Fifteen Fantastic Affordable Vintage Lenses! My Guide To The Best!
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- Опубликовано: 26 сен 2020
- Getting started with vintage lenses? Check out my guide to the best!
Lenses: Jupiter 8 50mm f2, Jupiter 11 135mm f4, Industar 61 50mm f2.8, Industar 50 50mm f3.5, Helios 44 58mm f2, Helios 40 85mm f1.5, Pentacon 50mm f1.8, Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 50mm f2.8, Carl Zeiss Jena Pancolar 50mm f1.8, Carl Zeiss Jena 135mm f3.5, Olympus 50mm f1.8, Pentax Auto Takumar 50mm f1.8, Pentax Super Takumar 50mm f1.4, Konica Hexanon 28mm f3.5, Konica Hexanon 50mm f1.7, Konica Hexanon 135mm f3.2, Canon FD 50mm f1.4, Canon FD 50mm f1.8!
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Thanks for watching!
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Sir, you're a real gentleman... This is one of the best photography channels I've come across in a while.
Many thanks, very glad you're enjoying it!
I agree
These videos are prepared by a true teacher who cares for us the people as we make beauty with photography. Thank you for helping us to stop to see the creation before us through the medium of lenses.
And thanks you for watching, glad you're enjoying the channel!
I really appreciate that you seem to have an affinity for simple, affordable lenses. I have a large collection built over many years, but my favorites are the humble Soviet and East German lenses of the 50’s and 60’s.
From the moment you said “Hello Zenographers everywhere”, I knew I would love this video
Thank you!
What does Zenography means?🤔
Miha K I wondered the same and apparently it is the study of Jupiter. So I guess it refers to Jupiter lenses from USSR
Thanx
I started with an OM 90 F2 can you suggest some other "best" vintage lens to convert to M 4/3
Yet another fantastic guide! So many good insights, this is 25 minutes VERY well spent. Thank you for your channel!
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks!
Fantastic video of the great vintage lenses I have most of them they are superb .
Your video's are always excellent and are proof that vintage cameras and lenses are a pleasure too use I love them.
Many thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
What a joy to watch your content!
I've watched so many of your videos on vintage lenses - thanks for the education! I can't wait to go hunting!
Love the comment that you have to bond with the lens - I so agree! Its like a relationship when you go out shooting with it, you have to love it!
Donation made - money well spent! Thanks again.
Hey, thanks a lot for sharing this great and incredible valuable knowledge, what a masterclass!!
Thank you for the work you put in to your channel. I have watched your channel for about 8 months now and look forward to each new video. I have purchased many of your recommendations and have not been disappointed yet. I am loving using the vintage lenses and getting better with practice using them. I recently purchased the entire set of Konica lenses for under $150 US. They are beautiful lenses and produce beautiful photos. You are spot on!
Those Konica lenses are quite something aren't they? Very glad you're enjoying the channel!
Thank you for sharing the love of vintage lenses. I recently found a Canon FD 135 f2.4 which is so nice. It was $25. The only downside is that the focusing helicoid is missing one of the ball bearings, so that it will skip out while focusing sometimes. It is still one of my favorites. And the FD 50mm f1.4 which I have owned since the early nineties.
This is how an excellent informative video should look like! No fuzz about trying to be a film star like many ridiculously try, just concentrating on the issue and the facts. No wonder you got tons of viewers and subscribers. Keep up the really valuable work!
Many thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for expanding my vintage lens collection, and save quite a lot of money at the same time !
No worries, glad to be of help!
your channel is superb ! many thanks for sharing all that passion with us !
Many thanks, glad you're enjoying it!
I absolutely love your channel and soft spoken presentation, my favourite vintage lens channel. I don’t have a mirror less camera yet but am a long time Canon Dslr user and adapt my vintage lenses to them. I have been a passionate amateur photographer for 50+ years and in that time have built up a large collection of gear. In my early teens I used my dads Adox rangefinder camera and developed my first film aged 11. I was lucky to have a cousin 5 years older than me also into photography and when he upgraded or was short of money would sell me his unwanted gear very cheap. I have kept the majority of my gear over the years but the first camera I bought myself was a Kiev 4 aged 16 with my first wage and over the following months added the turret and all the available lenses. I regret to have traded these in . I progressed to the Zenith, Practicas with a variety of lenses that I still have. Then onto Yashica FR1 which I got for my 21st birthday and I added 3 lenses again still have. I lusted after the Contax RTS with Zeiss lenses and eventually got them but again I sold these on but wished I had kept them. Next was my favourites, Olympus which I still have 6 various bodies and about 15 lenses. Like you I love these and they adapt very well to my Canons. When the EOS line came out with autofocus I invested in that system and absolutely love them going digital 15 years ago. I am still passionate about my photography now as I was all those years ago and still get a massive buzz when out with my cameras.
