Auto Rikenon - 55mm f1.4 - The Legend
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- Опубликовано: 22 июл 2024
- Disclaimer - No technical or expert review found here! This video is a mix of entertainment and an introduction to this lens. The Auto Rikenon is a legend in its time. It is known for sharpness, color rendition, contrast, character, and most of all...its bokeh! Spend some time here at Modesty Photography and another episode of Camera Talk with Dr. Scott to learn a bit about this lens from the same people who bring you quality office equipment...whuddah thunk it?!
If you're in the market and shopping around for some great and ECONOMICAL editing software that offers you the best "bang for the buck" then look no further than Luminar. Make sure to take advantage of my $10 discount when you purchase Luminar from this link - skylum.grsm.io/DrScott
Happy shooting...photos that is!
Hey! I received my 2nd Auto Rikenon - 55mm f1.4 today. This one has a low serial number and is radioactive to the tune of 1505 CPM. It has the yellow/brown tinted, but otherwise it is like new. It is very clean with no fungus or scratches. So, now I have one with a 6 digit serial number, not radioactive, and now one with a 5 digit serial number that is radioactive. When I have the time I will do some tests and compare them. I think color aberration would be a good test. What do you think?
Nice! It would be great to see how that "tint" affects the colors...I suspect it will certainly warm them up!
Oh boy. I just UV'ed it. So there is no more tint on the back lens. I think the front might just have a gold'ish lens coating. Does yours have a lens coating anywhere? I used a 25 watt UV lamp that is often used for exposing silkscreen emulsions. I put the lens face down on a mirror after retracting the rear lens inward to protect the glass. I might try UV'ing the front lens.
AUTO RIKENON 55mm f1.4 Gamma Tests
==> Rear Lens
CPM 1682
uSv/h 10.41
==> Front Lens
CPM 708
uSv/h 4.45
Compare that to the hottest lens in my collection.
Take notice of this reading uSv/h 22.77 !!! This is getting close to the level where you get sick.
The FUJINON 50mm f1.4
==> Rear Lens
CPM 3706
uSv/h 22.77
==> Front Lens
CPM 864
uSv/h 5.28
@@mosswareproaudio6328 ...wow...zap! Well, as long as you're not sleeping with it under your pillow or crushing the elements and snorting up the powder like Tony Montana, you should not worry. Enjoy the piece of history!
The first 3 photos (at the top) are taken with a Canon 2000D and a Asahi Super Takumar 50mm f1.4 Radioactive 2250 CPM.
The following closeups are taken with a SonyA7Rii and a Olympus OM-System G.Zuiko Auto-S 55mm f1.2 1974 Radioactive 3389 CPM lens. I love this lens with the blur and short DOF.
The photo of the console was taken with the Canon and a FUJINON 55mm f1.8 lens.
Hope you can make sense of all this.
OK...now I get the split personality thing! Hahaha! I took a look at the Honeybee...it is nicely crafted. Hopefully, you sell a boatload of them! You just confirm the fact that vintage glass can still play a significant role in today's market. Good job! Well, now I know that anything with "moss" in it is you. Enjoy the rest of your weekend and cheers...I have 70 more student assignments to mark to end my semester. No fun...seeya, Scott
Yep, that entire thing is my design from the internal circuits to the enclosure. I designed it for my own use with my band. Then a friend talked me into making a Pro Audio version. So I did. I had to learn Fusion 360 CAD to design the enclosure, but I did. It sounds great. I need to make some demo videos for RUclips this year so that people will understand how to use it. It is different from what is available in the Pro Audio world now. I have been designing electronics since the 1970s and I have worked in professional recording studios since 1967, but I had to learn what high end products had to have from my mentors. I had 3 really good ones. One was making a competitive product. Another was the CEO of Jensen Transformers. So I had good mentoring in this area. This uses tubes and semiconductor technology. The entire sound path is vacuum tube.
Well back to work. Later...
@@jmoss99 ...it's pretty cool to create things with your own hands. Nicely done!
Well, I just bought a AUTO RIKENON 55mm f1.4 M42 Tomioka Optics. The ad said, "Glass is clear with no scratches, haze or fungus, some dust, barrel is in excellent condition." By the way, they are more expensive than the Takumar lenses now.
