MC Zenitar 1.2 / 50s review by reader Radozhiva

Overview of the MC Zenitar 1.2 / 50s lens specially for Radozhiva prepared Rodion Eshmakov.

MC Zenitar 1.2 / 50s

MC Zenitar 1.2 / 50s

Specifications:

Structure: 8 elements in 7 groups
Viewing angle: ~ 30 degrees
MDF: 0,45 m
Aperture Limits: 1:1.2-1:16
The weight: November 630, XNUMX
Years of production: since the beginning of 2014
Filter Thread Diameter: 62 mm
Contents of delivery: a lens with caps, a cloth bag under the lens.
Format: APS-C
Focus Type: Hand
Aperture type: manual

Appearance and design

The lens has a body made of hard, durable plastic that inspires confidence. The lens mount is made of non-black metal, which is best corrected by at least blackening it with a marker to avoid loss of contrast.
The plastic case is no longer glass and metal, plastic can quickly lose its appearance if handled carelessly. In general, it raises no objections.

Portrait on MC Zenitar 1.2 / 50s

Portrait on MC Zenitar 1.2 / 50s

The lens is available at KMZ for Canon EF and Nikon F mounts and is suitable only for cropped cameras (APS-C). At full-frame, he will give strong vignetting. Contrary to current trends, the lens has no connection with the camera, even the focus confirmation chip, which does not add convenience.

MC Zenitar 1.2 / 50s

MC Zenitar 1.2 / 50s

Key features:

1. Huge aperture - F1.2 - allows you to shoot in low light, achieve a small depth of field and use the lens as a portrait lens (equivalent to 75 mm at 1.5 crop).
2. Manual setting of the diaphragm. Aperture control is performed by one ring, without presetting mechanisms. The diaphragm snaps nicely, stops at the feet and half-stops. It's nice that there is a label for 1.4 between 1.2 and 2.
3. Multilayer coating - allows you to achieve good contrast and colors. At the same time, a lens from an open aperture, due to some features, is able to catch huge rabbits - more on that below. In terms of light transmission, the object is approximately equivalent to F1.4.
4. The lens has nine blackened aperture blades - more than enough to get smooth circles in the bokeh and a multi-pointed star from the flashlight.
5. The lens is suitable only for cameras with a format of no more than APS-C (although no one forbids using on trimmed APS)
6. The lens uses manual focus by moving the entire lens block. To do this, he has a wonderful convenient wide focus ring with a stroke, however, only 180 degrees. However, this move allows you to shoot videos faster and more conveniently.
7. The lens's MDF is large - 0.45 m, but still allows shooting small objects.
8. The lens is assembled flawlessly - no flaws were noticed. Often they write about the chips between the lenses in the new lenses of KMZ and so on ... This specimen has no such problems.

MC Zenitar 1.2 / 50s

MC Zenitar 1.2 / 50s

Photo quality

At 1.2 sharpness, the lens is more than enough. It is limited only by light software and chromatic aberrations, especially they appear on sources of bright light. Chromatic aberrations lenses are represented by both conventional fringing and the more harmful chromatism of magnification, which almost does not disappear with aperture. However, this is a disease of many lenses with "extreme" characteristics. And it is quite worthy to be removed programmatically, in the editor. In addition, there is a very small spherical aberration (soft) for such a lens and a barely noticeable coma at the edge of the frame. Overall, the lens is very good in distortion correction. The main problem - getting into focus at 1.2 - is solved by gradually getting used to the lens.

The maximum sharpness of the lens appears at F / 5.6, although already at 2.8 sharpness in the center abound. At the edges, the sharpness more or less aligns closer to F / 5.6-F / 8 due to chromatism.
The lens has very good color rendition and contrast. Thanks to the successful layout, the lens has a very good pattern and bokeh, which is closer to the edge of the "lemon", like planars. And just like planars, these circles can be “cut off” from the edge.

With backlight at apertures of up to 1.4, the lens gives a huge annular rainbow flare that occurs due to the special bore of one lens of the lens. Glare can be a good effect, but sometimes it becomes a big problem. At 1.4, it completely disappears, leaving only small reflections of enlightenment. Those. it is necessary to close the aperture to 1.4 at least to minimize the drop in contrast in backlight.

