For the opportunity lens review Zenitar-M 1,7 / 50 Many thanks to Alexander Perever and Igor Tihan.
Review Zenitar-M
TTX Zenitar-M 1.7 / 50 (aka Zenitar-M 1.7 / 50)
MDF: 45sm
Optical design: 6 elements in 5 groups
Focal length: 50mm
Number of aperture blades: 6 pieces
Diaphragm: F1.7-F16.0
The weight: 280 g
Landing thread: M42
Front Filter Diameter: 52mm
This review presents exactly Zenitar-M with serial numbers 859616 and 850340. There is a modification of the lens MS Zenitar-M with multi-enlightenment and slightly smaller MDF, you can see the overview MS Zenitar-M 1,9 / 50... Zenitar-M 1.7 / 50 was used as a standard lens for Zenit-18 and Zenit-19 cameras. There is also a very interesting modification - Zenitar-ME1 50 mm f / 1.7 MS with just two aperture blades that form a square aperture and give a fun "grid" in the out of focus area at closed apertures.
View of the Zenatir-M lens 1,7 50 from different sides
Features of the lens Zenitar-M 50 1.7
1. Focusing ring moves smoothly, slightly tight. The minimum focusing distance is 45cm, infinity starts at 15 meters on the scale on the lens. The focusing ring itself rotates approximately 270 degrees. When focusing, the entire lens unit moves. When focusing, the “trunk” is lengthened by about a centimeter. The depth of field indicators are plotted for diaphragms 4, 8, 11, 16 and, most likely, for 2.8, but without a numerical designation. On the aperture scale, you can set the values 1.7, 2, 4, 8, 11, 16 and, most likely, F2.8, F5.6 without a digital designation.
Enlightenment of the front and rear lens of the Zenitar-M lens
2. The lens is excellent maximum aperture F1.7, which allows you to achieve a very small depth of field. Considering that on cameras with a 1.5x crop EGF will be 75mm, and for 1.6x EGF is 80mm, then the lens can be used as a good portrait lens. The number of aperture blades is only 6 pieces. If you need a portrait lens for a crop, also look towards the Helios-44 in the white version.
3. The lens is well assembled. The first copy that I visited was with the backlash of the focus ring. But my second lens was made very high quality.
Sample photos on Zenitar-M 1.7 50mm
4. The diameter of the front filter is 52mm, you can easily find a protective or specialized photo filter. When focusing, the front group of lenses does not rotate, which simplifies working with the lens.
Sample photos on Zenitar-M 1.7 50mm
5. The lens has a blinking (jumping) aperture. It’s very convenient that you can disable it with a special switch and you can set aperture values in manual mode. The lens has no aperture preset ring.
Sample photo on Zenitar-M F1.7 50mm
Sample photos on Zenitar-M
All photos are unprocessed. Unloading from RAW -> JPEG Q80%, resized to 1600 * 1200, data from EXIF. Everything is filmed on Nikon D200, Nikon D40, Canon 350D.
How to use with modern cameras?
Lenses with mounting thread M42 (M42 X 1 / 45.5), such as the lens from this review, are very easy to use on almost any modern digital camera (both SLR and mirrorless), for this it is enough to choose the right adapter (adapter). You do not need to carry out any additional steps to modify the lens.
The cheapest adapters can be found at Aliexpress.com... There are adapters (adapters) with a chip that provide more convenience during shooting, usually chips are used to confirm focus and / or metering exposure, and form the correct EXIF. The chip does not affect the image quality in any way.
For some SLR cameras (for example, with the Nikon F-mount), you need to use adapters with a corrective lens, which allows you to focus correctly at all focusing distances. For any mirrorless cameras, such a lens is not needed, and the adapter is a simple decorated hollow metal tube with an appropriate mount.
For SLR cameras
- Canon: For cameras Canon EOS with bayonet mount EF / EF-S need an M42-Canon EOS adapter, such an adapter with a chip can be found herewithout chip here.
- NIKON: For cameras Nikon DX / FXas well as for cameras Fujifilm и Kodak with a Nikon F mount, you need an M42-Nikon F adapter, you can buy such an adapter without a lens and a chip here, with a lens without a chip herewith chip without lens here, with lens and chip here. Why a lens? Why chip?
- PENTAX: For Pentax cameras with K mount, you need an M42-Pentax K adapter, you can buy such an adapter here.