Excellent! Hopefully, it is as described. The older lenses are easy to take apart and put back together if there ends up being more dust in there than mentioned. It's a great lens...hopefully, the elements with thorium have not yellowed. If they did then it is fairly easy to reverse with an LED flashlight (what I used for my own).
@@DrScottMcDonald any videos on how to take apart to clean them? I can't seem to find anything online
Hi @@adrianhernandez-qh4dt...thanks for asking but I do not think there is one for the Rikenon 55 either. As with many vintage lenses, it is not exactly rocket science though! I always go in from the top down. Spin off the nameplate, unscrew the front element, and repeat down to the aperture mechanism. I never remove that as the blades may be a tough one to put back in place if you're not experienced with doing so. Make sure to keep everything you've removed in the order that you've removed it so you can put it back together the same way (in reverse order). Let me know if you give it a shot or not...just be careful not to break and bend anything that you would later regret! Best of luck and cheers, Scott
MosswareProAudio (I cannot send the extension so just try the most common one) is also a website for this preamp. Now the interesting part is I have been using the vintage lenses for the photos on that site.
This is also me, Jim.
If you ever come across any of the 135 2.8's they made over the years.. it has that holy cow Wow factor... Very 3D. Love their stuff and slowly getting the series together. Especially the auto Sears line... Just pennies.
Hi GJ35...I have not but I'd be open to check one out! I have a few great 135s in my collection already but I keep an eye out for even better ones! Thanks for the heads up! Yes, the Sears branded line were decent lenses for the price they go for! Thanks for the comment and all the best to you! Cheers, Dr. Scott
OK. I found it on another site.
The Miranda Sensorex 35mm Single Lens Reflex camera made by Miranda Camera of Japan between the years 1966 to 1972. The Sensorex was a semi-professional SLR camera that aimed to be an alternative to more expensive professional cameras made by Nikon and Topcon, offering similar features, but at a fraction of the cost. The Sensorex is a fully featured camera with a TTL CdS exposure meter, interchangeable viewfinders, dual bayonet/screw lens mount, and a quiet vibration free shutter. Although competitive on paper, the Sensorex, like most Miranda cameras, failed to succeed in the marketplace, and by the 1970s, the company quickly fell into disarray, eventually resulting in bankruptcy by 1977. So this is a junk lens. I get it.
I was amazed at the review that pentaxforums had for the sharpness of this lens. It is only a few reviews, but they are showing a 10 for the sharpness. That is the best overall grade for any of my lenses. I have yet to pick mine up from my girlfriends house, but this is interesting.
Yes...I too like the Pentax Forum website. Very informative reviews from some of their members. You should be happy with your sample!
I have this lens, my favorite vintage lens by far. Beats the pancolar in my eyes for the bokeh, sharpness, microcontrast and a sort of 3D pop I never get with other lenses. I just simply love it!
Hi isinox! Thanks for sharing! I concur! This is a gem! Cheers, Scott
I even have a Ricoh automatic mechanical wrist watch.
And a Rikenon 50mm f2, a Rikenon p 28mm 2.8 both K mount, and a 8.1 megapixel Ricoh gr digital camera from 2006 with a 5.9mm /28mm equivalent lens.
Nice...a fine historical collection!
@@DrScottMcDonald007 Just added a Ricoh 500me to the collection
Did you ever try any of the other Auto Rikenons besides this one? What did you think of them?
Hi Jim...long time no hear. Happy Belated New Year! No...I haven't. I put the brakes on buying anymore vintage lenses for a while. I talked my wife into buying some land in the central highlands here in Vietnam (coffee growing region) to build a nice get-a-way estate. I love coffee and VN is the world's second largest exporter...so...I'm swimming in it. Speaking of swimming, when sea-levels rise to the point where my neighborhood is in danger here in HCMC, I'd like higher elevations to opt into! I know it's still a ways off...but it's coming! How about you? Have you been happy with your own vintage glass? Anything new added to the collection? Cheers, Scott
I picked up my "Auto Rikenon - 55mm f1.4" today. This is an impressive lens. It is heavy. I haven't had time to really test it much. It is very clean though. Everything moves smoothly. Plus they stuck 3 filters on it and they shipped it in an old lens case made in Japan. Did someone say it was radioactive? Mine is not. PLUS! mine is all black. Not silver and black. The number is 6 digits starting with the number 3, it is not radioactive and the lens is all black.
