The 1.4 and the Nifty-Fifty
Some couples of standard prime lenses for vintage 35 mm SLRs; it's the f/1.4 version and an according "nifty-fifty", mostly the f/1.7 or f/1.8 version. Sometimes they don't match exactly (like Nikkor Ai & Ai/S) and some exotic brands are missing (e.g. Miranda, Topcon). I tried to give some additional information, like contemporary camera models, the lens formula or the year of introduction, and perhaps a hint on variants.
So, how many 1.4/50..58 lenses for classic 35 mm SLRs were produced at all? With all clear distinguishable versions, but without rebranded lenses (Revue, Hanimex, etc.). About 100? Here you can see 19.
Sometimes the optical performance of those couples is discussed. Which is better, the 1.4 or the nifty-fifty? For some manufacturers the 1.4 is "pro-stuff", while the 1.7 or 1.8 is just for amateurs. On the other hand the nifty-fifty is finally .. the nifty-fifty. I don't have experiences with all lenses, but in my opinion for Canon FD and Olympus I would opt for the faster lens; for Nikon, Pentax and Yashica I would go for the slower one.
Some terms:
"automatic diaphragm": diaphragm closes automatically when the shutter button is pressed
"aperture coupling": exposure meter of the camera can read-out the set aperture of the lens (open aperture metering)
"aperture controlled": camera can set the f-stop on the lens, for shutter priority or programmed automatic exposure
Canon:
1.4/50 FD S.S.C.
1.8/50 FD S.C.
Canon introduced the FD lenses in 1971 with the F-1 and the FTb. They replaced the former FL lenses; the bayonet mount with its breech-lock is compatible, but while FL lenses only offer stop-down metering with automatic diaphragm, the FD lenses feature open-aperture metering and aperture control. The first FD lenses (I) have a silver colored front (filter thread and lens hood mount) and therefore are known as "chrome nose" version. They also have a green "o" on the aperture ring, indicating the AE-mode. The second version (II) has a black nose, but still the green "o". On version III , shown here, the "o" was replaced with a green "A". "S.C." means "spectra coating" and "S.S.C." "super spectra coating". As far I know, both mean multi coating. Perhaps you'd always wondered about that little pin on the focus ring of those lenses - here only visible as tab on the 1.8/50 at 9 o'clock: an extraordinary accessory can read-out the focusing distance and control a flash unit thereby. Lens formula: (7/6) for the 1.4 and (6/4) for the 1.8.
Other contemporary camera models: EF, AE-1
Canon:
1.4/50 FD
1.8/50 FD
In 1979 Canon dropped the breech-lock and replaced it by a common rotating mount, which remained fully compatible. Usually those lenses are called "new FD", in short FDn. Since more and more plastic parts were used, lenses could be produced much smaller and lighter. The optics for our 50 mm lenses were not changed. Canon offered the new F-1 until 1992, inclusive some lenses, five years after introducing cameras with autofocus.
Contemporary camera models: A-1, T-series (T50 etc.)
Canon:
1.4/50 EF USM
1.8/50 EF (I)
When Canon introduced their AF-cameras in 1987, they radically redesigned the lens mount and named it and the according lenses "EF", for Electro-Focus. There are no mechanical connections between lens and camera anymore, the lens is controlled entirely electronically by the camera. That implies motor drives in the lens body for focusing and closing the aperture. Understandable, that EF and FD lenses are completely incompatible. The 1.4/50 features a fast and silent USM (ultra sonic motor) for focusing. The 1.8/50 came in 3 versions, the first two (I and II) have an AFD (arc form drive), the third version (called "STM") has a more silent "stepper motor". The 1.4/50 is still a (7/6) design, while the 1.8/50 was changed to a (6/5) one. Those EF lenses can be used on every EOS SLR and DSLR, from the beginning (EOS 620 and 650) until know.
Fuji
1.4/50 EBC Fujinon
1.8/55 EBC Fujinon
Fuji entered the market for 35 mm SLRs somehow late, in 1970. They chose the M42 screw mount for their cameras, and actually the first model, the Fujica ST701, is only capable of stop-down metering. That shortcoming was remedied already with the next model, the ST801, an aperture coupling was introduced, implemented by a simple tab on the f-stop ring. So there exist early lenses without coupling, mostly with a metal focus ring, and with coupling, mostly with a rubberized focus ring. EBC means "electronic beam coating", Fuji's notation for multi coating. Cheaper lenses, including the 1.8/55, exist also without EBC and are single coated. The 1.4/50 is a (7/6) design, the 1.8/55 is a (6/4) one. In 1979 Fuji introduced a new camera series, with a new bayonet lens mount.
