**TIME STAMPS BELOW HERE - HUGE thanks to Chris Griffith for lending me his lens to test out. This has been the oldest lens I’ve ever shot with, but you almost can’t even tell by the image quality it puts out. 0:00: INTRO 1:12: VINTAGE LENS FILES - HISTORY of this Lens 3:13: Physical Characteristics of the lens (Pre-Set version) 4:53: Image Examples 7:59: Comparing the Helios to the Zeiss Biotar 10:27: THANK YOU CHRIS GRIFFITH for loaning me YOUR PRECIOUS 10:50: Winner of the HELIOS! 11:35: Music Credits
@Digital Asylum 24mm, 35mm, 50mm (2x crop but I'm gonna use a focal reducer) I was looking at the 85mm... But it's too much $$ for something in not gonna use alot
Mark I can't believe I won the Helios! Thank you! You are my favourite RUclipsr even before and now this! I can't wait to use it on my Fujifilm xt3! This video is beautiful.
Ray, It's my pleasure mate! I hope you do wonderful things with it! I was worried you didn't get my email last night, but so glad we were able to connect! I just have to order the Fujifilm adapter and will ship it the MOMENT that comes! Thanks again my friend!
Thanks mate! I really wanted to do a good job on this one mostly because Chris sent me the lens lol. When i received it I fell in love, I'm on a recent Carl Zeiss obsession and this is one of the early ones. Thanks for watching!
@@MarkHoltze Would you happen to have a recommendation (or a video for that matter) for an ideal vintage lens that would be adapted to micro four thirds primarily for video? Something that lets in a really good amount of light but is in the same price range as some of the other vintage lenses you have been showing us lately?
I don't think I have commented on a RUclips video before but just had to say how fantastic this review was. Love the vibe, photos and general production value
@@MarkHoltze Oh Mark, I did stop by a huge amount of times! I use vintage lenses for video work only and you helped me out a ton! Not only are your videos very high quality content, but they are entertaining and very well made. You put a lot of time into it and this is very appreciated! By far the best vintage lens channel and one of the best on all youtube! That's for sure! If your ever in the north of germany hit me up and I'll show you around Hamburg. I think you would find a spot or two to test out some vintage glas ;)
I just recently bought a 17-blade Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 58mm lens (got a great deal on Reddit), and I'm LOVING IT. Only had it a few days, but I've already gotten some lovely portraits of my wife and son with it mounted to my Sony a6400. The soft / swirly bokeh effect and the overall dreamy look the lens creates is so subtly different from the other (much more modern) lenses I've picked up. Thanks for this gorgeous video - you're not featuring the exact same model I currently have, but they're close enough that watching this felt super relevant to me right now. Nice work!
I love vintage gear! There’s just something special about the results that can’t be reproduced with newer lenses. We get so caught up in making things as “sharp” as possible, and with vintages lenses you get that “vintage sharpness” like you said. Great video review of this lens!
Totally agree Lance! Thanks mate! It’s tough to compete against ya massive marketing of new gear, but the costs associated with that for the average user are debilitating from a creative, experimentation point of view.
Found your channel rather recently, and have been binging all your videos! Really love them, and I'm very happy to see reviews of vintage lenses! I believe vintage lenses match great with modern cameras and I have started my collection with a very unoriginal choice, the Helios 44-2! Anyway love your videos keep them coming!
Thanks Talam! Appreciate your time! Hey, the 44-2 IS the gateway lens, from here it's a long line of vintage vixens who will come in and out of your life ;)
Fantastic review Mark. The historical insights were very interesting. The comparison with the Helios was informative - it really delivered impressive results.
THanks mate! I wish I could post more often, but they're very much a "when I can" type of deal. I do love doing them and don't see myself stopping for a while :). How do you like the 44-2?
@@MarkHoltze Yeah it's a great lens, used it today for a bunch of portraiture and the results were really nice. A little more character than I got out of the SMC Pentax-M 50mm 1.7 I've got.
Thanks mate! I really wanted to do this one justice because Chris was cool enough to lend me his lens so I felt the pressure lol. I even shot it 4k lol to make sure it ages well ;)
I wish I had friends like yours👍. I'm in love with Takumar lenses, they are brilliant for my extreme macro stacks. I'm searching for a Takumar 200mm f5.6 with lens case to do 10X magnification with my Canon 5DSR. Love your work here👌👌
So, only recently discovered the channel and have to say I love it!!! It’s informative, entertaining and production is fantastic! The down side? In a matter of days I’ve become obsessed with vintage lenses and there’s no end in sight to the madness. My first purchase just arrived this morning and I’m totally hooked!!! 😊 Thanks for demystifying the topic and making it so accessible!
Wow, you keep setting the bar higher and higher. This is your best video to date -in my honest opinion. Amazing aesthetic, loved the history lesson, excellent narration and PUPPY! Really impressed and invigorated to get out there and shoot some natural world content! Keep going from strength to strength mate!
@@MarkHoltze Don't worry about it! We still talk through the various social media channels. You have a wonderful array of comments here, so I would never expect you to reply to everything I say. Yes, I am writing a video today of all days!
Thank you for saying so my friend. Everything but the on camera talking head bits were shot with these vintage lenses, anything that wasn't labelled Biotar for video was shot on the Takumar's. Trying to really show case what these can do even subliminally ;) Thanks for watching and the positive feedback!
I don't know what to say, your video is broadcast production level. The information in the review was superb. I know the vintage lens is not everyone's tea and it does not even help you get more sponsorship. However, I can't help to love your presentation and feel your passion and enthusiasm for it. Keep up. You are a very rare RUclipsr in this field.
What a kind thing to say my friend, thank you for taking the time. Definitely loving this format, it helps when a lens has some interesting history behind it for sure! I'm here for the love of it mate, I could switch gears into more mainstream stuff and that might help get sponsorship/attention from major brands, but right now it's JUST about the content that I love. Appreciate your time mate, thank you for such a great comment!
Fantastic work as always. You could start a series just on the history of the lens--the graphics, the detail, and the audio effects are wonderful narrating. And I have a PhD in history and teach, so I'm not just flattering you. You're doing groundbreaking work with that component of your reviews!