That's quite a story! Like you I've found my love for walking around with a camera just making images has not diminished over the years - rather the opposite, in fact! I lusted after a Kiev back in the late 70s, but at fourteen years old I lacked the necessary funds and was reliant on Christmas and birthday gifts to fuel my photography. The Kiev was the most expensive of the Russian rangefinders back then and I ended up with a Fed 4 and Industar 61 - greatly appreciated at the time - I still have that camera, though the lens needs relubing. Still, not bad for forty odd years! Glad you're enjoying the videos!
this is an amazing and super helpful video. I just bought my first fixed 50 and it doesnt have the best focus outside of 1/2 a foot so i found a great zeiss lense due to this video. Thank you so much. you are an angel
This is a superb video, thank you! I'm looking at vintage lenses for video so I'm hopping between your video and others to check which of these lenses go well with our cinema cameras. You have been very helpful indeed with some superb suggestions. I've subscribed and will have a look at your other videos. Thank you!
Many thanks, glad it was helpful. I'd be interested to know which lenses you choose, and how you get on with them!
Because of your Chanel I bought the industar 61 and love it. It's my favorite lense that I've ever used. I even have been taking chances and buying some other vintage lenses. I recently bought a kiron f/2 28mm with the pk mount. It's absolutely beautiful with its contrast. I can't wait to try more lenses for sure. Thank you for being so amazing.
Many thanks, glad the channel's been useful!
Look for "Волна-9"!
You are a true artist and raise the bar for image quality.
I'm just in the extremely beginner stages of learning about cameras and just in the 1st 3 minutes I can tell you are extremely passionate about this.
It's true, I love those old lenses, and cameras in all shapes and sizes! Hope you're enjoying your new found hobby!
Estoy empezando con la fotografía vintage con una OLYMPUS OM-1 heredada. Ahora con gente como usted me estoy enganchando a este tipo de lentes y cámaras. I am a beginner in vintage photography with an OM-1, now i am hooked to this all lenses. Thanks for all the information. Great teacher.
There are few finer cameras than the OM1, and some of the Zuiko lenses are outstanding. Enjoy!
Nice video, and you lead off with the Jupiter 8. One of my favorites. I peeled one off a Kiev rangefinder (complete with the helicoid) and adapted it to my Fuji. Sharp, great bokeh, and good contrast.
Great series of videos!
Many thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
Love your videos, very informative, thanks! I just got lucky with a Pentacon Auto 50mm f/1.8 that immediately became my favourite lens (and for which I paid mere peanuts :)
Enjoy that Pentacon!
love your video. I start with my vintage lens after watching your video. My collection forces on Minolta MC MD which include 24/2.8 35/2.8 50/1.2 85/1.7 135/2.8 with Sony A7, Fuji X-T3 bodies, they certainly bring me endless joys. And I may get old Minolta film camera in near future. Thanks again, great jobs and keep it.
Many thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks, very interesting and informative video!
Many thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
I've bought a few lenses thanks to you (Minolta 58mm 1.4, although newer MC-II version, MC Pancolar 50mm 1.8, Minolta 50mm F2, Jupiter 9, Flektogon 35mm 2.4 and more) . I knew them all and what they are capable of already (I do a lot of research as I enjoy the subject), but seeing your own experience with the lenses and the resulting images helped me decide and provided that little "push". Technical reviews are useful of course, but thanks to you I've got the "feel" of the lenses and I felt as if I've already used them myself. I'm not the one to comment on RUclips videos often, or almost at all, but I feel it's time to say thank you for all the effort and shared enthusiasm. Greetings from Serbia. :)
I'm glad you've found the videos useful, many thanks for watching!
This is a great knowledge. Thank you very much for this video! 🙏
I'm very glad it was useful!
Wow! You really truly do love legacy lenses. It is great to see hear the joy in your voice as you fondle and caress each one. So do I! Shooting with manual lenses that are 50 to 75 years old is an almost sensual experience, particularly when compared to the modern lenses (which I enjoy as well, but not in the same way). These character of each legacy lens reflects its era and evokes the signature images from that era. Suggestions -- Canon FDs like the 135mm f2, Komine i.e. 28mm f2; Canon LTMs, especially 50mm 1.4 and 50mm 1.2 (if you can get a good copy) produce stellar, sensitive images; plus there are some amazing projector lenses with gobs of character from the Soviet era as well as Meyer Optics that are readily adapted (albeit with no aperture); and, of course, there are still some spectacular Soviet lenses that haven't yet made it to your podcast yet. That said, looking forward to see where you go from here ...
I think I've just found my favorite photography channel.
I'm very pleased, thanks!
A really excellent, informative video. Thanks.
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
I have numerous old lenses from a wide variety of manufacturers that I’m able to adapt to fit my cameras a number of 58mm Helios 44-2 so I have reversed the front element in one of them and I’m getting some unusual effects that I rather like. Curiosity got the better of me recently and I purchased a old Praktica with a 42mm thread 50mm lens that I was told by my mentor over 60years ago not to ever bother buying the 3 element Domiplan but I’m loving it.
