Nippon Kogaku Nikkor-S·C 50mm F/1.5 LSM

Standard prime lens • Film era • Discontinued • Collectible

  • Announced:
  • · May 1949
  • Production type:
  • · Small-batch production: 408 (four hundred eight) units
  • Availability:
  • ● Sold out
  • Country of design:
  • · Japan
  • Original name:
  • · Nippon Kogaku NIKKOR-S·C 1:1.5 f=5cm
  • Class:
  • · Fast full-frame standard prime lens
  • System:
  • · Nicca/Yashica (1942)

Abbreviations

S The lens consists of seven elements.

Model history (2)

■Nippon Kogaku Nikkor-S·C 50mm F/1.5 LSM (408 units)M7 - 51.5 ft.⌀40.5 1949 ●
■Nippon Kogaku Nikkor-S[·C] 50mm F/1.4 LSMM7 - 31.5 ft.S.VII 1950 ●

Specification

Optical design:
35mm full frame
50mm
F/1.5
7 elements in 5 groups (Sonnar)
Leica screw mount
46.8° (35mm full frame)
Diaphragm mechanism:
Diaphragm type:
Manual
Aperture control:
Aperture ring
12 (twelve)
Focusing:
Coupled to the rangefinder:
Yes (from 0.70m)
1.5 ft. (~0.45m)
Focusing modes:
Manual focus only
Manual focus control:
Focusing lever
Physical characteristics:
<No data>
<No data>
Accessories:
Screw-type 40.5mm
<No data>

Source of data

  • Own research.

From the Nikon Journal (Vol. 3, No. 4, September 31st, 1986)

This seven element three group SONNAR design was the first attempt by N-K to produce a high speed normal lens. The formula is presumed to be identical to that of the ZEISS 50/1.5 SONNAR. A rigid chrome plated parallel focussing mount provided stops to f11. The optic had a non rangefinder coupled close focus range to 1.5 feet. Accessory size was P42/S40.5 so all hoods and caps available for the 5/2 could be used. Angle of view was 46 degrees. One serial number batch is known: 907XXX. Early units have a larger, less refined block engraving style while later units have the usual style associated with the later 5/2 and 5/1.4 lenses. This lens was very short lived; introduced early in i950, it was discontinued before the year was out because of the appearance of the 5/1.4. All are engraved "Tokyo". It was the premium normal optic offered with the early NICCA and TOWER III cameras. The 5/1.5 was one of the lenses that gained an excellent reputation with combat photographers in Korea. Its early demise to make way for the 5/1.4 was probably due to a desire on the part of N-K to secure the prestige of the world’s fastest normal lens as quickly as possible.

From the editor

Standard lens for the Nicca 3. It was produced for a short time and was quickly replaced by the Nikkor-S 50/1.4 with a different optical design. Optically the 50/1.5 was based on the pre-war Carl Zeiss Jena Sonnar 50/1.5 for CONTAX rangefinder cameras.

