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Best fast cheap 50ish mm for APS-C with the creamiest bokeh?

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Photography Raptor

Photography Raptor

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Being the bokeh that the Nikkor 58mm f/1.4 G produces the one I like the most for reference.

Corner sharpness of vigneting is not important as it is going to be adapted on APS-C.

RIght now I'm considering the Pentax-M 50mm f/1.4 but I'm sure there has to be better options.

P.S. I'm not a big fan of the famous Helios 44-2 bokeh.

Thanks in advance
 
Mount? Price range?

Yongnuo YN50mm F1.4
Sigma 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM
 
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Do any SLR 1.4/50's have soft bokeh behind the subject? They mostly seem to have slightly overcorrected spherical aberration which gives slightly better sharpness at the plane of focus at the cost of harsher bokeh behind the subject.

For cheap but good 1.4's I really like the Zuiko's but I can't say I've had a comprehensive collection of other 1.4s to compare. The zuiko's don't really seem to have harsh bokeh.
 
QuietOC said:
Mount? Price range?

Yongnuo YN50mm F1.4
Sigma 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM
Click to expand...
Not more than $150 and doesn't matter the mount because I think there's a Fuji adapter for most
 
Photography Raptor said:
QuietOC said:
Mount? Price range?

Yongnuo YN50mm F1.4
Sigma 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM
Click to expand...
Not more than $150 and doesn't matter the mount because I think there's a Fuji adapter for most
Click to expand...
Well, no, I might suggest some E-mount options...

The Yongnuo may be the best option:

cef9661fe21c4b4b8a93c2014856cba4.jpg.png

Some of manual mirrorless lenses from China are pretty good too. I have no experience with the Kamlan 50mm F1.1 or the Zonlai 50mm F1.4 or 7Artisans 50mm F1.2 or 55mm F1.4. The Samyang 50mm F1.2 I tried is out of your budget. Here is a review with some of these.
 
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I would suggest Minolta MC Rokkor 55mm F1.7 It could be had below 50usd in very good condition. It is light, a bit soft but pleasently imperfect. Phillip Reeve did a good revew some tome ago. It it is still one of my favorite MF portrait options on APS-C.
 
The Rokkor is inexpensive but not very creamy. Like most every other double-gauss/Planar lens it has over corrected spherical aberration. Smoother foreground than backgrounds.

25d154a186104aca80606ee47e2eb473.jpg.png
 
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Photography Raptor said:
Being the bokeh that the Nikkor 58mm f/1.4 G produces the one I like the most for reference.

Corner sharpness of vigneting is not important as it is going to be adapted on APS-C.

RIght now I'm considering the Pentax-M 50mm f/1.4 but I'm sure there has to be better options.
Click to expand...
The old M42 Takumars, both 55mm f/1.8 and 50mm f/1.4, both Super and SMC, have exceptionally good OOF PSF: brighter in the middle, darker at the edges.

The Minolta Rokkor 58mm f/1.2 shot at f/2 is arguably better, but not cheap. A lot of folks say the 58mm f/1.4 is very similar, but my copy isn't as nice as my f/1.2.

BTW, on APS-C, the Canon FL 55mm f/1.2 on a focal reducer is quite nice... but again, really not all that cheap including the focal reducer, and not 50mm-ish then.
Photography Raptor said:
P.S. I'm not a big fan of the famous Helios 44-2 bokeh.
Click to expand...
You shouldn't be a fan if "creamy" is what you want.
 
That Pentax is good, I have it.

I suggest the Zenitar 50mm 1.7 for the creamiest budget bokeh of vintage lenses.

Also, certain Takumar 50mm 1.4's have it too, but I don't know much about their many models.

The Sigma 50mm 1.4 EX lens someone else already mentioned also has outstanding bokeh, but it is much bigger and heavier and probably just over the budget.

Lastly, I would suggest checking out the Konica 57mm 1.4.
 
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Photography Raptor said:
Being the bokeh that the Nikkor 58mm f/1.4 G produces the one I like the most for reference.

Corner sharpness of vigneting is not important as it is going to be adapted on APS-C.

RIght now I'm considering the Pentax-M 50mm f/1.4 but I'm sure there has to be better options.

P.S. I'm not a big fan of the famous Helios 44-2 bokeh.

Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
This might help you:

Loading…

theothersideofbokeh.wordpress.com

Loading…

theothersideofbokeh.wordpress.com


Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst
No photographer's gear list is complete without the printer mentioned !
 