Konica:
1.4/50 Hexanon AR
1.8/50 Hexanon AR
Konica introduced the AR lens mount in 1965 together with the Auto-Reflex camera, it replaced the earlier F mount. From begin on the lenses were prepared for shutter priority AE, technically there is no aperture coupling required for that, and so actually the cameras don't have such a device. The process of manual operation is like, that the camera displays the correct f-stop in the viewfinder and you have to set it manually on the f-stop ring. Early standard primes have a slightly longer focal length, 1.4/57 and 1.8/52. The two exemplars here were introduced together with the Autoreflex T3 in 1973/74 (green "AE" on aperture ring instead of "EE"). The next camera generation should be much more lightweighted (the T3 is quite a chunk), so for the Autoreflex TC from 1976 at least the 1.8/50 was redesigned and much more compact. In 1988 Konica has ceased the production of SLRs.
The lens formular of the 1.4/50 is (7/6) and for the 1.8/50 it is (6/5).
Mamiya:
1.4/55 Auto Mamiya/Sekor SX
2/50 Auto Mamiya/Sekor SX
M42-mount, Auto indicates automatic diaphragm and SX aperture coupling. They were introduced 1974 with the MSX/DSX camera series (MSX 500 etc.). Mamiya had a series of M42-lenses before, called "Auto Mamiya-Sekor", for the TL/DTL cameras (TL 500 etc.), without aperture coupling. Those Mamiya-Sekor lenses have a Pentax-like A/M-switch, the SX-lenses not. The 1.4/55 is a (7/5) design, the lens formula for the 2/50 is (6/4). Those lenses can also be found labeled with "Rolleinar", for the 35 mm Rolleiflex with QBM-mount.
Mamiya:
1.4/50 Revue Auto Revuenon MCF
1.7/50 Mamiya-Sekor EF
In 1980 Mamiya launched its last series of 35 mm SLR cameras, consisting of only 4 models: ZE, ZE-2, ZE-X and ZM. As usually Mamiya introduced a new lens mount with the new cameras, commonly it's called ZE-mount, the according lenses are designated with "E", some exist also additionally in an "EF"-version. As far I know, those are the first 35 mm SLR lenses which use electric contacts to transmit data from lens to camera, quite analog in my opinion. I often read, that the f-stop value is transmitted, but I don't think that's true, since there is a mechanical coupling of the aperture ring. It's more likely that, among other things, the focal length is transmitted, so the camera can warn you against shaking, when the shutter speed is too slow in relation to the focal length. It's sure, that EF-lenses can transmit the focus distance to control a dedicated flash light. There is even a switch to disconnect the transmission, in case of indirect flashing, all in all a poor patent just before TTL-flashing. Those E-lenses have a further particuliarity: there is no mechanical linkage between aperture ring and diaphragm. The aperture ring only transmits the f-stop value to the camera, then the camera sets the correct aperture. That makes it difficult to built a lens adapter. The lens formulas: (7/6) for the 1.4/50 and (6/5) for the 1.7/50. The ZE-X was also sold as Revue X-4M Multiprogram, so many E(F) lenses are rebranded with Revue.
Minolta:
1.4/58 MC Rokkor-PF
1.7/50 MC Rokkor-PF
Minolta SR-mount, the MC stands for "meter coupling" and not for "multi-coated" and indicates aperture coupling, done by simple tab on the aperture ring. Those lenses were introduced together with the SRT 101 in 1966 and replaced the earlier SR-lenses, which have mechanically the same bayonet, but no aperture coupling. The letters P and F give information about the lens formula. The first one is related to the Greek name of the number (Quattuor=4, Penta=5, Hexa=6 etc.) and gives the number of groups, the second one is the position in the alphabet (D=4, E=5, F=6 etc.) and gives the number of elements. So both lenses here are (6/5) designs. As you can see on the different appearances, there are some versions. Early MC lenses have a metal focus ring, at first flat, later it is wavy (like here), the 1.7 in those versions has 55 mm focal length. From 1972 on the focus ring is rubberized and the silver colored aperture ring was dropped, the 1.7 has 50 mm then, like here, the 1.4 exists as 1.4/58 (6/5) and 1.4/50 (7/5).
