Tanaka Kogaku Tanar 50mm f/1.5 H.C.

Tanaka Kogaku Tanar 50mm f/1.5 H.C.

The fastest standard lens in the Tanar line, the 50mm f/1.5 H.C. was built by Tanaka Kōgaku, the Japanese maker behind the Tanack series of Leica screw-mount copies produced from late 1952 [1]. It arrived as the top normal optic for the company late in its history, and its very low survival numbers make it one of the more sought-after lenses among collectors of Japanese rangefinder gear [1][2]. The "H.C." mark, engraved in red on the front bezel, stands for Hard Coating, a designation Tanaka applied across several Tanar models in the same period [2].

Optically the lens uses a seven-element, three-group construction with high refractive index glass, a design choice consistent with its f/1.5 maximum aperture [2]. It sits in a rigid barrel finished predominantly in black, with only the base mount, focus tab and the front part of the aperture ring left in chrome [2]. The focus ring is heavily knurled and carries a tab with an infinity lock, while the aperture scale runs from 1.5 to 16 [2]. The diaphragm is made up of fifteen blades and is described as staying effectively round through the aperture range [2]. The distance scale is marked in white down to about 3.5 feet and in orange red below that to roughly 2 feet; the closer 1.5-foot focusing found on smaller Tanar lenses was dropped, reportedly because of this lens's larger size [2]. It is a Leica thread mount (LTM / M39) optic, and LeicaLensList records it as not rangefinder coupled. The front bezel reads "Tanaka Kogaku Japan TANAR H.C. f:1.5 5cm" with the H.C. in red [2].

The lens was introduced in spring 1957 as the standard optic for the Tanack SD body, and may also have been sold separately [2]. Known examples carry five-digit serial numbers in the 15xxx range, with the "15" prefix understood to indicate the maximum aperture; the lens pictured in original Tanack SD advertising is no. 15002, and numbers are recorded up to about 15334 [2]. That spread points to a total production well under 500 units, broadly matching the small output of the Tanack SD itself [2]. The lens continued to be offered alongside the later Tanack V3, though it does not appear to have been revised for that camera [2].

Optical qualities

Rendering Independent, repeatable testing of this lens is scarce given how few were made, so detailed rendering data is limited. What can be said from the verified design and contemporary descriptions is that it is a fast seven-element normal lens built around high refractive index glass, with a fifteen-blade diaphragm reported to remain close to circular across the aperture range, a trait that tends to favor smooth out-of-focus highlights [2]. Beyond this, specific claims about sharpness, contrast, flare or distortion are not well documented in reliable sources and are best treated as unverified.

History

Development and Launch Tanaka Kōgaku built Japanese Leica copies, the Tanack cameras, from late 1952, supplying them with its own Tanar lenses [1]. As the company moved toward more advanced rangefinders, it released the Tanack SD in 1957, a more complex body that broke from the earlier screw-mount Tanack line and was paired with a faster lens [1]. The Tanar H.C. 50mm f/1.5 was introduced in spring 1957 to serve as the standard lens for that camera [2].

Production Evolution The lens was produced in small numbers and does not appear to have undergone a significant optical redesign during its life. Serial numbers run in a single 15xxx block, and although the lens was still listed when the Tanack V3 appeared, sources indicate it was carried over rather than updated [2]. The red "H.C." marking ties it to the broader Tanar hard-coating designation introduced on several Tanar lenses in this era, though sources note that for some Tanar models it is not certain whether the H.C. change reflected a new coating or was largely cosmetic [2].

Special editions No major factory special editions, military variants or alternative finishes of the 50mm f/1.5 H.C. are widely documented; the lens is generally described in a single rigid black-and-chrome configuration [2].

Collector Notes Genuine examples are identified by the front bezel engraving "Tanaka Kogaku Japan TANAR H.C. f:1.5 5cm" with the H.C. in red, and by five-digit serial numbers in the 15xxx range [2]. Because total production was small, buyers should expect scarcity and verify the serial number falls within the documented band [2]. As with any high-refractive-index glass of the period, checking the elements for haze and cleaning marks is prudent, and confirming the originality of the predominantly black barrel with its chrome base, focus tab and front aperture ring helps distinguish an untouched example from a repainted one [2].

Sources

• [1] Camerapedia. Tanack 35 to IV-S. https://camerapedia.fandom.com/wiki/Tanack_35_to_IV-S
• [2] Camerapedia. Tanar lenses. https://camerapedia.fandom.com/wiki/Tanar_lenses