- SONY/MINOLTA: For cameras with a Sony / Minolta A mount, you need the M42-Sony A adapter, you can find such an adapter without a chip at this linkwith a chip at this link.
- OLYMPUS/PANASONIC/LEICA: For cameras with a 4/3 bayonet mount (not to be confused with Micro 4/3!) You need an M42-4 / 3 adapter, you can buy such an adapter here.
For mirrorless cameras
- SONY: For cameras with 'E'/'FE' mount series SonyNEX и Sony Alpha you need an adapter M42-Sony E (aka M42-Sony Nex), you can find it at this link. An autofocus adapter is also available for these cameras. Techart PRO Leica M - Sony E Autofocus Adapterwhich can be found at this link.
- OLYMPUS / PANASONIC / KODAK / XIAOMI: For cameras with a bayonet mount Micro 4/3 (Micro 4:3) you need an adapter M42-Micro 4/3, you can find it at this link.
- CANON M: For cameras with Canon EF-M mount need adapter M42-Canon M, it can be found at this link.
- CANON R and RF-S: For cameras with Canon RF mount need adapter M42-Canon R, it can be found at this link.
- Nikon 1: For cameras Nikon 1 Series need adapter M42-Nikon 1, you can find it at this link.
- Nikon Z: For cameras Nikon Z series (FX/DX) need an adapter M42-Nikon Z, it can be found at this link.
- FUJIFILM X: For cameras with mount X need an M42-Fuji X adapter, you can find it at this link.
- FUJIFILM GFX: For medium format cameras G-mount need M42-Fuji GFX adapter, you can find it at this link.
- SAMSUNG: For cameras with NX mount, you need an M42-Samsung NX adapter, you can find it at this link. There are no adapters for the NX mini camera yet.
- PENTAX: For Q-mount cameras, you need an M42-Pentax Q adapter, you can find it at this link.
- SIGMA / PANASONIC / LEICA: For cameras with L mount you need an M42-Leica L adapter, you can find it at this link.
- LEICA: For cameras with a bayonet mount Leica M need adapter M42-L / M, you can find it at this link.
If you have any questions on compatibility and adapters - ask in the comments (comments do not require any registration at all).
Portrait on Zenitar-M 1.7 50
Image Quality at Zenitar-M
Zeninar-M lens which gives sharpness already with the maximum open aperture F1.7... Moreover, the sharpness is not conditional, but quite normal. Sharpness at closing the aperture only increases and is present throughout the entire field of the frame (taking into account the effect of diffraction). Lens distortion on the cropped matrix is minimal. The lens produces good, smooth and soft bokeh at full aperture. The image is contrasting. Color reproduction is normal. A little afraid of counter light, in general, tolerates side light normally. There is nothing more to say - just a high-quality fifty kopeck piece.
Zenitar-M on a modern camera
Personal impressions
I liked Zenitar-M 1.7 50. The owner of the Zenithar, who has the ability to focus on infinity, claims that F1.7 can even take a landscape. Of the Soviet fifty kopecks, I usually recommend Helios-81n, Helios-77m-4, now I will recommend Zenitar-M 50 1.7. I advise you to look in the section to vote for the best Soviet fifty dollarswhere Zenitar-M takes the honorable 3rd place.
Sample photo on Zenitar-M F1.7 50mm
You can judge the sharpness yourself:
Zenith-M lens sharpness
Backlight, the lens is still afraid. Example photo with hard backlight below.
Example photo with hard backlight below
But the blurring of the background on a fully open aperture is simply gorgeous.
Background blur on Zenitar-M
Color rendition on the example of a photograph with flowers.
Color rendering Zenitar-M
Zenitar-M has a shallow depth of field at F1.7
Background on the Zenith-M went into kissel
Catalog modern brand lenses 'Zenitar' и 'Helios' can look at this link.
Comments on this post do not require registration. Anyone can leave a comment. Many different photographic equipment can be found on AliExpress.
Hack and predictor Aviator
Zenitar-M 50 1.7 is an excellent fast prime lens. It has good sharpness at all apertures and nice open bokeh. I recommend.
