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 to use with the Leica S. I wrote about the circumstances of my purchase at the end, but I have no regrets about owning it as a companion lens for the Leica S.
It has a focal length of 55mm, which is easy to make lenses with, 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, but 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 used 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. When in S or P mode, the camera will automatically determine the aperture.
The filter diameter is 72mm, and the dedicated hood is the GB-72, which is the same as the Planar 80mm F2.2. Of course, you can also use a 72mm compatible hood (GB-71, GB-B1) such as the DISTAGON 45mm.
Genuine Leica S 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 will need to add the 120g Leica S Adapter C, but even with that, it weighs 620g, so together with the 1.2kg Leica S typ007, the total weight will be 1.8kg.
The lens is also compact, so it fits easily into a camera bag.
As for how I purchased it, I have a total of nine CONTAX 645 lenses, including the DISTAGON 35mm, 45mm, APO MAKRO PLANAR 120mm, SONNAR 140mm, and SONNAR 210mm. When I was short on money, I came across this lens at a church store in Ginza for a super low price for a DISTAGON 55mm in 2023, so I bought it.
As for CONTAX 645 lenses, I do not currently own the PLANAR 80mm or Tele Apo Tessar 350mm, but I would like to try them someday.
3．Add Info.
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.
Although the Distagon 55mm was released as an inexpensive lens, its used price in 2024 often exceeds 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 production volume of the D55mm is low, so there are fewer of them on the used market, resulting in the reversal of the used price.
Specifications and competing lenses
| 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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