I can't believe you sold yours? You said, "Mine was".
Nice....sounds like you got a good specimen! I don't know the timeline of the use of radioactive elements but the earliest ones did. Mine was, and was physically yellow/brown tinted when I received it. After some zapping with light, it is all clear now. Perhaps you got a sample made after they stopped using these elements. Either way, good purchase! You should be happy with it. Cheers!
What was the serial number of yours? I am reading that this was made by Tomioka Optical.
@@jmoss99 ...Hi Jim...it's 26177
Right! It is an early version. I asked around and the opinion was that the later ones were not radioactive. I wonder if there is any difference in performance? Also, the feeling is that they were all made by TOMIOKA Optics.
@@jmoss99 ...yes...as I said earlier...my lens was fairly "yellowish/brownish" when I received it and after a week of light blasting from my LED flashlight, it's cleared up. Thorium was supposed to aid in the light transmission resulting in better image quality than through lens coatings alone. But, because of the health implications (for the factory workers not the consumers) the practice was halted. I'm not saying it isn't a health risk for me, but it would take a lot of exposure in my face to really become a problem for me. I use it once in a while and even if I have in on my camera for an hour...I only have it up to my face for maybe 15 minutes out of that hour...so no big deal.
Nice lens review!
Thanks! You guys make great adapters! Perhaps, now that you give me the idea, I'll do a video on adapters! Cheers!!!
Perhaps is due to youtube's compression, but pictures taken with that lens, seem rather soft.
Hi Anbar...thanks for the comment! I think you nailed it with your assumption. RUclips is not the best platform to see great representations of picture quality. Sometimes it's pretty good and at other times, it's horrible! If you want to see some better examples, check the photo sites like Flickr - www.flickr.com/search/?text=Auto%20Rikenon%2055mm%201.4 - thanks again for watching!
Have you noticed that there are both 55mm and 50mm versions of this lens out there? What is with that?
Thanks for the question MWPA6328...55mm actually was more common at one time and then 50s because "the thing" and everyone jumped onboard that one. 55s are more widely used by portrait photogs than the 50 due to the risk of distortion. 55/58mm were considered the better portrait lenses at the wide end. 50 ended up being the better "all round" lens to take with you if you weren't sure what you'd be shooting for the day. Cheers, Scott
Is someone deleting my posts again? Hmmm
Today I purchases another Auto Rikenon - 55mm f1.4 lens which I believe strongly is radioactive. The SN is in the low 5 digits and the glass seems to be tan. I am hopeful.
In today's "hacker" world...you never know! If you're ok with the tint then go with it, if not, just zap it for a week with an LED flashlight or lamp. That cleared up all of mine. The Takumars were the most discolored but they cleaned right up.
But of course this baby is also under the Sears name. Of all things. One just arrived on a Sears Ricoh body. 50 bucks for Both. Both are tanks. Lens is very clean. I'll wait for the adapter to arrive, which will permanently rest on it. A big hassle remover to have an adapter for each vintage lens. Plus, if the lens IS radioactive, it adds protection. How much closer does your lens focus with the adaptor?
Hi...yes, the SEARS name means nothing. In the "good old days" they sold so many name brand items just relabeled. Your lens is most likely a fantastic sample. The adapters are designed to mimic the distance between the film and the glass that is normally designed into the original body/lens set up...so it should not make any difference unless the adapter manufacturer is not following the original specs. Do a little experiment when you get yours...let me know if it is different. Cheers, Scott
Did you ever measure the CPM or the μSv/h of this lens?
Hi MWPA! Thanks for asking...short answer, nope. As my disclaimer states, no expert or tech reviews found here! I just do these for fun and share my own experiences with the gear. Hopefully, something for Dylan and I to look back on in the future and have a it of a laugh! I bet there are others who do take testing to another level. Good luck finding out and thanks again for asking! Have a super weekend! Cheers, Scott
OK. I just thought you might have gotten curous at one point or another as it has a direct effect on the light going through it. Here is what I found. Measuring the radioactivity of the lenses, the Rikenon emitted 2 μSv/h and the Takumar was 6.5 μSv/h.