Always enjoy your trips down memory lane of old vintage glass thanks again for another great vid.
Many thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
Great calming voice... good for ASMR.
Thank you so much for your videos. They are fantastic.
Many thanks, glad you're enjoying them!
Great channel. I work in st Paul's and I often recognise your locations from my own lunchtime photo walks. As a predominantly film shooter I would also say that the bridge between some of these lenses and expensive counterparts is even less for analogue photography (particularly monochrome). The film stock used being a bigger differentiator in my opinion.
Agreed - film stock is a big factor in the look of an image. Thanks for watching!
Really enjoying your videos. Would be handy if you could show a close up of each lens for identification purposes. Cheers!
Great Video my friend!!!
Many thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
Unintentional ASMR indeed.
Thanks for another great video!
It's crazy because this was two years ago, and recently I've gotten into vintage lenses and Nikon or Nikkor have actually been more affordable to get into compared to the FD's and some others. But that's only for now. Other wise love the introduction to new older lenses. Especially the Russian and german ones!
Great info...I just got a Nikon 55mm 2.8 macro lens for about a hundred bucks and LOVE the resolution and sharpness THANKS!
That sounds like quite a bargain - enjoy!
I have to say I'm quite impressed and pleased with a Soligor 135mm F/3.5 that I have. Such a nice focal length for intimate photos, and it has some really nice blur wide-opened. A lesser known brand but a great and solid lens, most likely from the 70's as it came with a Minolta SRT-101. For me it was a great cheap way to figure out if I like these focal lengths before buying anything autofocus, which are more expensive. So now I also get blown away by the performance of my Minolta AF 135mm F/2.8 on the Sony A99, or on film too with a Minolta Alpha 7.
Third party lenses can give some very nice results, and they're a great way to try out focal lengths!
Canon FD 50mm 1.8. This is what I got myself.
The light comes out so nicely natural.
It's a lovely lens, for sure!
I always look forward to your videos! Prices on eBay in the US for many on the lenses on your list are relatively high, unfortunately.
Glad you're enjoying the videos! Lens prices do vary quite a lot around the world - unfortunately!
You are so calming i love your video
Many thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
Very very interesting video and very super interesting lens collection. I would like to use all of them. In my little lens collection my favourite is Tamron Adaptal 2
Hello, Nigel! Thank you for this great overview. Do you know if Zeiss Pancolar is a radioactive one? I loved it's artistic rendering thinking to get one. Thank you for all your reviews!
Hi Elena, as I understand it, the early 'zebra' pancolars (with dark stripes on the aluminium focus ring) are indeed radioactive, but later 'electric' versions are not. Glad you enjoyed the video!
Great vid, appreciate the incite.
No worries Bill, glad you enjoyed it!
Unknown gem: Ricoh 50mm f1.7 (not the 1.9) sharp wide open, King of low Light.
Best 28mm I know: the Pentax K 3.5, not to be confused with the M. Not super cheap, but still affordable.
I have to try those canon FD's and Hexanon's.
I agree with you on the Super Takumar 50mm. Had them all, and sold them all. There are better options. I'll buy another 55mm takumar that I sold for no good reason.
Thanks for this Nice video !
Many thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
First vintage lenses I got was Pentax-110 f/2.8 set for an APS-C sensor. The 24mm 2.8 is about the smallest and cutest lens I've ever seen.
In Moscow Industar-50, -61, Helios-44, Jupiter-8 has price $4-$10.
Gosh, even cheaper!
@@zenography7923 ,curiously, sometimes you can buy a camera with a lens cheaper than just the lens itself: just tell the incompetent pimply young huckster that the camera shutter is faulty.
@@Русский_Мыслитель hey, youngsters, at least like me, are educated enough to check out the camera...
Most Zenits you find are already faulty lol
No longer. Prices risen thanks to these types of videos.
Hi. You are right. Meyer Optik was founded in Görlitz in 1896. After the second world war started production again under the name of VEB Görlitz. In 1968 merged with Pentacon to take the name VEB Pentacon with headquarters in Dresden and 1985 merged again with VEB Zeiss.
Thanks for letting me know!
Great video, thanks so much. One question: are this lenses usable with a DSLR and CMOS sensor? (22.3 x 14.9 mm)
Great video for a Sunday morning as I have some of the lenses mentioned. Do you have any experience with the Rollei 35 lenses, the 40mm f3.5 Tessar or Triotar's ?
I'm afraid I've not used any of those, though I plan to look at some triotars soon...
Great discussion. Thank you.
Many thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
The Pentax SMC 200/4 in the M42 mount is a sleeper lens. Excellent color and contrast.
I'll look out for one, thanks for the tip!