Material prepared Arkady Shapoval. Training/Consultations | Youtube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Telegram
Arkady You are a great fellow. It's very nice to read such reviews. I bought this lens for Canon 6D two years ago. I shot the video and was very pleased) Today I have a Panasonic G7 micro 4 \ 3 system and the budget is not big for optics. I’m eyeing with Soviet lenses, or just a mantra since those years. Please advise me a couple of these with different focal points I will be very grateful to you.
There are many inexpensive old Canon FD series - they are not bad and cost pennies, there are more interesting options, for example, the old Olympus OM. It is necessary to advise on the basis of specific tasks, because with “different focus” you can bring a thousand.
I bought myself one in the early 2000s, shooting at the zenith 11. As a replacement for the standard helios 44-m4. At that time, the Zenith people were even filming. On tape. Because something imported was very expensive. So THEN everyone tried to get rid of Helios (with which everyone is now worn and screwed on DSLRs). And at all forums Helios was not called anything other than "G". And put Industar 61 LZ. And if you're lucky - Zenitar M-1.7. Because the last - I'm not afraid of this word - is the best Soviet fifty kopeck on m42.
Anyone who wants to buy Zenitar now and put it on the CZK Kenon must immediately fork out for the PROGRAMMABLE adapter. And program the front / back focus on it. Otherwise, there will be a lot of focusing errors at open aperture.
hello. Tell me the M42-EOS adapter with a chip, do I need to configure it for this lens or screw it and that's it?
thank you
You can not configure anything, but immediately remove it.
THX. tell me if it will miss?
Typically, the chip can be reprogrammed with focus correction, there is a simple instruction.
ATP found. tasted
will this macro ring lens work?
Yes, it will.
sorry, but you can still make it clear on the rings…. can these glasses be used with 700d through a simple adapter without a chip?
Yes, you can.
Can you tell me where to get the hood? or from Jupiter-37A
I will not prompt
Please tell me. If you choose between the zenith and pentacone 50 1.8. What would you recommend. The condition is the same
Pentagon with color numbers of a scale of distances.
Definitely a zenith. The pentacon has an ugly coma in an open hole in the middle part of the field (approximately in the middle between the center and the edge). A good zenith (with an untwisted rear lens) does not have this.
Dear, do not write nonsense ...
Several generations, starting from acquaintance with MTL 3, read from the end of the 70s, all models and so on. None of them, either on film or on digital, had what you write.
Absolutely working on an open film, the contrast is higher, the sharpness is the same.
The minimum percentage of optical marriage - I went through the mechanics of the diaphragm, but something with lenses or with an alignment problem ...
Did you even hold them in your hands, these practitioners, to compare with 50 / 1.7 from the eighties?
Is such a lens compatible with the FED 5V rangefinder photo camera?
No, the working length is longer
Hello Arkady! Tell Zenitar-M 50 1.7 for subject photography suitable?
Yes, it does. It is believed that under the subject is better macro lens. But ordinary lenses with a small MDF or with macro rings can do this too.
I do not mean photographing insects but still lifes.
So this is a big thing. Pidide.
Forgive the last word, I did not understand.
In my opinion, it will “fit” on mov.
SO!))))
Was he smart?
One of the most beautiful lenses (well, mine for sure)) and it appeared so on a mirrorless camera .. on the DSLR and there wasn’t such beauty
Hello! Tell me, please, is this lens suitable for the Nikon D5300?
And what is the difference between adapters with glass and a chip from those without glass and a chip?
Will the adapter indicated in the post fit?
And another question: the lens inside is dusty, there is hair
Is it realistic to clean? And how much will it cost in the cabin?
Thank you in advance!
The adapter without anything on the d5300 will allow you to work only in the “M” mode and only with manual ISO selection and manual settings for the built-in flash power.
An adapter with a chip will allow you to shoot in “A” mode and use auto ISO, auto flash mode.
An adapter with a lens will allow focusing further than 2 meters, without it, with the d5300 it will be possible to shoot only at close distances.
It’s real to clean, it will cost around 10-20 dollars, depending on the master.
The adapter shown in the section “How to use with modern cameras?” -> 'For Nikon SLR cameras' will work.
Hello! I have a Nikon 1 j1 camera and now I use my father's old MS Helios 44m-4 58mm 2.0 through a Chinese adapter and use it. I shoot portraits on him. In principle, the quality is very good. But I want something better. Firstly, I have a crop of 2.7 and therefore the 58mm focal length turns into 156mm ... which is not very convenient for portrait photography + also the faces are too pancake (well, I correct this in FS).