Lenses with similar focal length

■Leica screw mount (79)
Canon 50mm F/1.2 LSMM7 - 51.00m⌀55 1956 ●
Canon 50mm F/1.4 [I] LSMM6 - 41.00m⌀48 1957 ●
Canon 50mm F/1.4 [II] LSMM6 - 41.00m⌀48 1959 ●
Serenar / Canon 50mm F/1.5 LSMM7 - 31.00mS.VII 1952 ●
Serenar / Canon 50mm F/1.8 [I] LSMM6 - 41.00mS.VI 1951 ●
Canon 50mm F/1.8 [II] LSMM6 - 41.00mS.VI 1956 ●
Canon 50mm F/1.8 [III] LSMM6 - 41.00m⌀40 1958 ●
Canon 50mm F/2.2 LSMM5 - 41.00m⌀40 1961 ●
Canon 50mm F/2.8 [I] LSMM4 - 31.00mS.VI 1955 ●
Canon 50mm F/2.8 [II] LSMM4 - 31.00m⌀40 1957 ●
Chiyoko Super Rokkor 45mm F/2.8 [C] LSMM5 - 31.00m 1947 ●
Chiyoda Kogaku Super Rokkor 50mm F/1.8 LSMM6 - 51.00m⌀46 1958 ●
Chiyoko Super Rokkor 50mm F/2.8 [C] LSMM5 - 31.00m⌀40.5 1954 ●
Chiyoko Super Rokkor 50mm F/2 [C] LSMM7 - 61.00m⌀43 1955 ●
Chiyoko Super Rokkor 50mm F/2 LSMM7 - 61.00m⌀40.5 1955 ●
Cosina Voigtlander Color-Skopar 50mm F/2.5 LSMM7 - 60.75m⌀39 2002 ●
Cosina Voigtlander Heliar 50mm F/2 LSM "Cosina 50th Anniversary, Bessa 10th Anniversary" (600 units)M5 - 31.00m⌀39 2009 ●
Cosina Voigtlander Nokton 50mm F/1.5 Aspherical LSMM6 - 50.90m⌀52 1999 ●
Fuji Photo Film Fujinon 50mm F/1.2 LSMM8 - 63.5 ft. 1954 ●
Fuji Photo Film Fujinon L 50mm F/2 LSMM6 - ?1.00m⌀43 1957 ●
Fuji Photo Film Fujinon L 50mm F/2.8 LSMM5 - ?1.00m⌀40.5 1957 ●
Fuji Photo Film Cristar 50mm F/2 LSM • CollapsibleM6 - 43.5 ft. 1949 ●
Konica Hexanon 50mm F/2.4 LSM (1000 units) • CollapsibleM6 - 40.80m⌀40.5 1997 ●
Konishiroku Hexanon 50mm F/1.9 LSMM6 - 53.5 ft.⌀40.5 1956 ●
Leitz Wetzlar / Leitz Canada Summarit 50mm F/1.5 [SOOIA / 11020]M7 - 51.00mE41 1949 ●
Leitz Hektor 50mm F/2.5 [HEKTO, HEKTORKUP, HEKTOCHROM] • CollapsibleM6 - 31.00mA36 1931 ●
Leitz / Leitz Wetzlar Summar 50mm F/2 [SUMAR, SUMARKUP, SUMARCHROM]M6 - 41.00mA36 1933 ●
Leitz / Leitz Wetzlar Summitar 50mm F/2 [SOORE / 11015] • CollapsibleM7 - 41.00mE36.4 1939 ●
Leitz Wetzlar Xenon 50mm F/1.5 [XEMOO]M7 - 51.00mA51 1936 ●
Leitz Wetzlar Summicron 50mm F/2 [I] [SOOIC / 11016] • CollapsibleM7 - 61.00mE39 1953 ●
Leitz Wetzlar Compur-Summicron 50mm F/2 (150 units)M? - ?1.00m 1954 ●
Leitz Wetzlar Elmar 50mm F/2.8 [I] [ELMOO / 11512, ELMOO / 11012] • CollapsibleM4 - 31.00mE39 1957 ●
Leitz / Leitz Wetzlar Summar 50mm F/2 [SUMUS, SUMUSKUP, SUMUSCHROM] • CollapsibleM6 - 41.00mA36 1934 ●
Light Lens Lab Noctilucent 50mm F/1.2 ASPH. "1966"M6 - 41.00m⌀49 2024 ●
Light Lens Lab Elcan 50mm F/2M4 - 40.70m⌀39 2022 ●
Nippon Kogaku Nikkor-H·C 50mm F/2 LSM • CollapsibleM6 - 33.5 ft.S.VI 1947 ●
Nippon Kogaku Nikkor-H[·C] 50mm F/2 LSMM6 - 31.5 ft.S.VI 1950 ●
Nippon Kogaku Nikkor-S[·C] 50mm F/1.4 LSMM7 - 31.5 ft.S.VII 1950 ●
Nippon Kogaku Nikkor-N·C 50mm F/1.1 LSM (211 units)M9 - 63.5 ft.⌀62 1956 ●
