Nikkor-S.C 50mm f1.4. A Leica L-mount, rangefinder-coupled standard lens manufactured by Nippon Kogaku. Released in October 1950, it succeeded the Nikkor-S.C 50mm f1.5 which had been introduced the previous year.
Following the Sonnar-type 3-group 7-element design, this f1.4 lens evolved from the purely Zeiss Sonnar-copy f1.5 by incorporating unique improvements. It is characterized by its soft and sweet rendering when shot wide open. Distance scale is in feet. The lens couples to the rangefinder up to 1m, and can focus down to 50cm, a beneficial feature for modern mirrorless cameras.
This particular lens is an early example with the serial number prefix “5005”. This number indicates that the design was completed in May 1950, hence "50" (year) and "05" (month). It is believed that approximately 2,000 units of this early version were produced, available in both Nikon S-mount and Leica screw mount.
This lens exhibits yellowing of the glass. A measurement with a dosimeter revealed higher radiation levels compared to the ambient radiation in the store, indicating that this lens likely contains radioactive elements.
There are minor scuffs on the front edge of the barrel, but overall, it has minimal signs of use and maintains a good appearance. It underwent a full overhaul in 2024, resulting in pleasantly smooth operation of the aperture and focusing ring. The rangefinder coupling works perfectly.
The glass is free of noticeable cleaning marks or haze, and the clarity is excellent. The results from practical shooting tests were very favorable.
It comes with an EP-marked original screw-in hood (with an EP-marked leather case), an original UV filter (L38), and a black-painted original front cap. A great addition to any collection.