Thanks Blair, the more I dig in, the cooler it gets. I think it really ads to the context of the review, for me it’s getting into mini doc territory which I honestly would freaking love to do. It’s just super time consuming both research and animation. All good though, but it’s become something I definitely want to evolve.
As a photographer and filmmaker, I get to view a lot of videos and make a few myself. I can say, without a doubt, Mark has the most informative and useful videos on the Internet. Period. I love vintage Takumars as well and have three complete sets of primes because of what Mark showed in his videos. Yes, of those, my favorite IS the eight-element 50mm f1.4 but there are others, including the 55mm f1.8 that are outstanding as well. People do not realize there is a difference between the Super Takumars, Super-Multi-Coated Takumars, and SMC Takumars, both in build quality AND coating. Personally? I love the Super-Multi-Coated Takumars the best! They have the coating of the SMC AND the build quality of the original Super Takumars. I read that the SMC version was the 'economy brand' in K mount and from my perspective I agree. The M and A versions are not as well built in my opinion with plastic instead of metal for many parts. I became a huge fan of these and now have about 50 of them in my collection, mostly because of the videos Mark did on those lenses! That said, what I also appreciate about what Mark points out, is the build quality of these Zeiss (and even most Helios) lenses. The Zeiss lenses of that era are magical and I use many of them. Thanks to Mark for taking the time to make amazing and well-documented videos. The new lenses of today may be superior in some ways (glass and coating) but the plastic and rubber will never replace the vault-like feel of the older, vintage lenses, at least not for me!
Wow what a comment mate thank you for taking the time on all fronts! Love hearing your thoughts on these lenses as well! Mostly helps articulate what I love about them so thank you!
What's up Mark how are you? You probably already know this but this review is stellar I don't want to ask how much time it took to put together, especially the historical chapter of it. This is one of those cases no one needs to review this lens again LOL
Hey Ray, thanks for watching man. Appreciate your kind words on the video as always. History section was time consuming, it took from 9:40am to 3:35pm to finish all of it lol. I shot all day Monday the forest stuff and the on camera the Monday night. Total probably about 35 hours to cut do all the work on it. It's weird I just feel compelled to do it, it would be very easy to NOT do it ,but I honestly can't help myself.
Another unique & classy video!! I too, have a Biotar 2/58 with the slick alluminum body. Mine is currently mated to my baby Exacta... Exa . 1a camera, built in 1965. Both are a great match, fun to use, and turn out some of my best shots! Quality begets quality, and a sense of pride, and creative fulfillment! Thanks 🙏
Hi Mark! I think no one can do such informative vintage lens reviews as you do! I've been watching your videos since I was looking for Pentax vintage lenses and you got me attached to your channel! I love the way you giving history informations behind each lenses you review and even testing out the lens' optic quality and show to use how well and sharp it can render. Please keep on making videos! I have subscribed and turned on notifications on your channel! Cheers from Malaysia
Hi Alexander! Thanks for watching my friend. What a nice comment. Happy to do it and will continue for awhile. Mixing it up a bit here and there. Thanks for watching and let me know if you ever have any questions.
You’re very welcome! Yes I will! I have your channel notified when you have new videos up! Oh yes! I wanna ask, I wonder if there’s by any chance will you review Mamiya Sekor medium format lenses? Especially their 6x7 lenses. Like between Sekor, Sekor C, K/L and Sekor Z lenses? Also lenses with APO coatings as well. I’m curious about the differences. I’ve seen some RUclipsrs did try on mounting Mamiya lenses onto DSLRs but I don’t see much of informations and image quality out from them. I wish you could make videos of comparing Mamiya lenses with Pentax lenses. Or any other vintage medium format lenses too!
It's pretty sweet that KMZ!!! Especially for the price, but even so. She has that effect on people, that's why I put her in there, to heavily bias the review in favour the the hero (in this case the lens I'm reviewing). In my Helios video the 44M is the HERO! lol I actually wanted to do a complete VS in this video but digging into the Biotar I felt it had to have it's own dedicated review so figured instead of making it about the two lenses directly, tell it's own story and compare them lightly. Not to mention the differences are SO minor, it wouldn't make for a very interesting review.
@@MarkHoltze well... these old lenses do DESERVE their own videos. speaking of VS video ideas... if i ever do meetings again in toronto, after it's trip to the repair shop i will bring my "new" smc pentax 85mm 1.8 for you to borrow. curious how it compares to your coveted 85mm screw mount super tak?? 📸 🤔
I have the 17 blade edition 1950s, no preset aperture, first time I use it, was with mixed results, put it on a Z7II and got to say the color and sharpness is hard to believe with such a tiny lens. used it wide open looking for Bokeh and found it is worthless any closer than a meter but add a couple feet wow! Thanks for the great review and the history of this little gem.
another great job mate well done, really enjoyed the history side too great set up with the war look /files etc. The image is lovely has a great color too it like the Helios nearly identical even the bokeh was just about the same. shout out to your assistant/model very cool just there and little champion thanks again for your work very inspiring !
Thank you! The History beat took me all Day Tuesday to do lol, glad it resonated! She's the best model, never complains and never asks for anything, just to be by my side!
Thanks Teng! I saw there was a bit of a hole in some really robust vintage lens reviews and thought I would try to fill it. Really help showcase what these lenses are capable of! Hold onto yours!!! I'm jealous :)
Mark Holtze Awesome. One other great tele classic is the Asahi Takumar 105mm f2.8 with the preset aperture ring. It is M42 mount just like the biotar. Super sharp!
I am glad there are more people who are crazy about vintage lenses. Biotar is one of my favourites, together with Flektogon 35mm f2.4, Primoplan 58mm f1.9 and the Triotar 135mm f4. I use these with a Kipon Baveyes speed booster focal reducer on a Fuji camera. Very happy with the results.
Thanks for your video Mark, I just (finally!) bought the pre-set 12-blade version today. According to the serial number it was (most likely) made in 1953, the same year I was born. It is a bit beat up from being dropped so often (just like me!) but I love it. I will glue on a 52mm filter ring over top of the damaged 49mm filter ring and then a filter and hood and I will be set. I also have the 58mm f2 Helios 44M-7 and will use these in tandem on my GH4, my Sony FS700 AND most importantly my 16mm movie camera (K3) which uses the coveted M42 mount. On the 16mm it becomes a whopping 200+mm lens! Can't wait to get it. Love your videos, you are THE BEST on the Internet! That is why I subscribed. Anyone that doesn't is nuts!