@@mosswareproaudio6328 ...that makes sense. I would certainly testify to the fact that my Takumars were much more "yellowed" than the Rikenon was. A couple of my Taks even bordered on more of a brown tint! Luckily it wasn't a big deal to rid my lenses of that.
Of all the great great lenses you have reviewed so far, which is your top favorite?
That's a really tough question OMP...I think an easier question would be the favorite focal range...50ish for me! So many favorites in this category...my Summilux, my Yashinon, my Topcor...hmmm? How about you? Do you have a favorite?
@@DrScottMcDonald007 Sir I'm not a pro like you. All I have is a Topcor 58 1.4 and Nikkor 58 1.2, none of which I know how to use. I seek your training and advice.
@@onmypiano ...no need to be a pro...I certainly do not classify myself as such! Enthusiast perhaps! The only way to really learn to use these tools is to USE them. Mount them on your camera and start experimenting with aperture settings and comparing results of the different subjects in different lighting conditions at different distances, etc. You'll catch on soon enough! Let me know how that goes for you! Cheers, Dr. Scott
There seems to be Auto Rikenon 55mm f1.4 lens and Auto Rikenon 50mm f1.4 lenses. Why?
Have you compared them?
Merry Christmas!
Hello again...I have NOT compared them but I have both lenses from other mfrs that I can see the difference in slight distortion as I mentioned in your other comment. It's not a groundbreaking difference but it is there. It really depends on what you would like to use the lens for (genre). Thanks for the comment! Cheers and Merry Christmas to you too! Scott
I just recieved this from another reviewer in Japan. Interesting.
フジスタのオールドレンズ沼
Thank you for your comment, the Ricoh Auto Rikenon 55mm F1.4 is one of the standard lenses that were prepared as a set lens for the SINGLEX TLS SLR (film) camera released by Ricoh in 1967, the model we are handling here. The "RICOHFLEX TLS401" (released in October 1970), which came out later, continued to be supplied as a set lens, and even the SLR (film) cameras that appeared in the mid-1970s were supplied as a set model, so it seems that supply continued for a considerable period of time. The RICOH AUTO RIKENON EE 50mm F1.4 is a standard lens developed for the AUTO TLS EE released in 1976. The Ricoh Auto TLS EE was a camera with shutter speed priority AE while still having an M42 mount. To achieve AE, an interlocking pawl was provided on the opposite side of the aperture pin on the mount. As to the question of why there are two different lenses with two different specifications, we can speculate as follows. (1) The cost and technology required to reduce the aperture while maintaining the f-number was in the midst of development at the time, so it was developed between the release of the two lenses. (2) RICOH matched the f/1.4 lens standard lenses of other camera makers as 50mm became the mainstream instead of 55mm. (3) It is possible that AUTO TLS EE was designed to be exported outside of Japan, and therefore, Ricoh decided to use 50mm lens in order to sell it to a larger number of customers worldwide. (4) The diameter of the lens had to be reduced to achieve AE. To be honest, we do not know the truth. Sorry. I have not done comparative study because Ricoh Auto Rikenon EE 50mm F1.4 is hard to get in Japan. If I can get it, I'll give it a try. I used the translation function, so sorry if it's hard to read. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
@@mosswareproaudio6328 ...as I said in the last comment...the 55mm was the standard for these guys and then added the 50mm to the line-up later as was trending throughout the industry at the time. I like my 55 and really haven't even considered the 50 as my collection already has dozens of them! Yikes! Have a great weekend! Thanks again for adding worthwhile information to the conversation! Cheers, Scott
What is the story on the Auto Miranda E 50mm F1.4 lens? I have never heard of this company. Is this like a Sears lens?
These were "ok" lenses for their day...some were pretty good (I hear the 28mm was popular) and some not so much. Soligor was another brand under the same family umbrella of Allied Impex...the company used quite a variety of manufacturers so the quality of specific samples could be hit or miss...so, yes, kinda like the Sears line. The Topcors, Nikkors, and Canon lenses ruled the 1960s leaving these lesser brands to fill in the gaps. If the price is right then it may be worth the purchase and see for yourself.