In general, the lens is nice to use for photos (especially portraits, night photographs) and video, there’s nothing to complain about.

MC Zenitar 1.2 / 50s

MC Zenitar 1.2 / 50s

Download source files in format JPEG can at this link (10 files in '.JPG' and '.CR2' format, 100 MB). All photos were taken on Canon 600D.

UPDATED

Prices for MC Zenitar 1.2 / 50s

You can see the real prices for the lens in online stores here.

Hack and predictor Aviator

Zenitar-S 50 / 1.2 is a wonderful portrait-night lens for cropped cameras, with a huge aperture, noble design, pleasant build and image quality and a "highlight" in the form of a sly flare.
Of course, its retail price is far from small, but if we ignore it, the lens is simply wonderful.

A list of all reviews from readers of Radozhiva will find here.

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Comments: 211, on the topic: Review of MC Zenitar 1.2 / 50s from the reader Radozhiva

  • Felix

    Viewing angle: ~ 45 degrees. How is this possible with 75mm EGF?

    • Rodion

      Cant. I forgot that he does not cover the APS.

  • Felix

    Probably a good lens. I have from the late Minolta MD 50 1.4. 1.4 more working than this, 2.0 you can already shoot landscapes .. Example on open 1.4.

  • Felix

    Minolta 2.0

  • anonym

    Well why should I consider this lens (MC Zenitar 1.2 / 50s)
    "Wonderful"? Bokeh with a garland is just awful. And portraits? What do they reveal? Helios 44 for 500 rubles will shoot better. Am I wrong?

    • Rodion

      I drew on my experience with Takumar 50 / 1.4. So this lens suits me much better on the crop. It is sharper, gives a pleasant-looking picture, acceptable sharpness when open (it's a pity that it is difficult to get into focus - which also affected the pictures), good colors and contrast. Optically, I really liked this zenith.
      I would love to use it on the FF, if there was such a camera, in crop mode.
      PS Regarding the bokeh ... Oh, take the Planar 50 / 1.4 - it will give the same) And there was also some lens with such a feature in the form of cutting off the edge of the circle.

      • Felix

        I noticed, by the way, the scourge of cropped canons, they cut a circle of bokeh on holes larger than 1.6-1.7. At 1.4, it cuts the circle of both 10d and 1000d. In terms of light, the 1.4 lens is about 1.6. You can see the cropping of the circle on the garlands too, so you can not rejoice at aperture 1.2;)

        • Rodion

          1. Trimming depends on the bore of the shaft and the size of the rear lens
          2. Cropping the circle does not affect the aperture - when reworking 92/2 with the I23U aperture, it also began to partially screen the edges of the rear lens, but the shutter speeds remained equal to the shutter speeds for F / 2
          3. Cropped circle means only the presence of light vignetting from the mine.

          • Felix

            There is such a thing as an exit pupil, and so for all fifty dollars of all systems of the same aperture, the size of the exit pupil will be approximately the same. 92 on f2 the lens is projective, and non-narrow, so when the pupil goes down to a value identical to Jupiter 9, for example, the lens aperture will not fall.

            At 1.4, not only the shaft interferes with the lens, but also the thickness of the raised mirror.

            • Felix

              And what good is this? Aperture falls all smoothly. There are no miracles. If you don’t believe me that it’s falling, shoot on a mirrorless mirror on the same parameters, be surprised.

            • Rodion

              Never mind. Nobody really cares about it. The number is standing - everyone is happy.
              Such a disease in very, very many lenses with large apertures. And do not go anywhere.

  • Arkady Shapoval

    Croaked fifty dollars? it is good that nikon and kenon did not think of it :)

    • Maugli

      If I'm not mistaken, SONY also has a sprinkled fifty dollars on the E-mount 1,8 with a stabilizer.

    • Lynx

      but the fujiki and the olympics figured it out ...
      that is fit.

