Canon 50mm f/2.2

[Swift1]

I recently ran across this lens on ebay, and decided to take a chance and I bought it.
I started writing a much longer post with more info, but after an hour typing with my onscreen keyboard, I accidentally clicked F5 and lost everything.
Anyway, I managed to shoot half a roll with the lens over the last few days, and I thought I would share my initial thoughts and a few images with y'all.

It's quite small, even for a LTM 50mm. It's a bit smaller than both my Industar-61 L/D and my Jupiter-8. It feels great in use. Focus is really smooth. It has very little (almost none) distortion. Wide open, it seems sharp enough, and bokeh seems nice. Stopped down it seems plenty sharp.

Here are a few of my test shots from it. Shot with my Canon 7 on Fujicolor C200, and scanned with my Nikon Coolscan V.
Thank you to fellow member GerryM for his help.

 

[Gerry M]

My view is that this is an outstanding lens. I offered to take it off his hands, but he flat turned me down 😉!

 

[Mackinaw]

An unusual lens. Looking at Peter K’s book, about 4,000 were made between January, 1961 to July, 1961. Five elements in four groups. Peter describes it as a budget lens for the Japanese market. Nice find.

Jim B.

 

[jmilkins]

Thanks Colton, an under-represented lens here, and you show it well.

 

[Swift1]

My view is that this is an outstanding lens. I offered to take it off his hands, but he flat turned me down 😉!

You can have it... when you pry it from my cold, dead hands 😀

An unusual lens. Looking at Peter K’s book, about 4,000 were made between January, 1961 to July, 1961. Five elements in four groups. Peter describes it as a budget lens for the Japanese market. Nice find.

Jim B.

I read that on one of the old posts here. I wonder if it is a similar design to a Biometar/Xenotar formula.

Thanks Colton, an under-represented lens here, and you show it well.

Thank you 🙂

 

[Swift1]

Here's a photo of the lens mounted on my Canon 7.

 

[davidnewtonguitars]

Colton, this lens has revolutionized your work. I see 1/4 of a person's head in your 3rd picture, and 3 entire people in the 6th.
I like your stuff, as usual.

 

[lxmike]

nice images, nice lens

 

[Swift1]

Colton, this lens has revolutionized your work. I see 1/4 of a person's head in your 3rd picture, and 3 entire people in the 6th.
I like your stuff, as usual.

Haha 😀
Thank you, David.

nice images, nice lens

Thanks Mike.

 

[Swift1]

Here's a photo of me, taken by my friend and fellow member GerryM, using my Canon 7 and the 50/2.2, @f/2.2 and 1/30s.

 

[bennyng]

Looks like you got a good copy Colton. Definitely not a common lens.

I like the small form factor very much.

Cheers,

 

[Swift1]

Looks like you got a good copy Colton. Definitely not a common lens.

I like the small form factor very much.

Cheers,

I think you posted the few samples on Flickr that helped me decide to buy this lens, so thank you 🙂
I really like the small size, except it makes my Canon 7 look really big 😀

 

[Swift1]

Here's another from my Canon 50/2.2 ltm.
Shot wide open, on Fujicolor C200. Scanned with my Epson V750

 

[Swift1]

Here's another recent shot from my Canon 50/2.2 and Canon 7
Fujicolor C200 scanned with my Nikon Coolscan V

 

[ForestCap]

Bessa-R + Canon 50mm f/2.2 + Fujicolor C200 / Tetenal C41

A misnomer lens with 5 elements, seems to be a simplified double-Gaussian. It is sharper than any FSU 50mm I own. I really like the compactness of this lens.

 

[Swift1]

Bessa-R + Canon 50mm f/2.2 + Fujicolor C200 / Tetenal C41

A misnomer lens with 5 elements, seems to be a simplified double-Gaussian. It is sharper than any FSU 50mm I own. I really like the compactness of this lens.

Good to see someone else using this uncommon lens.
I'm curious if it is a Biometar/Xenotar formula, which seems like the most common 5/4 Gauss design. I'm hardly any kind of lens design expert though so I'm probably wrong 🙂
I'm pretty happy with this lens so far.

 

[Mackinaw]

Here's the optical formula and the name of the designer.

Jim B.

 

[Swift1]

Here's the optical formula and the name of the designer.

Jim B.

Oh awesome!
Looks more like a Biotar design with the rear doublet turned into a single?

 

[David Murphy]

Wow, what fantastic shots. I was vaguely aware of this uncommon lens, but never expected such fine performance - great stuff!

 

[ForestCap]

Wow thanks for the diagram.

BTW this is how it looks on Bessa-R