The highest quality for cost 50mm's

[sparrow6224]

I'm fascinated by and in love with 50mm lenses so don't take this for whaddyacallit where someone goes around trying to stir up arguments elves or grinches or what you call them: I've forgotten. So I'm pondering tonight (having just looked at Canon 50/1.8 selling for 149 pounds UK which is about $240, and all the ones on the bay running that or higher when not long ago you could get one for well under $200, clean) what various people think are the best values in 50's, RF and SLR. My votes go in principle first, in RF, to the Canon 50/1.8 -- which I sold after getting the 1.4 but now miss -- though its price is creeping up. But in thinking about it, I bet some of you have kick-ass FSU lenses (my own Jupiter 3 is soft and likely needs adjustment by Mr. Sweeney).

On the SLR side, there's the MD Rokkor 50mm f1.4 (the f1.7 is no slouch either) and the fabulous SMC Takumar M42 mount 50/1.4, both findable in great shape for $50 or so. What I like about all these lenses is a very clean look, even the old Canon, which is clean for an old school RF 50 anyway. One of my greatest lenses is a pre-war CZJ 50mm f1.5 which I got for a little over $200 but that's an anomaly I think -- are they typically that price?

So vote your favorites and post some pics. And merry-whatever-you-celebrate.

 

[sleepyhead]

I got my 50mm Summitar very inexpensively years ago, and thAt lens still amazes me today: dreamy wide open, and very sharp closed down a bit.

 

[sparrow6224]

Here are a couple of Canon 50/1.8 shots, including one with a bolt of flare so I guess we all have our weaknesses....

 

[sparrow6224]

Hmm. The shots were all in the message box but didn't load... is that part of the new restriction on size???

 

[sparrow6224]

PS I had a Summitar I really liked but the aperture ring was frozen solid at f9 so I eventually sold it. It had a very elegant look at f9.

 

[ChrisN]

Best bang for the buck in the 50mm lenses I've owned was undoubtedly the black Jupiter 8 I paid $30 for.

Amongst the modern stuff I'm very happy with the Konica M-Hexanon 50/2.

 

[Moriturii]

What I have noticed, honestly? TONS of manufacturers make amazing lenses, wherever I look they look brilliant. No one can deny that Canon, Nikon, even companies like Sigma and a dozen that I havent heard of make FANTASTIC lenses.

When it comes to 50's, I don't know about best bang for buck but it's almost as if "you can't go wrong" with whichever you pick, so go for the cheap one 🙂 I myself use a Collapsible Cron that I got effectively for free, very small, Elmar 50/3.5 a little too small 😛

I should try the canon's one day too if I can find one...

 

[hxpham]

The Helios 44-2 58mm f/2.0 has quite interesting bokeh and is pretty cheap, probably ~$15-30?
And the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 has some of the smoothest, least distracting bokeh I've ever seen. I actually prefer it to the Canon 50mm f/1.2L.

 

[kzphoto]

Most people judge the ZM 50/2 Planar to be the most bang for your buck these days. It rivals the current 50/2 Summicron and costs about 1/2 the price (used.)

 

[peterm1]

I have a soft spot for 50s as well. Since you mentioned the Pentax Takumar 50mm f1.4, dont forget the also very good but even better value 55mm f2 (or f1.8) in Super multi Coated or SMC forms. This lens is dirt cheap and when I recently tried one on my NEX 5 with adapter it blew me away - especially the bokeh. The 1.4 is supposed to be a bokeh king but I say this one is every bit as good.

Its sharp enough - perhaps not quite in the league of the Zeiss Planars but never the less good and overall its excellent especially for the price. (They go for around $50 give or take on eBay.)

This boring photo (in which incidentally the sharp bits a probably a bit ouot of focus as well) was taken to show it's OOF rendition.

If you are willing to go further afield the Canon FL mount 50mm f1.8 is in much the same league - cheap, excellent IQ and built like a tank for around the same price.

 

[Moriturii]

Most people judge the ZM 50/2 Planar to be the most bang for your buck these days. It rivals the current 50/2 Summicron and costs about 1/2 the price (used.)

By that token wouldn't the m-hexanon be even better? 🙂 It's about 600-700 on the user market isn't it, and the planar being a few hundred up?

 

[rodt16s]

I'll go with the 50/1.4 M42 SMC Takumar, I'm amazed with the one I have and for the price (often with an SP) it's hard to beat.
Alternative would be a Praktica MTL3 with 50/1.8, which can be bought for £20 or less
Unfortunately Summitar prices are creeping out of the great value category they were a couple of years ago. Even Elmar 5cm (ltm) prices are heading North, so for Leica compatible I'll say the J8, but sample variation might exclude.

