Just found my calling... rare/exotic lens guru

Pentacon - 50/1.4
Jupiter-8 - 50/2 (chrome and black versions)
Helios 103 in Contax/Kiev RF mount - 53/1.8
Meyer Optik Gorlitz Oreston - 50/1.8
Industar 61 LD - 55/2.8

 

I suppose this lens is too wide for your tastes, but I'd be very curious about the Kern Paillard Switar 25mm f1.4. It's C-mount so I expect it may have issues covering the whole frame but it's as exotic as they get.

Also if I had the money, the Konica M 50/1.2 is stunningly beautiful, probably my favorite looking lens of all - with a bit of Contax G flavor but better... but it's priced like a Leica

 

I wonder if the term "fast 50" comes from the max aperture and focal length or because in no time at all you'll probably own 50 of them . When I was playing with MF lenses it seemed like it could have been either.

 

50s tend to accumulate like dust bunnies.

 

I think fast 50's pile up quickly for a few reasons, there are a lot to choose from, a lot of them are pretty good and for the most part they're cheap. I've been trying to buy an MC Rokkor 24/2.8 and they hover around $200 - $300. I can probably get a half dozen fast 50's for that amount.

 

I've got one of those and I know what you mean... it's a fantastic lens - that's if I ever see mine again! I lent it to a good friend who recently bought a 5N and he told me he may never give it back (he's just blown away by it)!!

 

Or perhaps you are normal and those of us with a large selection of legacy lenses of the same or similar focal length are 'weird'.

It can become a bit of an addiction for some (me included) and part of it is just curiousity to see what a lens is like and part of it perhaps a quest for the 'ultimate' /best lens (whatever that is) plus the fact that they are often so cheap anyway so it's not a purchase you have to think long and hard about. As well as being able to sell them for the same amount you paid for them so no real risk whereas a new native mount lens would usually have to be sold at a loss if you didn't like it. But nobody really needs half a dozen or more 50mm lenses and I do need to do what others here have done and thin the herd at some stage.