Lens Auto Rikenon 55mm f/1.4

[panos_adgr]

That's really interesting. I've never heard about this lens and I can for sure understand your fascination! I'm really excited to see your first pictures panos_adgr! Your shown pictures so far looks already amazing and I'm asking myself what you will show us with such an unique lens!

First of all I wish the lens performs good wide open. It hasn't got a rounded iris, just like my helios, and I will shoot wide open. This is because i want round bokeh and not polygonal shaped.

Among the vintage lens users, this one is considered a killer bokeh lens that is not so popular. In the U.S. is popular enough especially the later M42 verison.
The version I bought is even older and it is a singlex mount converted to nikon f. It is the same optical formula and lens but with different exterior.

It will be surely soft wide open but i hope in a torelable way.
My Helios wide open is a miracle lens. It is soft and has CoMa but is easily corrected in photosop. Also it is performing excellent when I shoot close up / macro photos.

The Auto Rikenon 55mm f/1.4 is known for it's amazing bokeh, sharpness and overall performance in cobtrast and colour rendering. This is because of the thorium used for better optical properties.

When I will receive it I will see.
And I hope it fits well on my Nikon bodies. The seller, as I said before, assured me it fits, from tests he run on a Nikon D5300. The photo samples he send me seem ok.

 

[panos_adgr]

At last!

I picked up my Auto Rikenon 55mm f/1.4 a few hours ago and....

I made the unboxing in my car! I couldn't wait to arrive at home!
The lens is perfect condition!!! For its age of course.
It has perfect focusing ring feel when you turn it and the aperture ring is turning so smooth and perfect! Functionally is excellent!!!
The lens is absolutely clean, everywhere and the chrome parts are like new! They shine! The lens has a normal wear on the focusing ring colour, but, hey... This is an almost half century made lens. They started being made back in 1962. The glass elements have this vintage look of pure glass with the characteristic yellow-brownish tint because of the Thorium added in the 3 rear elements.

I mounted it on an old Nikon FM10 I own and it mounts smooth and perfect. Then I tested it on my Nikon D7200 & d610 cameras and took a few indoor shots.
The f/1.4 is a great deal!
It looks quite sharp wide open with a mild softness that is fine. I want to test my Rikenon on the field now to see how it performs.

 

[panos_adgr]

Of course it is not an AI lens.
The previous owner(s) have kept this lens for sure with caution.
I bought it from a French seller in ebay and the singlex mount version (Nikkor mount with a slight modification) is a bit rare.

A bit rare is also to find this lens in such a good shape! The price I paid was more than double than the usual cost of a used Auto Rikenon 55mm f/1.4 (M42 mount) that is about 100 euros.

 

[panos_adgr]

And some first samples....

Nikon D7200
Auto Rikenon 55mm f/1.4
s 1/100
f/1.4
iso 400 (Auto)



Nikon D7200
Auto Rikenon 55mm f/1.4
s 1/100
f/1.4
iso 560 (Auto)



Nikon D7200
Auto Rikenon 55mm f/1.4
s 1/100
f/1.4
iso 1250 (Auto)

 

[Chavezshutter]

panos_adgr I looked at the lens first I was not particularly impressed but then i saw the images and my jaw dropped, that bokeh and tones are dreamlike, way sharper than i thought it would be, its a little gem. You should get some amazing shots with that, look forward to seeing more results

 

[panos_adgr]

panos_adgr I looked at the lens first I was not particularly impressed but then i saw the images and my jaw dropped, that bokeh and tones are dreamlike, way sharper than i thought it would be, its a little gem. You should get some amazing shots with that, look forward to seeing more results

Hello my friend!

I have been doing my research for about 5 months now to choose one more vintage nifty fifty. I didn't know anything about this lens. But as I kept searching I discovered it. It is considered a gem indeed among the 50mm lenses of the past. It is a favorite option of many photographers that use vintage lenses.

I haven't a full impression yet but I expect great results.

 

[panos_adgr]

This weekend I was away on a trip for personal reasons. I took my Rikenon with me in case I had time to take some photos, which I did but in a very limited amount. I took about 30 photos or something....
I can say that I was amazed.