Thanks for that. Lots of work goes into these videos. All of them make you use manual settings which can only be a good thing. May I recommend another Pentax SMC lens? - the 50mm f4 Macro (which you recommend in another video). It gives you a walkaround 50mm with the option to get very close too, all in a small, beautifully-made lens. (Might alarm the odd butterfly as you have to get close). The f4 max aperture doesn't bother me as I'd generally shoot at f5.6 or f8. I have it mounted on my Canon 5D mk1 body. Newer DSLR bodies give you high ISO to compensate, with very little noise. Lovely colours, very sharp and unobtrusive - cheap too.
The Pentax 50mm f4 macro is a stunning lens, definitely the sharpest vintage lens I've shot with, though the czj pancolar comes very, very close...
Thanks for this appreciation of lenses.
And thank you, glad you enjoyed it!
@@zenography7923 I've started using an SLR after only shooting a TLR, Speed Graphic or point and shoot for decades, and your descriptions and reviews have been instrumental in learning how to compose shots with my Praktica and a 58mm Helios lens. Many thanks!
8:15 Love this photo with the lady in red! Great channel
Amazing, thanks
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
Hello sir ..
Thank you for this wonderful episode .. I have a question ..
Is it possible to use Canon FD lenses on DSLR cameras crop or full trame?
should I use an adapter?
Thanks
Well done, thank you!
Thank you too!
My goodness, what a wonderful video. Nice to know I'm not alone in my love of vintage lenses! I have a modest collection of Pentax lenses. Some are M42 mount and others are K mount. Pentax's M lenses (K mount) are just superb in build quality, feel, and the images they can produce. I also have (M42 mount) Super-Takumar 55mm f/1.8 and 50mm f/1.4 as well as several others. One of the reasons I like these manual lenses is of course they are cheap, but also how easy they mount on my film and digital Pentax cameras. What mount do you find most common in your vintage lenses?
I seem to end up using good old M42 mount vintage lenses more than anything else; others I commonly use are L39 (Leica rangefinder mount) and Olympus OM.
Yet another wonderful entertaining video!
May I ask do you use these lenses on film or are they mostly used on digital cameras
All the very best
Mostly on film these days, though I do still shoot some film from time to time!
@@zenography7923 What's better, film or film?
Hi nice video, I use MF lenses on my Fuji Xe1 & Xpro1 cameras that I bought new. Because the cheapness of vintage lenses, i stick to M42 & Minolta because i had a lot of these lenses anyway, The Min MD 50 f1.7 and 28 f2.8 are astonishingley sharp on my Xe1. I also have a SENTON, 35-70 F3.5 short zoom ( made in Korea Minolta Copy) also superbly sharp , all my minolta gear works very harmoiusly . But my two favorite M42 lenses, ( and i have a shed load) are my Albert Shacht "Trevagon" 35mm F3.5 this is produces great pictures and is a work art, so compact and solidly made!! and my Voigghtlander Skoparex 35mm F2.8 made in Singapore from a Rollei design , again capable of beautiful images, but also like the Shacht, compact solidly made.
It sounds like you have a very nice collection there, with some rarities too! Glad you enjoyed the video.
i love this man 😭😭😭😭😭😭
:) thank you
verry god explanation konsolidated knowledge greatings from germany
Hello, nice video :) I just bought a Helios 44-2 which will hopefully arrive next week. I am also thinking about buying a Helios 40. I would like to buy the new version because it is available for F-Mount (M42 wont focus to infinity unfortunatliy). Do you have any experience with the new version? I would like to know if it has the same quality and characteristics of the old one.
Thanks very much, Sir. I liked the video...
Many thanks,, glad you enjoyed it!
Great video, only noticed by the group (photography with manual lenses (old & new)
My favourites are the CZJ Biotar 2/5.8cm from 1941, the Biotar 2/5.8cm from 1947, the Ultron 1.8/50mm and the Zeiss-Opton 1.5/50mm as well as the 5cm from 1937. And then there is the Steinheil Quinar VL 2.8/135 the silver and very rare version.😁👌
My Biotar's from the late 50s - 10 blades, in Exacta mount. It's a beautifully made lens, but I was surprised to find that my 13 blade Helios 44 made nicer images! I wonder if other Biotar versions might be a little nicer?
@@zenography7923 All versions that were built are with 17,12,10 from 1941 the oldest I have until the end of the construction period. All in M42 except the oldest for M40 which is very difficult to adapt was originally on a Praktiflex. I had the adapter sent to me from the States to Germany, at the same time as a helicoid to minimize the closest focusing distance. Finally I have the manual version with 17 aperture blades. The first version, called Pre-War, was equipped with 8 blades. The Manual Version built from 1946-1952 has 17 then Pre-Set 1950-1954 with 10-12 blades and the last version Semi-Auto 1953-1960 has 10 blades.
Very nice video, would you share your knowledge on wider vintage lenses (40mm and below) for modern FF and APSC ?
