Pekka Buttler, July 2025
(featured image: @f/1.4)
Introduction
This lens’ data sheet is forthcoming.
This lens was introduced in 1974 together with the Contax/Yashica system (a collaboration between Carl Zeiss and Yashica).
Its mainline specifications of 50 mm f/1.4 make it a classic representative of the class of fast fifties. Considering the lineup of lenses that Yashica offered for the Contax/Yashica system, this is the (in terms of maximum aperture) second fastest lens (bested only by the Yashica ML 55 mm f/1.2).
Ergonomics
First off, Yashica ML (and Yashica DSB) lenses use the Contax-Yashica lens mount. This mount is luckily a rather prominent mount and adapters are available from both big brand adapter makers as well as no-name manufacturers. Furthermore, the lens mount is relatively simple, meaning that a dumb adapter will do perfectly (no need for setting aperture or anything). Assuming you already have a Contax/Yashica adapter for your camera, you just insert this lens, twist and listen for the locking lever to snap. Then you go shooting.
The Yashica ML 50 mm f/1.4 lens is a decently sized lens for a lens in its class, roughly on par with the average early 70s 50/1.4. The lens makes decent use of its length by offering the photographer an 11,5 mm wide focus ring that is exquisitely dampened. The focus ring is of a hard plastic compound and offers small pyramids to increase the grip, which should be enough to adequately use the lens even with thin to medium gloves on (but I suspect the tactile sensation might not be at its best when wearing winter gloves). Obviously, considering the weather during this walk around (nordic summer), I did not need gloves.
The aperture ring of Yashica ML lenses is at the back of the lens, meaning that when mounted on a period-perfect Contax or Yashica camera, the aperture ring ends up quite close to the camera housing. Luckily things are actually a bit better when adapted as the adapter would make finding the aperture ring possible even when wearing gloves. The aperture ing is metal and offers a rather substantial ribbing.
The aperture ring is otherwise nicely tactile, with clicks that are both easily felt and counted (even when wearing gloves) without at any stage putting up considerable opposition. I have shot this lens a decent amount of time (mostly adapted) and whenever I’ve decided to check what my aperture value is (when I’ve counted the rapid clicks and think I am at a specific aperture, only to decide to nevertheless check it visually) I have almost invariably been right on target.
Setting up the ‘walk’…
All the images in this walk-around have been taken over a 3-day period (so it’s technically not a walk) at the end of June 2025 as part of a family vacation to the Estonian town of Pärnu (Pärnu calls itself the ‘summer capital’ of Estonia) and the adjacent beaches.
While the weather was at times windy, it was sunny and at times almost painfully bright. For those of you who’ve never been to the Nordics (or anywhere near a polar circle): not only do we enjoy very long days around midsummer, we also have less of an atmosphere between ourselves and the sun than people who live closer to the equator. As a result, it can become very bright. Rarely do I wish my camera had a lower base ISO or a faster shutter speed than 1/8000 s, but on this trip I have some shots at f/2.8, 1/8000 s and ISO100 that ended up a bit overexposed (so in the brightest hours of the day f/1.4–f/2 are not usable outdoors).
Images and commentary
I did this walk-around using my Sony ⍺7R2 and a K&F Pro Contax/Yashica to Sony FE (NEX) adapter
As with all fast fifties, the Yashica ML 50 mm f/1.4 is soft wide open. While there is some spherical aberration, it is also (see below) obvious that – especially in bright situations – there is a considerable amount of glow, likely caused predominantly by longitudinal chromatic aberrations. For a collage of centre detail at various apertures, see below.
(Open image in new tab for 1:1 version)
On closer inspection, that wide-open softness in the Yashica ML 50/2.8 shots is mostly due to a considerable loss of definition with a mild loss of contrast (please see the JAPB article on sharpness and how it has two components: definition and contrast). Why is this distinction important? In short because contrast can be easily boosted in post-production (your image editor’s dehaze function is key here) , whereas the same does not apply to definition.
The Yashica ML 50/1.4 shows considerable vignetting wide open (f/1.4). From there it improves gradually until by f/4 the issue is no longer field-relevant.
In this case that vignetting, combined with the unusually high amount of light available does lead to a higher-than-usual tendency of burn-through in the image centre, as in the images below.
Longitudinal chromatic aberrations can be a problem with the Yashica ML 50/1.4, especially in extreme contrast situations and wide open. This is especially evident in the sample images below.
However Lateral chromatic aberrations do not seem to be a field-relevant issue with the Yashica ML 50 mm f/1.4.
Regarding veiling flare, the lens is well-behaved for a early-70s lens. There is a rather mild level of veiling and whenever it occurs it is often overshadowed by the above-mentioned glow. While it is not easy to make the lens produce prominent ghosts, that is also entirely possible. It is quite clear that Yashica’s coating technology is rather good for the lens’ age.
Being a standard prime lens, it is not surprising that the lens has no field-relevant geometric distortions.
With an MFD of 0,5 m this lens is definitely not a macro lens. However in its intended milieu that MFD is short enough for most images.
The lens’ colour balance shows some rather interesting behaviour. Generally from wide open to about f/4 the lens has a rather warm colour, whereas from f/8 onward the colour is decidedly on the cool side. This is clearly evident in the images below..
I have not managed to find indications of field curvature. That does not mean that there definitely is none, but it is does mean that whatever field curvature there is, it is by no means field-relevant.
Bokeh is not unimportant for fast fifty. At the same time Bokeh is notoriously subjective, so the best I can say is that I generally find the Bokeh to be very pleasing.
I have not yet taken any nighttime shots with this lens, so I cannot comment with any certainty on comatic aberration or astigmatism but I might report back.
All in all, if you are interested in another fast fifty, the Yashica ML 50 mm f/1.4 offers a relatively well-balanced package. While I will not recommend to buy a sample at any price, if you can procure a well-priced copy the lens will serve you well.
Gallery shots
All images below shot on 29 June and 1 July 2025 in Tallinn, Pärnu and along the coastline south of Pärnu. All shots were taken with a Sony ⍺7R2. Minimum edit in post (unless specifically stated otherwise: ACR default conversion from RAW), straighten, resize to 2048 and JPEG 9. Feel free to click on images to see larger versions. All images ISO 100 unless stated differently.
