Canon 85mm f/1.9 I

Canon 85mm f/1.9 I

Among Canon's early postwar short telephotos for Leica screw mount, the 85mm f/1.9 stands out as a fast portrait optic from the company's "Serenar" era, when Canon's lenses still carried that brand name rather than the simple "Canon Lens" engraving used later. Built in the Leica 39mm screw thread (LTM / M39) with a coupled rangefinder cam, it was designed to give Canon and Leica screw-mount photographers a bright 85mm focal length for portraiture and selective focus. Period listings continue to describe it specifically as the chrome "Serenar" 85mm f/1.9 for rangefinder cameras [2].

Optically the lens uses a six-element, four-group design and focuses to one metre, with a chrome barrel and a 50mm filter thread. At roughly 86mm long and 620g it is a substantial all-metal optic, in keeping with the heavier brass-and-chrome construction of the period. As an LTM lens with rangefinder coupling, it mounts directly on Canon and Leica screw-thread bodies and, by way of a simple screw-to-bayonet adapter, on later Leica M cameras, where an adapter that calls up the 90mm frame lines is generally used for the 85mm field of view; the same adapting approach is well documented for Canon's related LTM telephotos in the 85mm class [1].

The 85mm f/1.9 belongs to Canon's broader family of rangefinder short telephotos, which over the years also included an 85mm f/1.8 and other variants; these later 85mm Canon lenses are documented in collector references such as Peter Kitchingman's catalogue of Canon M39 rangefinder lenses, the standard work for sorting out their versions and engravings. Detailed, independently verified documentation specific to the f/1.9 is comparatively limited online, so buyers relying on engraving styles and serial data are best served by that printed reference rather than by casual listings.

Optical qualities

Rendering Firm, independent optical test data specific to the Canon 85mm f/1.9 is scarce, so its rendering is best described in general terms. As a fast six-element 85mm of its era it is intended for portraiture and shallow depth of field at or near maximum aperture, with sharpness improving on stopping down, a behaviour typical of the wider Canon rangefinder short-telephoto family of the same period. Claims about specific bokeh, contrast, flare, distortion or digital performance for this exact model are not well supported by reliable published sources, and are therefore not asserted here.

History

Development and Launch The lens dates to the early 1950s, part of the run of fast Canon rangefinder lenses sold under the Serenar name before Canon dropped that branding. It gave LTM users a brighter alternative to the slower 85mm and 90mm screw-mount lenses then common, aimed squarely at portrait and available-light work.

Special editions No major factory special editions of the 85mm f/1.9 are widely documented beyond the standard chrome rangefinder version recorded in dealer and collector listings.

Collector Notes The lens is normally encountered in chrome finish and is identified by the "Serenar" engraving, which distinguishes the earlier examples from later Canon-branded 85mm telephotos. Because Canon offered more than one 85mm rangefinder lens over the years, including an 85mm f/1.8, buyers should confirm the exact aperture and engraving rather than assuming all "Canon 85mm" LTM lenses are the same; the Kitchingman reference is the most reliable guide to versions and serial ranges. As with any lens of this age, internal haze, cleaning marks and stiff focus or aperture rings are worth checking, and the original clamp-on hood and caps are easily separated from the lens over time, so their presence should be verified rather than assumed.