Fujinon 55mm f/1.8. If you’re looking to purchase this lens I always check Adorama and Ebay for good deals. It helps me if you purchase it through one of these links here in this review. When you purchase through these links it financially enables me to devote time to develop this site further. Thanks for the help! -Todd

 

Barrel
Metal.

Weight
6.8 oz (194g)

Focus Ring
Metal.

Close Focus
1.5 feet (0.45 meters).

Filter Threads
49mm, Metal.

Aperture Ring
Metal.

Diaphragm
6 blades stopping down to f/16.

Mount
M42 Metal Mount.

Made in
Japan

 

 

 

 

Sharpness
f/1.8: A little soft but pretty low contrast and quite a bit of chromatic aberration.
f/2: Sharpens up quickly but still has a lot of chromatic aberration which reduces a lot of contrast.
f/2.8: Sharpens up quite a bit with decent contrast and very little chromatic aberration and nice color.
f/3.5: Very sharp with good contrast and very little chromatic aberration.
f/4: Very sharp with a hint of chromatic aberration.
f/8: Very sharp with great contrast and color and no signs of diffusion until f/16.

Vignetting
The vignette is not too bad and disappears pretty fast and is basically gone by f/5.6.

Bokeh
The bokeh is fairly nice and not too distracting.

Flare and Ghosting
Very evident and large but is a warmer tone with rainbow colors at larger apertures which can look interesting in some portraits.

Distortion

A fair bit of Barrel Distortion, more then I had expected.

Recommendations
On AF Camera
Optics:         ★ ★ ★
Mechanics:  ★ ★ ★ ★
Ergonomics: ★ ★ ★
Usefulness:   ★ ★ ★
Availability:    ★ ★ ★
Overall:          ★ ★ ★

On MF Camera
Ergonomics:   ★ ★ ★
Overall:           ★ ★ ★ ★
Out of 5

I had a pretty fun time shooting this manual focus lens and felt like I was getting some really good shots with it even if technically it’s not the greatest lens on earth. For some reason it was inspiring to use! I would love to go to a sunny beach and do some portrait work with it.
The build is pretty good and simple to use with fluid focus. This copy is a M42 mount but does not have the Manual/ Auto switch to toggle the aperture which is a little annoying. This lens works well on many DSLR with a M42 Adapter and I go on Ebay for split focus screens which can be found for a fair number of cameras.
Bokeh is pretty decent and less distracting as I was expecting but the barrel distortion was more then expected.
Overall I enjoyed the lens and liked the focal length. I would say if you like the ghosting as much as I did then I would say yes go grab one. They are really well made and fun to use.

 

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My hopes are to take the time to continue developing this website with more test photo based reviews. If you are ever interested in purchasing this lens or other photography equipment please do so through these links here in this review. I always check Adorama and Ebay for good deals. This helps support my family and allows me to take more time for the site. The best part is this site is free for you and I link good deals I find!

Sometimes these links will actually give you better deals then typical retail prices! I personally buy from the links I have listed whether looking for new gear or fun old stuff. I can personally attest to their good & safe service from years of experience. Thanks again to you, our readers, for supporting us! -Todd