Auto Rikenon 55mm f/1.4 (Ricoh)
(Singlex / Nikkorex Version)
As you all know I'm a bit addicted to vintage glass...
The Auto Rikenon 55mm f/1.4 (also known as Auto Sears or Tomioka Auto Revuenon 55mm f1.4) is a standard lens built for first time in the 1960's.
Made in Japan built like a tank with metal and glass, is considered one of the best old glass nifty fifties.
Its basic characteristics are excellent sharpness, great colour rendition and contrast. But mostly is known for it's bokeh!
Below some samples of photos taken with this lens.
https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=Auto Rikenon 55mm f1.4
I have been searching for a long time a 50mm lens with a bokeh similar of trioplan formula lenses. The Auto Rikenon 55mm f/1.4 is not a trioplan formula lens (that means it is not a lens of 3 elements) but it renders bokef almost like a Trioplan lens.
As many of the lenses built in 50's - 60's the Auto Rikenon 55mm f/1.4 has Thorium added in its glasses. That means it is radioactive, emitting Alpha, Beta and Gamma radiation particles.
It is not that hazardous of course, although it is considered to be one of the most radioctive lenses with some models like a few Takumars of that time.
For the knowledge vintage lenses that have thorium in the glass tend to have a yellow brownish, tint on the glass that is caused of the radioactive thorium. Thorium was added in the glass mass as an element and not as a coating and thus it cannot be removed.
In the Auto Rikenon 55mm f/1.4 thorium is added in the rear 3 elements of the lens.
Before becoming worried about radiation, the use of these lens for about three hours per day for lets say a week or two it will be like making an x-ray.
But why Thorium.
Thorium, when added to glass gives excellent properties of light transmission through the elements that, it is said, that cannot be matched with the best coatings.
This is why lenses like the Takumars, or Rikenon, or other lenses of that time had excellent colour rendition, saturation and contrast.
Auto Rikenon 55mm f/1.4 was basically produced in M42 mount as well as Yashinon, Ricoh and early versions with Singlex/Nikkorex Mount. The last was a mount created by Nikon and Ricoh for the Singlex TLS ricoh camera system. The Singlex mount is 95% the same as nikon F with the only difference in on of the phalanges of the mount, that is a bit smaller. This results in being able to mount a Nikon F mount lens to a Ricoh Singlex camera but not the opposite. In order to mount a Singlex mount to a Nikon camera it is needed a slight mod that is to remove a small part on the edge of mount 'tooth'. Most Auto Rikenon 55mm f/1.4 with singlex mount are already adapted and do fit to nikon f mount cameras.
And know lets get to the point.
I'm waiting for mine!
I bought a copy and I'm waiting it to arrive from France. It was abit expensive though because it is a nikon mount version. And usually vintage lenses with rare nikon f mount versions do cost more, in addition with the M42 versions. The reason also for being more expensive is that due to the different flange distance of lens / focal plane, you can use m42 lenses to nikon cameras but for a certain distance range (depending on the lens design, and focal lenght) and with no infinity focus. There are adapters (I have quite a few) with and element to correct the problem (usually called infinity glass) but it deteriorates the IQ.
Anyway.
Here is my copy, that I'm waiting for.
(Singlex / Nikkorex Version)
As you all know I'm a bit addicted to vintage glass...
The Auto Rikenon 55mm f/1.4 (also known as Auto Sears or Tomioka Auto Revuenon 55mm f1.4) is a standard lens built for first time in the 1960's.
Made in Japan built like a tank with metal and glass, is considered one of the best old glass nifty fifties.
Its basic characteristics are excellent sharpness, great colour rendition and contrast. But mostly is known for it's bokeh!
Below some samples of photos taken with this lens.
https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=Auto Rikenon 55mm f1.4
I have been searching for a long time a 50mm lens with a bokeh similar of trioplan formula lenses. The Auto Rikenon 55mm f/1.4 is not a trioplan formula lens (that means it is not a lens of 3 elements) but it renders bokef almost like a Trioplan lens.
As many of the lenses built in 50's - 60's the Auto Rikenon 55mm f/1.4 has Thorium added in its glasses. That means it is radioactive, emitting Alpha, Beta and Gamma radiation particles.
It is not that hazardous of course, although it is considered to be one of the most radioctive lenses with some models like a few Takumars of that time.
For the knowledge vintage lenses that have thorium in the glass tend to have a yellow brownish, tint on the glass that is caused of the radioactive thorium. Thorium was added in the glass mass as an element and not as a coating and thus it cannot be removed.
In the Auto Rikenon 55mm f/1.4 thorium is added in the rear 3 elements of the lens.
Before becoming worried about radiation, the use of these lens for about three hours per day for lets say a week or two it will be like making an x-ray.
But why Thorium.
Thorium, when added to glass gives excellent properties of light transmission through the elements that, it is said, that cannot be matched with the best coatings.
This is why lenses like the Takumars, or Rikenon, or other lenses of that time had excellent colour rendition, saturation and contrast.
Auto Rikenon 55mm f/1.4 was basically produced in M42 mount as well as Yashinon, Ricoh and early versions with Singlex/Nikkorex Mount. The last was a mount created by Nikon and Ricoh for the Singlex TLS ricoh camera system. The Singlex mount is 95% the same as nikon F with the only difference in on of the phalanges of the mount, that is a bit smaller. This results in being able to mount a Nikon F mount lens to a Ricoh Singlex camera but not the opposite. In order to mount a Singlex mount to a Nikon camera it is needed a slight mod that is to remove a small part on the edge of mount 'tooth'. Most Auto Rikenon 55mm f/1.4 with singlex mount are already adapted and do fit to nikon f mount cameras.
And know lets get to the point.
I'm waiting for mine!
I bought a copy and I'm waiting it to arrive from France. It was abit expensive though because it is a nikon mount version. And usually vintage lenses with rare nikon f mount versions do cost more, in addition with the M42 versions. The reason also for being more expensive is that due to the different flange distance of lens / focal plane, you can use m42 lenses to nikon cameras but for a certain distance range (depending on the lens design, and focal lenght) and with no infinity focus. There are adapters (I have quite a few) with and element to correct the problem (usually called infinity glass) but it deteriorates the IQ.
Anyway.
Here is my copy, that I'm waiting for.