lightseeker.org / Lichtsucher.com: Auto Revuenon MC 50mm f/1.4

Sony a7 with Auto Revuenon 50mm f/1.4 at f/2.8 (the "Feengrotten" in my hometown Saalfeld)

The fast Revuenon MC 50 1: 1.4 was introduced in 1980 as a kit lens of the sensationally good Revueflex AC2. "Revue" was the trademark of the company "Quelle" from Nürnberg, go bust in 2009.

It is often told in the Internet that revue produced exclusively in the former GDR.

The here discussed "Auto-Revuenon 1.4 / 50 MC" comes not from GDR production, but from the production halls of Chinon or Cosina (were both, Cosina was rather too M42 times of suppliers, Chinon rather to bayonet era).

By far the largest part of the range of the former "Foto-Quelle" is built by Cosina and later at Chinon and come with Revue label to Germany. Meanwhile, the lenses of the brand "Revue" spread worldwide. There are many cruel bad lenses, but also some real highlights. This lens is one of the really good specimens of Revuenon. There are at flickr, but not only there countless examples of the fantastic quality of this lens even at full aperture.

First, the usual statistics:

The manual focusing lens has a minimum focal distance of 45 centimeters. The lens mount of my copy is a Pentax K bayonet. The filter diameter is 49 millimeters. In the lens housing, there are six elements in five groups. The lens has six aperture blades. The lens is made of metal and weighs approximately 250 grams. The setting is very high-quality and convey a good haptics , the lenses are multicoated. The bokeh is very nice, look here:

Sony a7 with Auto Revuenon 50mm f/1.4 at full aperture

A few years ago you got this lens when purchasing a camera "Revueflex" as it were bestowed with it. But times are changing. The prices for the really good manual lenses have so tightened that you pay today up to ten times what had been common even five years ago. Today you pay sometimes up to a hundred Euros for the Revuenon 50mm f / 1.4. I got it for about 50 euros from a colleague from the german DSLR- forum. The lens is perfect as a portrait lens on an APS-C camera. Converted to full frame is the focal length of about 75 to 80 millimeters.

But also on full frame cameras like the Sony a7 this lens is very good for portraits. Here are examples at open aperture and aperture 4.0. Many thanks to my good friend Hartmut Wohlfarth.

Sony a7 with Auto Revuenon 50mm f/1.4 at full aperture

Sony a7 with Auto Revuenon 50mm f/1.4 at f/4.0

What can be said about the picture quality? Well, the optical resolution is even at maximum aperture at a very high level. Even the smallest details can be seen very well in a 100-fold magnification.
I have uploaded the images in full resolution, especially for this post.
At full aperture the pictures looks little bit washed-out. But stopping down the pictures are awesome and fantastic in every sense. You'll love the glass.
At the full-frame camera lens vignetting clearly visible. If you stop down two or three times, but this effect disappears completely.

Sony a7 with Auto Revuenon 50mm f/1.4 at full aperture

The Bokeh is very pleasing and acceptable although the lens has a total of only six aperture blades.

Sony a7 with Auto Revuenon 50mm f/1.4 at full aperture

By direct or indirect backlight, the lens behaves relatively unspectacular. It caused some ghosting and smearing a little, but nothing really bad. You can use these photos without hesitation. For indirect backlit by the sun but a lens hood could be beneficial. But I can not look up what lens hood really fits. Because of their relatively low weight and the acceptable size of the lens can actually use as Always-top lens on a full frame camera.

The sharpness is already at full aperture absolutely fine, but at f 2.8 to f 4 it achieves excellent image quality from edge to edge. The glass is really a stunner, you do not want to part with it more.

If it had an auto focus, it would be a real bestseller. But then it would certainly be outrageously expensive.

To summarize: If you can get it for little money, then buy it necessarily. I have no regrets and I will certainly use a good long while.

Finally, a few photos with the Auto Revuenon 50mm f / 1.4: