Your favorite spherical 50 1.2 lens?

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GarageBoy

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What's your favorite non aspherical 50 1.2 SLR lens?
I know the 58 1.2 Noct and the 50 1.2L get all the glory, but what about non spherical?

I currently only have a 50 1.2 MD Rokkor, but I'd like to try the others (not liking my unreliable XD11s, but I don't really like the other minolta bodies and can't seem to find a XK with AES meter prism)
 
I have the Canon FL 58/1.2, nice lens. Shot with the FL 55/1.2 for a bit..."better" than the FL58 but the 58 has more quirks which may be attractive to someone looking for character.

Rokkor 58 is a good one to try if you can adapt it or run SRT/X700/whatever MD body works for you.
 
ferider said:
The 50 1.2 OM Zuiko (SLR) and 1.1 Nokton (RF). Both back extended Ultrons.
Click to expand...

Hang on... the 50mm f1.2 OM is my all time favourite lens. Are you saying that the 1.1 Nokton is the same formula? Does it give the same look?
 
GarageBoy said:
I currently only have a 50 1.2 MD Rokkor, but I'd like to try the others (not liking my unreliable XD11s, but I don't really like the other minolta bodies and can't seem to find a XK with AES meter prism)
Click to expand...

I'm interested to know what it is about the Rokkor MD you don't like?
I know you don't like "the other" Minoltas, but a good SRT-202 is a very reliable machine. Has Accute Matte screen, modern SRT, etc. John Titterington comes to mind, and he sells on Ebay.

Getting an XK CLA'ed and serviced seems to be the issue. But I've heard that Mark Hama (in Atlanta) still works on them. He has worked on Yashica Mats for me, and it is good that there is at least one guy who will still work on them. Most XK's seem to need some work (I sent mine to Essex in New Jersey, but they are out of business).
 
I use 1.2 with 3 SLR lenses:
Best is Pentax K 1.2/50 (maybe that SMC coating that shines in low light)
second close is Zuiko 1.2/55 with more flare at wide open
last but not less Nikkor 1.2/55 more coma to live with

As a side from this non-asph, I admit that aspherical lenses are not "better" at close down than those cheaper collegues.
In SLR, Canon EF 1.0/50 L (heavy) is not "better" than Pentax 50mm at 1.2 and up.

Arnaud ...long time lover of Noctilux and co
 
wintoid said:
Hang on... the 50mm f1.2 OM is my all time favourite lens. Are you saying that the 1.1 Nokton is the same formula? Does it give the same look?
Click to expand...

Many lenses have that basic diagram (for example the Pentax 50/1.4). But the Nokton results feel very similar, wintoid. I was about to have the om lens converted, but decided to try the 1.1 nokton and am glad I did. The Nokton is larger though, but a little faster, too, obviously.

Roland.
 
Nokton48 said:
I'm interested to know what it is about the Rokkor MD you don't like?
I know you don't like "the other" Minoltas, but a good SRT-202 is a very reliable machine. Has Accute Matte screen, modern SRT, etc. John Titterington comes to mind, and he sells on Ebay.

Getting an XK CLA'ed and serviced seems to be the issue. But I've heard that Mark Hama (in Atlanta) still works on them. He has worked on Yashica Mats for me, and it is good that there is at least one guy who will still work on them. Most XK's seem to need some work (I sent mine to Essex in New Jersey, but they are out of business).
Click to expand...

I like the MD lens a bit, I'm just not a fan of many minolta bodies- I prefer SPD meters, so that narrows down my pickings a bit - Maybe I'll go back to the X700
The XD was perfect, except two of mine have had issues with the meter circuit
 
Try and find a Minolta xe body. xe-5 ' xe-7 those are imho the best of the Minolta. a supreme quality .

the mc 58/1.1.2 is an excellent lens.
 
Fixcinater said:
I have the Canon FL 58/1.2, nice lens. Shot with the FL 55/1.2 for a bit..."better" than the FL58 but the 58 has more quirks which may be attractive to someone looking for character.

Rokkor 58 is a good one to try if you can adapt it or run SRT/X700/whatever MD body works for you.
Click to expand...

That Rokkor is widely loved. :) I also have the FL 55 which is a strong performer and cheap.
 
GarageBoy said:
.. but I don't really like the other minolta bodies and can't seem to find a XK with AES meter prism
Click to expand...

i have both the AE and AES head, and I actually prefer the AE in use. Unlike the AES, you see all the shutter speeds all the time - the AES you need to flip a switch to toggle between the low and high range. On the AE head, both the indicator needle and shutter speeds are visible in a broad range of light conditions. With the AES head, in bright sunlight the leds wash out, and in dim conditions you see the leds but not the corresponding speeds.

The AES head does react quicker to changing light conditions but I have no issues with the speed of reaction with the AE head. It also has I think a stop greater sensitivity, which can be nice.
 
Fixcinater said:
I have the Canon FL 58/1.2, nice lens. Shot with the FL 55/1.2 for a bit..."better" than the FL58 but the 58 has more quirks which may be attractive to someone looking for character.
Click to expand...

Agreed on both counts. My FL 55mm is sharper wide-open. My FL 58mm is more fun to shoot and produces results I find pleasing.
 
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