Canon OM 50mm f1.9 is an unusual, rare lens – created through a unique collaboration between Mamiya, Canon, and Osawa – resulting in a Canon lens for the Exakta mount sold only alongside a Mamiya 35mm SLR camera body.
Build, Ergonomics and Radioactivity
Canon OM 50mm f1.9 is built like a tank. I have used this term before; however, it’s the best way to describe these early lenses – they are tough, made entirely out of glass and metal, and feel solid in hand. My example is full of dirt and scratches, and yet it still does its job well. I believe lens construction plays a big part in the enjoyment of using vintage lenses; after all, only expensive lenses are made this way today. Most modern lenses are plastic, even expensive ones.
Canon O M 50mm f1.9 closeup of aperture bladesCanon O M 50mm f1.9 – exakta lens mountCanon O M 50mm f1.9 – yes it does need a good clean. I didn’t realise till I looked at the pictures.Canon O M 50mm f1.9 – side view.
The focus ring on my copies is not as smooth or easy to turn, but that could be due to age. It reminds me of how the Canon FL lenses feel.
The aperture selection is a little clunky – you must pull the ring towards the camera and rotate it to change the aperture. Twelve aperture blades ensure round bokeh shapes. The auto diaphragm button closes the aperture – like the other Exakta lenses. Make sure you press it after changing the aperture settings to ensure the correct f-stop is set.
The glass is also uncommon – Canon OM 50mm f1.9 uses thoriated lens elements and is, therefore, radioactive. To be fair, this surprised me. When I first tested this lens, I did not expect radioactivity since it is an early slow lens – most other radioactive lenses are faster. Radioactivity could also explain the excellent performance – thoriated glass was used to improve the optical performance. I am not saying that all thoriated lenses are excellent, but the ones I have tested have been good so far.
I measured both of my copies (serial numbers 10105 and 11272), and they both showed about 38 µSv/h or 13000 CPM at the lens’s rear element using the GQ GMC-600+ Geiger counter. Remember that most of this is alpha particles that do not travel that far, so the µSv/h value is only relative. My article about Radioactive Lenses has all the details.
History
In the 1960s, J. Osawa & Company was a distributor for both Canon and Mamiya. At that time, Canon was a minority shareholder of Mamiya, and it appears both companies were collaborating. Mamiya made good camera bodies, but their lenses could not match Canon’s premium offerings. To give Mamiya Prismat NP an extra edge, Mamiya included the Canon OM 50mm f/1.9 lens as a premium lens option for the camera.
The definition of OM is also different depending on the source: ‘OSAWA / MAMIYA‘ – Amateur Photographer, August 2005. ‘ORIGINAL MANUFACTURE‘. – Canon Compendium, Bob Shell, 1994
According to Bob Shell’s Canon Compendium, this Canon / Mamiya combination was not widely available outside Japan; however, Olden Cameras sold it in the USA for at least some time, as evidenced by the advertisement below. A rebranded Mamiya NP variant named Reflexa was also available in the UK market and came with the Canon OM 50mm f1.9 lens as standard.
Here is a rare combination of two great names in photography: MAMIYA – well-known for its excellent camera quality and CANON – world-renowned for the finest in lenses. Never before such optics and design in one camera at such an impossible low price – Olden Cameras New York advert.
Canon O M f1.9 Advert
Price
The lens is good; however, it does not justify the $300+ prices sometimes seen online. The prices are inflated mainly because of the uniqueness and rarity. I purchased this on eBay for substantially lower because it came affixed to the beat-up Reflexa version of the Mamiya camera in the UK.
Performance
Canon OM 50mm f1.9 offers notable performance – especially considering it is one of the early Canon lenses. It is sufficiently sharp and contrasty when stopped down. Out-of-focus areas (bokeh) can seem a little too busy at times and display a little swirl, but it does not detract from the overall appeal of the resulting images – I like how this lens renders.
However, not all is rosy. Canon OM 50mm f1.9 has early lens design and coatings. Lack of contrast is evident when shooting into the light or wide open, and rainbow flares appear if the sun gets into the frame – all of which can contribute to setting the vintage photo-looking scenes, and in my view, is not a huge fault.