      Focal length, eq. 35 mm 50 mm
      Aperture blades, type 7-blade circular aperture for natural blurring of the background
      Minimum focusing distance 0,25 m
      Optical design 9 elements in 7 groups
      Aspherical Elements 2
      Super HR element 1
      Dimensions 57,8 mm * 42,0 mm
      The diameter of the thread of the filter 46 mm

      • BB

        So this is not fifty dollars.

        • Lynx

          EGF 50 mm ...

          • BB

            If so, then Nikon also has a DX of 35mm, ether = 52.
            It was about FR, because it was it is fifty dollars on the crop - it doesn't make much sense - it's no longer a station wagon, not yet a portrait photographer

            • Lynx

              have sunk - they answer me with forcible phrases!
              O_o

              • BB

                In the presence of fifty dollars, this thought comes by itself))

            • Rodion

              In principle, this Zenitar can be considered as an adequate replacement for the 85 / 1.8 crop. The depth of field will be approximately the same, and the EFR is essentially the same. So - as a portrait, he can do nothing. And for premises, it is still convenient, albeit narrow.

  • Artyom

    I wouldn’t take it! What is the point of taking it if it is not autofocus, okay manual, but for the money!
    The same goes for the 40s Zhmeliusov

    • Rodion

      It hardly costs its money, but I didn't have to buy it. I only evaluated the optics as they are. The photo is still tight - I haven't taken pictures of them yet. Plus, getting into focus is very difficult for them. Even here, there are misses in focus portraits.

  • anonym

    Either the focus didn’t hit the portraits a little, or should I squeeze the aperture, or am I quibbling, but something went really bad?

    • Simon

      No, no, it doesn't seem to you ... typical small or soft sharpness appears here, in other ways, like in helios ... there is no ringing there, as they say ... because so ... Having turned the Helios all sorts of pieces, there were 6 and Jupiter 37 I no longer want to buy them in any version ... Only JAPAN or FRITZ

    • Rodion

      I didn’t get into focus, unfortunately.

  • Andrey

    I don’t understand at all why everyone admires these new helios, zeniths…. The image is cloudy, the blur zone, that is, “boke”…. Well, like a blur in Photoshop, I don't see any drawing there, there are no rounds, blurry spots. what is the beauty of a swirling background? I still don't understand either. you can see this for an amateur, now there are many modern QUALITY lenses, especially for such a price. as for me wasted money. sorry if offended any of the owners of this miracle

    • Simon

      I think they decided to take the high-power audience ... because so ... all the fuckers want a hole f1: 1

      • Andrey

        yes, a hole + metal case! so that our children would also use this "g"

        • Andrey

          Sorry, there is hard plastic :) still, children may not reach it.

    • Anonymous 1

      You are right and at the same time wrong ... If we proceed from the fact that optical designers developed and experimentally produced by the factory workers, Soviet optics is quite good and even competitive with foreign ones. But ... the love boat crashed against everyday life ... The production was so unstable that two lenses from the same batch showed different results! As at the beginning of the 20th century! Hundreds of pieces - so-so or just junk, and a couple of very decent products, close to the idea of ​​the designers. And also the production costs, when the additional, for example, operation of blackening the diaphragm blades prevented the overfulfillment of the plan and the receipt of the ministerial prize. Lenses are consumer goods, something like socks or buckets. Buying any device is always a lottery. Lucky or unlucky ... If you agree to risk a certain amount, you may get lucky with a very good Soviet lens. Or not. How the card will fall.

  • Julia

    Thanks for the review! You can photo the branches by email, for a personal desktop. Holiday greetings!

    • Arkady Shapoval

      There are

  • B.R.P.

    Yes, sir, apparently they didn't stretch 1,2 to the full frame ...

  • Igor

    This 600-gram piece of plastic with glass (you can't call it a lens) really costs $ 300 and is sold nowadays? And does someone buy it? The sharpness in the portraits is weak, the bokeh is also not very ... There are no censorship words about this product.

    • Rodion

      I repeat once again: in portraits, a focus error is possible. See snapshots of static objects.
      And bokeh is subjective.

  • Noa

    I'll put in my own five kopecks ...
    Vtselov, the lens is interesting for its luminosity and…. perhaps all. In Helios-40, at least the twisted bokeh is interesting (the girls like it, which means the photo will be sold))) Here, though not rough, but boring bokeh. Sharpness at 1,2 for portraits where you need a large grip will still not be. I think the lens is a little pointless, but thanks a lot to the author for the review, it was very interesting)
    Happy New Year!

