Canon 50mm f/1.4 II

The Canon 50mm f/1.4 II is a LTM-mount lens for Leica rangefinder cameras. Leica price index ↗

Reference maintained by Thomas Boots

Focal Length: 50mm

Aperture: 𝑓/1.4

Release Year (from): 1959

Diameter: 55 mm

Length: 41 mm

Minimum Focus Distance: 1m

Elements in Groups: 6/4

Aperture Blades: 9

Mount: LTM

Material Weight: Metal, 246g

Colors: 2-Tone

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Canon 50mm f/1.4 II

Among the standard lenses Canon built for its screw-mount rangefinders, the 50mm f/1.4 is widely regarded as the strongest of the line, often described as the best fifty Canon made for the Leica thread mount and a credible rival to the contemporary Leitz Summilux 50mm f/1.4 [1][2]. It is a relatively compact and fast normal lens that mounts directly on Leica thread-mount bodies and, with a simple adapter, on later Leica M cameras and mirrorless digital bodies [3].

Optically the lens uses a six-element, four-group arrangement of the Planar or Biotar (double-Gauss) family, a design Canon developed from its earlier 50mm f/1.8 and aided by then-new high-refractive-index glass; most f/1.4 standard lenses of the era required seven elements to reach comparable performance, so the formula was considered notably economical for its speed [1]. The barrel is built almost entirely of metal with painted black detailing, and the example commonly seen pairs a chrome and black two-tone finish. The aperture ring runs in distinct full-stop click stops, the front element does not rotate during focusing, and the lens focuses down to one meter with rangefinder coupling through its LTM mount [3]. It uses a 48mm filter thread and a nine-blade diaphragm [3].

Two versions are documented that share the same optical design but differ in their distance scales: the first carried a smaller scale marked in either feet or meters, while the second version added both feet and meters together [3][1]. Sources disagree on the exact introduction date. Some references cite a 1957 release, but the lens is rarely seen on the V and L bodies of that period, is absent from a 1958 sales brochure, and appears most often with the Canon 7 of 1961 and sometimes the Canon P of 1959, which has led one detailed collector study to place the true start of production around 1959 [1].

Optical qualities

Rendering The lens is valued for a pleasing, classic rendering rather than modern clinical correction, though opinions vary; some users instead find its results comparatively sharp and contrasty for a lens of its age [1][2]. Wide open it shows the softness and glow typical of fast fifties of the period, an effect some photographers exploit for atmosphere in low light [3].

Sharpness Center sharpness is good at portrait distances, and the frame improves on stopping down, although the mid-frame zone is held back by field curvature until roughly f/4 to f/5.6; the corners improve steadily as the lens is closed down [2].

Bokeh and transitions Out-of-focus rendering is generally regarded as one of the lens's attractions at wider apertures, while the nine-blade diaphragm can produce harder, star-shaped highlights when stopped down [2].

Flare resistance, coma and distortion As a fast design from the late 1950s, flare resistance is limited and a variety of artefacts can appear with strong light sources in the frame, so a hood is advisable [2][3]. Coma is strong wide open and largely clears only around f/5.6, while distortion is modest [2].

Digital use On high-resolution digital bodies the lens exhibits focus shift and noticeable vignetting wide open, behavior consistent with its vintage double-Gauss design [2].

History

Development and Launch The 50mm f/1.4 arrived among the last and most refined of Canon's screw-mount standard lenses, developed from the company's 50mm f/1.8 of 1951 and benefiting from newer high-index optical glass [1]. While some sources give a 1957 release date, the lens's scarcity on mid-1950s Canon bodies and its frequent appearance with the Canon P (1959) and Canon 7 (1961) suggest production most likely began around 1959 [1].

Production Evolution The principal documented change between versions is the distance scale, the earlier lens using a smaller scale in either feet or meters and the later one combining both, with the optical design unchanged [3][1]. Canon collector references such as Peter Kitchingman's study of Canon M39 rangefinder lenses classify the variants and tie serial-number ranges to production periods [3].

Collector Notes A well-documented concern with these black-barrel Canon fifties is internal haze on the glass, widely attributed to outgassing from aged lubricant attacking the lens elements; the f/1.4 is affected less consistently than some siblings such as the black 50mm f/1.8, but buyers should still inspect the glass and favor copies that have been cleaned or serviced [3]. Because the large front element concentrates sunlight, owners of focal-plane shutter bodies are advised to keep a cap on the lens when not shooting to avoid burning pinholes in the curtain [3]. A vented 48mm hood is a sensible accessory. Note that the verified production data for this entry records a 1959 introduction, consistent with the later collector analysis rather than the 1957 date cited by some reviewers [1][2].