Yashica ML 50 1.7 edges Zeiss AE 50 1.7 for edge sharpness..

Hi everyone,

Last week I managed to buy a 1979 copy of Practical Photography, a monthly UK magazine that is still going strong.

I bought it because it had a test of the Contax 139Q but it also included a performance test of the aforementioned lenses. It made good reading for Yashica fans as the overall rating for the ML was the same as that for the Zeiss Planar. Although the ML coating did not handle flare as well as the Zeiss T* coating, they judged that at the f5.6 mid-point, the Yashica was sharper at the edges than its more illustrious cousin!  Wide open, the Zeiss edged the ML for centre resolution but they were equal at the edges.

That's one in the eye for all the detractors who maintain the Yashica ML 50 1.7 is a poor performer - an overall match for one of the sharpest standard lenses ever made is not a bad recommendation!