Topcors, Nikon, Olypus, Pantex Takumar, FUJINON, Mamiya Sekor, Minolta Rokkor, and Canon are the best lenses from the 1960s and 1970s. Just my opinion of course. I never heard of Topcors before you mentioned it. However, it looks like a great lens.
@@jmoss99 ...yes, there were many good-great cameras/lenses in their day...now they all just copy one another.
And as you must know, being a Business major as I, most companies go out of business due to cash flow. Not necessary that the product didn't sell. Just investing in the wrong things. Expanding when they should not have. Not expanding when they should have. That gets them. Business is War.
Nice video, it’s always interesting to hear the history of the lenses we own. Don’t forget to tell that it is a radioactive one ;)
Cheers!
Hi Max! Thanks for the support...and, I can't believe that I did NOT mention the radioactive elements in this lens because I even went through the trouble to 'light cure' the yellow/brown tint from the lens so it is as clear as the day it was made! Good reminder! Hopefully, others will read the comments to find out! Cheers!
It's not
Who told you so?
@@Ni5ei ...Camerapedia and a few other sites like dpreview, mflenses, pentaxforums, etc. Although they could all be wrong, but...I did submit my lens to the light treatment and the yellowing went away, so that is really all that mattered to me as I do not fear radiation in such small doses anyhow. I'd simply prefer clear glass. Why do you think the lens manufacturer did NOT use such elements in their production?
@@Ni5ei sadly it seems to. there are plenty of posts in the internet showing that...
I have been testing my Auto Rikenon - 55mm f1.4 since I received it. I have to say, it is not all that sharp wide open. It is sharp at f4 and above. I have sharper lenses wide open. It has a good look though.
Hi Jim...this lens was better known for its bokeh and being sharp enough. I forget who I saw raving about the bokeh...perhaps the Angry Photographer on his channel. Still, it's a nice bang for the buck! Enjoy your weekend! Cheers, Scott
If you look this lens up on the pentaxforums you will find it has a rating of 10 out of 10 for both sharpness and bokeh. I am not seeing the sharpness part just yet wide open.
@@jmoss99 ...yes! It has a great reputation from other users. I suspect that there may be variances in performance depending on the history of each sample. You just never know how the sample we each have was handled, treated, and/or stored over the last 50+ years. The Pentax rating is also based on only 3 people. It's still a great vintage lens though. I'm happy with mine. The body is a little rough but the glass still performs well.
Let me summarize my last two messages. MosswareProAudio is me. You have been talking to me just under the other account.
Put my jmoss99 messages together startingwith the (I cannot send message.
Wow.... But seriously and did they do better that "Copy" / "Copier" ? That too, the jumping short version you show!!!! ;-b
Hi Sam...yup, Ricoh had quite a diverse history their latest (if 2013 could be called latest) development into photography was to create the first camera (Theta) to take fully spherical photos in a single shutter click. So...still making waves!
Nice video! I think you need to be further back.
Thanks Wiz! Well noted!
I just sent 2 messages and both got lost.
Mossware Pro Audio is also me under another account.
What kind of Doctor are you and where did you find a Auto Rikenon f1.2? I see. It is a Rikenon f1.2 lens. No auto. It is about $400. or so...
I don't have 60 lenses. Not yet at least. It might be time for Lens Enders at 60. I do have 25 vintage lenses. Not 60.
Hi JMoss! Thanks for asking...this is an old video...you made me think I made a mistake saying that my lens was a 1.2 so I watched it again to see where I said that...Ricoh made a 55m XR 1.2 not the Auto (as you also mentioned) but I don't have that one. BTW...I have two doctorates in business (PhD and DBA)...entrepreneurship to be exact...my number of vintage lenses has crept up since this video...I have over 100 now! I think that's it for me though. My shelf won't hold any more! You'll have to gander at one of my more recent videos to see how my collection has ballooned. Thanks for the comment on an ageing video! Cheers!
Two (2) doctorates in Business? Sounds like the Department of Redundancy Department. I only have 14 years in college. First electronic engineering then later after I was burned out working at Stanford SLAC I went for Business/Marketing. I am a Bluegrass musician and felt that it would take a marketing degree to make money doing that. Up here in the mountains just west of Palo Alto in the winter I get to buying things, like vintage pro audio mics (I can record with them and they always go up in price... a lot) and vintage lenses. Here is my collection of fast lenses. My girlfriend just thinks I am eccentric. I don't mention this to anyone else.
