gold prices and other foreign currencies is pretty much the same across the board (40% drop of the US dollar in just the past 4 to 6 months). And the fed is still doing the bail-out thing which will kill it even more. I guess in the next 3 to 6 months there will be another 40% to 60% drop and ebay users with any brains will start making bigger adjustments - because by then I think their cost of living prices will be at least doubled.

Oct 29, 2010 at 09:31 AM

sebboh
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p.2 #4 · p.2 #4 · 50-ish cheap f/1.2 or f/1.4?

Bifurcator wrote:
- 0.5

If you want really nice copies of those in USA prices they're about $250ea. Decent copies are right around the $200 mark and if you're paying "well under $200" for those there's something wrong with them - either scratched up barrels, or bent filter threads, excessive internal dust, oily slow iris leaves, or something like that.

you should be able to get an optically perfect version of either of those for around $100 in the US (both are $139 on keh for ex+), it might have a slightly worn barrel, but nothing functionally wrong with it (just means it's been shot with). i just got an excellent looking smc tak 50/1.4 for $50 on ebay. i wouldn't worry about the dollar vs yen, that shouldn't (and hasn't in the past) effect items built 30+ years ago that are already owned by US citizens.

edit: i'd also add the rokkor mc 50/1.4 to the list if your willing to do the conversion. they should be well under $100 (got one a month ago for well under $50.

Edited on Oct 29, 2010 at 11:22 AM · View previous versions

Oct 29, 2010 at 11:18 AM

AhamB
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p.2 #5 · p.2 #5 · 50-ish cheap f/1.2 or f/1.4?

Steve Spencer wrote:
The Pentax 50mm f/1.4 is also a great option, but realize there are several versions of this lens. Personally, I would get the M42 mount (for ease of adapting it) SMC Pentax 50mm f/1.4. The one to the farthest right at this link:

http://www.pentaxforums.com/lensreviews/SMC-S-M-C-Super-Takumar-50mm-F1.4.html

All but the very oldest Pentax 50mm f/1.4's have the same 7 element 6 group design, but the SMC probably has better coating and it has 8 aperture blades instead of 6 like the older M42 mount 50s, which may give you slightly rounder out of focus highlights when stopped down in some situations. All these older...Show more →

Thanks for the links Steve. I'll probably go with an M version, because I don't want a lens with a yellow cast.

Oct 29, 2010 at 11:21 AM

Steve Spencer
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p.2 #6 · p.2 #6 · 50-ish cheap f/1.2 or f/1.4?

AhamB wrote:
Thanks for the links Steve. I'll probably go with an M version, because I don't want a lens with a yellow cast.

Others who have done it will hopefully chime in, but I believe the yellow cast is easy to fix by setting the lens in direct sunlight for a week or so, or getting a UV flashlight and shining it through the lens for a day or so. As I understand it the yellow comes from a radio-active element in the coating that yellows in the dark but clears up when exposed to UV light. Whether that changes your decision or not is up to you. The M version is definitely a good choice, just a bit harder to adapt and probably a few dollars more. Good luck.

Oct 29, 2010 at 11:42 AM

john lewis
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p.2 #7 · p.2 #7 · 50-ish cheap f/1.2 or f/1.4?

Yes,

Yellow cast is a non factor.

Oct 29, 2010 at 11:45 AM

Mike Deep
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p.2 #8 · p.2 #8 · 50-ish cheap f/1.2 or f/1.4?

Oct 29, 2010 at 10:16 PM

alexandre
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p.2 #9 · p.2 #9 · 50-ish cheap f/1.2 or f/1.4?

what!! buy it now! silvernoses are only very good, but for $20...
expect to pay $100 or so on a > million zuiko. that's normal and fair IMO.

Oct 29, 2010 at 10:31 PM

jcolwell
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p.2 #10 · p.2 #10 · 50-ish cheap f/1.2 or f/1.4?

Steve Spencer wrote:
Others who have done it will hopefully chime in, but I believe the yellow cast is easy to fix by ...

Fix the yellow Takumar, http://web.aanet.com.au/bayling/repair.html

Oct 29, 2010 at 10:37 PM

AhamB
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p.2 #11 · p.2 #11 · 50-ish cheap f/1.2 or f/1.4?

Steve Spencer wrote:
Others who have done it will hopefully chime in, but I believe the yellow cast is easy to fix by setting the lens in direct sunlight for a week or so, or getting a UV flashlight and shining it through the lens for a day or so. As I understand it the yellow comes from a radio-active element in the coating that yellows in the dark but clears up when exposed to UV light. Whether that changes your decision or not is up to you. The M version is definitely a good choice, just a bit harder to adapt...Show more →

No, it doesn't change my decision.

I'm not buying radioactive lenses. The yellowing comes from Thorium traces in the glass, not in the coating, btw. I prefer not having to mess with UV-flashlights and still not be sure to have a neutral lens (I read the yellowing doesn't always totally clear up).

Anyway, adapting K-mount lenses is easy enough.

Oct 30, 2010 at 02:27 AM

jason.alabama
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p.2 #12 · p.2 #12 · 50-ish cheap f/1.2 or f/1.4?

Thank you all for your contributions. As always, the price seems to bump up as time passes, because quality is a major factor in any decision, and you get what you pay for. However, for the purpose of this lens (low-light capable knock-around lens on a 1.3x crop camera), I think I have narrowed it down to two choices:

So, it is either the Oly 50/1.8 or the C/Y 50/1.7.

Both choices are financially responsible (this is for my wife who doesn't think I need more lenses), and that way I can get a Fotodiox adapter for either one, making the conversion easy. So a couple of questions come to mind:

1. What is you opinion on these lenses compared to one another?
2. Functionally, does one have the advantage (i.e. is one easier to adjust the settings, etc.)?
3. Do I want to get a focus confirmation chip in the adapter?

