Lightshow
Veteran Member
Look for OM 50/1.4 & 1.8(MIJ), very solid performance.
Topcor RE 58/1.8 is hard to beat, it's coatings are not as advanced as others.
SMC Pentax 50/1.4 K(not M or A)
Rokkor MC 50/1.4
Canon SSC 50/1.4
Nikkor AIS 50/1.4
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Topcor RE 58/1.8 is hard to beat, it's coatings are not as advanced as others.
SMC Pentax 50/1.4 K(not M or A)
Rokkor MC 50/1.4
Canon SSC 50/1.4
Nikkor AIS 50/1.4
Focus Breather
Senior Member
Not all the people defines "the best" in same manner. There is no general opinion on this forum, or any other forum, witch 50mm is the best. Some lenses pop up more often than others.
These legacy 50mm are cheap enough to try many of them. If you don`t like, you can sell it for more-or-less the same price. It is great fun testing them
, it can be addictive, however.
It would help a lot if you name your shooting needs and habits. Others people experiences, recommendations, test charts, etc, are always useful, and it can help you find your best lens.
I have tried lot of 50mm legacy lenses. But my needs are specific. Portraits in nature (I live in Park of nature), lot of leafs in the background, sometimes lot of back light, etc.
For example, Canon nFD is the sharpest lens I have. But the less used one, cos it does not handle well conditions I have mentioned. It is going on sale. But if I was street or architectural shooter, it would probably be my best friend.
Good luck in finding your best lens
These legacy 50mm are cheap enough to try many of them. If you don`t like, you can sell it for more-or-less the same price. It is great fun testing them
, it can be addictive, however.It would help a lot if you name your shooting needs and habits. Others people experiences, recommendations, test charts, etc, are always useful, and it can help you find your best lens.
I have tried lot of 50mm legacy lenses. But my needs are specific. Portraits in nature (I live in Park of nature), lot of leafs in the background, sometimes lot of back light, etc.
For example, Canon nFD is the sharpest lens I have. But the less used one, cos it does not handle well conditions I have mentioned. It is going on sale. But if I was street or architectural shooter, it would probably be my best friend.
Good luck in finding your best lens
Godfrey
Forum Pro
My choice is a Leitz Summilux-R 50mm f/1.4, although it doesn't sell for under $200 and the Novoflex adapter itself was $300. Stunning bokeh and presence wide open, razor sharpness two stops down. However, the Summicron-R 50mm f/2 is a touch sharper wide open, no less sharp anywhere else, and it sells for a bit less.
captura
Forum Pro
No, there is one which is sharp from wide open. The Minolta MD 50mm f2.0. And it's cheap.
TCMking
Active member
Canon FL 55mm 1.2 could be found less than $200 (if you are patient, you can have it lower) or Canon FD 55mm 1.2 (chrome nose). If less than $100, Konica hexanon 50mm 1.4, Canon FDn 50mm 1.4, Nikkor 50mm 1.8 AI. For sub $50, many said Konica 50mm 1.7 is great.
Oh, don't forget the helios 55mm 2.0 (usually <$50)
Chien
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I would second the Topcor RE 58 f1.8. I tried a bunch of 50 primes from Minolta MD/MC, Pentax K, Yashica ML, Zeiss Planar T*, Canon FD, Rolleinar MC, Fujica X...
I think the Topcor RE in Exakta mount is a good pick. I would also recommend the Schneider SL Xenon 50/f1.8 in Rollei QBM mount.
For a bit lower price, the Rollei Planar 50 f1.8 in Rollei QBM mount is a good value buy. It's just a Zeiss Planar made by Rollei Singapore. They also come in HFT coating which is co-develop by Zeiss, gives a more colorful image then the T*.
I think the Topcor RE in Exakta mount is a good pick. I would also recommend the Schneider SL Xenon 50/f1.8 in Rollei QBM mount.
For a bit lower price, the Rollei Planar 50 f1.8 in Rollei QBM mount is a good value buy. It's just a Zeiss Planar made by Rollei Singapore. They also come in HFT coating which is co-develop by Zeiss, gives a more colorful image then the T*.
zink
Leading Member
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Almost all old standard lenses are very good. There is not really "the best". I have used a lot 50mm lenses, but I went with Olympus after all. The OM 50/1.4 is a very nice lens, but the OM 50/1.8 is almost unbeatable. Look for a late "Made in Japan" version. It is already sharp wide open. (Most old MF lenses are a bit soft wide open.)
