Data sheet: Miranda Auto 50 mm f/1.4

NOTE: This lens has been on a JAPB walk-around. See pictures with this lens here.

Pekka Buttler, 02/2026

Specifications

The table below summarises the lens’ key specifications (measurements based on pictured sample):

Brand:	Miranda	Lens name	1:1.4 f=50mm Auto
Focal length(s)1	50 mm	Angle-of-view2	47 °
Maximum Aperture	f/1.4	In Production	1966–72 (all versions) 1968–74 (without aperture coupling arm)
Lens mount (this lens)	Miranda	Mount subtype	F-G-MAT Auto aperture but no aperture coupling
Length3	50,9 mm	Diameter4	60,1 mm
Filter ring diameter	46 mm	Weight	301 grams
Lens element count	8	Lens group count	6
Aperture blades (S/R/C)5	6 S	Focus throw	255 °
Minimum focusing distance (measured)	41 cms	Maximum magnification (measured )	1:6,1
Has manual aperture ring	YES	Has Manual focus ring	YES
Aperture mechanism type	Automatic	Aperture click stops 6	1.4-2-2.8-4-5.6-8-11-16

Further notes:

• Miranda was – in its heyday – an advanced Japanese camera manufacturer. You can read more about Miranda camera in the JAPB company profile on Miranda camera.
• Miranda introduced its first f/1.4 lens in 1966 in tandem with its flagship camera the Sensorex. Two years later Miranda introduced a version of that 50/1.4 lens that had received a minor exterior redesign and without the external aperture coupling arm that the Automex–Sensorex series of cameras used. The pictured sample is one of the later series.
• This early version of the Auto Miranda 50 mm f/1.4 is not your run-of-the-mill fast fifty⁷ as it has two characteristics that stand out from the competition. First, this is one of only a very few 50/1.4 SLR lenses that have a smaller than 49 mm filter thread. Second, whereas most legacy-era fast fifties use a 6 or 7 element design, this lens uses an unusually symmetrical⁸ 8 elements in 6 groups design.
• This lens’ aperture stop-down is handled by a lever at the base of the mount and there is also a button on the lens (near the mount) that facilitates stop-down for depth-of-field preview.

• Importantly, Miranda was a camera manufacturer and not a lens manufacturer. This mean that from early on, Miranda cameras came equipped with various brands of lenses, including some rather prominent manufacturers such as Kowa and Zunow.
• Lenses branded as “Miranda” or “Soligor Miranda” were not manufactured by Miranda, but were sourced from other manufacturers and branded ‘Miranda’. Most often these lenses were sourced from Miranda’s long-time partner (and later: owner) Soligor (Allied Impex Corporation). Hence, the actual manufacturer of “Miranda” lenses is most often impossible to discern with certainty.

Versions/variants

The table below summarises the development of Miranda 50 mm f/1.4 lenses.
For more information on generations of Miranda lenses, see the Miranda lens compendium.

Mainline spec	Years	Generation	Recipe	MFD	Filter	Length	Diameter	Weight	Notes
50 mm f/1.4	1966–72	MEX-REX	8e / 6g	0,43 m	46 mm	unknown9	unknown	unknown
50 mm f/1.4	1968–74	F-G-MAT	8e / 6g	0,43 m	46 mm	51 mm	60 mm	301 g	(this lens)
50 mm f/1.4	1972–74	MEX-REX	7e / 5g	0,43 m	52 mm	55 mm	63 mm	345 g	10
50 mm f/1.4	1972–74	E	7e / 5g	0,43 m	52 mm	55 mm	63 mm	345 g
50 mm f/1.4	1974–76	EC	7e / 5g	0,43 m	49 mm	45 mm	61 mm	278 g	[data sheet]
50 mm f/1.4	1974–76	DUAL	7e / 5g	0,43 m	52 mm	55 mm	63 mm	345 g

Adapting

This lens cannot be used natively on any current SLR or dSLRs. To use it in its native environment, you will need a Miranda Camera film body. While this lens will mount on any Miranda camera that uses the Miranda mount, its automatic aperture stop-down will work only on Miranda bodies after the Miranda F (launched 1963).

Thanks to being a fully manual lens (manual aperture, manual focus), the lens can be adapted to all mirrorless cameras using a suitable adapter. However, Miranda adapters are not as easily available as adapters for many other legacy era camera mounts, nor is there a wide variety of specialist adapters.

Using Miranda lenses on dSLRs is a theoretical possibility. Thanks to the relatively short flange focal distance of the Miranda mount (at 41,5 mm, clearly shorter than that of any full-frame dSLR mount), any adapter will necessitate some corrective optics to achieve infinity focus.

Footnotes

1. Focal length is (unless stated otherwise) given in absolute terms, and not in Full-frame equivalent. For an understanding of whether the lens is wide/tele, see ‘Angle-of-view’. ↩︎
2. Picture angle is given in degrees and concerns the diagonal picture angle. Rule of thumb:
   > 90 ° ==> Ultra-wide-angle
   70–90 ° ==> Wide-angle
   50–70 ° ==> Moderate wide-angle
   40–50 ° ==> ‘Standard’ or ‘normal’ lens
   20–40 ° ==> Short tele lens
   10-20 ° ==> Tele lens
   5-10 ° ==> Long tele lens
   < 5 ° ==> Ultra-tele lens ↩︎
3. Length is given from the mount flange to the front of lens at its shortest. ↩︎
4. Diameter excludes protrusions such as rabbit ears or stop-down levers. ↩︎
5. S=straight; R=rounded; C=(almost)circular at all apertures. ↩︎
6. Numbers equal aperture values on aperture ring; • intermediate click; – no intermediate click. ↩︎
7. The later versions were very much more like the competition. ↩︎
8. Also the early version of the Asahi Super Takumar 50/1.4 is known for having 8 elements, but that 8 elements in 6 groups design uses a triplet and is therefore significantly different. ↩︎
9. Measurements likely very similar as parallel version for F, G and Sensomat below. ↩︎
10. Seems that this lens (mentioned first in the manual for the 1972 Sensorex II) was a precursor of the E-series lenses to come. ↩︎