Great video fellow up to your Helios review. Appreciate the historical background info. It’s missing in most reviews on vintage lenses by fellow RUclipsrs. Keep up the production value! You have a subscriber now.
Thanks Eric! I think the historical element is definitely a big thing I'm going to keep up moving forward. I've always loved the history so it will incentivize me to dig deep for the info and challenge me to come up with interesting creative ways to illustrate it. The optical results are always something, but I think for many of us vintage folks, it's the history behind the lens that adds a certain prestige to them. Typical vintage lens: Softish wide open, vignetting, etc etc. The differences could be the socio economical era they were born into, the conflict at the time etc etc. I want to kind of evolve it into a mini doc series, at least that's my intention I think. Blah blah blah, anyway, thanks for writing Eric! Always nice to hear when the effort resonates.
Mark Holtze Dude, keep up the great work that truly means a lot to history buffs and camera geeks, it’s important for people to know where all this stuff they are slappin’ on their cameras come from. I know you’ve done several vids on vintage 50mm lenses but I’d be courions about your thoughts on the Canon 50mm 1.4 ltm. It originated in the late 50’s. It’s a Leica m39 Mount and is called the Japanese Summilux. It’s still pretty much an overlooked lens.
@@ejacks3 I will keep an eye out for it mate! I tend to do the lenses I own first because I want to shoot with them awhile to really get a sense of how they are plus some experience and roll of decent test images. But This sounds like one to look out for! Thanks so much!
Thank you mate, it's my pleasure. Ya the history bit took ALL of Tuesday to do, i'm happy with it though. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.
Nice video Mark. I have to agree about the lens comparison. The Helios is a lot of bang for the buck, yet the Zeiss is aesthetically more pleasing and has the smoother focus ring. A classic case of the grease the russians used, a lot more sticky and less smooth like the buttery Takumars. But, you get almost equal image quality with the 44M lens, which is great fun to use. Cannot afford a Biotar? Then get the Helios and love it.
yes, finally a proper biotar review! great vid! i was thinking about getting the helios but then found my semi-auto biotar in great condition for 59 bucks - nobrainer ;)
Each video is a new bar it feels like. How can I make this better than my last, especially the lens review. I was happy with how this one turned out, so glad it resonated with you. Appreciate you saying so Devon.
I've got a fantastic Tamron 28-75 F/2,8 Di III RXD for my Sony A7II. And in year 2069 on Newutube.com, no one will ever make a video about that lens. Especially not with such love and respect as you Mark. Worse is that I rarely use that new and expensive lens. It's all Pentacon 50 MC / Helios 44/2 / Canon FD 70-210 F4 / Jupiter 9 and more. Damn you and Mathieu Stern, for making me buy all these vintage goodies. Autofocus is like driving an automatic transmission car, even if it's the best transmission ever conceived, manual is always more rewarding ! Ever tried a Sankyo Komura Lens Mark ? I've got an 200mm F3,5 pretty sharp @F4 and with the smoothest silky bokeh I've ever got. Click less preselect aperture with 16 blades. The mechanical feel and looks is nothing less than superb. Cheers from Sweden Daniel
FULLY agree Daniel...lol NEWTUBE lol that's hilarious! But I actually JUST sold my barely used Canon 16-35 EF L series right now, literally just got back from dropping it off. I NEVER use it, I sold my 24-105mm F4 as well to pick up the Contax Carl Zeiss 85mm 1.4. I can't help it either, I love manual focus, just makes the photography feel so much more involved. I also drive manual transmission as well so I can totally relate to that as well.
I don't know how often I rewatched your Biotar review - just love the production quality 🤩 For months I'm keeping an I open for a Biotar 58mm and a Helios 44, but prices in Germany are quite high right now. Lately I also added the 85mm Takumar to my watchlist, but the price of that lens is even higher 😅 Btw - congrats on 30k mate - can't wait for your next master piece 🙂
Yes, this is a great lens!!!! I got the old Exakta Varex IIa from my grandfather with this lens as the standard lens. It was cleaned some weeks ago, now it is bringing great results.
@@MarkHoltze no I did not do this myself. I bought it to a camera repair Service in my town. He took 45 Euros for the work. He opened it and now it is really clean. I think after nearly 70 years it is ok to invest 45 Euros.
@@MarkHoltze I am so crazy in love with this lens (latest version of the 50s), that I now found and bought the oldest version from the 30s with 17 blades! Will get it next monday. And somebody is lending me the Biotar 75mm 1.5 with 18 blades. This lenses are really good. Not only wide open. They are really versatile and have lots of charakter. On modern lenses we would consider it as a mistake (e.g. lens flares), but this is really charakter!!!!! In my opinion
Thanks for the history lesson. I’ve had this lens for years and never really new it’s background. Mine isn’t declicked though it has a spring loaded lock in place so you have to push in the aperture ring to change it
@@MarkHoltze About a year and a half ago. My lens has a unique story. I bought it on eBay and I didn't know it was a red T or Q1. The seller had it listed as an Ernst Abbe Jena lens because that is what the faceplate stated. The faceplate had a 5 digit serial number on it and at the time of auction I didn't think much about that. I just liked the way the lens looked and had never seen one (or since) listed with that nameplate. After I received the lens, I started doing some research and found a website that unraveled the mystery of my lens. Per that website, the 58mm F2 with the Ernst Abbe Jena faceplate was an export version of the Biotar 58mm F2. Legally, that lens could not be sold to the export market under the Carl Zeiss name. It stated that if I removed the Ernst Abbe Jena faceplate, the Carl Zeiss Jena faceplate would be underneath. Well, sure enough they were right! That is when I discovered the red T and Q1 markings as well. I had literally hit the lens jackpot! :) Like you said, it is such a pleasure to use and I love how it renders images. Thanks again for all of your great content!
Let me pause at 1:56 real quick just so i can drop a comment how much i love the format of this video. The documentary style is SO SO SO good. PLease PLEASE PLEASE make it your style.
That’s totally what I was going for George. Doing these over the months I’ve come to think of them more as Lens docs than reviews. The images and video images speak for themselves but it’s the history that I’m really fascinated by in terms of the story telling. Finding accurate info is the biggest challenge, but worth the effort I think. Thanks for noticing, glad it wasn’t done in vain.