Contemporary cameras: all SRT models, early X models, like XE-1 or XM
(My 1.4/58 looks a bit "stone washed", because the cleaning bath I threw some metal parts into was a little bit too sharp)
Minolta
1.4/50 MD Rokkor
1.7/50 MD Rokkor
At the end of the year 1977 Minolta introduced the XD7 (XD11), the first 35 mm SLR with more than one automatic exposure mode, actually it offers aperture priority AE (A) and shutter priority AE (S). For the latter one new lenses were required, so that the camera can exactly control the diaphragm of the lens. So MC lenses were replaced by MD lenses. To use them in S-mode you have to set the highest f-stop number on the aperture ring, which is written in green, the camera can check this with a second tab on the aperture ring. MC and MD lenses are generally compatible, it is said, that you can use MC lenses also in S-mode, but then the aperture can differ a little bit, the camera will compensate it for a correct exposure by adjusting the shutter speed ("final check"). There are 3 versions, here the first version is shown: (I) green/white distance scale and Rokkor name. (II) green/white distance scale and Rokkor name, but slimmed down, e.g. filter sized decreased from 55 mm to 49 mm for our two 50 mm lenses (III) since 1983, orange/white distance scale and no Rokkor name, the highest f-stop number can be locked now and there is also a groove around the front to clip-on a lens hood. The lens formula for the 1.4/50 changed with the filter size: the lens with 55 mm filter size has a (7/5) design, the two with 49 mm has a (7/6) one. The 1.7/50 has constantly a (6/5) design. Though Minolta built AF cameras since 1985, MD lenses were offered parallel until about 2000. Minolta AF lenses and MD lenses are incompatible.
Contemporary cameras: XD7, X-300, X-500, X-700
Nikon:
Nikkor 1,4/50 Ai
Nikkor 1.8/50 Ai/S
Nikon F-mount. Early Nikon F-lenses have a prong on the f-stop ring for aperture coupling; the reason for that prominent fork was, that the exposure meter, if present, was in the interchangeable viewfinder at first, not in the camera body. In 1977 Nikon introduced Ai-lenses ("aperture index"), the coupling was done by a ridge on the f-stop ring then. For compatibility the prong was kept, but with two holes in it, so some light can fall towards the also new, second row of f-stop numbers. The according cameras were the F2A with suitable viewfinder, the FT3 and the EL2, all from about 1977. To achieve aperture control, Nikon added the "/S" in 1981. For shutter priority or programmed AE you have to set the highest f-stop number on the ring, which was colored orange on those lenses. Cameras can recognize Ai/S-lenses by a second little notch at the bayonet, beside the notch for the lens lock. I think the first camera for Ai/S-lenses was the little FG (1983), followed by the famous FA (1984), the first Nikon with full PASM set. The lens formula for the 1.4/50 is (7/6) and the one of the 1.8/50 is (6/5).
Olympus:
1.4/50 Zuiko Auto-S
1.8/50 F.Zuiko Auto-S
Olympus started its OM-system in 1972 with the OM-1 (at first only "M-1"). Compared to other manufacturers the look and feel of the lenses was a little bit different: DOF-button and lens unlock-button on the lens, the aperture ring on the front. Well, it wasn't Olympus' first SLR, so the OM lenses share that set-up with the one of the earlier Pen-F. You can distinguish basically 3 versions: (I) the Zuiko name has an additional leading character with dot which gives the number of the lens elements (according to its position in the alphabet, F=6). (II) lenses have the designation "MC" for multi-coating. (III) the lenses have neither the leading character nor an MC. Unfortunately there are additional "variants", e.g. a silver colored "nose" like the 1.8/50 here, or "Japan" written on the front like on the 1.4/50 here. More unfortunately you can't conclude from the outer signs to the inner specifications, so it is said, that the 1.8/50 changed its optical design sometime, but nobody can exactly say when. So, most likely the lens formula for the 1.4/50 is (7/6) and for the 1.8/50 it is (6/5).
The "S" stands for "standard", other lenses can have "W" for "wide" or "T" for "tele", or directly for example "Fisheye". Olympus produced those lenses until 2002.
Contemporary cameras: all OM models apart from OM101 and OM707, which require AF-lenses.
