Data sheet: Miranda 50 mm f/2.8 (preset, M44)

Pekka Buttler, 06/2026

Specifications

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

Brand(s):	Miranda	Lens name	1:2.8 f=5cm
Focal length(s)1	50 mm	Angle-of-view2	46 °
Maximum Aperture	f/2.8	In Production	late 50s
Lens mount (this lens)	Miranda M44	Mount subtype	N/A
Length3	35,2 mm	Diameter4	52,8 mm
Filter ring diameter	40,5 mm	Weight	134 grams
Lens element count	5	Lens group count	unknown
Aperture blades (S/R/C)5	8 S	Focus throw	315 °
Minimum focusing distance (measured)	41 cms	Maximum magnification (measured)	1:5,1
Has manual aperture ring	YES	Has Manual focus ring	YES
Aperture mechanism type	Preset	Aperture click stops 6	2.8-4-5.6-8-11-16-22

Other notes:
• This is a preset lens where you set the desired aperture on the single aperture ring on the lens’ front and stop down/open up the lens using the small swing lever at the front of the camera.
• It uses Miranda’s M44 thread mount, which means special challenges for adapting (see more below)

Historical 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.
• From the introduction of the Orion T aka Miranda T camera in 1955, Several standard lenses were available for the system, including a 50/2.8 preset lens. That lens – however – was offered in several variants (see below).

• 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 50/2.8 Miranda lens was available both as a ‘Miranda’ lens (as pictured) and as a ‘Soligor Miranda’ lens. Earliest versions are in an all-over chrome-plated finish while later versions are in the (pictured) silver and black finish.

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 that offers the M44 thread mount.

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 M44 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. ↩︎