The Fujinon 5cm f1.2 lens is an urban myth in the world of ultra fast lenses. It is seldomly seen and there is little information written on this highly collectible and ultra rare beauty.
This lens is commonly known as the Fujinon 50mm F1.2 LTM lens that is capable of competing against the Legendary Japanese ultra fast lenses such as the Canon 50mm F0.95, Zunow 50mm F1.1 or Nikkor 50mm F1.1 LTM lens.
Production Versions
- LTM Mount in Black & Chrome Version (Less than 800 units)
- Nikon S Mount (Less than 50 units)
Most of the Fujinon 5cm f/1.2 lens was offered in Leica Screw Mount in either Chrome or Black finishes. Fujinon also produced a few in Nikon S Mount for Nikon Rangefinders, which is reviewed here but they are never seen on the market and hidden away in cabinets by true collectors.
Build Quality
The Fujinon 50mm F1.2 LTM is a compact lens for its fast aperture and the weight of the lens is relatively light. It is solid all metal construction but subpar compared to modern Leica lenses build quality. It balances well on Leica M Rangefinders due to its compact and solid lens body.
Image Quality
The Fujinon 5cm f/1.2 offers spectacular image performance for a vintage ultra fast lens. When shooting at maximum aperture of F1.2, the bokeh is exceptionally smooth and the rendering is very pleasant. The colour rendition of the Fujinon is towards the natural side with typical Fujifilm signature and the contrast produced is excellent as well.
There is no present chromatic aberration but the lens exhibits slight vignetting when shooting wide open due to been a vintage lens design. However, the sharpness increases significantly and vignetting goes completely away when reaching aperture of f4 or greater. Overall, the Fujinon 5cm f/1.2 provides stellar optical performance and produces eye-pleasing images.
Practical Use
The Fujinon 5cm f/1.2 lens reviewed here is in Nikon S Mount originally designed to be used on Nikon Rangefinders. However, through a custom made Nikon S to M Mount adapter by Amedeo, the lens will work flawlessly on Leica M Rangefinders. The Amedeo adapter is made with full brass and six bit coded with capability for rangefinder coupling.
The focus ring is very smooth when turning during practical use. The aperture ring does not have clicks when selecting the aperture like modern Leica lenses and turning feels towards the loose end.
Specifications
Lens Mount: LTM | Nikon S
Production Year: 1954
Construction: 8 Elements / 4 Groups
Diaphragm: 12 Blades
Maximum / Minimum Aperture: F1.2 - F16
Filter Size: 58mm
Weight: Nikon S / 305g | LTM / 403g
Conclusion
The Fujinon 5cm f/1.2 lens is another legendary lens made in Japan by Fuji back in the 1950 to 1960s during the competition to produce world’s fastest lens along with Zunow, Canon and Nikon. It is even more rarer and seldom seen, which makes the lens most desirable among the world of ultra fast lenses.
