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on Jan 31, 2017 13:38:09 GMT
Last Edit: Jan 31, 2017 13:41:18 GMT by rhalf
I finally managed to get a hold of the famous Yashica 50mm 1.4 and it let me down.
It looks and works properly. Nothing to complain, really, untill you look at the pictures. I had 1.7 and 1.9 versions and I never had problems with their sharpness. The 1.4 is the most unsharp of all my lenses and at every aperture. After all the good things I heard about it I start to think it is broken.
It doesn't have haze or fungus, but I can see more dust inside than in my other lenses. Could that be the cause of the lack of sharpness? Photographers tend to say some dust doesn't affect photographs. But how much is too much, really? Are there other bad copies of this lens at all?
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Group: Moderator
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Join date: April 2014
Status: Long, long time Contax and Yashica user; glad to be here and hope to contribute.
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on Jan 31, 2017 22:13:12 GMT
Posted: Jan 31, 2017 22:13:12 GMT
It might be illuminating to know the first 4 digits of your serial number as this may be an example of poor quality control, more especially if the lack of sharpness is edge-to-edge.
Usually dust has no impact on sharpness but an excess of dust might indicate that either lens had been dismantled at some stage, almost certainly not in a laboratory-clean environment, and not been properly re-collimated or the manufacturing tolerances were poor, i.e. quality control issues. I have six of the 1.4s and the 3 sharpest are all early numbers and the worst, with enough dust to be noted in the inventory, was A1075***
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on Feb 1, 2017 2:43:28 GMT
Posted: Feb 1, 2017 2:43:28 GMT
A1002995 - is that high? Looks lowish. Yes it is evenly flawed with bad aberrations even in the center. Fortunately I got it for nothing so no hard feelings, but I was so hyped for it  Dust is on front as well as in the back group. Looks messy. I never had problems with image after reassembling a lens so I guess my best shot is to get a JIS screwdriver and see if some element is loose. |
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Group: Moderator
Post: 2,042 (563 liked)
Join date: April 2014
Status: Long, long time Contax and Yashica user; glad to be here and hope to contribute.
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on Feb 1, 2017 4:00:43 GMT
Posted: Feb 1, 2017 4:00:43 GMT
A1002995 - is that high? Looks lowish. Yes it is evenly flawed with bad aberrations even in the center. Fortunately I got it for nothing so no hard feelings, but I was so hyped for it Dust is on front as well as in the back group. Looks messy. I never had problems with image after reassembling a lens so I guess my best shot is to get a JIS screwdriver and see if some element is loose. That is a very early number and I've not come across a poor performer from those days. It definitely sounds like at some time it's been taken apart, presumably for cleaning, and not properly reassembled.
Good luck with your JIS screwdrivers! Please keep us apprised on your progress in restoring it to full glory...
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