You can just use a cheap adapter. Pixco adapters are always good and very cheap on ebay.
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Snikt228
Senior Member
Just got a present from the mailman. ~35 years old and it looks brand new. I hope to post some test pictures tonight
viking79
Forum Pro
So many good answers, honestly, for your budget of $200 you can't go wrong with a Canon FD 50mm f/1.4. The lens is much better than an average 50mm from the same time frame, but with any large aperture 50mm you are never going to be super sharp at f/1.4 or even f/2 unless you pay a lot more than $200 US.
The Canon is going to give you good performance without anything too weird. If you want character, get something like the Helios people mention or some other lens.
Eric
The Canon is going to give you good performance without anything too weird. If you want character, get something like the Helios people mention or some other lens.
Eric
Osvaldo Medina
Member
I bought one canon 50mm fd 1.4 for my A7 and it´s great! 60 euros and one of the best( for me at least).
olm
olm
Snikt228
Senior Member
I'm pretty impressed with my Minolta MD 50 1.7, especially stopped down to f2.8
Hard to beat for $40
Hard to beat for $40
FD 50/1.8 is amazing considering what it costs. I just saw one on Ebay for 25€/34$. You can use it wide open on sunny days without getting glow/haze which you get with f1.2 lenses.
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sbruno
Leading Member
As an OP said, it's hard to beat the Nikon 50/1.8 AIS for less than $100. Sharp wide open and contrasty and compact to boot. My other recommendation would be the Zeiss Otus 55/1.4. But that may exceed your price by a factor or 20 or so
These old lenses are used in so-called stopped down metering. Meaning the lens will instantly stop down (=select aperture) when you turn the ring on the lens, not just before a shot is taken like it's with newer AF lenses.
In another words, automatic metering works just fine. You just select Av mode (camera will select shutter speed automatically).
SQLGuy
Forum Pro
Most of the responses you're going to get here are from people that have non-scientific experience with one example each of a few 50mm lenses. I think you'll be better off Googling 50mm lens shootouts to see what, more objective, testing you can use as a basis for a decision.
E.g. http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2012/01/the-great-50mm-shootout
My opinion is that most 50mm/1.4 SLR lenses are going to be pretty similar. I have a nFD50/1.4 and think it's a pretty good lens, but it's nowhere near as good wide open as my (not < $200) FD 55/1.2 Aspherical. I have heard good things about the Contax/Yashica lenses... but that's both anecdotal and hearsay. ;-)
E.g. http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2012/01/the-great-50mm-shootout
My opinion is that most 50mm/1.4 SLR lenses are going to be pretty similar. I have a nFD50/1.4 and think it's a pretty good lens, but it's nowhere near as good wide open as my (not < $200) FD 55/1.2 Aspherical. I have heard good things about the Contax/Yashica lenses... but that's both anecdotal and hearsay. ;-)
SQLGuy
Forum Pro
All lenses will meter on an A7 - exposure is based on actual light hitting the sensor.
The only questions are whether you can adjust focus and aperture. This is more of a problem for newer lenses (Nikon G, Canon EF, Contax G) than it is for older lenses.
Nate Dogg
Forum Enthusiast
Of the manual 50mm lens that I've owned, here are my preferences, in orde:
In the end, they were/are all great lenses, each with their own character.
- Leica 50mm F2 Summicron DR (M-mount)
- Contax Zeiss 50mm f1.7 (CY Mount)
- Canon FD SSC 50mm f1.4
- Minolta MD Rokkor-X 50mm f1.4
In the end, they were/are all great lenses, each with their own character.
If you're budgeting around $200, then go with a Nikon 50mm 1.8 AI (s?). It will leave some extra money for some filters etc. and you'll not be disappointed in it's performance. I have one that I bought in 1979 and have used it on the A7 a few times. It's not the 55FE, but it's a great lens. The fact that they still sell for around $90 should tell you something. Some folks will praise the 1.4 version. I don't like it as well.
There will be a lot of Canon FD, Pentax, Olympus etc. suggestions. They are all good lenses. But the old Nikkors were superlative and still hold their value and performance well.
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