Revuenon Revuenon 35mm f2.8 Heritage

Overview

The Revuenon 35mm f/2.8 is one of many M42 wide-angle primes sold under the Revuenon brand by Foto-Quelle (Revue), a large German mail-order retailer known for rebadging lenses from various Japanese manufacturers through joint ventures, including arrangements with Photo Porst. Because 'Revuenon' was a house brand rather than a single factory, multiple distinct 35mm f/2.8 lenses exist. The reviews describe at least two lineages: a 'Revuenon Special' 35mm f/2.8, which online opinion firmly holds to be a rebadged Mamiya-Sekor design (also sold as Pentor and reportedly as Vivitar), and a separate 'Auto Revuenon' 35mm f/2.8 (6 elements in 5 groups) that is of different origin. One reviewer explicitly warns that 'there are a lot of REVUENONS, some good ones ... and some bad ones,' underscoring that quality varies heavily by version. There is no established nickname or cult jargon attached to this lens; it is regarded as an inexpensive, underrated budget wide-angle rather than a legend. People who like it do so mostly for its pleasing, saturated color rendition at a very low price.

Verdict: The Revuenon 35mm f/2.8 is an inexpensive, characterful budget wide-angle best suited to hobbyists and adapted-lens shooters who prize warm, saturated color over clinical sharpness. It rewards buyers who accept its variability: some versions are genuinely good performers with low distortion and pleasing color, while others show noticeable corner CA. At its typical sub-$20 price it's a low-risk, cheerful lens—just know exactly which Revuenon you're buying.

Optical Character

Bokeh

Rated moderately well but described by one reviewer as 'a bit busy,' with no swirl or bubble effects.

Color

Saturated, warm, and pleasing; repeatedly cited as the lens's best feature.

Sharpness wide open

Good but not class-leading; usable wide open on smaller sensors and sharp across the frame stopped down about two stops.

Contrast

Good global contrast on the well-regarded Auto Revuenon version; micro-contrast unknown.

Community Insights

What people love

Beautiful, saturated color rendition—reviewers say it out-saturates a comparable Vivitar 35mm and is great for colorful scenes
Good sharpness for the price, usable wide open on APS-C/MFT and sharp across the frame when stopped down two stops
Excellent value; frequently found for under $20, sometimes in multi-lens sets
Light, compact handling that scores highly with users
One Auto Revuenon version offers fine close-up capability, good contrast, and very low distortion

What people dislike

Chromatic aberration in the corners, particularly on the weaker versions—one 'Auto Revuenon Special' copy showed so many visible CAs it was rated poorly and sold off
Bokeh can look a bit busy
Not the sharpest lens in absolute terms
Confusing lineage: many different Revuenon 35mm f/2.8 lenses of varying quality make it hard to know what you're buying

Pro Tips

Stop down about two stops for sharpness across the frame while keeping the pleasant color rendering
Lean into the lens's strength: shoot saturated, colorful subjects where its warm palette shines
On APS-C or Micro Four Thirds the effective field of view narrows (about 70mm equivalent on MFT) and corner weaknesses are cropped out, giving more consistent results
If corner CA bothers you, favor the well-regarded Auto Revuenon over the CA-prone 'Special' variants

Sources (1)

Web-grounded synthesissecondary

The Revuenon 35mm f/2.8 is one of many M42 wide-angle primes sold under the Revuenon brand by Foto-Quelle (Revue), a large German mail-order retailer known for rebadging lenses from various Japanese manufacturers through joint ventures, including arrangements with Photo Porst. Because 'Revuenon' was a house brand rather than a single factory, multiple distinct 35mm f/2.8 lenses exist. The reviews describe at least two lineages: a 'Revuenon Special' 35mm f/2.8, which online opinion firmly holds to be a rebadged Mamiya-Sekor design (also sold as Pentor and reportedly as Vivitar), and a separate 'Auto Revuenon' 35mm f/2.8 (6 elements in 5 groups) that is of different origin. One reviewer explicitly warns that 'there are a lot of REVUENONS, some good ones ... and some bad ones,' underscoring that quality varies heavily by version. There is no established nickname or cult jargon attached to this lens; it is regarded as an inexpensive, underrated budget wide-angle rather than a legend. People who like it do so mostly for its pleasing, saturated color rendition at a very low price.

https://www.pentaxforums.com/userreviews/revuenon-special-35-f2-8.htmlhttps://www.pentaxforums.com/userreviews/auto-revuenon-35mm-f28.htmlhttps://stephend.photo/auto-revuenon-35mm-f28