Serenar 50mm f/2
Canon · LTM · 1947 · Gauss type, 6e/4g
Also known as: Serenar 50mm f/2 · Serenar 5cm f/2 · Canon Serenar 50mm f/2 · Serenar 50mm f2 · Canon 50/2 Serenar
Variants & identification
| Variant | Mount | Years | Serial ranges | Production |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Serenar 50mm f/2 | LTM | 1947–1949 | #20001 onward; earliest found #20008 (Leica Copies Japan) | About 1,360 (Leica Copies Japan) |
- Canon's own thread before 1951 was 39 mm at 24 threads per inch (1.058 mm pitch), against Leica's 26 tpi — close enough that the lenses interchange in practice, and the difference is why an early Serenar can feel tight on a Leica. The Serenar 50mm f/1.8 of late 1951 was the first Canon lens cut to the Leica pitch (Leica Copies Japan).
How to tell them apart
Serenar 50mm f/2:
- Marketed February 1947, ¥25,000 · 230 g · stops to f/11
- Collapsible chrome; 230 g; 13 blades; marked in centimetres
- Serials from #20001 (Leica Copies Japan); about 1,360 made in four types
Specifications
- Formula
- Gauss type, 6e/4g
- Designed by
- Furukawa Ryōzō — optical design (camera-wiki)
- Construction
- 6 elements / 4 groups
- Aperture range
- f/2–f/11
- Min. focus
- 1.07 m
- Weight
- 230 g
- Years manufactured
- 1947
- Country
- Japan
- Original price
- ¥25,000 (February 1947, Canon Camera Museum; no price index for that year, so not restated in today's money)
What reviewers say
No reviews aggregated yet — this family is still in the research queue. Written one? We'd love to index it.
History
Canon’s first fast standard lens: Furukawa Ryōzō’s six-element double Gauss, marketed in February 1947 at ¥25,000 for the Canon S-II, in the old 24-tpi thread and marked in centimetres. Leica Copies Japan traces about 1,360 in four types between 1947 and 1949, from serial 20001, before the f/1.9 recomputation replaced it.
It is a collector’s lens now, early and few, and the occupation-era engravings are part of what it sells for.
This history is AI-written, from the sources listed at the foot of the page. Where the record is silent it says so rather than filling the gap — but no human wrote these sentences.
Example photos
Sample photo wanted — shot with a Serenar 50mm f/2? We'd love to feature it (with credit).
Live listings
Asking price, USD: a median of $670 across 4 fixed-price listings on 2026-09-11 (middle half $430–$700). Tracked since 2026-09-09, 2 days: unchanged from $670.
By day
| Date | Median | Middle half | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-11 | $670 | $430–$700 | 4 |
| 2026-09-09 | $670 | $430–$700 | 4 |
Asking prices from the listings scanned, not sales; junk-flagged rows and auction lots excluded; other currencies are not converted.
- Rare! [Exc+5] Canon Serenar 5cm 50mm f/2 Lens L39 Leica screw Mount From JAPAN
- Super Rare [Near MINT] Canon Serenar 5cm F2 Collapsible Lens LTM L39 From Japan
- Canon S II Serenar 50mm f/2 Rangefinder Camera S-II
- Canon Camera Co. 2/5cm Serenar for Leica Screw Mount very RARE
- Canon Camera Co. 2/5cm Serenar for Leica Screw Mount very RARE
- Rare! [Exc+5] Canon Serenar 5cm 50mm f/2 Lens L39 Leica screw Mount From JAPAN
Listings updated 2026-09-11. Links go to the shop or marketplace that carries the item.