E Dinkla said:
Photography Raptor said:
Being the bokeh that the Nikkor 58mm f/1.4 G produces the one I like the most for reference.

Corner sharpness of vigneting is not important as it is going to be adapted on APS-C.

RIght now I'm considering the Pentax-M 50mm f/1.4 but I'm sure there has to be better options.

P.S. I'm not a big fan of the famous Helios 44-2 bokeh.

Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
This might help you:

https://theothersideofbokeh.wordpress.com/2017/10/25/50-fifties-bokeh-overview-the-fast-ones/

https://theothersideofbokeh.wordpre...fties-bokeh-overview-the-ones-with-character/
Click to expand...
Nice reference.

The ZhongYi Mitakon Speedmaster 50mm f/0.95 looks really great... maybe a touch better than my Rokkor 58mm f/1.2 @ f/2.

However, the Rokkor here does not seem to be doing as well as my copy. The SMC Takumar 50mm f/1.4 also doesn't look so good here compared to how mine does. I think the problem is that both those lenses commonly suffer from radioactive yellowing, and a yellowed copy doesn't produce quite as nice bokeh. The Takumar also looses sharpness when yellowed, and I see a hint of that here too. I think this tester might need to UV clean some lenses....
 
loses
 
sensiblename99 said:
For cheap but good 1.4's I really like the Zuiko's but I can't say I've had a comprehensive collection of other 1.4s to compare. The zuiko's don't really seem to have harsh bokeh.
Click to expand...
I agree, the Olympus OM Zuiko 50/1.4 has very smooth bokeh.
 
Photography Raptor said:
Being the bokeh that the Nikkor 58mm f/1.4 G produces the one I like the most for reference.

Corner sharpness of vigneting is not important as it is going to be adapted on APS-C.

RIght now I'm considering the Pentax-M 50mm f/1.4 but I'm sure there has to be better options.

P.S. I'm not a big fan of the famous Helios 44-2 bokeh.

Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
In term of amount, you can't go wrong with the Mitakon, or a Minolta 58/1.2 (not 50 which better corrected). Then the ones I know are more undercorrected are Sonnar and Tessar, but they are not all such, and Tessars are slower. A Jupiter 8 can give smooth background. You will use it wide open, and the problem is Jupiter is really like soft portrait. I am not sure how the Takuman 58/2 is corrected, it is probably the only SLR Sonnar 50mm.

I think you make an interesting question. 50mm being usually so fast and reference lenses have usually corrections as as best as possible and are typically not undercorrected, as the fast aperture requires a big deal to minimize creeping aberrations.
 
Last edited:
E Dinkla said:
Photography Raptor said:
Being the bokeh that the Nikkor 58mm f/1.4 G produces the one I like the most for reference.

Corner sharpness of vigneting is not important as it is going to be adapted on APS-C.

RIght now I'm considering the Pentax-M 50mm f/1.4 but I'm sure there has to be better options.

P.S. I'm not a big fan of the famous Helios 44-2 bokeh.

Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
This might help you:

https://theothersideofbokeh.wordpress.com/2017/10/25/50-fifties-bokeh-overview-the-fast-ones/

https://theothersideofbokeh.wordpre...fties-bokeh-overview-the-ones-with-character/

Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst
No photographer's gear list is complete without the printer mentioned !
Click to expand...
Any idea which camera was used for these tests, it's not mentioned on the page?

I'm curious because I have a few of these lenses and would expect them to show purple fringing to some degree but I don't see any in these tests shots.
 
sensiblename99 said:
E Dinkla said:
Photography Raptor said:
Being the bokeh that the Nikkor 58mm f/1.4 G produces the one I like the most for reference.

Corner sharpness of vigneting is not important as it is going to be adapted on APS-C.

RIght now I'm considering the Pentax-M 50mm f/1.4 but I'm sure there has to be better options.

P.S. I'm not a big fan of the famous Helios 44-2 bokeh.

Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
This might help you:

https://theothersideofbokeh.wordpress.com/2017/10/25/50-fifties-bokeh-overview-the-fast-ones/

https://theothersideofbokeh.wordpre...fties-bokeh-overview-the-ones-with-character/

Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst
No photographer's gear list is complete without the printer mentioned !
Click to expand...
Any idea which camera was used for these tests, it's not mentioned on the page?