I want to buy a 50mm lens, preferably on M42 (so as not to bother buying other adapters) 50mm on my KROP will be 135mm - a normal long-focus portrait comes out + it will be more convenient to stand - closer to the subject. BUT the smaller the focal point, the less bokeh, and you want it to be at least not less, but better, more. In full-height portraits, I miss the blur of the background.
Advise what is better for me to take for my purposes? I have an option to buy MC Helios 77m-4 50mm 1.8, there is an option to take this Zenitar 50 1.7, but I also see you can buy Minolta 1.3 50mm, only the price is 2 times more expensive + an adapter to buy ... I don't know if it's worth it.
Thank you very much in advance for your reply!
I’ll recover from Minolta 1.4 and Nikon V1 from me.
Better look at your lenses like C-Mount. A funny little thing like Meteor-5 can also come in handy.) Cinema zoom, bright, just under crop 2.7 and it seems like even with M42 thread, costs a penny.
Thanks, but meteor 5 1.9 and focal length less. I'm afraid the bokeh will be so strong. Yes, and I looked at how he looked - I'm certainly an experimenter, but I'm afraid to stick such a wild thing into my camera aha))
Meteor zoom, and the focal point at the far end is 69 mm, not 50))) However, yes, it is wild. Still, look at Ali Express C-mount lenses - there are a lot of cheap 50 / 1.2, 35 / 1.2 and similar things.
Thank you, you can really buy for a penny 50 1.4 already with an adapter for Nikon 1
In terms of numbers, it sounds very tempting, but how it will be in practice. Will a beautiful picture in principle? it is unknown whether examples can be found.
In practice, it will be much better than using a camera analogue with a much larger format. You will hardly find examples for a specific lens, although you can try to look for analogs - they are still similar to each other ideologically.
Even better? Well, you directly convinced me. Really order myself such a lens means. Especially worth the really sane money. I hope I'm lucky and everything will be okay. So far, with ali, I even ordered glass and everything was in order.
I'm just trying to get the most out of my amateur mirrorless, although I understand that I’ll grow out of it quickly and I’ll need to take 1.5 matrix and there’s not enough functionality on Nikon v1 (
Thanks again for the tips!
Good luck! Share the result, if suddenly - also interesting.
I think in a month I will have just golden autumn. I’ll go shoot portraits)) if you go to Instagram @sergio_cherkes there I have portraits on helios 44m4 for now if it's interesting. There I will then upload photos with fujian 50 1.4
Eh, I didn't wait for my Fujian 50mm 1.4 - I sold my camera and bought another one. I could not come to terms with the lack of focus picking, the lack of the ability to disable preview, the lack of a standard hot shoe. I bought Sony A3500 with APS-C matrix! all the same, the CX matrix on Nikon 1, squeezes me a little into the frame-iso is not enough, the depth of field ((. I hope soon all the same Fujian from China will come to me - I'll try it on a new Sonya. I know there will be a small vignette, but what to do ... Anyway, the picture should be interesting. So I spontaneously decided ... that I didn't even try to make a couple of shots with this lens on Nikon 1 (((It's a shame a little. Well, what's done is done.
I bought myself such a glass a couple of years ago. Never disappointed. I shoot them on the fuji-X system. Mostly reporting. Later I bought my native fujifilm 50mm f2 but I like the zenith more. I noticed one feature of modern lenses, they quickly get bored. And old Soviet glasses are always pleasing, there is something in them that attracts)
Arkady, good afternoon! Here is such a problem with the Zenitar-M 1.7. On the Canon 1100D there is no infinity on the open aperture (however, I did not check on others). That is, even in LifeView mode, the screen cannot get a sharp image of deleted objects. It seems that a little is missing) And if, for example, you remove the adapter and put it with your hands on the camera, then it turns out to focus on remote objects. These are the pens of the past owner (s) tried so hard?) Can you be edited? Or is there a problem in the adapter? Although, it seems quite normal.
There may be many options, there may be a thick adapter, and picking in the lens itself
Most likely the lens was disassembled and not assembled correctly. It is necessary to unscrew the screws that secure the focus ring and rotate it relative to the lens block 120 degrees to the side of infinity and again screw the screws so that they fall into their grooves on the lens block ..