 

[myM8yogi]

J3 4 me

J3 4 me

Love my J3.
Fast max aperture. Weighs less than 120g with a ltm->M adaptor and a hood (1/3rd weight of 50 lux ASPH). Cost me 200USD. Makes the whole M9 look old and tatty and completely unintimidating for portraits and street. Best bokeh I have ever seen (LOVE sonnars). Plenty sharp stopped down from f/2.8. Great colours. Low contrast so good for black and white. Only 2 problems: (1) is minimum focus distance is a little long, even after I performed the close focus modification to the lens, and (2) prone to flare with backlight, so I use a 40mm CLE for landscapes.

 

[ssmc]

If you're talking old SLR lenses, then I agree the MD 50/1.4 is a real champ. I think I paid $100 for mine but it was absolutely mint.

However... the often overlooked 45/2 MD Rokkor can be bought in excellent condition for under forty bucks. This lens does not test well on flat charts (I suspect field curvature) but in actual use it can produce gorgeous results - it's also compact, light and for the money, it's hard to beat (I know, it's not a "fitty" but it's pretty close)

Some examples from the 45/2: the links go to larger versions than I can post here

http://www.pbase.com/smcleod965/image/113515637/original.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/smcleod965/image/113515656/original.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/smcleod965/image/110795569/original.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/smcleod965/image/110795785/original.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/smcleod965/image/110828002/original.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/smcleod965/image/110829361/original.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/smcleod965/image/117299771/original.jpg

Happy shooting!
Scott 🙂

 

[ChrisLivsey]

PS I had a Summitar I really liked but the aperture ring was frozen solid at f9 so I eventually sold it. It had a very elegant look at f9.

That gives a new slant on Aperture Priority. 😀

 

[breathstealer]

Here's a real challenge: name a bad 50mm lens. I can't.

 

[bigeye]

Any analogy you might not hear often.

Any analogy you might not hear often.

50mm lenses are like 150hp outboard engines.*

They're among the most carefully engineered because they are/were the flagship, high volume lens. Corporate reputation rests(ed) on it.

* Mention this bizarre fact, out of the blue, to your photo editor and you'll get the next marine assignment, hopefully not in winter.
(The best engine in any outboard manufacturer's line is their 150hp. It is the franchise product; the most versatile and highest volume sold.)

From Dad's Nikon FE/50 1.8 AIs (BCN400), one of the sharpest 35mm lenses I have.

(Tones wrecked here by scanning; the sleeve has turned into the neck of the loch ness monster.)

.

 

[al1966]

The Helios 44-2 58mm f/2.0 has quite interesting bokeh and is pretty cheap, probably ~$15-30?
And the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 has some of the smoothest, least distracting bokeh I've ever seen. I actually prefer it to the Canon 50mm f/1.2L.

I got a Helios 44-2 for 99p ($1.50-$2) on the end of a Zenith E last week I have had versions of this lens before (mk4?) I like it a lot.
I bought a Fuji f1.6 55mm for less than £10 its my preferred 50mm ish lens
I have a jupiter 8 which is a nice one too, Im not too sure I have a bad 50 though.

 

[roboflick]

Best bang for the buck in the 50mm lenses I've owned was undoubtedly the black Jupiter 8 I paid $30 for.

Amongst the modern stuff I'm very happy with the Konica M-Hexanon 50/2.

I paid about 20 dollars for a jupiter 8m from fedka, beautiful glass with pre war sonnar bokeh, and sharp as a tack stopped down,
with a kiev 4a which is also a really nice camera and perfect for 50mm the entire package was less than a 100 dollars.
Fedka.com is a great source for this gear without the risk of buying from the former USSR, easy returns

Nik

 

[Roger Hicks]

Well, first of all, there's the question of what you're using it for; second, there's the question of what you consider 'good'; and third, because the first two vary so much, the 'bang for the buck' is all but imposssible to assign. For me, the C-Sonnar is the easy winner, because it's the only 50 I like using. Others hate 'em. And personal stories of price are of limited value: I've been given a 50/1.4 Super-Takumar on a Pentax SV (a better lens than the 50/1.8, in my experience) and a 50/2.8 Tessar on a Contaflex BC Super.

As for Breathstealer's challenge, 2,9/50 Meritar and 1,9/58 Meyer Primoplan, unless you like 50-58mm portrait lenses.

Finally, there's sample variation, which is unlikely to have decreased in however many decades an old lens has been available.

Cheers,

R.