I'm curious because I have a few of these lenses and would expect them to show purple fringing to some degree but I don't see any in these tests shots.
Click to expand...
He frequents the forum. I can’t remember the handle though :( . In 2017 he mentioned he had a Canon 5D2 and A7m1.

It’s good to see that article again. Of all, the slower Tessar stands out as having the least outlining. Really, smooth bokeh is more about lack (or dimming) of the speculative highlights than anything else. Absent apoditization, which none have, only an undercorrected lens will result in smoother bokeh. Number of blades doesn’t matter wide open, but a big issue is that dirt is maybe 10x more prevalent on were glass meets metal, which causes outlining on it’s own, so the smooth lens either requires a bit of stopping down or a recent CLA.
 
fferreres said:
sensiblename99 said:
E Dinkla said:
Photography Raptor said:
Being the bokeh that the Nikkor 58mm f/1.4 G produces the one I like the most for reference.

Corner sharpness of vigneting is not important as it is going to be adapted on APS-C.

RIght now I'm considering the Pentax-M 50mm f/1.4 but I'm sure there has to be better options.

P.S. I'm not a big fan of the famous Helios 44-2 bokeh.

Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
This might help you:

https://theothersideofbokeh.wordpress.com/2017/10/25/50-fifties-bokeh-overview-the-fast-ones/

https://theothersideofbokeh.wordpre...fties-bokeh-overview-the-ones-with-character/

Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst
No photographer's gear list is complete without the printer mentioned !
Click to expand...
Any idea which camera was used for these tests, it's not mentioned on the page?

I'm curious because I have a few of these lenses and would expect them to show purple fringing to some degree but I don't see any in these tests shots.
Click to expand...
He frequents the forum. I can’t remember the handle though :( . In 2017 he mentioned he had a Canon 5D2 and A7m1.

It’s good to see that article again. Of all, the slower Tessar stands out as having the least outlining. Really, smooth bokeh is more about lack (or dimming) of the speculative highlights than anything else. Absent apoditization, which none have, only an undercorrected lens will result in smoother bokeh. Number of blades doesn’t matter wide open, but a big issue is that dirt is maybe 10x more prevalent on were glass meets metal, which causes outlining on it’s own, so the smooth lens either requires a bit of stopping down or a recent CLA.
Click to expand...
Backsidewalkaround. I have no Idea whether his lenses were UV treated and had a CLA. Given the thorough jobs done in testing and his nationality :-) I would be surprised if they were not checked.


Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst
No photographer's gear list is complete without the printer mentioned !
 
E Dinkla said:
fferreres said:
sensiblename99 said:
E Dinkla said:
Photography Raptor said:
Being the bokeh that the Nikkor 58mm f/1.4 G produces the one I like the most for reference.

Corner sharpness of vigneting is not important as it is going to be adapted on APS-C.

RIght now I'm considering the Pentax-M 50mm f/1.4 but I'm sure there has to be better options.

P.S. I'm not a big fan of the famous Helios 44-2 bokeh.

Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
This might help you:

https://theothersideofbokeh.wordpress.com/2017/10/25/50-fifties-bokeh-overview-the-fast-ones/

https://theothersideofbokeh.wordpre...fties-bokeh-overview-the-ones-with-character/

Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst
No photographer's gear list is complete without the printer mentioned !
Click to expand...
Any idea which camera was used for these tests, it's not mentioned on the page?

I'm curious because I have a few of these lenses and would expect them to show purple fringing to some degree but I don't see any in these tests shots.
Click to expand...
He frequents the forum. I can’t remember the handle though :( . In 2017 he mentioned he had a Canon 5D2 and A7m1.

It’s good to see that article again. Of all, the slower Tessar stands out as having the least outlining. Really, smooth bokeh is more about lack (or dimming) of the speculative highlights than anything else. Absent apoditization, which none have, only an undercorrected lens will result in smoother bokeh. Number of blades doesn’t matter wide open, but a big issue is that dirt is maybe 10x more prevalent on were glass meets metal, which causes outlining on it’s own, so the smooth lens either requires a bit of stopping down or a recent CLA.
Click to expand...
Backsidewalkaround. I have no Idea whether his lenses were UV treated and had a CLA. Given the thorough jobs done in testing and his nationality :-) I would be surprised if they were not checked.
Click to expand...
I am almost 100% sure they did not get CLA or UV treatment, save for some potential favorite lens like the Rollei or C/Y ones.
E Dinkla said:
Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst
No photographer's gear list is complete without the printer mentioned !
Click to expand...
 
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