Legacy Lens Testing : Phil and yashica ml 50 mm f1.7 by phil_howcroft

Legacy Lens Testing : Phil and yashica ml 50 mm f1.7

Followers will know that I am building up a collection of legacy glass to attach to my Sony A6000.

I've got a few 50mm primes and my latest purchase just before christmas was the yashica ml 50 mm f1.7

I've tested the lens on my wife, but Jane doesn't like having her photo took and there is no way she would ever let me post a pic of her online !

So my testing of the lenses is restricted to portraits of me and my whippet

I think the lens has passed it's test and I will take it onto the streets in the near future.

Japanese manufacturer Yashica did a collaboration with Carl Zeiss Jena to supply the glass for version 2 of the lens. The markings on the lens indicate mine is Carl Zeiss glass !

This is a 50% crop as Jane got part of our garden trellis on the right hand side of the frame !

I always look better in mono !
Great mono portrait. Lookin’ good!
January 13th, 2019  
I guess you think it's a likeness so the lens has done a good job. Those old lenses could be very sharp, which surprises some of you youngsters. (They could also be very prone to flare so modern lenses are superior in that regard.) They really did make fast lenses didn't they? I have an Asahi Pentax Super Takumar 50mm f/1.4. Great for creative use of a very shallow depth of field!
January 13th, 2019  
Hello Phil. You look very happy at the the thought of so many new lenses! I didn't realise you were going in for a wardrobe-full!
January 13th, 2019  
You are always a great subject for a portrait shot with your beautiful smile, Phil. My wife is like yours. If I post a shot behind her back I make sure she doesn't see it. Thank God she doesn't follow 365.
January 13th, 2019  
Btw a fav for me.
January 13th, 2019  
Great result, v nice portrait:)
January 13th, 2019  
great self-portrait
January 13th, 2019  
@allie912 thanks allison for your lovely comment :)

@yrhenwr thanks David, I've got a collection of old lenses, quite a few of them have coating to reduce flare. Manufacturers have been coating for many years. I have a 50mm leica from my late fathers collection (circa 1953) that has radioactive coating ! My modern Sony 50 mm f1,8 takes awesome pics, but I just like the challenge of creating some decent pics with legacy lenses
January 13th, 2019  
@phil_howcroft I'm with you on that.... and you are making a good job of meeting your challenge
January 13th, 2019  
@phil_howcroft Just to point out that the lens doesn't take the pics.... the photographer does that!
January 13th, 2019  
@quietpurplehaze it is a wardrobe full haze ! i might post a pic :)

@sangwann thanks Dione, for the lovely words :) much appreciated and the FAVE too :)

@fbailey thank you very much felicity :)much appreciated :)

@christophercox thank you christopher , glad you like this photo
January 13th, 2019  
@yrhenwr David, good shout re the photographer , but it helps if they have some good tools to do so :)
January 13th, 2019  
What a super shot - well done, Jane!
January 14th, 2019  
Super portrait.
It's interesting to see how these lenses perform.
January 14th, 2019  
It's nice to meet you Phil !
January 20th, 2019  
Hi Phil!
January 27th, 2019  
Leave a Comment
Sign up for a free account or Sign in to post a comment.