Pros: Image quality Rare historical lens Sharp and contrasty when stopped down Built well 12 aperture blades
Cons: Difficult to acquire for a reasonable price Difficult to find Low contrast wide open Fiddly aperture ring
Conclusion
Performance, rarity, and exotic elements make Canon OM 50mm f1.9 a worthy addition to any vintage lens collection. It is not perfect, but considering its age it’s right there among other vintage lenses in character, build quality and usability.
I would give it a strong 4 out of 5. The only downside is the price, but that is not really an attribute of the lens, more so of the market.
Have you tried this lens? What do you think of it? Please leave a comment and let me know!
Sample images
I like how the out of focus areas are rendered – they seem very three-dimensional.Shot at minimum focus distanceShot at minimum focus distanceBokeh although not the best, but still pleasing.Wide open at f1.9Stopped down, but this is the magic of 12 aperture blades – background shapes are all roundNot as three-dimensional in this shot, but still OK.Wide open at f1.9The object separation works really well here.Shooting into the sun reveals rainbow flares
4 Replies to “Canon OM 50mm f1.9 Lens Review”
Yes, these Canon OM lenses (and their Mamiya bodies) are of solid construction and they perform well. Unfortunately, these lenses will not mount directly on an Exakta body nor will Exakta automatic lenses mount on these Mamiya bodies — the autodiaphragm mechanisms are on opposite sides of the lens box and do not clear the mirror box. (These Canon lenses would mount on Exakta extension tubes or bellows, however. And manual or pre-set Exakta lenses function well on the Mamiya bodies.)
I have one of these cameras with the Canon lens, which I bought at Olden camera (used, as I recall) in 1962. I carried it around the world until 1980 when I bought a Nikon F3. After recently viewing how sharp the photos were, I’m ordering film and will make sure it works and then will give it to my granddaughter, who is interested in 35mm photography. That is an amazing lens and camera! And no need for batteries is a real selling point.
I bought a Reflexa SLR with the Cannon lens you describe at the antiques market on Wednesday 20th December 2023 in Abergavenny Market Hall, in Monmouthshire, Wales UK. I collect vintage cameras, mainly Yashica plus a couple of Mamyia rangefinders. I had never heard of Reflexa before but with its Cannon lens assumed it to be an early Cannon SLR under another name. It was in immaculate condition with its original ER case and seemed a bargain at £12, so I bought it. After a little research on the internet I realised I had got much more of a bargain than I thought at first. Its Mamyia origin means it fits in with my collection even better.
Yes, these Canon OM lenses (and their Mamiya bodies) are of solid construction and they perform well. Unfortunately, these lenses will not mount directly on an Exakta body nor will Exakta automatic lenses mount on these Mamiya bodies — the autodiaphragm mechanisms are on opposite sides of the lens box and do not clear the mirror box. (These Canon lenses would mount on Exakta extension tubes or bellows, however. And manual or pre-set Exakta lenses function well on the Mamiya bodies.)
Hi Harold, thank you for your valuable input!
I have one of these cameras with the Canon lens, which I bought at Olden camera (used, as I recall) in 1962. I carried it around the world until 1980 when I bought a Nikon F3. After recently viewing how sharp the photos were, I’m ordering film and will make sure it works and then will give it to my granddaughter, who is interested in 35mm photography. That is an amazing lens and camera! And no need for batteries is a real selling point.
I bought a Reflexa SLR with the Cannon lens you describe at the antiques market on Wednesday 20th December 2023 in Abergavenny Market Hall, in Monmouthshire, Wales UK.
I collect vintage cameras, mainly Yashica plus a couple of Mamyia rangefinders. I had never heard of Reflexa before but with its Cannon lens assumed it to be an early Cannon SLR under another name. It was in immaculate condition with its original ER case and seemed a bargain at £12, so I bought it. After a little research on the internet I realised I had got much more of a bargain than I thought at first. Its Mamyia origin means it fits in with my collection even better.