If you look through my previous videos you'll see there's one specifically on 28mm lenses (on full frame); a recent video looks at the Konica 40mm f1.8, comparing it to the Voigtlander 40mm 1.4. In a recent video featuring three Voigtlander lenses there are reviews of the 40 1.4 and the ultra wide 16mm (f2 I think?). I don't have an aps-c camera at the moment, though I hope to rectify that soon!
@@zenography7923 I missed the one comparing Konica and voigtlander (as a voigtlander fan....). Many thanks for sharing all these things.
You are a great person, thank you very much
That's very kind, thanks! Glad you're enjoying the videos!
I couldn't agree more about bonding with a lens , the dumpy little indistar 69 was an instant hit despite the extra fiddly aperture ring. .
I've yet to try an industar 69 - I hear they're quite unique though!
Have you tried the Mamiya 55mm and 50mm lenses in m42 mount? I've got two of the chrome nose Mamiya lenses and they give my Zebra Pancolar a run for its money. You're right about the Pancolar, it is fantastic.
I haven't tried either of those, though I've heard they're very nice - your comparison to the Pancolar encourages me to find one or two - I'll check them out!
@@zenography7923 They're quite rare here in the UK. Just make sure you get the Auto Mamiya versions. The later SX versions have a large lip on the aperture ring that stops them from screwing in fully.
Hello, I own the silver nose Mamiya Sekor 55mm F1/.4. How does it give the Pancolor a run for it's money?
@@princeharbinger I don't own the 1.4. The 50mm f2 and 55mm 1.8 I own both give very good performance wide open. The 50mm f2 beats the 55mm 1.8 though. The Pancolar is the best normal lens I own so it's not like I have a bad copy. We are doing single copy comparisons so other peoples experiences my vary.
19:05 the reason because Canon FD lenses are less appreciated then other manufacturer's like Olympus, Pentax and especially Nikon is because of the flange distance required: these lens are almost useless on all the most common digital DSLR because they have a very short flange distance and cannot be adapted to EOS mount focussing to the infinity, let alone Nikon F and Pentax K. The only users who sought after FD lenses were m43 video fans. Nowadays, with most manufacturers switching to mirrrorless, on their FF bodies these lenses are rising in prices because they are outstanding glasses and are perfectly usable to their full extent on RF, Sony E and Nikon Z mounts.
Nikkor F lensenses, having the longest flange distance of all the vintage lenses, have been the most sought after because they can easily adapt to anything in the digital DSLR ecosystem and are considered native on all the digital Nikon FF DSLR bodies, but this also raised the price on the market and so are not much of a bargain.
I have here, on my canon RP a Nikkor AF-50mm 1.4 D and an old Zuiko OM 50mm f1,8 and I must say the Olympus is by far the best lens wide open, so don't be fooled thinking high prices = better quality.
There are some "unicorn" lenses that will probably bankrupt
you, but these are for true connosseur and collectors: All the Aspherical canon FD lenses are almost unobtainable and will cost you thousand of €/£/$, because these are the lenses usesed by lens feticists like Kubrik in many scenes in masterworks like Barry Lindon.
Topcon Exacta mount lenses are also extremely rare and expensive and can be still bought with almost the same design from Voightlander, but this is not really in the bargain area.
BTW, Mamiya lens are excellent and cheap: the Sekor C 80mm f/1.9 was used in several scenes while filming "Interstellar" and it's still cheap!
For what it's worth places like Simmod do offer full EF mount conversions for FD's now. It's pretty sweet.
@@mynam3isnathan unfortunately it only works on APSC EOS cameras: if you put most FD lenses on a FF camera, even after conversion of the mount, the rear element will block the mirror operation. I have an FD 28mm f:2.0 and I've checked it for compatibility on their site. Apparently the conversion only works for longer lenses
@@Leptospirosi would you be willing to link me where you’re seeing that? Not only have I used some of the ultrawides converted by them on full frame EOS bodies, but I’m struggling to understand where that issues would even come from given that it’s a physical mount adaption removing the original mounting hardware from the FD lens. Granted my main use case is for video etc. so rarely am I having to deal with a mirror and potential clearance issues there. I just haven’t heard anyone else with a converted set mention that as problem at all. Even the other places offering kits say it should be fine on full frame EOS bodies but I’d love to know if I’m just overlooking something basic here.
@@mynam3isnathan the rear element in most FD WA lenses sticks too far back. It is in the site selling the conversion kit
@@Leptospirosi Hello! I see you know something about optics ;)
Do you an optician? I have few questions about getting lens set from one manufacturer for personal projects video shooting (right now im on a m4/3 sensor).
Right now i own Voigtlander color-skorpalex 28 2.8 and planar rollei 50 1.8 (which i will swap on Voigtlander Color Ultron 50 1.8 because planar rollei isnt sharp wide open), dont you know how this lenses compare to other zeiss lenses with same focal length? I also impressed by pancolar 80 1.8 image, its just outstanding!