    • Rodion

      Thank you, too, with the upcoming)
      I got the lens as a prize, because it is meaningless or not meaningless ... They can shoot)

  • Maugli

    This lens has a strong competitor in the face of Nikon 50 / 1,2. With an adapter, he gets up on Canon. Price used comparable to the price of Zenithar.

  • Maugli

    And thank you very much, Rodion, for the work done!

  • Lynx

    decent review.
    Although examples of shooting, especially with a normal balance, unfortunately not enough.

    • Rodion

      This is a matter of time)

    • anonym

      The phrase “portrait-night” hurt, and the “highlight” with a glare just finished off the young man.

      • Lynx

        Here you nefig zhsya do, 5 minutes after midnight to post!

  • Alexey

    If you believe the official website of KMZ, then this lens has the following tech. specifications:
    Focal Length: 50 mm (51,54 mm)
    Relative Hole: 1: 1,2
    Field of view: 32 °
    Linear Image Field: 30mm

    Number of lenses / groups: 8/6
    Number of Aspherical Surfaces: 2
    Working distance: 44 mm
    Back focal length: 39,13 mm
    Distance from first to last surface: 119,4 mm

    Aperture Drive: Manual
    Aperture scale limits: 1: 1,2–1: 16
    Number of aperture blades: 9

    Focus: Manual
    Closest focusing range: 0,45 m

    Enlightenment Type: Multi-Layer

    Connections:
    lens with camera - C mount (geometrically corresponds to EF mount)
    for screw-in nozzles - M58 × 0,75
    for put on nozzles - ∅60 mm
    Working distance: 44 mm
    Camera Connection: None

    Weight: 0,63 kg
    Year of development: 2012

    http://www.zenitcamera.com/archive/lenses/zenitar-1-2-50.html

    • Rodion

      This is a prototype, not a serial model. This lens does not have aspherical elements.

    • Rodion

      This version was yours, which is by reference. She was shown at the exhibition. And not serially produced.
      The review presents a serial sample, Zenitar 50 / 1.2s, where “s” means that all surfaces are spherical. In short, I recommend not to confuse people here and to study the material more carefully.

      • Alexey

        Rodiion, apparently you did not carefully read the material from the link. There are TTX of 3 variations Zenitar 50 / 1.2: -C; -S and without prefixes.

        • Rodion

          you brought only aspherical here)

          • Alexey

            Data specific to Zenitar-C 1,2 / 50

          • Alexey

            Here the author introduces confusion: the cap includes Zenitar-C 1,2 / 50, and the text Zenitar 1,2 / 50 S, and these are different lenses.

            • Rodion

              I don't have any confusion. On the nameplate at the front lens - Zenitar-S. On the focus ring - 50 / 1.2s. Everything is clear, everything is clear. What's wrong?

  • anonym

    Something you have everything pokotsano -and the filter, and a bayonet mount + laying out unsharp portraits indicates a frivolous view.

    • Rodion

      The filter is not pokotsan, but modernized so that the lid is kept native. Sly she.
      The bayonet is artificially blackened, I wrote this in a review.
      Unsharp portraits will only remind you that it is not easy to shoot with such optics.

    • Rodion

      I have already written many times that I am simply not used to the lens yet - it is difficult to take photographs, always getting into focus. If there are good photos - with the help of Arkady I will upload them here.
      In general, the rest of the photos are fine enough to appreciate this controversial (but not bad at all) lens.

  • anonym

    If he is experienced, the more it is not necessary to draw hasty conclusions about his remarkableness.

    • Rodion

      In the review of the production sample, read normally.

  • Vlad

    Arkady HAPPY NEW YEAR !! I wish you a lot of creativity

  • Alexey

    Question to the author: please clarify the model, in the header is Zenitar-C 1,2 / 50, and according to the text Zenitar 1,2 / 50 S.

    According to the information on the site
    KMZhttp: //www.zenitcamera.com/archive/lenses/zenitar-1-2-50.html are different lenses.

