Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Mamiya Sekor 55mm f1.4 vs. Auto Chinon 55mm f1.4

The Tomioka 55mm f1.2 and its sister lens, the 55mm f1.4 are some of the more sought after Japanese made standard lenses.  What many don't realize, is that Tomioka made many of these lenses for other manufacturers.  I had two Chinon 55mm f1.4 lenses, both are exactly the same in terms of appearance and optical quality.  One says Chinon (Tomioka) and the other simply says Auto Chinon (the sample used here against the Mamiya).  I sold the one that says Tomioka on Ebay, for about three times more than a normal Chinon 55mm f1.4 would get.  The 55mm f1.4 lenses were available from many Japanese companies, including Petri (non M42-mount), Chinon, Yashica, Mamiya Sekor, Cosina, Ricoh, among others.  With the exception of the Yashica, which I never had, I used the 55mm f1.4 lenses from the mentioned manufacturers.  Are there any significance in optical performance?  Let's look at the Mamiya Sekor and Chinon and find out.

Before we start, let me be very clear: this is a non-scientific test.  Everything was done handheld.  So, take it with a large pinch of salt.  The lenses were used on the NEX-5N with an APS-C size sensor, so the edge we talk about here, is not the true edge of the lens in full frame. Please keep this in mind.

Chinon 55mm f1.4 on left. Mamiya Sekor 55mm f1.4 on right. Click for larger image. Note file marks on the Mamiya on the aperture ring.  

Note similar coating on both lenses. Click for larger image.

The Chinon 55mm f1.4 has a slightly larger lens barrel with a 55mm filter size, whereas the Mamiya Sekor is a bit smaller with a 52mm filter size.  The Mamiya lacks a A/M switch to allow manually setting the lens aperture.  You would need to buy an adapter that has a ring at the rear that pushes the aperture pin, or like I did, glue the pin down so that aperture can be selected.  Also, the Mamiya has a proprietory locking mechanism, which prevents the aperture ring from turning when mounted on the adapter.  I had to file that ring off so that the aperture ring can be turned.

From f1.4 to F8

Center of Image. Click to see 100% Crop

Far Edge of image. Click to see 100% Crop

As you can see, there isn't a significant amount of differences between the two lenses, especially when stopped down a little, and the bokeh is nice.  Both are very sharp, though contrast is a bit low at f1.4, but improved a lot by f2.0.  These lenses are fantastic choices for low light shooting.  The ambiance and atmosphere is hard to recreate with a smaller aperture lens. No, they won't replace the auto focus lenses for action oriented shots, but with practice, one can shoot with relatively good accuracy and reasonably fast in many kinds of situation, especially with the aid of Focus Peaking of the NEX cameras.  Even better, with an EVF.

Bokeh -- See any difference?  Click for larger picture.

So, why would you pay more for the equivalent of a Tomioka 55mm f1.4?  I guess some just like to own a lens with the Tomioka name on it.  If you are looking for a lens for your own use, with the same image quality as the more expensive Tomioka, the Chinon, Mamiya Sekor, or Cosina versions are significantly cheaper. The choice, of course, is yours.

Below are couple more sample images from the Mamiya Sekor 55mm f1.4.

Bokeh -- NEX-5N & Mamiya Sekor 55mm f1.4. Click for larger image.

Statues -- NEX-5N & Mamiya Sekor 55mm f1.4 @ f4. Click for larger image.


19 comments:

  1. I am looking to buy one of these lenses.
    Let me know if you are planning to sell.

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  2. An interesting read. I have the Tomioka brand 55mm f/1.4 that I have used on my Canon DSLR and it renders the images very nicely. I am hoping to get an M42 to Nex adapter to try it out on my Nex-C3. I have been enjoying using my OM Zuiko lenses at the moment. Keep up the great blog. Regards, Evan

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    1. It's much easier to use manual focus lenses on EVIL cameras than reflex equivalent. Yup. The OM Zuiko are great lenses.

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  3. I disagree the a77 is much easier with its focus peaking, weight and evf...

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    1. Strictly speaking, the A77 is an EVIL camera. It does not have reflex mirrors.

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  4. As you mentioned about "Tomioka" name , you mean both lens (auto chinon and Mamiya Sekor)is good as the Tomioka ? and how diffirence between : the auto chinon and the one with "Tomioka" name , Are the glass and construct of lens SAME ?

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  5. I have a lens identical to your AUTO CHINON but with serial number 308380 vs. your 507396. The difference 199016 is likely a few years of production. My lens is also labelled Tomioka Japan in the exact same lower right quadrant where you lens read simply "Japan." The remaining labelling is a mirror image (except for the serial number). The Tomioka company was bought up by Carl Zeiss in 1974 and the name Tomioka disappeared from the front circular nameplate. SO I am guessing here that the year 1974 marks the line where Tomioka disappears from the nameplate - which makes sense based on the serial numbers.

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  6. The Mamiya Seko SX lenses are said to be a modified M42 mount and that no adapters are made to attach them to a DSLR. Did you make/modify your own adapter to get it to fit on the Sony Nex?