I cant find on any youtube any HUGE lens sets comparison for video shooting where color and rendering/out of focus/image plastics is important (Zeiss Contax Leica R FD s.s.c., nikor, zuiko OM, LOMO OKS):
1. Comparison few lenses from one set (how similar is set in terms of color and skin rendering etc).
2. Comparison, for example 24 to 24 mm / 35 to 35 mm / 50 to 50 mm / 85 to 85 mm lenses from different lens set to see pros and cons of each, artistic characteristics.
3. To hear/read any info about ergonomic comparison (rings, size, pros and cons of body/construction of lens etc).
I dream about getting sharp set with warm flares, cats eye bokeh and supercool 3d popping. Which way can you recommend to go?
Have you tried any vintage Yashica ML lenses? People seem to have forgotten them.
how can you dislike this guy :(
Canon FD lenses are often overlooked because of their complicated breechlock mechanism and on/off aperture linkage which make it tricky to adapt onto adapters. It works as an effective deterrent for mirrorless users who don't want to fiddle with the Canon FD mount.
They are a little more tricky to mount, it's true - but well worth persevering!
Can I get an adaptor for the Jena or Russian lenses to fit my Contarex ?
. Any helpful info would be appreciated. Thanks.
Have you ever seen tiny "bubbles" in optical glass of Helios 44-2? It seems no effect on image quality. Thanks for inspirational channel.
In the old days, when they furnace forged the glass, under incredible temperatures, the bubbles were a byproduct of that. Like you state, has no effect on image quality. On the contrary, back in the day, and I am quite old, it was a sign of good camera glass.
My firs slr is a Zenit with 58 mmf2 lens . I was a teenager, travel in East Germany in the early 70 - from Hungary. I got the camera in Dresden - the camera shop not give me the best copy. Only a few bigger bubble but hundreds of little bubbles- if not thousands . I wish I have that lens - it was terrible .🙂
Your spirit on vintage lenses is outstanding, appreciate that very much!
"Negatively" I would say, prices could raise on such informative records you do! 😁
Many thanks, glad you're enjoying the videos!
Very interesting video, thanks. Just a thought, could you please adjust your audio it is very low.
Picked up a Staeble-Telexon 135 mm f3.8 that fits the old Paxette (39mm thread) 35mm cameras for 30 NZ $
Can't find out much about it and haven't used it yet ☹
Zenography,
Excellent and learned review.
Where do you buy these lenses from ? As a beginner, living in the UK, where do we go to find these?
And could you please discuss how to find the best adaptors for use on modern digital DSLR's or Mirrorless cameras.
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! Most of the lenses I buy come from ebay - auctions tend to give better prices (for the buyer) and often it works out much cheaper if you buy a non-working body with a lens. Best not to pay inflated 'buy it now' prices. I only use so called 'dumb' adaptors - a simple metal tube with mounts at each end, so to fit an M42 lens to a Sony e mount camera for example, you'd need an M42 to e-mount adaptor, and so on. Hope that helps!
@@zenography7923 Definitely helps, I went ahead today and bought a Sony APS-C body (used) cos I am not at that point where I earn money from photography as this is a serious hobby for now, but not an income earner, so FF body was out of the question. I am happy with the choice. What was sad about the whole process was, it took me about a week or more to sift through all the available information, to come to a conclusion about - One - mirrorless, Sony and APS-C. There is so much distracting "noise" about M43rd cameras, and Canon DSLR and mirrorless cameras - in popular media - youtube, magazines, forums, until I checked DXOMark, and the picture was so much clearer - in general Sony was better on their sensors if cost was about same.. Fully appreciate your clarification on the kind of adapters you use. Thanks. Of all the channels I have watched on RUclips, you are the only one who gives an opinion on the colour and the contrast of each lens. Even DXOMark, does not provide any such measures in their tests, and this your personal description was revelatory and useful. In all my short experience with photography, of about recent 6 months, eventually I come to appreciate one thing above all others - focus/clarity. When its super sharp, my pictures come out really good with my current bridge camera. I am therefore looking for the sharpest but least expensive vintage lenses, primes or zoom, to pair with my Sony - NEX-3F. body. I wish there was some wonderful database I could search through on vintage lenses, with a measure of their "sharpness".... Thanks for leading me onto the decision to pair vintage lenses - I do not shoot any fast moving objects, sports or highly mobile children or dogs, so manual focus will be ok for me, or I set a smaller aperture to give me a longer depth of field and am not too fussed about focus accuracy for moving objects. I have no preference for the original mount as long as I can get a dumb adaptor to Sony E-mount, which is obviously what works for you, so I know that any suggestions you give me, I will be able to find the right adapter. By the way, I came to my choice of Sony mirrorless completely independent of the Sony A7 which I know is your favorite mirrorless body. SO it was such as huge affirmation to discover you also recommend and use a Sony mirrorless cam. Especially as I will be using APS-C, which has a 1.5 crop, shorter focal lengths, no which give FF equivalent focal length between 20mm and 100mm should be ample for me. Thanks in advance.
