Lens Question

[greeny]

I am new to cameras and photography so I still have a lot to learn. I have read about lenses and understand what most of the markings on the front of the lens mean, except one area. What does the "ML" mean on my Yashica lens? The lens I have is trash, would like to get another one...

 

[f16sunshine]

I'm not sure why you feel your lens is trash. The Yashica ML line was their top multicoated lens line starting in the early 80's. The f2/50mm you show here is quite capable even opened up. At wide open it will be center sharp with nice bokeh. By f4 corners sharpen up nicely. It's an entry level piece to be sure but, quite capable. IMO entry level 50mm reflex lenses show very litle performance differences. The yashica lens you have is as good as any of them. In that particular lens mount. Look for a Contax 50mm f1.7 or 50mm f1.4 as the best 50mm for your camera. Yashica had a ML 50mm f1.4 but they are hard to find, expensive, and not better than the Contax f1.7 version. There is also a ML 55 f1.2 but it's impossible to find.

 

[greeny]

The photo does not show the lens defects well at all.... The gray spot near the center of the lens is actually a chip in the glass, above the "In Japan" the rim was bent and it looks like it was bent back with needle nose pliers and you can see in the glass, under "Japan" that inside the glass, it has broke into slivers or if it is a two piece bonded glass, it is separating. This goes around the edge about 90 percent. This camera looks like it was taken care of but someone had a accident.😉

 

[nikon_sam]

Take a look here...

It would appear that you would have lots of choices with which to replace that lens...
Yashica/Contax lenses on ebay show many of them...also you could try Tamron lenses using the Yashica/Contax Adaptall mount...

I believe that "ML" is for Multi-coated Lens...

 

[greeny]

Thank You, your link and information is a great help....

 

[oftheherd]

The photo does not show the lens defects well at all.... The gray spot near the center of the lens is actually a chip in the glass, above the "In Japan" the rim was bent and it looks like it was bent back with needle nose pliers and you can see in the glass, under "Japan" that inside the glass, it has broke into slivers or if it is a two piece bonded glass, it is separating. This goes around the edge about 90 percent. This camera looks like it was taken care of but someone had a accident.😉

OK, that lens is trash. However, as stated, the ML series weren't bad lenses. Just about any SLR lens maker that had an f/2 50mm, it wasn't their top lens, but capable of many nice photos. I used to have a couple of Yashikor (cheaper screw mount) lenses, that got me a lot of good photos.

As already mentioned, other ML lenses should be good. Certainly the Contax line of lenses are superp, if you get one that hasn't been abused like your current Yashica lens. You can also get an adapter to use screw mount lenses with your camera. You may lose some automatic functions, depending you your camera, or not. But you can get some really great lenses to put on your camera that way. Often very inexpensively.

Takumar, Fujinon, Yashinon, and many other screw mount lenses can often be gotten for little money, and will give terrific photos.