Always, when buying a new old glass, I open your articles on it. Very objective lens tests. Thank you for the work done, it helps a lot, although sometimes I disagree on something, although this can be attributed to scatter as a tested glass.
Arkady, I'm all about mine, sorry, about the absence of infinity at the zenith). There was no opportunity to try another adapter, but I measured the thickness of the ring on the aluminum m42-eos and the thickness on the brass PK-eos (I have a 44K-4 helix and everything is ok with infinity). It turned out for al - 1,5 mm, for armor - 1.3 mm. Can this affect?
The lens needs to be adjusted to infinity - there is a detailed description on the net.
How to find a protective filter for this lens?
On alik, look under its thread knightx hd mc uv filters - very good for their price.
A great lens, but my focus ring spun tight with jamming. I fixed the problem very simply. If you unscrew the back cover with a diaphragm jump, then our eyes will see 2 stoppers that slide in the grooves when focusing, they sit there very tightly and interfere with the movement of the lens unit. The width of the stoppers is slightly different (about 0,1 mm), I just removed the big stopper and put the smaller one in its place, a barely noticeable angular play (0,1 mm) appeared, but the focus ring rotates without jamming. No other problems were identified, with one stopper everything works fine.
That is, judging by the vote for the best fifty dollars, if we compare this Zenitar and Helios 81N, is it preferable to the second? Helios will sit on the Nikon 5100 without adapters, but the Zenithar has a higher aperture, and it’s quite working.
Both are good, but they are too different in design to compare.
G81n quite suits me, I'm going to get it. One thing I do not like about him: there are few diaphragm blades, and therefore, respectively. the shape of its hole. I would like like Tair or Jupiter, but with a focal length of 50 mm. Do not tell me, maybe there is such a glass of manual and inexpensive?
Helios 44 silver, under M39. 13 aperture blades. 58 mm is true, but not significant.
If there is a little dust in it, is it possible to clean it yourself neatly so?
With all due respect, you can compare it with Helios-81n with a very big stretch
According to the final result, this may not be so noticeable, but Zenitar is much more convenient to shoot. The real aperture ratio, the 16th hole is quite a working one even at ISO 100 on a cloudy day. 81 under these conditions will show a gloomy result. But on a sunny day, Zenitar on the middle hole without tweaks will turn out to be, to put it mildly, in a high key, or even just in overexposure. The contrast fades too. Well, he is generally softer in the drawing of Helios. When I need to shoot soft or dark, but in volume - I take Zenitar-M. Sharp and light, with contrast, sharp edges - I take Helios81n.
The blur zone is different - their optical design is different, after all. You can list the nuances for a long time: wherever you stick, the differences are obvious. Apart from the focal point and the number of petals, they have little in common.
Good evening. I have such a Zenitar. A good lens in my opinion. But I also bought a Minolta MC Rokkor-X PG 50 mm f / 1.4 and what surprised me - they seem to me quite similar ..) Now I wondered why I need two fifty rubles .. Tell me if you had a choice - which of you kept them for yourself and most importantly why? P / S Outwardly mine are both in good condition. Technically too. Sharpness after 2.0 is approximately the same, well, at the edges a little better and minolty. Up to 2.0 Zenitar is sharper. Well, thanks in advance for your reasoning!)
Tell me Zenitar-M 1.7 50 mm on a full frame Canon 5D is suitable? Will the mirror not catch?
In the internet there is a photo of this device with this lens, in theory, there should be no problems. But before installing with an adapter, it is always useful to check the depth to which the lens unit is sliding with a ruler. For example, for those cropped with an EF-S lens, this is 11 mm, for an FF - about 6 mm. Here from 6 mm and dance. You need to measure from the plane of the mount!
To simplify, screw the M42-EOS adapter to the lens. Make sure that when focusing, the lens unit does not move beyond the adapter (the chip, if there is one, does not count, it can be, it is at the bottom, and the mirror usually clings at the top). If it moves beyond the limits - you need to think.
People. Such a question, when programming the M42 dandelion, you need to enter the aperture value of your lens. In this case, Zenitar-M 50 1.7, but in the settings there is a value of either 1,6 or 1,8. Who faced this problem and is it a problem, please unsubscribe)
It's not a problem. Put any that you like. From this, nothing will change much and everything will work fine.
Here are more examples of photos with minimal processing, all at f1.7
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