Why is this video so mesmerizing? I can't stop watching.
Glad you're enjoying it!
Thanks
The takumar 55 1.8 is actually uses slightly radioactive glass for better optics
I've been told the m42 to canon EF adapter needs to have its own glass, is this correct.
Watching your videos made me go out and buy a Helios 44 serial # 0019725 Red P 13 blade, was used on a Start camera, it looks to be a bayonet mount. What adapter do you recommend to mount on a Sony mirrorless?
This is a difficult one - the start camera was the only one that used that mount, as far as I'm aware, so you might struggle to find an adaptor. It's possible you may be able to fit an M42 mount to your lens, from a later Helios - not ideal, but I think that may be the way forward.
I'm an amateur photographer and I have a Canon 90d. I've listening to your videos for some time now and would like to take the plunge and get a couple of vintage lenses to play with. What would you recommend for someone with an aps-c camera who is starting out and where do you recommend that I get the adapters?
I'd suggest a 28mm, a 35mm, a 50mm and a 135mm. These focal lengths will all be (effectively) increased by about a third on your aps-c sensor. If you're starting with only one lens, I'd suggest a 35mm, which will give you an effective focal length of almost 50mm - a good place to start in my opinion. The Pentax K mount lenses are very nice indeed, and according to this page: www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4230322
they will mount on your camera with a K mount to Canon EF adaptor (cheaply available on ebay).
Please,please can you let US know where to get the adapters you use ,thanks.
thank you!!!!
Hahaha, I think I bought that dud Russian lens. A Jupiter 8 that needed to be 8 mm closer to the sensor ,wierd bokeh and some interesting distortion, love it.
Cool!
thank you for this video. Which would you recommend for product photography?
The Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon 35mm f2.4 should do the job nicely - short minimum focus distance, fairly wide aperture and a lovely soft feel to it's images!
@@zenography7923 amazing - thank you. I have put this on my wish list as a little out of budget currently. Will play with a selection on Minolta rokkor macros I recently purchased on eBay this week.
any idea what kind of mount it would need for a Pentax q? thanks again
Hi, have a quick question for you
I can’t seem to find an adapter for Konica ar to EF mount
Or a speedbooster for Konica ar to M43
I’m using a GH5
The reason I asked for adapter to EF is I already have a speedbooster for EF to M43
Thanks in advance
Not sure what to suggest apart from the usual internet searches. Anyone else care to ship in?
@@zenography7923 ok thanks for replying
Meyer Optik Gorlitz Domiplan lenses are fantastic vintage M42 lenses with lovely Bokeh which can be picked up on ebay for 10 to 20 quid.
Thanks for the suggestion - that sounds like my kind of lens!
After watching a few of your videos, I have been meaning to ask if you had any experience with Voigtlander DKL lenses.
I dont see much being said about them online, and they are largely the only lenses I have access to. My first and main camera is a Bessamatic that I have acquired the 35, 50, 135 and 200mm lenses for, and been wondering if it would make sense to buy an adapter to use on more modern bodies or move on to other lenses.
They feel somewhat unwieldy and all of them have very poor minimun focus distance, but do you have any opinion on their image quality compared to other lenses of their time?
I'm afraid not - I haven't used any of the old Voigtlander lenses. They do have a fair reputation though and remember that what matters is not what anyone says about a lens, but whether you like the images it makes. Do you like what your lenses do on film? The images they make on digital will be similar. For the cost of an adaptor, I'd say give 'em a go!
@@zenography7923 It is a good point. I do enjoy the images they produce for the most part, save for some vignetting I have been noticing on my 135mm.
I have received a Praktica camera with a Pentacon F1.8 50mm lens to try out for a few weeks recently, so that should give me a point of comparison.
I unfortunately own no DSLR cameras to do a more 'clinical' test of the Voigtlander lenses so to speak. And trying to determine the sharpness of a lens with film alone is not as simple. I find that some film stocks tend to lend themselves to sharpness better than others.
Dear Mr. Zenography. Thanks for another great video! I have learnt quite a few things from your channel and am very grateful to you for all the knowledge that you have shared with us. Some thoughts... I would love to know your first name! Reason? Saying thank you "Mr. Zenography" feels somewhat impersonal. Or perhaps you would like to keep your first name a secret? If that is the case that is fine. The intention is not to pry. But do consider sharing with us some name we can use so that we can speak to you more personally :)
One thing I have definitely learnt from you... and I credit you for having made me be very discerning about this quality now is... the way lenses render the background. I love your reviews and agree with all your observations and choices with the exception of one thing... I can't stand swirly or harsh backgrounds at all.