Love this video! So entertaining to watch and will be one to remember and refer. Can't wait to see the views explode! :) Any suggestions on having my Biotar lenses serviced? I got them on eBay and the grease has hardened making it near impossible to operate focus and aperture smoothly!
Thanks mate! Appreciate the kind words! Service, hmmmm...I would check some local listings if they do it. I’m sure there are some places online but I honestly don’t know first hand. Maybe even RUclips? Could be something you can do yourself? Maybe...
I have the CZJ Tessar 50 mm 2.8. Not near as sought-after, but still very interesting. I used it to shoot cutaways on a mic review video I made, and it instantly added style! Thanks for your reviews, and especially appreciate that it's from a Canadian!
I've just picked up one of these attached to a praktica IV. The focus pull is a bit stiff and that aperture reset seems strange, but I can't wait to use it!! Great video mate!
@@MarkHoltze Abandoned Malty - Dachshund mix, adopted at his age of five... He's alright now, but still turns to wolf every time he sees something with feathers on it...
I regularly watch youtube videos on an old school 65" Panasonic Plasma 1080p tv (love the color and blacks). And I noticed distortion in your video. It made me think that it wasn't streaming at the right resolution. Like it was 720p or something. Looked at it on my laptop and it looked fine. So I flipped through a few more videos on youtube and played them on the TV. I didn't see any of that distortion. Went back to yours and.....distortion. It became really obvious to me when the text on the bottom of the screen popped up.. It wasn't sharp at all. But your logo in the lower right hand side was. I am wondering if this is happening in the render and due to the settings? I ofter wonder if I'm exporting properly for youtube given the amount of compression that takes place. I'm using Resolve currently and I've heard that their default RUclips setting is not the best for youtube. Oh, and I want this lens!
That's strange, I'm not sure what would be causing that. I'll have to check, my output settings are fairly standard...i'll look into it. Thanks for the info mate!
@@MarkHoltze You're welcome. Again, you don't see it on a small screen. At least not with my eyes.. It kinda looks like when youtube is still gathering your connection speed and it's at a slightly lower resolution. I'll watch your video when I get home from the studio again to make sure it's not something else.
Good review. So good, that I've just had to buy one. Was able to buy an Exacta mount, 12 blade version with a ding in the filter threads for only £50($60). I have the tool to fix the rim so looking forward to using it.
Very well put together Mark. I have one of the 44 lens but it is tempting, though here in Australia cost app $640 plus $76 something postage. OUCH : but like you I love old lens
Thanks Brian! OUCH! THe price I can't believe how hard you guys get hammered down there. I guess your only real hope is to find one on the continent. Or winning one!! (I give a few away a year - i'm not shipping bias either) ;)
Just rewatching the video, as I got myself a copy of this nice lens (for an astounding 75€ - although with a pretty stiff aperture ring). Lovely lens, that I've longed for for quite some time and a nice complement for my collection of CZJ lenses.
Hello Mark, i watched now all of your Videos and want to start to learn Vintage lenses as well. I saw on ebay a really cheap lense, Kenlock 28mm F2.8 and Tokina 28mm F2.8 maybe you can do some Review Videos for those? they cost around 20€ - 60€. Would like to know if they are good to start with and also for the APS-C sensor. I wanted to do try 35mm on my APS-C sensons in my city with my wife but i had to go a bit further away to make a "holiday" like photo with a building in a background, people were constantly moving between me and my wife because i was too far away from her. so i thought i need a wider lense. Not sure if 28mm is that much better or not.
28 is a bit wider, 24 might be a bit better better if can find one for a good price. Canon FD 24 2.8 is a good option. But a cheap 28mm will be better than the 35 so if that's all you can source for a good price, it will help.
Great post, Mark. Cute dog, to boot. Wonder if you had the chance to test lens performance on one of your Pentax film cams. The German engineers lacked computers of today but I bet they were pretty good with slide rules.😁
Hello, Thank you for the review! I use both with my old film cameras: Biotar with Exakta II (1949) and Exakta Varex VX (1956) and Helios-44M-4 with Praktica PL Nova 1 (1967) and I am very pleased with the results.
@@MarkHoltze I have had Exakta II for many years (30?) And I bought Exakta Varex VX in collecting fever this year (2020). These are great cameras! I'm at the age of this younger camera, and this older one is only a few years older than me. I would like to function as well as they do. ;)
@@MarkHoltze I can see how passionate you are in this field, its a joy to watch, and through you and your videos, my passion for vintage stuff rises even more so
So after a day out in the Cornish wilderness I’m back to civilisation, WiFi and your notification... phew!! Loving the latest videos Mark, it feels tangibly like you’ve turned a corner into a really exciting chapter of your channel. I’m thrilled to be on the journey with you, in a bizarre supportive voyeuristic kinda way!! 🙌🍉🙌
How was your trip? Wifi connection? Man would trade that for a few days in the wilderness for sure! Not sure where it goes from here, but something will come to me ;), it always sort of does. THanks for watching guys! Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Great video and nice dog!! I´m in love with my biotar. First in apsc and now in ff. Need to lube its focus ring which is a bit hard to turn... Thanks for share mate!!
Fantastic video man, they get better every time! 🔥😁 What did you use to note which photo was shot with which lens? I use lenstagger after the fact in Lightroom but usually have to rely on memory...
lol i just used a sheet, HELIOS shots///BIOTAR shots...I'm so simple sometimes hehe. Thanks for the kind words and watching mate. Hope you're enjoying the weekend and what is probably the last of these fall colours.
1:40 in and that production standard you have is thru the roof. Well done, Mark. I feel like I’m watching Finding Hitler, but about vintage lenses instead.
A thanks J, seriously though you could do an entire hour long special on Zeiss lenses in German before and after the war. Iron curtain, pentacon east Germany, Contax Zeiss west Germany....it’s so fascinating.
**TIME STAMPS BELOW HERE - HUGE thanks to Chris Griffith for lending me his lens to test out. This has been the oldest lens I’ve ever shot with, but you almost can’t even tell by the image quality it puts out.
