CANON  RANGEFINDER  STANDARD LENSES
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COPYRIGHT (ALL PICTURES AND TEXTS by FRANK MECHELHOFF 2005 (you may use single copies for private use only)
Questions and contact: fmechelh "at" web.de

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Canon
The Canon 50/1.4 was among the latest, and best, Canon screw mount lenses. The first version (no difference in optical design) had a smaller  distance scale either marked in meter or feet

canon
With just 6 elements in 4 groups it is a Planar (Biotar) type. Most standard lenses of f/1.4 speed needed 7 elements for excellent performance during the 1950's and 1960's. The Canon was stunningly straight designed, based on the 50/1.8 (1951) and obviously made use of newly developed high-refractive optical glass to give such great performance (at least level with the contemporary Leitz Summicron 50/1.4)

lens design

Most sources claim that the 50/1.4 was released in 1957 but the V/L series cameras which were started in that year are seldomly seen with it, much more often with the 50/1.2 released one year before. Also a sales brochure of 1958 is missing that lens. The 50/1.4 occurs most often with the Canon 7 (started 1961). So the release date is So it's most likely that this lens was released not before 1959, as some other sources claim.

canon
One stop slower than the 50/0.95, half it's weight and a better all-around performer

3 standard lenses
Not a particular small lens (48mm filter, compared to 42mm of the 50/1.5) but somewhat smaller than a SLR lens (or a presently made C/V Nokton 50/1.5 in LTM)

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Voigtländer Bessa Messucher Cameras und Objektive
My pictures with these lenses
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