Canon 50mm f/1.5

Canon 50mm f/1.5

Among Canon's early large-aperture rangefinder lenses, the 50mm f/1.5 stands out as the company's Sonnar-derived fast standard, built for Leica screw mount cameras and Canon's own Barnack-style bodies. Canon developed it from the Carl Zeiss Sonnar 50mm f/1.5 formula, and it followed the slower Serenar 50mm f/1.9 and f/1.8 in the lineup [1][3]. At the time, producing a fast standard lens was regarded as a marker of a high-class camera maker, and the f/1.5 gave Canon a flagship normal optic alongside its rangefinder cameras. The lens reached the market in November 1952 at an original price of 36,500 yen.

The optical design uses seven elements in three groups, the classic compact arrangement of the Sonnar family, with an unusually high count of 13 diaphragm blades that close down to f/16. It focuses to one metre and is rangefinder coupled on compatible bodies, accepting 40mm screw-in filters and hoods. The screw-mount barrel is chrome and densely built, and reviewers describe a heavy, brass-feeling body that handles smoothly, with a long focus throw and an infinity lock typical of lenses of the era and a gently clicked aperture ring [2]. Canon referred to the Leica thread mount as its S-mount, and the lens mounts on M39 bodies and, with an adapter, on Leica M cameras.

The lens appeared under two names, Canon and Serenar, which refer to the same optic. It was an early member of Canon's S lens family, and later Canon moved its fast 50mm designs to Gauss-type formulas, introducing the 50mm f/1.2 in 1956, the more compact 50mm f/1.4 in 1957, and the exotic 50mm f/0.95 in 1961, leaving the f/1.5 as the company's Sonnar-type standard from the earlier period.

Optical qualities

Rendering As a Sonnar-derived design, the lens shows the family's characteristic behavior. Wide open at f/1.5 it is soft and glowy with low contrast and a tendency to flare, traits driven by spherical aberration that also soften the out-of-focus areas and produce a glowing transition zone. Stopping down to f/2 raises contrast a little, reduces the glow and flare, and smooths the bokeh while retaining much of the wide-open character. By f/4 contrast and resolution increase noticeably for images with more pop, though the sharpness never becomes harsh, and by f/8 the lens performs well for general shooting. One reviewer noted visible vignetting wide open. Another user reports good resolution at the point of focus and smooth, unobtrusive blur both in front of and behind the subject.

History

Development and Launch Canon designed the 50mm f/1.5 from the Carl Zeiss Sonnar 50mm f/1.5, and it was the next step up in speed after the Serenar 50mm f/1.9 and 50mm f/1.8. It was marketed in November 1952. Around this period several makers offered Sonnar-type fast fifties for screw-mount Leica-compatible cameras, and Canon's f/1.5 matched the brightness of the Zeiss Sonnar it was based on.

Production Evolution The lens was sold under both the Canon and Serenar names, which denote the same optical design.

Special editions No widely documented factory special editions of this lens are recorded in the consulted sources beyond the Canon and Serenar branding variants.

Collector Notes Because both Canon-branded and Serenar-branded barrels exist for the same optic, buyers should treat the two names as the same lens rather than different versions. As with any chrome rangefinder lens of this age, condition is the main concern. One reviewer warns that a suspiciously mint-looking copy can hide problems, in this case element separation in the rear group, which is one reason a lens may show little wear, so the elements should be inspected for separation, haze, and fungus before purchase. The Canon Camera Museum lists the weight as 295 g, slightly above the value recorded here, a small discrepancy worth noting. Accessories to verify include the 40mm screw-in filters and hood.