0:00: INTRO
1:12: VINTAGE LENS FILES - HISTORY of this Lens
3:13: Physical Characteristics of the lens (Pre-Set version)
4:53: Image Examples
7:59: Comparing the Helios to the Zeiss Biotar
10:27: THANK YOU CHRIS GRIFFITH for loaning me YOUR PRECIOUS 10:50: Winner of the HELIOS!
11:35: Music Credits
Hey Mark how are you
@@nickgrace4699 Hi Nick! I'm great thanks and you?
@@MarkHoltze great just looking at lenses even tho I can't afford any at the moment 😂😂
@Digital Asylum im looking at a set of takumar lenses
@Digital Asylum 24mm, 35mm, 50mm (2x crop but I'm gonna use a focal reducer) I was looking at the 85mm... But it's too much $$ for something in not gonna use alot
Mark I can't believe I won the Helios! Thank you! You are my favourite RUclipsr even before and now this! I can't wait to use it on my Fujifilm xt3! This video is beautiful.
Ray, It's my pleasure mate! I hope you do wonderful things with it! I was worried you didn't get my email last night, but so glad we were able to connect! I just have to order the Fujifilm adapter and will ship it the MOMENT that comes! Thanks again my friend!
@@MarkHoltze I'm so excited!
@@raywong1412 Want to be best friends?!?
Where can we see what shots you've taken using the Helios ?
@@StevenPennyphotography I don't post online, photography for me is very much a personal journey. It's my meditation.
Yes, great lenses. You encouraged me to dig out my KARL ZEISS JENA TESSAR 50MM F2.8. THIS LENS WAS MY COMPANION ON THE PRAKTINA FX for many years
Amazing!
Dude. This vid was amazing. I'm so glad you enjoyed the lens!
Thanks Christopher! Wouldn't have been possible without your generosity lending out the lens! I felt I had to do it justice, or at least die trying.
If you're worried about the physical differences, the helios 44-2 is a lot closer in the build and layout to the biotar than the 44m
Yes, the 44-2 is the "clone" but the DNA remains in the M.
@@MarkHoltze oh ya, they're both fantastic vintage primes.
Production value is through the roof! Great video. Those are some pretty amazing shoes for such an old lens!
Thanks mate! I really wanted to do a good job on this one mostly because Chris sent me the lens lol. When i received it I fell in love, I'm on a recent Carl Zeiss obsession and this is one of the early ones.
Thanks for watching!
Oh shit the production value wow
It was the lens! It MADE me!! ;) thanks mate.
@@MarkHoltze I have a Sonnar and the CZJ lenses really are worth the effort
Nice video, Mark. The production value with this one was very nice. I really appreciated the research you made as well.
Thanks Kevin!
I love your vintage lens videos. Please keep them going!!
Thanks Gerald, they've definitely sparked something inside of me, just trying to share that with everybody. :)
@@MarkHoltze Would you happen to have a recommendation (or a video for that matter) for an ideal vintage lens that would be adapted to micro four thirds primarily for video? Something that lets in a really good amount of light but is in the same price range as some of the other vintage lenses you have been showing us lately?
Just used this lens this morning for some woodland photography.
Love the lens.
Excellent video!
So great for that! Glad you like dit mate, thanks for watching.
Fantastic sound design and script. I really appreciate your content. Thanks for all the effort you put to deliver quality content Mark!
Thanks Martin! Having loads of fun with these so it’s nice to get the feedback! Appreciate it mate!
I don't think I have commented on a RUclips video before but just had to say how fantastic this review was. Love the vibe, photos and general production value
Well I'm honoured to be your first Kenny! Thanks for taking the time, I had a great time making this one and was hoping it would resonate! :)
Thanks mate. I just picked up the Helios 58 in a small second hand shop in England. Buttery smooth action.
Mine came from England as well, it's funny how many there are out there and yet I never see them around here, outside of Ebay. Enjoy that!
Amazing. Just purchased one off of eBay, and I was looking for some results. Your video is too underrated. Thank you for this great piece of content!
Thanks for watching and your kind words. The doggo and I appreciate it :)
The second this came out I clicked instantly. ❤️
That was SO fast!!! I barely had time to post my comment lol! 💥
You win today.
Thank you for putting so much love and effort into this video! Stellar! 👌
Thanks for stopping by Josef. Appreciate it mate!
@@MarkHoltze Oh Mark, I did stop by a huge amount of times! I use vintage lenses for video work only and you helped me out a ton! Not only are your videos very high quality content, but they are entertaining and very well made. You put a lot of time into it and this is very appreciated! By far the best vintage lens channel and one of the best on all youtube! That's for sure! If your ever in the north of germany hit me up and I'll show you around Hamburg. I think you would find a spot or two to test out some vintage glas ;)
Very kind words mate thank you! Dream to go to North Germany so I’ll keep that in mind! Thank you
always love your videos!! You can really see and feel your passion. Keep it up :)
Thank you Patrick! That’s nice of you to say!
I just recently bought a 17-blade Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 58mm lens (got a great deal on Reddit), and I'm LOVING IT. Only had it a few days, but I've already gotten some lovely portraits of my wife and son with it mounted to my Sony a6400. The soft / swirly bokeh effect and the overall dreamy look the lens creates is so subtly different from the other (much more modern) lenses I've picked up. Thanks for this gorgeous video - you're not featuring the exact same model I currently have, but they're close enough that watching this felt super relevant to me right now. Nice work!
So many different models, the 17 blade is a keeper for sure mate! Glad you’re enjoying it! Such a great lens!
I love vintage gear! There’s just something special about the results that can’t be reproduced with newer lenses. We get so caught up in making things as “sharp” as possible, and with vintages lenses you get that “vintage sharpness” like you said. Great video review of this lens!
Totally agree Lance! Thanks mate! It’s tough to compete against ya massive marketing of new gear, but the costs associated with that for the average user are debilitating from a creative, experimentation point of view.
I love this lens. Especially second generation. It's honor to see your short documentary.
Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoy the lens as much as I did!
Found your channel rather recently, and have been binging all your videos!
Really love them, and I'm very happy to see reviews of vintage lenses! I believe vintage lenses match great with modern cameras and I have started my collection with a very unoriginal choice, the Helios 44-2! Anyway love your videos keep them coming!