    • Rodion

      Diluted the confusion. In the review Zenitar-C 50 / 1.2s. C is from Canon, s is spherical.

    • Rodion

      It was necessary to get so attached to this S-ke lost, when it is also in all signatures in the photo of the lens.

  • Zmitser

    Why was it necessary to send muddy photos for review? Apparently, what would heroically fight back in kamenty?

    The boke of this lens is semolina. There is no zest.

    IMHO, if it really costs 300 evergreens, then this is a tryndets

    • Rodion

      Then to supplement the review.
      PS Tastes Differ

  • Angry

    Ultra-fast interchangeable lens with aspherical glass lens surfaces for Canon DSLR cameras

  • ñ

    Wave-8 1,2 / 50 GOI, and also the original development of KMZ)

  • Ivan

    The other day I just stumbled upon this zenithar. I already re-read everything and yesterday I saw it in photo ru. Twisted. I need more for the video. But for the photo does not hurt :)
    I liked the construct. A lot of metal, "the thing is felt". One more thing with the diaphragm - it closes with intermediate stops (between 1.2 and 1.4 there is a stop, and so on between 1.4 and 2.0 2 stops. It is very convenient in fact. The focusing is smooth, the ring is comfortable and the weight does not really bother you. it's hard to run around the location with him. about shooting. 1.2 fully working. I was surprised myself. Yes, it is soft. If you can do it in Lr at a time. I focused both on Lv and through the viewfinder 7d. I will say that through the viewfinder it turned out quite even Just read the reviews that only in Lv and only 10x magnification. If you also put the focusing screen, it will be a fairy tale. Yes, there is HA. But show me something fast without them ... this is the norm. Moreover, they correct with one click in the editor. And by the way, they are better on the open than on my samyang 85 1.4 (that chromatite is decent) Oh yes, I was looking for the unfortunate glare on the open, especially on the back one, I looked at the lights, everything is less tolerant. But these are the conditions of the store, so who knows. (What if they fixed this case ?! and yes, the contrast is good. Again, the blackening can be corrected)
    Oh yes, he also twisted the G-40 updated under the canon. What can I say, at 1.5 it is softer, even softer than the zenith at 1.2. Not for crop, he’s all right, maybe it opens on FF, but on 7d he was not impressed, unlike the zenith.
    Total - I liked the glass. On the crop - the very thing. Sharpness is good, constructive, canon tail. In general, I am pleasantly surprised.

    • Lynx

      Senks for the detailed opinion.

  • Ivan

    The other day I just stumbled upon this zenithar. I already re-read everything and yesterday I saw it in photo ru. Twisted. I need more for the video. But for the photo does not hurt :)
    I liked the construct. A lot of metal, "the thing is felt". One more thing with the diaphragm - it closes with intermediate stops (between 1.2 and 1.4 there is a stop, and so on between 1.4 and 2.0 2 stops. It is very convenient in fact. The focusing is smooth, the ring is comfortable and the weight does not really bother you. it's hard to run around the location with him. about shooting. 1.2 fully working. I was surprised myself. Yes, it is soft. If you can do it in Lr at a time. I focused both on Lv and through the viewfinder 7d. I will say that through the viewfinder it turned out quite even Just read the reviews that only in Lv and only 10x magnification. If you also put the focusing screen, it will be a fairy tale. Yes, there is HA. But show me something fast without them ... this is the norm. Moreover, they correct with one click in the editor. And by the way, they are better on the open than on my samyang 85 1.4 (that chromatite is decent) Oh yes, I was looking for the unfortunate glare on the open, especially on the back one, I looked at the lights, everything is less tolerant. But these are the conditions of the store, so who knows. (What if they fixed this case ?! and yes, the contrast is good. Again, the blackening can be corrected)
    Oh yes, he also twisted the G-40 updated under the canon. What can I say, at 1.5 it is softer, even softer than the zenith at 1.2. Not for crop, he’s all right, maybe it opens on FF, but on 7d he was not impressed, unlike the zenith.
    Total - I liked the glass. On the crop - the very thing. Sharpness is good, constructive, canon tail. In general, I am pleasantly surprised.

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