Porst Porst 55mm f1.2 Heritage

Overview

The Porst Color Reflex MC Auto 55mm f/1.2 was a rebadged ultra-fast standard prime made in Japan for the German photographic retailer Photo Porst, a company known for selling house-branded gear sourced from Japanese optical manufacturers. Produced in the late 1970s and early 1980s, it was offered in Pentax K-mount and came in two versions distinguished by their minimum aperture (one stopping down to f/22, the other to f/16), though both shared the same core optical design and multi-coating. It belongs to a family of f/1.2 standard primes of the era; reviewers who own it note it is a distinct sibling to lenses like the Revuenon MC 55mm f/1.2 and Rikenon 55mm f/1.2, rendering sharpness, texture and bokeh very differently — and it focuses closer than the Revuenon. No established nickname is evidenced in the reviews. Its cult following stems from its 'dreamy, vintage character' wide open: a razor-thin plane of focus, emotive bokeh that owners describe as 'astounding' and 'wildly different than many postmodern digital lenses,' and beautiful skin tones. Sellers note it moves quickly on the used market — one reseller listed it and it 'sold like hot cakes.'

Verdict: The Porst Color Reflex MC Auto 55mm f/1.2 is a specialist's lens for photographers who want vintage, painterly rendering: dreamy glow, emotive standout bokeh, and beautiful skin tones wide open, with the option to become super sharp stopped down. It rewards those willing to work with manual focus, low wide-open contrast, and purple fringing in exchange for a distinctive character that modern lenses don't replicate. Bargain hunters and portrait/character shooters will love it; anyone needing clinical sharpness, autofocus, or high contrast wide open should look elsewhere.

Optical Character

Bokeh

Standout, emotive bokeh with strong background blur from a razor-thin depth of field, described as wildly different from modern lenses.

Color

Renders beautiful, natural skin tones; overall color otherwise unknown.

Sharpness wide open

Sharp at f/1.2 with a signature glow, becoming super sharp by f/2.

Flare resistance

Prone to flare, which can be used for artistic effect.

Contrast

Low contrast wide open, improving significantly stopped down to f/2 and f/2.8.

Community Insights

What people love

Emotive, astounding bokeh that is distinct from modern digital lenses
Dreamy, vintage character with a signature glow wide open at f/1.2
Beautiful, natural skin tones and lovely rendering for portraits
Becomes super sharp when stopped down to f/2
Solid all-metal build with a smooth, long-throw (~270°) focus ring for precise manual focus
Closer focusing than some rivals (e.g. focuses nearer than the Revuenon), and strong value for a fast f/1.2 lens

What people dislike

Noticeable chromatic aberration and purple fringing in high-contrast scenes wide open
Low contrast at f/1.2
Prone to flare
Critical focus at f/1.2 is challenging, especially on APS-C sensors
No intermediate aperture between f/1.2 and f/2 (noted on the closely related Revuenon design), limiting exposure control
No autofocus or modern conveniences

Pro Tips

Embrace f/1.2 for its dreamy glow and emotive bokeh — that's the reason to own this lens
Stop down to f/2–f/2.8 when you need biting sharpness and higher contrast
Use focus aids (magnified live view or focus peaking) because nailing focus at f/1.2 is difficult, especially on APS-C
Shoot high-contrast edges carefully to manage purple fringing, or lean into the vintage look
Try it in flat/stormy light where reviewers say the lens 'really pops,' and use flare creatively rather than fighting it

Sources (1)

Web-grounded synthesissecondary

The Porst Color Reflex MC Auto 55mm f/1.2 was a rebadged ultra-fast standard prime made in Japan for the German photographic retailer Photo Porst, a company known for selling house-branded gear sourced from Japanese optical manufacturers. Produced in the late 1970s and early 1980s, it was offered in Pentax K-mount and came in two versions distinguished by their minimum aperture (one stopping down to f/22, the other to f/16), though both shared the same core optical design and multi-coating. It belongs to a family of f/1.2 standard primes of the era; reviewers who own it note it is a distinct sibling to lenses like the Revuenon MC 55mm f/1.2 and Rikenon 55mm f/1.2, rendering sharpness, texture and bokeh very differently — and it focuses closer than the Revuenon. No established nickname is evidenced in the reviews. Its cult following stems from its 'dreamy, vintage character' wide open: a razor-thin plane of focus, emotive bokeh that owners describe as 'astounding' and 'wildly different than many postmodern digital lenses,' and beautiful skin tones. Sellers note it moves quickly on the used market — one reseller listed it and it 'sold like hot cakes.'

https://www.pentaxforums.com/userreviews/porst-55mm-f1-2-color-reflex-mc-auto.htmlhttps://talkingtree.org/porst-mc-color-reflex-55mm-f1-2-review-part-one/https://www.talkemount.com/threads/meet-the-porst-color-reflex-55-f-1-2-pentax-pk-mount.1636/https://jonasraskphotography.com/2015/02/10/rikenon-55mm-f1-2-review/https://www.borsuknabiwaku.com/blog/revuenon