Canon FL 55mm f1.2 Fluorite Lens elements 1968 (1.05822 lbs)
Olympus OM-System G.Zuiko Auto-S 55mm f1.2 1974 Radioactive 3389 CPM (Best f1.2)
Auto Chinon MultiCoated 55mm f1.4 (TOMIOKA)
Auto Mamiya Sekor 55mm f1.4 with M42 Mount TOMIOKA Design Radioactive 460 CPM
Tomioka Auto Revuenon 55mm f1.4 M42 (TOMIOKA)
Olympus OM-System Zuiko MC Auto-S 50mm f1.4 Black Nose Radioactive 460 CPM (Great Color Rendering)
Asahi Super Takumar 50mm f1.4 Radioactive 2250 CPM SN 3237402
Minolta 50mm f1.4 MC Rokkor-X PG
@@jmoss99 ...cool...looks like you have a decent collection. It does seem rather redundant but I use the PhD for teaching at uni and the DBA for when I work in the manufacturing sector...well, when I used to work in that sector! I'm kind of a sucker for education...I also have two Master's degrees and a BBA as well as a handful of certifications. I do them more for my own sick love of punishing courses than to use them for anything other than bloating my resume/CV...
I do a lot of different things here... Recording, Programming, Electronic Engineering, Graphics, Musician... Pretty much all at night. I know this is bad etiquette, but... here is my collection of 25 vintage lenses sorted by f-stops or speed... so far, as of tonight.
---
Canon FL 55mm f1.2 Fluorite Lens elements 1968 (1.05822 lbs)
Olympus OM-System G.Zuiko Auto-S 55mm f1.2 1974 Radioactive 3389 CPM
Auto Chinon Multi Coated 55mm f1.4 (TOMIOKA)
Auto Mamiya Sekor 55mm f1.4 with M42 Mount TOMIOKA Design Radioactive 460 CPM
Tomioka Auto Revuenon 55mm f1.4 M42 (TOMIOKA)
Olympus OM-System Zuiko MC Auto-S 50mm f1.4 Black Nose Radioactive 460 CPM (Great Color Rendering)
Asahi Super Takumar 50mm f1.4 Radioactive 2250 CPM SN 3237402
Minolta 50mm f1.4 MC Rokkor-X PG
Russian ZENITAR-M 50mm f1.7
FUJINON 55mm f1.8
Asahi Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 55mm f1.8 Radioactive 750 CPM
Asahi Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 35mm f2 Radioactive 1850 CPM
Russian Jupiter 9 85mm f2 (1976 version) M42 Black with Blue Lens Coating
Russian Jupiter 9 85mm f2 (1966 version) M39 Silver with Lilac Lens Coating (Best)
Russian Helios 44-2 58mm f2 M42
-Russian HELIOS 81H 81N 50mm f2 Nikon Kiev Mount
FUJINON 55mm f2.2
Takumar Super-Multi-Coated 135mm f2.5
Olympus OM-System H.Zuiko Auto-W 24mm f2.8 MF
FUJINON EBC SW 28mm f3.5
Asahi Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 28mm f3.5
Asahi Super Multi Coated Takumar 24mm f3.5
-Minolta MC W. Rokkor-SG 28mm f3.5 SG (MCII)(7/7)
Takumar Super-Multi-Coated 135mm f3.5
Pentax Super Multi Coated SMC Takumar 300mm F/4 Lens Screw Mount #J99717 2.08557
@@jmoss99 ...nice...you got some pretty good ones there (I've got samples of 9 from your list) I've got mine listed in Excel to keep track of the model, focal length, f-stop, filter size, serial#, radioactive or not, manufacturer, and price I paid. Besides engineering and graphics, we have some similar interests. I too enjoy songwriting although I haven't written a new tune now in more than two years (low and behold my 2 y/o son Dylan, named after Bob) due to these new time-consuming duties! He's in all my new videos...he loves it for the most part. He watches these a million times and leaves gibberish comments. It's good to have hobbies to keep us busy...or our women keep us busy!
RUclips AI hates me.