New Rokinon 50mm f/1.4 vs. Vintage Primes Shootout (Takumar, Helios, Zeiss...)

[TWI by Dustin Abbott]

Hi everyone. The new Rokinon 50mm f/1.4 AS IF UMC lens is a throwback. Manual everything, but also some the great drawing and IQ that I associate with some of my favorite vintage primes. I threw it up against four of my favorite 50ish primes from yesteryear: SMC Takumar 50mm f/1.4, SMC Takumar 55mm f/1.8, Helios 44-2 (58mm f/2), and Zeiss Planar T* 1.7/50mm. I've included small reviews of each of the vintage primes, too, along with galleries from each lens. I think you'll enjoy it - take a look!

http://bit.ly/196TTDg

 

[TWI by Dustin Abbott]

P.S. Here is a few disparate shares from the Rokinon taken in the past week. The first is from a infant portrait session and the second is a travel image taken of the ski slopes in Mont Tremblant, Quebec. I think these images show the range of the lens.

Brand New - Rokinon 50mm f/1.4 by Thousand Word Images by Dustin Abbott, on Flickr

Mont Tremblant, Quebec by Thousand Word Images by Dustin Abbott, on Flickr

 

[TWI by Dustin Abbott]

The infant image was f/1.4; the travel image was taken at f/8

 

[JoFT]

Thank you, Dustin for this inspiring article. You have done a lot of work there. It is inspiring to use the old lenses. I have quite a bit of old Zeiss Lenses:

• 1.4 50mm
• 2.8 28mm
• 1.4 85mm
• 2.8 180mm

I have 2 Generations of the adapters bought in Europe and they worked fin for me, mainly the 2nd Gen with electronic adapters that the sharpness pints get lightened.... But at some time the camera sas: they are dirty and they are not.


I made a short test with the 85mm on µ43... quite nice experience...


But you are totally right: these photos give you a different image, and a very nice one, too. So Inspired by you I will take these old buddy´s with me more frequently...

 

[TWI by Dustin Abbott]

Thank you, Dustin for this inspiring article. You have done a lot of work there. It is inspiring to use the old lenses. I have quite a bit of old Zeiss Lenses:

• 1.4 50mm
• 2.8 28mm
• 1.4 85mm
• 2.8 180mm

I have 2 Generations of the adapters bought in Europe and they worked fin for me, mainly the 2nd Gen with electronic adapters that the sharpness pints get lightened.... But at some time the camera sas: they are dirty and they are not.


I made a short test with the 85mm on µ43... quite nice experience...


But you are totally right: these photos give you a different image, and a very nice one, too. So Inspired by you I will take these old buddy´s with me more frequently...

Lucky you! I would love to have that little collection of vintage Zeiss glass! They are worth some money.

 

[JoFT]

Thank you, Dustin for this inspiring article. You have done a lot of work there. It is inspiring to use the old lenses. I have quite a bit of old Zeiss Lenses:

• 1.4 50mm
• 2.8 28mm
• 1.4 85mm
• 2.8 180mm

I have 2 Generations of the adapters bought in Europe and they worked fin for me, mainly the 2nd Gen with electronic adapters that the sharpness pints get lightened.... But at some time the camera sas: they are dirty and they are not.


I made a short test with the 85mm on µ43... quite nice experience...


But you are totally right: these photos give you a different image, and a very nice one, too. So Inspired by you I will take these old buddy´s with me more frequently...

Lucky you! I would love to have that little collection of vintage Zeiss glass! They are worth some money.

I know... I bought them around 1984...

 

[bigdaddy]

Dustin,

how do you think the SMC-50mm 1.4 M in K-Mount compares to the SMC 50mm 1.4 in m42 mount? I mean the new one you just got. I have the K-Mount and was wondering if the m42 is better wide open.

Thanks,

Bigdaddy

 

[TWI by Dustin Abbott]

Dustin,

how do you think the SMC-50mm 1.4 M in K-Mount compares to the SMC 50mm 1.4 in m42 mount? I mean the new one you just got. I have the K-Mount and was wondering if the m42 is better wide open.

Thanks,

Bigdaddy

I did own a K-mount at one point, but can't remember how the optics compared. It definitely wasn't the exact same build or design. I prefer an M42 mount more because of the stability of the mount. I found with a number of K-mount lenses that the lens always felt a little "loosy goosy" in the adapter.

 

[bigdaddy]

Ja, the k-mount is a little loose. At 2.8 its pretty sharp. It does have a soft look wide open for portraits.

 

[NancyP]

I don't adapt K mount, but any bayonet mount has some inherent need for precision mounting. I bought a cheapo Bower Nikon F mount to EF mount converter, the lens wiggled a bit. Disconcerting, especially if one is doing long exposures. I bit the bullet and paid 80.00 for an F-to-EF adapter (Fotodiox PRO, not plain Fotodiox), because it was designed with a leaf spring, as are the name-brand mounts like Novoflex - problem solved, the mount is very solid now. So don't cheap out on bayonet adapters. The screw mounts, on the other hand - a perfectly good M42 to EF mount can be had for 5 bucks or less, due to the simplicity of design and milling.

 

[TWI by Dustin Abbott]

I don't adapt K mount, but any bayonet mount has some inherent need for precision mounting. I bought a cheapo Bower Nikon F mount to EF mount converter, the lens wiggled a bit. Disconcerting, especially if one is doing long exposures. I bit the bullet and paid 80.00 for an F-to-EF adapter (Fotodiox PRO, not plain Fotodiox), because it was designed with a leaf spring, as are the name-brand mounts like Novoflex - problem solved, the mount is very solid now. So don't cheap out on bayonet adapters. The screw mounts, on the other hand - a perfectly good M42 to EF mount can be had for 5 bucks or less, due to the simplicity of design and milling.

That's some great information. I am considering doing this for my C/Y to EF mount for my Zeiss Planar T* 1.7/50mm. It's a great lens, but the mount is loose, and by adding a little double sided tape I have further reduced infinity focus...and it wasn't great to begin with.