I love konica lenses. I have a 57mm f1.2 and a 50mm 1.7 along with the Konica Macro-Hexanon AR 55 mm f3.5. I almost picked up a 50mm f1.4 until a Minolta 45mm F/2 Rokkor came into my possession. I just didn't see the need to have another lens in this focal length at this time but the gear acquisition syndrome always wins out in the end. Thank you for another video I do enjoy them.

Nice find. I got an 8 element 50mm f1.4 Takumar a couple of weeks ago its a super lens.

I have been shooting Konica since around 2001 and picked up some very nice equipment while living in Tokyo. I have always been very happy with the 40/1.8 and the 50/1.7 and have never been inclined to go for the over-priced 50/1.4. In fact, my favourite 50mm lens these days (adapted to my Fufiilm X-T camera) is a Yashica ML 50/2.0. I think it may be sharper than my Konica lenses, the colours are great and f2.0 provides all the bokeh that I need. (I also have a couple of Canon FDs, a Jupiter 8, and an Industar 61. I like then all for different reasons but the Yashica is the one that resides in my camera bag.)

Never tire of listening. Great voice for story telling.

Congratulations! I love the Konica AR Hexanon 50mm f1.4 AR 🙂 It's a popstar, compared to the subdued 57mm (which is also nice!) So, you have the f16 maximum aperture version. This is a radioactive lens (but not as much as the f1.2). There's also an f22 version of the 50mm f1.4. I like the 50mm Konica when it's a bright summer day, and there's water in the picture. Somehow it loves that. Turns it into gold, with the sunlight.

I dug through my old manual lenses after finding and enjoying your channel. In the 50mm size I have the Konica Hexanon AR f1.7 and the Super Takumar f1.4 (8 element) that I’ll never part with.

I discovered your channel recently and I always find your videos very interesting for the way you deal with the topics. I am the happy owner of a Fuji XH1 and it definitely gives me more satisfaction to use it with vintage lenses. In this period I'm having fun using a "planar 1.7/50". Greetings from Italy

I was lucky to find this Konica 50mm f1.4 on a old camera body with the 70-150mm lens. I absolutely love it. One of the sharpest vintage 50's I've used at f1.4. Love the build as well. Just looks nice.

Many thanks for great video! I have the Nikon 50mm f1.5 ai and shoot on both film and full frame digital. Absolutely great lens - as you say not the sharpest but surely sharp enough and the bokeh is simply incredible. Regards

I have a Canon FD 1.4 and was terrible impressed, very, very sharp. Superb build quality also.

Excelente vídeo, muchas gracias por compartir su conocimiento. Yo tengo un SMC TAKUMAR 50mm 1.4, y es realmente excelente!!! Saludos desde México!!!

I love the Konica Hexanon 50mm 1.7. With My Fujifilm it renders amazing

In my lens stock there are three of these lenses : Konica, Minolta, Canon. For my experience the Minolta Rokkor 50mm f1.4 and the Canon FD 50mm f1.4 are extraordinary lenses. They are fully usuable at open aperture !!! And i use them on film cameras, so this statement is very precious. The Konica 50mm f1.4 was beaten in my examinations by the small Konica AR 50mm f1.8 which is very sharp and contrasty.

Topcon also made a few good ones. Three 58 millimeters, one 55mm and two 50mms (with GN numbers for flash) Most Topcon owners got the 58mm RE-Topcor 1.8 I think.

When it comes to Konica,Pentax,Canon....50's f/1,4 lenses, sharp enough is sharp enough. How it renders becomes as important.

I have all three generations of the Zuiko 50/1.4, even though I prefer 40mm LOL … I can’t afford the Zuiko 40, but do have the Hexanon 40/1.8 which is just a stunning lens.

I have the Konica 50 1.7. It i one of my favorite 50's!

Hello Nigel, many thanks! I've the Olympus OM Zuiko 1.4/50 mm, a nice lens indeed! Best wishes, Ralf

Great information! I have the Canon, the Nikon, and the Minolta. I used to shoot the Canon a lot on a Samsung NX300. I loved the results with that combo. Sadly, Samsung withdrew from that market. Bummer.

Bought a brand new Nikon f1.4 with a FE2 in 1982 I still have both, the lens is now used on my Sony A7. But in the past did sterling service professionally.

I remember, an old friend of mine said to me, that his Konica 1,4/50mm lens did not make sharp images! I took the lens off, and I had seen a thin layer of grease on the rear lens! After cleaning it, the lens was O.K. but not better as other of this 1,4/50mm glasses!

The great thing about Konica (and FD) lenses was that, until relatively recently, virtually nobody wanted them because you couldn't adapt them to DSLRs. So they kind of got forgotten. I picked up several while they were really cheap for my early Sony nex cameras. Think I prefer the 50 1.7. The 50mm 1.8 is not bad either (some say it's sharper) and has one advantage: It was, like the 40mm (allegedly) Tokina made and so doesn't have the bloody awful aperture rings that plague the 'proper' Hexanons (did no one say anything at the time?). Maybe I'll give the 1.4 another go.

Beautiful compositions as usual. Really like the way you use a lens's full potential. If you haven't already, please share your experience with the Canon Dream Lens 50mm f0.95

A vintage lens that will give you sharpness wide open, is the Mamiya E(F) 50mm f/1.4. You need a special adapter with built in aperture though.

