Revuenon Revuenon 50mm f1.4 Heritage

Overview

The Revuenon MC 50mm f/1.4 was a fast, manual-focus standard prime produced from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s, sold under the Revue brand, a house label of the German retailer Foto-Quelle. Like many Revue-badged optics, it was not made in-house but was likely manufactured by Cosina or Tomioka, and it was positioned as a budget-friendly alternative to first-party 50mm f/1.4 lenses. Despite its modest, no-name branding, the reviews indicate it has earned a genuine cult following on account of its optical performance, solid build, and distinctive rendering. On the Pentax Forums review database it holds a 9.33 average user rating with 95% of reviewers recommending it, largely thanks to its very high value-for-money. It should be noted there is a closely related but separate lens, the single-coated Auto Revuenon 55mm f/1.4 (M42 mount), which one reviewer bought after confusing it with the multi-coated 50mm f/1.4; that reviewer noted the 50mm MC 'actually appears to be quite a bit better.' No established nicknames or community jargon for this lens appear in the reviews.

Verdict: The Revuenon 50mm f/1.4 MC is a budget vintage standard prime that punches far above its no-name branding. It rewards those who embrace its dual character: a soft, glowing, spherical-aberration look wide open for portraits, and crisp, contrasty results from f/2.8 down. With smooth bokeh, solid build, a long focus throw, and outstanding value, it is a rewarding pick for manual-focus enthusiasts and vintage-look shooters, provided you buy the multi-coated 50mm and not confuse it with the inferior single-coated 55mm sibling.

Optical Character

Bokeh

Smooth bokeh, rated highly (9.1 on Pentax Forums).

Color

Neutral-to-cool color rendering.

Sharpness wide open

Soft with dreamy glow wide open at f/1.4; sharp from f/2.8 onward with improving edge sharpness.

Flare resistance

Multi-coating improves flare resistance and contrast.

Contrast

Low wide open due to spherical aberration and glow, improving significantly stopped down.

Community Insights

What people love

Exceptional value for money, rated 9.9 for value on Pentax Forums with an average price around $45-$80.
Sharpness from f/2.8 onward and smooth bokeh.
A dreamy, soft-glow soft-focus look wide open at f/1.4 that suits portraits and vintage imagery.
Solid build quality and excellent handling (rated 9.4), with a generous 210° focus throw enabling precise manual focusing.
Neutral-to-cool color rendering.

What people dislike

Soft, low-contrast rendering wide open at f/1.4 due to spherical aberration (a love-it-or-hate-it trait).
No 'A' setting on the aperture ring, so metering on modern DSLRs requires manual or stop-down mode.
Inconsistent specifications and multiple versions make it hard to know exactly what you are buying.

Pro Tips

Shoot wide open at f/1.4 when you want the dreamy soft-glow, spherical-aberration look for portraits or vintage-style work.
Stop down to f/2.8 or smaller for significantly higher contrast and sharpness, including at the edges.
Use the generous 210° focus throw to nail precise manual focus; it excels at critical focusing.
On modern DSLRs, plan for manual or stop-down metering since there is no 'A' aperture setting.

Sources (1)

Web-grounded synthesissecondary

The Revuenon MC 50mm f/1.4 was a fast, manual-focus standard prime produced from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s, sold under the Revue brand, a house label of the German retailer Foto-Quelle. Like many Revue-badged optics, it was not made in-house but was likely manufactured by Cosina or Tomioka, and it was positioned as a budget-friendly alternative to first-party 50mm f/1.4 lenses. Despite its modest, no-name branding, the reviews indicate it has earned a genuine cult following on account of its optical performance, solid build, and distinctive rendering. On the Pentax Forums review database it holds a 9.33 average user rating with 95% of reviewers recommending it, largely thanks to its very high value-for-money. It should be noted there is a closely related but separate lens, the single-coated Auto Revuenon 55mm f/1.4 (M42 mount), which one reviewer bought after confusing it with the multi-coated 50mm f/1.4; that reviewer noted the 50mm MC 'actually appears to be quite a bit better.' No established nicknames or community jargon for this lens appear in the reviews.

https://www.pentaxforums.com/userreviews/revuenon-50mm-f1-4-mc.htmlhttps://lewinb.net/photos/04_auto_revuenon/https://allphotolenses.com/lenses/item/c_4789.html