I've read many things on this lens, that I've written before here in the first thread...

So from my first impressions so far.

Colour Rendition
This lens produces very saturated images. Always in terms of camparison with the ones that I own. (a copy of Nikkor AF 50mm f/1.8D and two copies of Helios 81n 50mm f/2.0).
I took some photos of my son during a visit we made to a Mall and on a square and the colours in all photos were very rich and well saturated! I tried to P.P. some of them in Adobe Camere Raw and there was no need to enhance Vibrance of colours.
During Sunset and Sunrise time colours are very warm and rich.
One thing that I noticed (and affects colour rendition) is the yellow-brown colouring of the rear elements due to Thorium that is in the 3 rear elements which is radioactive and by time creates this tint that has an affect on the images. It gives a slight tint to photos and when there is strong side light the flare is also yellow-brown.
This is something that is corrected by exposing the lens elements to UV-A light source (insect zapper lamps) or by using an IKEA JANSJO led lamp pointed to the lens for 48-72 hours.

I bought two today and I will start the procedure to de-yellow the lens. I found the tweak in the internet and everybody say that it works... We will see.

Sharpness
I took some photos at f/5.6 and they were jaw dropping! This lens is not joking when it has to do with sharpness!
Wide open is very soft for distant subjects and it becomes great from f/2.8.
In Close up photos is very sharp wide open (for an f/1.4 lens) Although, photos like landscapes are quite soft, when used for close up photography it performs great!!! Another important thing is focusing when it is at f/1.4 at close ups. The swallow depth of field is hard to manage.
Generally until now I'm very satisfied.

Bokeh
Amazing! Amazing! Amazing! Just love it!

What i also love about this lens is it's dreamy character! It has a very nice feel on the photos. Maybe it is caused by the tint of the elements. After I de-yellow the elements I will write again my impressinons.

De-yellowing the lens is also important because when a lens (with thorium oxide material in the elements) is yellowed it loses about 3/4 - 2stops of brightness.

My Rikenon also needs another modification. As it is not an AI lens the camera cannot recognise the f stop that is set. So manual exposure is the only solution when aperture is stopped down. All my Nikon bodies have the 'non cpu lens' function where you register a lens, its focal distance and f number (e.g. 55mm f/1.4) and then when a lens is AI when you close the aperture the camera reads the f number by a feeler on the mount.
In the Rikenon case there is no feeler contact.

So I ordered a dandelion digital chip, that is programable and is installed on the lens. When this dandelion chip is installed and programmed then the lens is set to the smallest f number and it work in all program modes.
My chip is already shipped.

I hope it fits with no problem.

 

[panos_adgr]

100% crop
Nikon D610
Auto Rikenon 55mm f/1.4
s 1/500
f/5.6
iso 100




Unedited Photos quickly taken.

Nikon D610
Auto Rikenon 55mm f/1.4
s 1/4000
f/1.4
iso 100




Nikon D610
Auto Rikenon 55mm f/1.4
s 1/500
f/1.4
iso 100
focusing distance 0.6m

 

[Jack]

That's definitely some vintage lens. I never saw such of lenses before. Baenki , you gave me an idea to make a lens museum on site too

 

[panos_adgr]

That's definitely some vintage lens. I never saw such of lenses before. Baenki , you gave me an idea to make a lens museum on site too

Well it is!
It is half a century old!
I have been doing my research for months now...
I want to take as many pictures as I can with this lens. I want to see what it does.
Many vintage lenses have their own 'character'.
I want to buy a few more. I already now which to buy. I'll do it slowly.
There are some Russian lenses I want to buy which I had them some years ago. But we sold them 20 years ago..... (Me and my father)

I want to buy a Mir 24n (35mm f/2.0) a Kaleinar 5n (100mm f/2.8) and a Tair 11a (135mm f/2.8)
I also want a Voigtlander and a Trioplan but these two cost a lot.

Anyway...

De-yellowing process... Hope it works.
If not I'm going to get me an Insect zapper UV-A lamp.

(You will be thinking I'm a bit strange kind of guy...)