Jupiter-8 50mm F/2 LSM
akaЮПИТЕР-8 50mm F/2 [П]		M6 - 31.00m⌀40.5 1947 ●
Industar-61[L/D] 52mm F/2.8 LSM
akaИ-61 52mm F/2.8
akaИ-61Л/Д 53mm F/2.8
akaИ-61Л/Д 55mm F/2.8
akaИНДУСТАР-61Л/Д 55mm F/2.8		M4 - 31.00m⌀40.5 ●
Jupiter-3 50mm F/1.5 LSM
akaЮПИТЕР-3 50mm F/1.5 [П]		M7 - 31.00m⌀40.5 1948 ●
Industar-26M 50mm F/2.8 LSM
akaИ-26м 52mm F/2.8
akaИНДУСТАР-26м 50mm F/2.8 П		M4 - 31.00m⌀40.5 1954 ●
FED 50mm F/2 LSM • Collapsible
akaФЭД 50mm F/2		M6 - 41.00mA36 ●
Jupiter-17 50mm F/2 LSM
akaЮПИТЕР-17 50mm F/2 П		M5 - 41.00m⌀40.5 1953 ●
Steinheil Munchen Quinon 50mm F/2 LSMM6 - 30.60m ●
Tanaka Kogaku Tanar 50mm F/2.8 LSMM4 - 33.5 ft. 1954 ●
Tanaka Kogaku Tanar 50mm F/2.8 H.C. Close Focus LSMM4 - 31.5 ft. 1955 ●
Tanaka Kogaku Tanar 50mm F/2.8 H.C. Close Focus LSM BlackM4 - 31.5 ft. 1957 ●
Tanaka Kogaku Tanar 50mm F/2 H.C. LSMM6 - 31.5 ft.⌀40.5 1956 ●
Tanaka Kogaku Tanar 50mm F/2 H.C. LSM BlackM6 - 31.5 ft.⌀40.5 1957 ●
Tanaka Kogaku Tanar 50mm F/1.9 LSMM6 - 30.60m⌀40.5 1959 ●
Tanaka Kogaku Tanar 50mm F/1.8 LSMM6 - 30.60m 1960 ●
Tanaka Kogaku Tanar 50mm F/1.5 H.C. LSMM7 - 32 ft. 1957 ●
Teikoku Kogaku Zunow 50mm F/1.1 [I] LSMM9 - 53.5 ft.⌀54.5 1953 ●
Teikoku Kogaku / Zunow Opt. Zunow 50mm F/1.1 [II] LSMM8 - 53.5 ft.⌀54.5 1955 ●
Tokyo Kogaku Topcor-S 50mm F/2 Type 2 LSMM6 - 41.00m⌀40.5 1958 ●
Tokyo Kogaku Topcor-S 50mm F/2 Type 1 LSMM6 - 43.5 ft.⌀40.5 1957 ●
Tokyo Kogaku Topcor 50mm F/2.8 LSMM5 - 33.5 ft.⌀34 1958 ●
Tokyo Optical Topcor 50mm F/1.5 LSMM7 - 43.5 ft.⌀40 1954 ●
Tokyo Kogaku Topcor 50mm F/2 LSMM6 - 53.5 ft.⌀40 1954 ●
Tokyo Kogaku Topcor-S 50mm F/2 "Panda" LSMM6 - 41.00m⌀40.5 1957 ●
Tokyo Optical Simlar 50mm F/1.5 LSMM7 - 43.5 ft.⌀40 1950 ●
Voigtlander Nokton 50mm F/1.5 LSMM7 - 51.00m 1953 ●
Yashica [Super-]Yashinon 50mm F/1.8 LSMM6 - 53.5 ft.⌀43 1959 ●
Yashica Yashikor 50mm F/2.8 [II] LSMM5 - 40.90m⌀40.5 1959 ●
Yashica Yashikor 50mm F/2.8 [I] LSMM4 - 33.5 ft.⌀40.5 1959 ●
Yasuhara 50mm F/2.8 MC LSMM4 - 30.80m⌀35.5 2001 ●
Zuiho Honor 50mm F/2 LSMM6 - 43.5 ft. 1959 ●
Zuiho Honor 50mm F/1.9 LSMM? - ?3.5 ft.⌀43 1959 ●
Nicca 50mm F/2.8 Type 2 LSMM4 - 33.5 ft.⌀40.5 1958 ●
Nicca 50mm F/2.8 Type 1 LSMM4 - 33.5 ft.⌀34.5 1958 ●
Taylor-Hobson Anastigmat 50mm F/2 LSM • CollapsibleM6 - 43.5 ft. 1951 ●
K.O.L. Xebec 50mm F/2 LSM • Collapsible
akaSun Xebec 50mm F/2 LSM		M6 - 41.00m 1942 ●
Phenix 50mm F/2.8 MC LSM (500 units) • CollapsibleM4 - 30.70m⌀35.5 1999 ●
Lomography x Zenit New Jupiter-3+ 50mm F/1.5 LSMM7 - 30.70m⌀40.5 2016 ●
Carl Zeiss Jena Sonnar 50mm F/2 T LSM • CollapsibleM6 - 31.00m ●
Carl Zeiss Jena Sonnar 50mm F/2 T LSMM6 - 31.00m ●
Carl Zeiss Jena Sonnar 50mm F/1.5 T LSMM7 - 31.00m ●

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