Thanks Talam! Appreciate your time! Hey, the 44-2 IS the gateway lens, from here it's a long line of vintage vixens who will come in and out of your life ;)
Fantastic review Mark. The historical insights were very interesting. The comparison with the Helios was informative - it really delivered impressive results.
Thanks Tim! I've been really enjoying your portraiture work!
Mark Holtze Oh, thanks Mark. :)
Great, great, great review Mark!!! Congratulations to the winner! Be well and stay encouraged!
thanks Jacob!
@@MarkHoltze You are more than welcome Mark!
Nice man was hoping to find a comparison after I got a 44-2 a few weeks ago! Great work on all your videos, look forward to them every week :)
THanks mate! I wish I could post more often, but they're very much a "when I can" type of deal. I do love doing them and don't see myself stopping for a while :). How do you like the 44-2?
@@MarkHoltze Yeah it's a great lens, used it today for a bunch of portraiture and the results were really nice. A little more character than I got out of the SMC Pentax-M 50mm 1.7 I've got.
OH MY!! Fantastic video quality paired with excellent storytelling!
You have the best name on RUclips by the way! ;). Thanks mate. The colours, and a full day off (when I shot the forest stuff) really came in handy.
@@MarkHoltze Thanks mate. Yes indeed, that's why we love vintage lenses :)
This is an AMAZING lens review. Well done Mark!
Amazing video, so much though put into it. Best one I've seen.
Keep em coming
Thanks mate! I really wanted to do this one justice because Chris was cool enough to lend me his lens so I felt the pressure lol. I even shot it 4k lol to make sure it ages well ;)
I wish I had friends like yours👍. I'm in love with Takumar lenses, they are brilliant for my extreme macro stacks. I'm searching for a Takumar 200mm f5.6 with lens case to do 10X magnification with my Canon 5DSR.
Love your work here👌👌
So, only recently discovered the channel and have to say I love it!!! It’s informative, entertaining and production is fantastic! The down side? In a matter of days I’ve become obsessed with vintage lenses and there’s no end in sight to the madness. My first purchase just arrived this morning and I’m totally hooked!!! 😊 Thanks for demystifying the topic and making it so accessible!
Thanks Molly, happy to hear it and super excited for you to join this train! It's a creative journey, so enjoy it! Thanks for stopping by!
Wow, you keep setting the bar higher and higher. This is your best video to date -in my honest opinion. Amazing aesthetic, loved the history lesson, excellent narration and PUPPY! Really impressed and invigorated to get out there and shoot some natural world content! Keep going from strength to strength mate!
Dude how did I miss your comment! NOT COOL. Thanks as always my friend! Looking forward to your next video!
@@MarkHoltze Don't worry about it! We still talk through the various social media channels. You have a wonderful array of comments here, so I would never expect you to reply to everything I say.
Yes, I am writing a video today of all days!
From that awesome intro through to the end, this was such an entertaining and visually gorgeous video. Thank you!
Thank you for saying so my friend. Everything but the on camera talking head bits were shot with these vintage lenses, anything that wasn't labelled Biotar for video was shot on the Takumar's. Trying to really show case what these can do even subliminally ;)
Thanks for watching and the positive feedback!
I don't know what to say, your video is broadcast production level. The information in the review was superb. I know the vintage lens is not everyone's tea and it does not even help you get more sponsorship. However, I can't help to love your presentation and feel your passion and enthusiasm for it. Keep up. You are a very rare RUclipsr in this field.
What a kind thing to say my friend, thank you for taking the time. Definitely loving this format, it helps when a lens has some interesting history behind it for sure!
I'm here for the love of it mate, I could switch gears into more mainstream stuff and that might help get sponsorship/attention from major brands, but right now it's JUST about the content that I love.
Appreciate your time mate, thank you for such a great comment!
Fantastic work as always. You could start a series just on the history of the lens--the graphics, the detail, and the audio effects are wonderful narrating. And I have a PhD in history and teach, so I'm not just flattering you. You're doing groundbreaking work with that component of your reviews!
Thanks Blair, the more I dig in, the cooler it gets. I think it really ads to the context of the review, for me it’s getting into mini doc territory which I honestly would freaking love to do. It’s just super time consuming both research and animation. All good though, but it’s become something I definitely want to evolve.
Great work as always! I watched your vid as I was biding on a Canon FD 55mm f/1.2 S.S.C Aspherical, and I won it!
OHHHHHH YOU WON!!! Nice work! Congrats! That's a BEAUTY!!!!
@@MarkHoltze Thank's man, my set of FD lenses is geting real good now... i'm soo happy, you are a great inspiration
Great vid Mark, one of your best. Keep those vintage reviews coming. Cheers.
Thanks Doug! Will do! :) Thanks for watching.
As a photographer and filmmaker, I get to view a lot of videos and make a few myself. I can say, without a doubt, Mark has the most informative and useful videos on the Internet. Period. I love vintage Takumars as well and have three complete sets of primes because of what Mark showed in his videos. Yes, of those, my favorite IS the eight-element 50mm f1.4 but there are others, including the 55mm f1.8 that are outstanding as well. People do not realize there is a difference between the Super Takumars, Super-Multi-Coated Takumars, and SMC Takumars, both in build quality AND coating. Personally? I love the Super-Multi-Coated Takumars the best! They have the coating of the SMC AND the build quality of the original Super Takumars. I read that the SMC version was the 'economy brand' in K mount and from my perspective I agree. The M and A versions are not as well built in my opinion with plastic instead of metal for many parts. I became a huge fan of these and now have about 50 of them in my collection, mostly because of the videos Mark did on those lenses! That said, what I also appreciate about what Mark points out, is the build quality of these Zeiss (and even most Helios) lenses. The Zeiss lenses of that era are magical and I use many of them. Thanks to Mark for taking the time to make amazing and well-documented videos. The new lenses of today may be superior in some ways (glass and coating) but the plastic and rubber will never replace the vault-like feel of the older, vintage lenses, at least not for me!
Wow what a comment mate thank you for taking the time on all fronts!
Love hearing your thoughts on these lenses as well! Mostly helps articulate what I love about them so thank you!
@@MarkHoltze you are most welcome, thanks for taking the time to work on these and provide great videos and advice.
Awesome! I just picked up a Jupiter 9 85mm F2.....wow what a lens!!
YES!!
Fantastic video Mark, what a a great lens.