Thank you for all the collective knowledge that you have been so willing to share.

Jason

Oct 30, 2010 at 12:21 PM

Bifurcator
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p.2 #13 · p.2 #13 · 50-ish cheap f/1.2 or f/1.4?

Mike Deep wrote:
Yikes. Who's asking prices like these? I consistently see $50-150 at KEH, and I've repeatedly found good condition Zuiko 50/1.4s for less than $50 online and offline. One SN<1,000,000, one SN>1,000,000 and one SN>1,100,00. There's even one in a local Salvation Army store for $20, but I passed on it because it's an old silver nose.

Read the underlined print.

Finding one that's not, at the prices you mention is extremely rare and typically means one of several things:

The buyer/seller don't know how to check for dust or don't have eyesight good enough to see it (actually quite common!),
The buyer or seller don't know how to check for the other factors mentioned (fairly common),
The seller doesn't know what the going rate is and doesn't mind losing his pants in the deal (fairly rare but happens occasionally).

At KEH none of these things typically happen - although the buyer may not know how to check for dust and etc. At keh you almost always get what you pay for - no great "deals". So if it's $50 then you get a $50 lens - even if the buyer doesn't know the difference!

Edited on Oct 30, 2010 at 12:31 PM · View previous versions

Oct 30, 2010 at 12:23 PM

ShaneEngelking
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p.2 #14 · p.2 #14 · 50-ish cheap f/1.2 or f/1.4?

bifuircator, I got a MN Super Takumar m42 mount in NM condition for $80 with a spotomatic attached on ebay just a few months ago, and the is the best lens I have ever used.

Oct 30, 2010 at 12:29 PM

jason.alabama
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p.2 #15 · p.2 #15 · 50-ish cheap f/1.2 or f/1.4?

Bifurcator, I agree.

But on the same note, I think the f/1.7-1.8 lenses will probably allow me to get a nicer lens for my price point than getting a rock bottom f/1.4.

Oct 30, 2010 at 12:33 PM

Bifurcator
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p.2 #16 · p.2 #16 · 50-ish cheap f/1.2 or f/1.4?

Shane,
Super Takumar, 50/1.4 That sounds about right. The SMC or "Super Multi-coated" 50/1.4 goes for about twice that in "good to excellent" condition though - and in M or NM it's more like the $200 to $250 I mentioned.

Jason,
This: https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/950417/0#8986362 ? Yup, sounds right to me too. That's the gist of what I was saying.

Oct 30, 2010 at 12:37 PM

sebboh
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p.2 #17 · p.2 #17 · 50-ish cheap f/1.2 or f/1.4?

jason.alabama wrote:
Thank you all for your contributions. As always, the price seems to bump up as time passes, because quality is a major factor in any decision, and you get what you pay for. However, for the purpose of this lens (low-light capable knock-around lens on a 1.3x crop camera), I think I have narrowed it down to two choices:

So, it is either the Oly 50/1.8 or the C/Y 50/1.7.

Both choices are financially responsible (this is for my wife who doesn't think I need more lenses), and that way I can get a Fotodiox adapter for either one, making the...Show more →

the oly is a much cheaper lens. a bargain condition (perfectly working optics, beat up exterior) oly 50/1.8 costs $25 a bargain condition c/y 50/1.7 costs $140. the oly would probably be better for taking narrow dof/low light shots of people, the contax would almost certainly be better for stopped down landscape type pictures.

seriously, you can get a m42 smc 50/1.4 in excellent shape for the cost of a bargain c/y 50/1.7 and it will be much better for low light people shots and extremely competitive stopped down.

edit: there are 2 EX tak smc 50/1.4s on keh now for under $150. if you spend a week on ebay you could probably get just as good ones for a bit cheaper but it would be more of a gamble.

Oct 30, 2010 at 12:49 PM

ShaneEngelking
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p.2 #18 · p.2 #18 · 50-ish cheap f/1.2 or f/1.4?

I just looked at the completed listings on ebay, and NM-M SMC Takumar m42 mounts often had for <$170, for instance 350406895059... If you can afford that, then it is an excellent choice. A friend of mine has one that I tried and liked, but didn't find any noticeable differences in IQ, so I m happy to stick with the Super Takumar (Ser# 3749810)

Oct 30, 2010 at 12:56 PM

Bifurcator
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p.2 #19 · p.2 #19 · 50-ish cheap f/1.2 or f/1.4?

Oct 30, 2010 at 01:07 PM

Bifurcator
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p.2 #20 · p.2 #20 · 50-ish cheap f/1.2 or f/1.4?

ShaneEngelking wrote:
I just looked at the completed listings on ebay, and NM-M SMC Takumar m42 mounts often had for <$170, for instance 350406895059... If you can afford that, then it is an excellent choice. A friend of mine has one that I tried and liked, but didn't find any noticeable differences in IQ, so I m happy to stick with the Super Takumar (Ser# 3749810)

There are differences in IQ. I have multiple copies of all the Taks being discussed here.

The difference between the Super 50/1.4 and the SMC 50/1.4 is seen mostly in the CA. the Super 50/1.4 produces a very wide and somewhat smooth softish false coloring in the OOF shape transitions whereas the SMC does not. The SMC also seems to be a tad sharper but it's so close that I would have to shoot a rez chart to prove it.

With the super if you shoot a noisy OOF BG there's lots of tight blue and yellow fringe too - yet again the SMC doesn't suffer from this noticeably.

Oct 30, 2010 at 01:23 PM

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