One thing I love is your relaxed, grown up, and calm presentation. And your authenticity and your desire to share with us great bargains in a time where many simply just don't have the money to buy the cameras and lenses pushed to us that costs many many hundreds or thousands of notes. Your channel is in stark contrast to way too much American-Canadian-centric imature vlogger produced photographic content that are just thinly disguised affiliate sales videos.
One other thing I learnt from you is how wonderful the old Olympus Zuiko lenses are. Strange thing is I never paid any attention to them, ever. They were never ever on my radar despite me being into photography since the film days. Perhaps it was because none of my friends ever used an Olympus. As a teenager I started using an Exakta. Friends would all either have Minolta or Nikon. My first few digital cameras were Olympus and I have bought a few digital micro four third Oympus lenses. Again despite that... the old OM lenses just did not exist in my world. I just never saw them.
But once I saw your videos and learnt from you and observed how the backgrounds render in these vintage Olympus OM lenses, I started seeking them out. I now have the 28mm, the 35mm, the 50mm 1.4 and 1.8, the 135mm and the 200 mm. It took me a long time to find it, but Olympus made a genuine OM lens to micro four thirds adaptor for owners to use these lenses on their micro four thirds cameras.
There is so much to like about these lenses. Exactly as you have said in all your videos. And since I had the lenses, I then thought to myself... why not get a matching film body for them. And so I did some research and I then discovered the fabulous OM-1n. What an amazing camera. I bought one and I was very lucky that mine looks like new! My only criticism of the OMs is that the film advance lever doesn't offer a sufficiently satisfying level of refinement. Its good when you advance the film. But not great.
And so for a very modest sum, I get a set of lenses that are small in size, optically sharp enough, light in weight, have great colors, render out of focus backgrounds beautifully and have a lovely to use focus ring. They can be used on digital and film cameras with great results, and for us more "ocd" types... as a set of lenses, they visually and aesthetically match each other!
An idea for your channel mate. The reason I offer this idea is eventually you will have tested most vintage lenses. So I hope you intersperse other types of videos where we can benefit from your relaxed mature grounded presentation style.
Perhaps you can ask us viewers to submit to you some of our photos taken with a particular vintage lens. You could tell us... hey in January 2021, how about anyone with a Takumar lens submit a photo. In February 2021 anyone with a Jupiter lens send a photo. So at the end of each month a different lens or family or make gets selected... you could go thru these photos and turn some of the ones you like into a short video slideshow. Think of it more as putting together a little narated showcase of what each particular vintage lens is doing and taking photos off around the world... it's NOT a competition.
I think it will be amazing because of the idea of diversity.
So once again mate... thanks for sending me down an enjoyable, rewarding and affordable path by introducing me to the magic of Olmpus OM Zuiko lenses and your mature, laid back, relaxed, value seeking, non pushy content...
A great week ahead to you and all your viewers. Cheers!
Zahari
Hi Zahari - my name's Nigel, please feel free to use it! Those Zuiko lenses are quite something aren't they? Beautifully manufactured, great image quality and very good looking lenses too. Olympus were the first vintage lenses I tried after starting with some Russians several years ago - I too liked the fact that they all looked the same as well! I think my favourites are the 50 1.4, the 135 3.5 and the 100 f2.8. The 100 f2 is even nicer, as is the 85 f2 - a friend lent me some of these a while back and they just blew me away!
I've been thinking of something along the lines you suggest for a while now - it may well be there's some mileage in that!
Very glad you're enjoying the videos!
What about Canon FL 50/1.4 II, I've seen a test, comparing it with other lenses, including a Canon FD 50/1.4 S.S.C, the FL showed the best results, a little bit sharper and a little bit less CA, than FD lens, all lenses in test are in good condition. Just wondering, what to buy next, wanted FD, but now, most likely will get FL. Unfortunately there is not much info on the internet, about Canon FL lenses, and pretty much every youtuber, that "in lenses", talks about FD's.
I haven't reviewed any FLs yet; I'll do so as soon as I can... Thanks for watching!
@@zenography7923 Thanks for the amazing content!
do you also get the swirly bokeh with the 44-3 helios?
Well, I've never used a 44-3 - I've heard the swirl gets a little less with each successive version, so the 44-3 might swirl a bit less...?
I’ve got 15 lenses now and just bought a mir1 b that won’t focus to infinity by 1 mm. I don’t want to open the lens so am buying an m39-m42 adapter so i can put it on my m39 adapter with an extension tube.
Out by 1mm, that’s a shame - couldn’t you send it back?
@@zenography7923 I would but it’s came all the way from Lithuania and otherwise looks like they have done a nice job on a cine focus gear. I guess in attaching this it changed the infinity, which I could try to fix by taking out the screws. I tried testing the infinity with a macro tube and it seemed to focus to ok at a slightly shorter distance from the sensor so just waiting on a small m39-m42 converter I’ve ordered. There may be a silver lining though as my m39 adapter is a focusing helicoid so it means I get the supper close focus.