Thanks Alex! Great lens!
Excellent lens! Super review! Thanks
My pleasure! Glad you enjoyed it! The lens, I'm going to miss!
@Mark Holtz great comparison, I've been waiting to see this. HELIOS IN THE MAIL
No doubt you will love it! Which one did you get?
@@MarkHoltze 44m 4
What's up Mark how are you? You probably already know this but this review is stellar I don't want to ask how much time it took to put together, especially the historical chapter of it. This is one of those cases no one needs to review this lens again LOL
Hey Ray, thanks for watching man. Appreciate your kind words on the video as always. History section was time consuming, it took from 9:40am to 3:35pm to finish all of it lol. I shot all day Monday the forest stuff and the on camera the Monday night. Total probably about 35 hours to cut do all the work on it.
It's weird I just feel compelled to do it, it would be very easy to NOT do it ,but I honestly can't help myself.
Another unique & classy video!! I too, have a Biotar 2/58 with the slick alluminum body.
Mine is currently mated to my baby Exacta... Exa . 1a camera, built in 1965. Both are a great match, fun to use, and turn out some of my best shots! Quality begets quality, and a sense of pride, and creative fulfillment! Thanks 🙏
That’s definitely a collectors item for sure!
Outstanding as always Mark, this lens is about as old as I am!
Thanks Lloyd! Things only get better with age right?
Hi Mark! I think no one can do such informative vintage lens reviews as you do! I've been watching your videos since I was looking for Pentax vintage lenses and you got me attached to your channel! I love the way you giving history informations behind each lenses you review and even testing out the lens' optic quality and show to use how well and sharp it can render. Please keep on making videos! I have subscribed and turned on notifications on your channel!
Cheers from Malaysia
Hi Alexander! Thanks for watching my friend. What a nice comment. Happy to do it and will continue for awhile. Mixing it up a bit here and there.
Thanks for watching and let me know if you ever have any questions.
You’re very welcome! Yes I will! I have your channel notified when you have new videos up!
Oh yes! I wanna ask, I wonder if there’s by any chance will you review Mamiya Sekor medium format lenses? Especially their 6x7 lenses. Like between Sekor, Sekor C, K/L and Sekor Z lenses? Also lenses with APO coatings as well. I’m curious about the differences. I’ve seen some RUclipsrs did try on mounting Mamiya lenses onto DSLRs but I don’t see much of informations and image quality out from them.
I wish you could make videos of comparing Mamiya lenses with Pentax lenses. Or any other vintage medium format lenses too!
Awesome video and the dog is too cute 🐶
Thanks Donald! She’s pretty amazing :) glad you think so too!!
Thanks a lot. I got the Helios 44-2 and I am very happy with it. But now I want to try also the Biotar!
prefer my sweet KMZ-Helios, but your pupper is making it impossible to choose between the two... 📸🐕❤️
It's pretty sweet that KMZ!!! Especially for the price, but even so. She has that effect on people, that's why I put her in there, to heavily bias the review in favour the the hero (in this case the lens I'm reviewing). In my Helios video the 44M is the HERO! lol
I actually wanted to do a complete VS in this video but digging into the Biotar I felt it had to have it's own dedicated review so figured instead of making it about the two lenses directly, tell it's own story and compare them lightly. Not to mention the differences are SO minor, it wouldn't make for a very interesting review.
@@MarkHoltze well... these old lenses do DESERVE their own videos.
speaking of VS video ideas... if i ever do meetings again in toronto, after it's trip to the repair shop i will bring my "new" smc pentax 85mm 1.8 for you to borrow. curious how it compares to your coveted 85mm screw mount super tak?? 📸 🤔
An inspiring review. Thank you. Loved your shots too.
Thank you Deva! Appreciate your sentiment. :) Hope you're having a wonderful holiday!
@@MarkHoltze Thanks. You too!
I have the 17 blade edition 1950s, no preset aperture, first time I use it, was with mixed results, put it on a Z7II and got to say the color and sharpness is hard to believe with such a tiny lens. used it wide open looking for Bokeh and found it is worthless any closer than a meter but add a couple feet wow! Thanks for the great review and the history of this little gem.
When i use helios 58mm there's a magic on it and i cant explain and i think only history can explain it. Nice review again on vintage lens mark 👍
Totally agree! It must be the old coatings on the lens ;)
another great job mate well done, really enjoyed the history side too great set up with the war look /files etc. The image is lovely has a great color too it like the Helios nearly identical even the bokeh was just about the same. shout out to your assistant/model very cool just there and little champion thanks again for your work very inspiring !
Thank you! The History beat took me all Day Tuesday to do lol, glad it resonated! She's the best model, never complains and never asks for anything, just to be by my side!
@@MarkHoltze Def worth it mate cheers again
Best ever review of this lens! Thank you. Btw, Ebay prices just went up. I'm glad I never sold mine and held onto it!!!!
Thanks Teng! I saw there was a bit of a hole in some really robust vintage lens reviews and thought I would try to fill it. Really help showcase what these lenses are capable of!
Hold onto yours!!! I'm jealous :)
Mark Holtze Awesome. One other great tele classic is the Asahi Takumar 105mm f2.8 with the preset aperture ring. It is M42 mount just like the biotar. Super sharp!
This lens came from Dresden, Germany. There, where i live today.
I am glad there are more people who are crazy about vintage lenses. Biotar is one of my favourites, together with Flektogon 35mm f2.4, Primoplan 58mm f1.9 and the Triotar 135mm f4. I use these with a Kipon Baveyes speed booster focal reducer on a Fuji camera. Very happy with the results.
Nice video! Did already know about my old Zenit objective: the Helios 58mm, but now all fits in place... what a lovely dog you have! Enjoy!
Wonderful vid. Good production - sound fx/music very good. Strong work
Thanks Kevin, all very important elements of the viewing experience.
Thanks for your video Mark, I just (finally!) bought the pre-set 12-blade version today. According to the serial number it was (most likely) made in 1953, the same year I was born. It is a bit beat up from being dropped so often (just like me!) but I love it. I will glue on a 52mm filter ring over top of the damaged 49mm filter ring and then a filter and hood and I will be set. I also have the 58mm f2 Helios 44M-7 and will use these in tandem on my GH4, my Sony FS700 AND most importantly my 16mm movie camera (K3) which uses the coveted M42 mount. On the 16mm it becomes a whopping 200+mm lens! Can't wait to get it. Love your videos, you are THE BEST on the Internet! That is why I subscribed. Anyone that doesn't is nuts!
