C645 Lightweight standard lens DISTAGON 55
A review and Photo example of the DISTAGON 55mm for CONTAX 645.
Table of contents
Gallery
- Sample photo taken with the LEICA S typ007.
Review
1．Overview
The DISTAGON 55mm F3.5 is a standard prime lens with a focal length of 55mm that was released by Kyocera in 2001 for the medium-format camera Contax 645.
It was released later as a CONTAX 645 lens, and has a serial number of 1.5 million units.
When used with a Contax 645 film camera, it becomes a wide-angle lens equivalent to 33mm, as it has a magnification of 0.6 times in 35mm format.
The main specifications are as follows, and detailed specifications are listed in the table.
- Aperture F value 3.5
- Lens construction 7 groups, 7 elements
- Minimum shooting distance 0.55m
- Hood Flower-shaped bayonet hood GB-72
2．Usability
I bought the DISTAGON 55mm F3.5 to use with the Leica S.
It has a focal length of 55mm, which is easy to make lenses for, and is designed with a large lens diameter to accommodate 645 film, so when used with the Leica S’s medium format digital sensor (45mm x 30mm), which is smaller than 645 film, there is no disturbance or distortion of the peripheral images.
The autofocus speed of the Leica S is fast among 645 lenses. However, those who are used to the high-speed focusing of 35mm SLR cameras will find it slow.
The focusing accuracy is not that good, and if the focus is not correct, you can seamlessly turn the focus ring during shooting to interrupt the focus operation and adjust the focus manually.
The lens is equipped with an aperture ring, but when using it with a Leica S using the 16038 [Leica S Adapter C], the aperture ring setting is ignored, and the aperture value is set on the camera before shooting. If you set it to S mode or P mode, the camera will automatically determine the aperture value.
The filter diameter is 72mm, and the dedicated hood is the same GB-72 as the Planar 80mm F2.2. Of course, it is also possible to use 72mm compatible hoods (GB-71, GB-B1) such as those for the DISTAGON 45mm.
Leica S original lenses are heavy and large, and most systems weigh nearly 2kg when combined with the camera.
To use this lens with a Leica S, you need to add the 120g [Leica S Adapter C], and the lens and adapter together weigh 620g, which makes it 1.8kg when combined with the 1.2kg Leica S typ007. The lens size is also compact among medium format lenses and fits well in a camera bag.
As for the background to the purchase, I had a total of nine CONTAX 645 lenses, including DISTAGON 35mm, 45mm, APO MAKRO PLANAR 120mm, SONNAR 140mm, and SONNAR 210mm, and I had just about finished collecting them when I came across this DISTAGON 55mm at a church shop in Ginza at a super low price for 2023.
As for CONTAX 645 lenses, I don’t own the PLANAR 80mm or Tele Apo Tessar 350mm, but I would like to try them someday. The Distagon 55mm was released as an inexpensive lens, but its used price in 2024 will often exceed its list price at the time of release. The Distagon 45mm, which had a higher list price at the time of release than the Distagon 55mm, is lower than its list price at the time of release and is in most cases cheaper than the Distagon 55mm. This is because there are plenty of D45mm lenses available on the used market, while the D55mm is produced in small quantities, so there are fewer lenses on the used market, resulting in the reverse in the used prices.
3．Summary
To sum up the DISTAGON 55mm F3.5, it is light for a medium format lens, has a practical level of autofocus speed and accuracy, and is a lens you won’t regret owning as a companion lens to your LEICA S.
Specifications and competing lenses
A candidate for comparing the Distagon 55mm would be the Hasselblad HC50mm-II, which is also a medium-format camera lens.
In a desk-based spec comparison, as shown in the specifications and competing lenses, the HC-50-II is twice as heavy and 1.5 times longer in length, even though it has a leaf shutter mechanism. The compact size and light weight of the Distagon 55mm are a big advantage in terms of portability.
When I went up and down the 1,000 snow-covered steps of Risshakuji Temple in Yamagata Prefecture in winter, I took the LEICA S Typ007 and this lens as a set. I feel like I was able to go up and down the steps safely thanks to the combination of the lens and body weighing 1.8 kg. I feel like the combination of the HC 50mm, which weighs nearly 2.5 kg, doubled the difficulty of climbing the mountain path.
| Lens name | DISTAGON 55 | HC 50mm-II |
| Focal length(mm) | 55 | 50 |
| Max aperture | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| Min aperture | 32 | 32 |
| Number of Aperture blade | – | – |
| Lens Construction | 7elements in 7groups | 11elements in 7groups |
| Min distance(m) | 0.45 | 0.6 |
| Lens length(mm) | 75 | 116 |
| Max diameter(mm) | 81 | 85 |
| Filter Size(mm) | 72 | 77 |
| Weight(g) | 500 | 975 |
| Lens Shutter Mechanism | Not equipped | Equipped |
| Release date | 2001 | 2016? |
| Price(Yen/No-tax) | -150,000 | 650,000円 |
Reference links
Update history
- 2025.03.30
- 2024.07.16
- 2023.03.02
Affiliate Link
- Amazon Affiliate link of CONTAX
- Amazon Affiliate link of CONTAX645
- Amazon Affiliate link of CONTAXC books
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