There appears to be something special about Konica and Minolta lenses in the very wide apertures of this period. I understand that a lot of them were supplied by Tomioka, who had a stock of glass that just imparted a little bit of magic in the lenses that they made for other manufacturers. Are these Konicas really Tomiokas? who can tell, data is sketchy to say the least. I know that I have definitely got a Tomioka special in my collection, and it gives images like no other lens does. If you are lucky to get your hands on a genuine Tomioka lens you will see what I mean, it's not easy to describe, colours, bokeh, contrast, all seem just that little bit different, elusive, magical., ethereal, almost other-worldly. Get one, try it, you'll never look at a camera lens in the same way again. George

I have ordered a later hexanon ar 50 1.4 that stops down to f22 and has 8 aperture blades, the condition should be very good. Gonna try and use it with Lumix S5ii full frame camera, just waiting for an adapter to arrive is gonna take a while. I had a prior experience with vintage lenses but mostly on crop sensor cameras, i had minolta MD 50 1.4 on micro four thirds camera and still have SMC Pentax 55mm f 1.8 for K-Mount that i used on fujifilm, and now it's on Pentax MX SLR body. By all accounts the hexanon should be a league above, also curious about sharpness with Full Frame sensor with no AA filter.

@2:30 May I ask where you read about the Japanese navy/army and the Hexanon 50mm f1.7? Great review. Thanks. :)

You should have included the Takumar 50mm F1.4 in the line up. I am particularly fond of the SMC variation.

There's a 38mm zuiko f/1.4 fir the Pen F mount, so roughly 50 equiv on half frame (and I guess if adapted to apsc). People really rave about it (I only have the f/1.8, which I absolutely adore).

good!

How does it compare to the SMC Pentaxes? I've sold all my 1.4 standard vintage lenses (including the Minolta 58/1.4 and Canon FD 50/1.4) except the SMC Pentax-M 50/1.4 because it was the sharpest. I do, however, use Konica Hexanons often, so I wonder if it would make sense to change the Pentax to a Konica and stick to a single adapter?

Hi genuine question, when you talk about the colour achieved on a vintage lens are you talking about film or digital or both? If Film what determines the colour more the lens or the film or the developer and how do you combine these. If digital can’t you reproduce the colour achieved by a lens in post production and make lens presets? I currently shoot b&w film, but will one day try colour when I can afford the developing equipment and the film!

Nice lens. I've got the later one with 8 blades and f22 minimum but I think that they're otherwise the same lens. One major thing that I really don't like about my lens is that I sometimes get horrible reflections from my camera sensor. Edit For me this is only a problem when used with studio lights.

You missed the Pentax 50mm f1.4. Who was the photo journalist 20 yrs ago who wrote that article “Tne best fast fifty by far” and that lens? There was some great Takumars as well

I do love the colours produced by Konica lenses, but don't as yet have the f1.4. I do have the f1.8 but it doesn't get used much atm. I have a lot of Rokkor lenses among which are the 50mm f1.4, 55mm f1.7, 58mm f1.4 all excellent for rendering beautiful colours. I have a Takumar 50mm f1.4 and Mamiya 55mm f1.4 and 58mm f1.7 which are equally good with dreamy out of focus blur. I did have a Canon fd 50mm f1.4 which I sold as the rendering didn't enough character as the others.

I just purchased a Konica 45mm 1.8 lens. Yes, you read that correctly. It was not intended to be an interchangeable lens but was carefully removed from its original camera. Then a rear piece was made from a 3D printer which can accommodate an e-mount adapter. I don't have it yet but have seen sample images. Anxious to try it out.

The glass on your Nikon appears to have a yellow cast in the video. Is it one of the ones which uses radioactive glass? I recently bought a Nikkor-s 1.4 which is distinctly yellow from the radioactive glass, and I’ve been debating whether to treat it with UV to get rid of the yellowing, or to keep it as-is. I’m wondering whether your lens is similar, and if so, whether this is the reason for the distinctive colour palate.

Ive been shopping around for a Jupiter 9 most ive seen are listed as LOMZ a few as KMZ but ive no idea what LOMZ stands for.

I have a minolta 50 mm 1.4, not the 58 mm. Its really nice

My Konica Hexanon AR 50/1.4 is 8 bladed. Must be there were both 6 and 8 blade version. And it was cheap. Porst / Revuenon price range.

What about the famous pancolar?

What about the Zeiss planar 1.4?

Is it better than the SMC Takumar?

The title says the best 50 mm F1.4 of the vintages, the answer is no, it has many merits but it cannot compete in areas such as buke or image quality, both the Canon FD 50 1.4 is better and the Olympus too. The quality of blur is something subjective of course but in my subjectivity the blur of the Konica seems too nervous, in my taste of course, the Minolta 3rd generation MD 50 mm F1.4 looks a lot like the Konica but in my opinion it is more sharp For portraits the Minolta 58mm F1.4 is better than the others.

I've never really needed a lens faster then f/2 or f/1.7. The f/1.4 Lenses were heavier, bulkier and more expensive. The only photographs that I know that used them, borrowed them for their Company or Employer. They NEVER bought them with their own cash.

Great & interesting prog; thnx for sharing! but how about offering credit also where it's due kind and wise Sir? Super Takumar 50mm f/1. 4 (the proper version, wink wink) comes to mind. Immediately. AND. top photo experts seem to be agreement? historically, speaking and right up this this moment in time? Super Takumar 50mm f/1. 4 (the proper version, wink wink). Blessings.

Are you really surprised by the 6 bladed design of the lens , it is in the name of the lens ,right ?

👮🏾‍♂