Pentax:
SMC Takumar 1.4/50
SMC Takumar 1.8/55
M42-mount, last version, with aperture coupling and rubberized focus ring. The aperture coupling can be used by 3 camera models only: Spotmatic F (1973), Electro Spotmatic/ES (1971) and ES II (1973). Those SMC Takumars replaced the Super-Multi-Coated Takumars (without abbreviation), also with aperture coupling, but with metal focus ring. The lens formula for the 1.4/50 is (7/6) and for the 1.8/55 it is (6/5).
Pentax:
SMC Pentax 1.4/50
SMC Pentax 1.8/55
Pentax changed in 1975 from the M42-mount to the K-mount with a set of three cameras: K2, KM and KX. The name Takumar was dropped with a very few exceptions. Commonly those lenses were called "K-lenses" to distinguish them from the later M- or A-lenses, though that term was not official. The lens formulas were taken over from the Takumars. All K-mount lenses can be used on Pentax (D)SLRs until today, but with less features.
Pentax:
SMC-M Pentax 1.4/50
SMC-M Pentax 1.7/50
Introduced with the ME and MX in 1976. The "M" could mean "miniature", so those M-models are actually very small. The 1.7/50 is a new design, but still a (6/5) type.
Pentax:
SMC-A Pentax 1.4/50
SMC-A Pentax 1.7/50
Not only a new look, but also a technical innovation: the new lenses can transmit data to the camera with electric contacts on the bayonet mount. Those contacts are actually on the rim of the mount, a unique (I think) and extravagant design, other manufactures placed the contacts inside, certainly a cheaper solution. Also new is an "A"-position on the aperture ring, which indicates, that an according camera can control the aperture, so shutter priority AE and programmed AE is possible. The bayonet is called KA-mount and was introduced 1983 with the Super A. Other contemporary cameras, just before autofocus: Program A, A3, P30 and P50.
Revue:
Auto Revuenon MC 1.4/50
Auto Revuenon 1.9/50
Pentax K-mount. Revue was a brand of the German mail-order house Quelle. So, those lenses were originally made by Chinon and called "Chinon (MC) Auto". There are also clues, that Chinon itself ordered its lenses from Cima Kogaku, one of those Japanese manufacturers in the background. Chinon changed from the M42-mount to the K-mount with the "4" series, e.g. Chinon CE-4 (Revueflex AC2) or Chinon CM-4 (Revueflex SC2), about 1980.
Ricoh:
1.4/50 XR Rikenon
2/50 XR Rikenon
Pentax K-mount. Pentax introduced their K-mount as "open standard", so it could be used by other brands. Somehow the following standard for the Pentax KA-mount with electric contacts for aperture control was not open, so Ricoh made its own one, indicated by a "P" in the name. As at Pentax, also at Ricoh the K-mount replaced the M42-mount, the first Ricoh with K-mount was the XR-2 from 1978, the first one for the P-lenses was the XR-P Multi-Program from 1984. The 1.4/50 is a (7/6) design, the 2/50 is a (6/5) one.
Yashica:
1.4/50 Auto Yashinon-DX
1.7/50 Auto Yashinon-DX
M42-mount, Auto indicates automatic diaphragm. Mostly seen on TL-models (TL-Super, TL-Electro X), but also on J-models. Yashica sold parallel "Super Yashinon-DX" lenses with preset diaphragm. My instruction manual of the Electro AX states, that some DX-lenses can't be used on that camera, so perhaps that is the reason DS/DS-M-lenses were introduced then. Those DX-lenses can be found in all black, with silver front tube or even with silver front tube and silver segment with the DOF-scale. The DX-lenses have a Pentax-like A/M-switch, the later DS/DS-M-lenses not. The lens formula of the 1.4/50 is (7/5) and the one for the 1.7/50 is (6/4).
Yashica:
1.4/50 ML
1.7/50 ML
Yashica/Contax-mount (Y/C), the Yashica FX-1 from 1975 was the first Yashica with that mount, which replaced the M42-mount. Those ML-lenses are compatible to the Zeiss lenses for the Contax cameras made by Yashica, the first Contax was the RTS, already introduced in 1974. The 1.4/50 is a (7/6) design, the 1.7/50 is a (6/5) one. ML means "Multi Layer", multi-coating. In 1987 Yashica switched to an auto focus system and ML lenses were discontinued. ML and AF lenses are incompatible.
Contemporary cameras: FX-series (very successful: FX-3), FR-series.