    Thanks

    PS. Do you know how the Chinon 55 1.8 is as good as the 1.4 at equivalent stops?

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    1. Sorry I don't have any SX mount lenses and therefore can't comment on the modifications.

      I have never seen a Chinon 55mm f1.8, but it could be similar to the Chinon 55mm f1.7, that I looked at here: http://oldlenses.blogspot.ca/2012/06/auto-chinon-55mm-f17-m42-first-look.html

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    2. Sorry about the SX mistake. I thought it was the bayonet mount you were talking about. The M42 mount of the Mamiya has a pin that locks the lens when mounted. This prevents the lens from unscrewing itself loose. It's easy to modify it so that it would fit the standard m42 mount. All you ready need to do is to file the pin flat. You may also need to file the ring around the mount flat, as this ring presses against the adapter, making it difficult to turn the aperture ring. If you have the lens, you wll know exactly what needs to be done.

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    3. Thanks for the reply.

      I actually made a mistake too. I meant the Mamiya Sekor 55mm f1.8 (not Chinon). I realise you may not have used one and so may not be able to comment on it's performance compared to the f1.4 version. I have just bought a Mamiya Sekor 55mm f1.8, but it's not an SX, which i know are the best.

      Thanks

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  7. I have been enjoying my "new-old" M-S (non-SX) 55mm f/1.4 lens (filter size 55mm, by the way) and M-S 60mm f/2.8 1:1 macro lens taken from my old 1968 M-S 1000 DTL film camera and adapted to my current Canon 6D full frame SLR. The rendering and color are pleasing, and the lenses are sharp enough. Now to test the remaining 28mm Yashinon, 135mm Vivitar, and 200mm M-S belonging to my old film camera. I find that I do most of my landscape and all of my macro shots on manual focus with live view magnification, so I don't feel deprived by the lack of auto-focus.
    NancyP

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    1. Mamiya made some very good lenses, especially the 60mm f2.8, which I had a very beat-up version, but still produced exceptional images. I have a gallery of pictures taken with it on pBASE: http://www.pbase.com/gummiebear/mamiya_sekor_60mm_f28. Moden DSLRs are actually making these old lenses easier to use!

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    2. Hi Nancy.. I just bought the M-S 55mm f/1.4 lens... I have the Canon 6D as well... what type of adapter do I buy to use on the 6D and where can I purchase?? Thanks irisiris@live.ca

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  8. I apologize fro this very late entry but a few things stated along this thread are not accurate. Tomioka was bought.....by Yashica though technically still in business since Yashica itself was bought out by Kyocera in 2005. Yashica and Carl Zeiss collaborated, and Tomioka Optical a wholly owned subsidiary of Yashica was connected to that union as a result. Actually "Zunow" was probably the most advanced Japanese designer and inventor in cameras but very small, Yashica purchased them and shared the discoveries with Tomioka (of which as stated they bought later). Japan was filled with small companies early and they were systematically bought up by successful business interest. Being good at making things does not make you good at marketing. When it comes to connecting the dots in Japan the only consistent things you are going to find is that success in Japan is based on business marketing not quality, in other words companies built great wealth making and distributing cheap products and as a result bought up the small size quality manufactures. Also please note that companies made profits manufacturing lens tubes for others, Chinon is a prime example. Some manufactures in Japan were assemblers of multiple manufactured parts. Konica for instance bought up American companies with their profits, acquiring brand labels, film manufacturing, film labs, and more. Chinon is now owned by Kodak and is their manufacturer of their digital cameras. Tomioka was at one time the largest lens producer in Japan, becoming so large it was far more economical that the Mamiya Sekors, Ricoh, and others could buy from them cheaper then it cost them to make. Ricoh and Chinon discovered that by assembling their manufactured parts with acquired parts in a highly organized systematic approach, they could have an edge. In short? You get a lens from the 60's or 70's you really don't know what you have unless it's been undeniably proven as a fact. The possibilities can be very limited or as vast and beyond imagination. Mamiya was a fishing pole and reel maker who branched out to make medium format cameras, no way were they big enough to build and compete with lens makers....too many lens makers as it was so they bought them and later on started productions and licensed productions, Mamiya America is separate and wholly self-owned including the label Sekonic. Studying the pedigree of lenses from Japan is a formidable task and I wish anyone good luck in that. I posted this because the imagination of users in discussion forums only helps solidify the four corners of reality theory....the corner where you believe something is true just because you want it to be true.

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    1. Wow! That's a lot of information that I did not know. Thanks for sharing.

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  9. own a Mamiya 55mm f1.4 ( of TL1000 ) it is excellent and very easy to use in my Sony A37 with the EVF .
    Very good blog

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  10. Have just bought the Porst branded version of this lens via eBay. Looking forward to trying it out as it's my first f1.4 M42 mount and will be using it with a focal reducer as well.

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    1. You will like it. With the focal reducer, it's like have a f1.2 lens!

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