I feel that Miranda lenses are highly underrated. They can be had very cheaply and do not inspire the fanboy praises of such brands and Takumar and Nikkor. But they made some lenses that are definitely worthy of the attention of those who like strong and quirky bokeh. Originally Miranda did not make optics, but in the 60s they started manufacturing lenses in house. The first of these was the Auto Miranda 50mm f1.9, soon after followed by the 50mm f1.8. These lenses do not have the mechanical silkiness of Takumars, for instance, but they are perfectly serviceable. I don’t even remember when I got the f1.8, and it sat in my dry box for a long time. Finally I decided to give it a fair try, and was quite surprised by the results. The lens has very strong bokeh, and noticeable swirl. In fact, a friend pointed out that it has bokeh very similar to the famed CZJ Biotar 50mm f1.8, and indeed it does. Less than a half stop less bright, but at a twentieth the price or less, and with better contrast to boot. It can be hard to find suitable adapters, but I have a simple solution: the lenses for sale often come mounted on an old Miranda body. It is absolutely easy to take off the body mount, which is only held on by four screws, file off a small flange on the bottom, and epoxy it to a M42 helicoid. This not only gives one a perfectly working adapter, but the helicoid allows for continuous close focusing, which is absolutely of use with this lens. Only a few images for now, but more to come.
