Yashica Super-Yashinon 50mm f/1.8

Yashica Super-Yashinon 50mm f/1.8

This fast standard lens was the premium optic supplied with the Yashica YF, a short-lived Leica thread mount rangefinder that Yashica built in 1959 after absorbing the struggling Nicca Camera Co. [1][2]. The YF itself was largely a cosmetic refresh of Nicca's earlier type III bodies, and the f/1.8 lens that normally accompanied it was first marketed simply as "Yashinon" before being renamed "Super-Yashinon" partway through production. Because the YF was made for only about a year and was Yashica's last interchangeable-lens screw mount camera, both the body and its f/1.8 lens are uncommon today [3].

Optically the lens uses a six-element, five-group design, and a contemporary Japanese flyer described the Super-Yashinon specifically as a six-in-five formula. It is rangefinder coupled through the 39mm Leica thread (M39/LTM) mount and carries nine straight aperture blades with amber-tinted coatings. The barrel takes 43mm filters and was paired with a 45mm slip-on clamp-type hood supplied in a stitched leather case. Most surviving examples are engraved in feet, with only a small minority carrying metric scales, and the focus mount locks at infinity.

Two naming variants exist for what appears to be the same lens. Earlier examples are marked "Yashinon" and later ones "Super-Yashinon," with the changeover occurring roughly halfway through production at the end of the "597" serial prefix block; the collector who compiled the most detailed YF study found no cosmetic differences between the two and considers them effectively identical. Both share the nine straight blades and amber coatings, and the lens closely resembles the f/2.8 Yashikor that was also offered on these cameras, as well as period Canon 50mm screw mount lenses with similar barrel ribbing. The actual manufacturer is not documented with certainty, though shared construction details have led to speculation that Tomioka may have supplied it.

Optical qualities

Rendering Independent optical testing of this lens is scarce, so detailed rendering data is limited. What is documented is the design itself: a six-element, five-group fast standard formula with amber single-layer-era coatings typical of late-1950s Japanese production. The nine straight aperture blades form a roughly nine-sided opening when stopped down. Beyond these design facts, there is little published, reviewer-grade evidence about its sharpness, contrast, or bokeh, and claims about its imaging character should be treated cautiously in the absence of such testing.

History

Development and Launch Yashima, renamed Yashica in September 1958, acquired Nicca Camera Co. in 1958, primarily to gain Nicca's expertise in 35mm focal-plane-shutter rangefinders ahead of Yashica's move into single-lens reflex cameras. In 1959 Yashica released two rebadged Nicca-derived rangefinders, the YE and the YF, both using LTM screw mount lenses [4]. The YF was based on the Nicca III-L and was the higher-specified of the pair, normally sold with the f/1.8 Yashinon, later Super-Yashinon, while the cheaper YE came with a 50mm f/2.8 Yashikor. These were Yashica's final interchangeable-lens rangefinders before the company turned to its Pentamatic SLR in 1960.

Production Evolution During the lens's brief run the only documented change was the name, from "Yashinon" to "Super-Yashinon," appearing first on serial numbers near the end of the "597" prefix and continuing through the "5910" and "5911" prefixes. The compiler of the leading YF reference notes that the rename brought no change to the lens's external appearance and that he could find no evidence of an optical change between the two, splitting his sample database roughly evenly between the names. He also disputes an earlier suggestion that the "Super-Yashinon" came first, arguing from serial number sequences that the plain "Yashinon" was the earlier marking. Lens serial numbers observed all begin with "59," with later digits appearing to encode the production month.

Special editions No major factory special editions of this lens are widely documented. The YF was also occasionally found fitted with a rare 50mm f/2 Yashikor that may have been a Japan-only offering, and a small number of YF bodies turn up with the f/2.8 Yashikor, though whether those are original fitments is uncertain.

Collector Notes Buyers should be aware that "Yashinon" and "Super-Yashinon" markings denote the same basic lens rather than separate models, so neither name alone indicates a higher specification. Most examples are engraved in feet; metric-scaled copies are scarce, with only a handful recorded across both name variants. The matching 45mm slip-on clamp-type hood and its leather case are worth verifying as period-correct accessories, as the hood is uncommon. As with any amber-coated lens of this era, condition of the coatings and the presence of haze are practical points to check. One discrepancy worth noting: the detailed reference cites a minimum focus of about 3.4 feet, which is consistent with the roughly one-metre close-focus distance recorded for this lens.