HANIMAR LENS 1: 1.7 f = 50mm. Review from the reader Radozhiva

HANIMAR LENS 1: 1.7 f = 50mm review specifically for Radozhiva prepared Sergey Maksimov.

HANIMAR LENS 1: 1.7 f = 50mm

What is Hanimar? What brand is this? Quite by chance I came across this lens on an Internet flea market, and bought it because of the aperture ratio and reasonable price. After a long search on the Internet, it became clear that Hanimar is the name for Hanimex camera lenses. Lenses were produced under this brand from the late 70s to the 80s for sale in Australia and, possibly, somewhere else. In particular, my copy is a copy of the Japanese Petri 50 mm f / 1.7 CC Auto lens, and most likely was produced at the same power.

HANIMAR LENS 1: 1.7 f = 50mm

The lens has a fixed focal length of 50 mm, which is 75 mm equivalent for a crop. Aperture without infinitely adjustable, switchable between fixed positions from f / 1.7 to f / 16. The diaphragm has 6 blades, which, when closed, form a pronounced angular “nut”. Dark metal petals, no matte black finish. The peculiarity of the diaphragm, I would call it, is that it is turned backwards - and the figured shape of the petals can be observed through the front lens, and not through the rear one, as with most lenses. The M42 connecting thread is a plus for me personally, because through adapters I can install this lens on any of my cameras. The diameter of the thread for the filter is 49 mm. The lens has an AM switch to lock the jumping aperture. This switch slides easily with the slightest touch, which distracts from the shooting process. However, when used on a mirrorless, the jump rope is fixed with an adapter and there is no problem. MDF lens 60 cm.

HANIMAR LENS 1: 1.7 f = 50mm

Since I bought the lens via the Internet, I was able to evaluate it only by photo, and expected something similar in quality to my Zenitar-M 50 / 1,9. But here it is a little different. My first impression, when I took it in my hands, was not the most pleasant. The focusing rings and aperture adjustments are made of plastic, the scales are not painted by engraving on the body itself, but by paint on aluminum inserts. The focus ring rotates about 90 degrees. On the one hand, this is a plus, because It is possible to quickly refocus in one motion, without intercepting the ring. But on the other hand, because of the short stroke, it is difficult to get into focus.

HANIMAR LENS 1: 1.7 f = 50mm

When focusing, the front lens rotates. More precisely, the entire front part of the lens rotates together with the focusing ring, which complicates the use of curly hoods and some filters, in particular, gradient and polarizing filters. The rings are noticeably loose, and this despite the fact that the lens I got is practically new. The rotation of the rings is easy and pleasant, although careless movements can easily knock out the focus or aperture settings. The lens is lightweight, does not outweigh the camera. The optics are coated, which is clear from the characteristic violet hue. The bokeh has a “proprietary” Planar twist, but it is very little expressed, and in some images it is practically not noticeable at all, which may appeal to those who do not like the “twisted” bokeh of helios.

HANIMAR LENS 1: 1.7 f = 50mm

The weak point of the lens can be called low sharpness, which is noticeably inferior to the aforementioned Zenitar M, Industar-50-2, and even the kit Sony SEL1855 (I attach examples at aperture 8). What's interesting is that the edge of the frame is slightly sharper than the center. I had never met this before and at first I thought that it seemed to me, because it contradicts logic and my personal experience. But after conducting several tests, I was convinced that this is the case. Perhaps this is a marriage of my particular specimen. In my opinion, one of the few advantages of this lens is its aperture, however, a similar Zenitar-M at the same price outperforms HANIMAR in everything: both in assembly quality and in picture quality, and the difference in maximum aperture of f / 1,9 versus f / 1,7 is practically not noticeable.

HANIMAR LENS 1: 1.7 f = 50mm

Photos were all taken on a Sony NEX-5N JPEG without processing. Only a foto banknote on Sony NEX-7 to RAW with subsequent conversion to JPEG and cropping without any other processing.

Hack and predictor Aviator

Hanimar Lens 50 / 1.7 is a budget fifty dollar that you can buy without looking for it aperture and light weight. For those who are willing to put up with low build quality, the lens may be an acceptable option.

You will find more reviews from readers of Radozhiva here.