Great video fellow up to your Helios review. Appreciate the historical background info. It’s missing in most reviews on vintage lenses by fellow RUclipsrs. Keep up the production value! You have a subscriber now.
Thanks Eric! I think the historical element is definitely a big thing I'm going to keep up moving forward. I've always loved the history so it will incentivize me to dig deep for the info and challenge me to come up with interesting creative ways to illustrate it.
The optical results are always something, but I think for many of us vintage folks, it's the history behind the lens that adds a certain prestige to them.
Typical vintage lens: Softish wide open, vignetting, etc etc. The differences could be the socio economical era they were born into, the conflict at the time etc etc. I want to kind of evolve it into a mini doc series, at least that's my intention I think.
Blah blah blah, anyway, thanks for writing Eric! Always nice to hear when the effort resonates.
Mark Holtze Dude, keep up the great work that truly means a lot to history buffs and camera geeks, it’s important for people to know where all this stuff they are slappin’ on their cameras come from.
I know you’ve done several vids on vintage 50mm lenses but I’d be courions about your thoughts on the Canon 50mm 1.4 ltm. It originated in the late 50’s. It’s a Leica m39 Mount and is called the Japanese Summilux. It’s still pretty much an overlooked lens.
@@ejacks3 I will keep an eye out for it mate! I tend to do the lenses I own first because I want to shoot with them awhile to really get a sense of how they are plus some experience and roll of decent test images. But This sounds like one to look out for!
Thanks so much!
Cool vid, loved the history section and the way it was produced, lots of work involved there no doubt, so thanks for that. Cheers Mark!
Thank you mate, it's my pleasure. Ya the history bit took ALL of Tuesday to do, i'm happy with it though. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.
The Biotar has surprisingly very good contrast for a single coated lens. With the sharpness it is a wonderful lens for use.
Nice video Mark. I have to agree about the lens comparison. The Helios is a lot of bang for the buck, yet the Zeiss is aesthetically more pleasing and has the smoother focus ring. A classic case of the grease the russians used, a lot more sticky and less smooth like the buttery Takumars. But, you get almost equal image quality with the 44M lens, which is great fun to use. Cannot afford a Biotar? Then get the Helios and love it.
yes, finally a proper biotar review! great vid! i was thinking about getting the helios but then found my semi-auto biotar in great condition for 59 bucks - nobrainer ;)
$59?!?! Wow! Where did you find that? That’s amazing!
@@MarkHoltze ebay :)
Probably your best work yet!
Each video is a new bar it feels like. How can I make this better than my last, especially the lens review. I was happy with how this one turned out, so glad it resonated with you. Appreciate you saying so Devon.
As always Nice work!
Thank you kindly! Thanks for watching!
Never stop Mate! Thank you!
Nice video! As always!
Thanks Jorge! Had a lot of fun with this one! Impressive lens to say the least.
Mark Holtze After using the Helios, I think I will try to find this one too! Looks more or less the same, but better... 🙌🏼 hopefully I’ll find it!
I've got a fantastic Tamron 28-75 F/2,8 Di III RXD for my Sony A7II.
And in year 2069 on Newutube.com, no one will ever make a video about that lens.
Especially not with such love and respect as you Mark.
Worse is that I rarely use that new and expensive lens.
It's all Pentacon 50 MC / Helios 44/2 / Canon FD 70-210 F4 / Jupiter 9 and more.
Damn you and Mathieu Stern, for making me buy all these vintage goodies.
Autofocus is like driving an automatic transmission car, even if it's the best transmission ever conceived, manual is always more rewarding !
Ever tried a Sankyo Komura Lens Mark ?
I've got an 200mm F3,5 pretty sharp @F4 and with the smoothest silky bokeh I've ever got.
Click less preselect aperture with 16 blades.
The mechanical feel and looks is nothing less than superb.
Cheers from Sweden
Daniel
FULLY agree Daniel...lol NEWTUBE lol that's hilarious! But I actually JUST sold my barely used Canon 16-35 EF L series right now, literally just got back from dropping it off. I NEVER use it, I sold my 24-105mm F4 as well to pick up the Contax Carl Zeiss 85mm 1.4.
I can't help it either, I love manual focus, just makes the photography feel so much more involved. I also drive manual transmission as well so I can totally relate to that as well.
As a very established film photographer said to me “life’s not completely sharp...”
so true!
Just bought this lens rehoused into a cinema body. SO EXCITED
Ohhh!! Where can I see that?
@@MarkHoltze @_robbyboyd on instagram dm me! Once it comes in the mail I'll share the footage, it looks so sick and it kept the awesome silver
I got you mate! Just DM’d
I don't know how often I rewatched your Biotar review - just love the production quality 🤩
For months I'm keeping an I open for a Biotar 58mm and a Helios 44, but prices in Germany are quite high right now. Lately I also added the 85mm Takumar to my watchlist, but the price of that lens is even higher 😅
Btw - congrats on 30k mate - can't wait for your next master piece 🙂
Yes, this is a great lens!!!! I got the old Exakta Varex IIa from my grandfather with this lens as the standard lens. It was cleaned some weeks ago, now it is bringing great results.
That's great! Did you clean it all yourself? How did you find that process?
@@MarkHoltze no I did not do this myself. I bought it to a camera repair Service in my town. He took 45 Euros for the work. He opened it and now it is really clean. I think after nearly 70 years it is ok to invest 45 Euros.
Worth it for sure! I was wondering how you found the process if you had of. It’s over my head ;)
@@MarkHoltze I am so crazy in love with this lens (latest version of the 50s), that I now found and bought the oldest version from the 30s with 17 blades! Will get it next monday. And somebody is lending me the Biotar 75mm 1.5 with 18 blades. This lenses are really good. Not only wide open. They are really versatile and have lots of charakter. On modern lenses we would consider it as a mistake (e.g. lens flares), but this is really charakter!!!!! In my opinion
Boy did I enjoy this video! Thank you.
Thanks for the history lesson. I’ve had this lens for years and never really new it’s background. Mine isn’t declicked though it has a spring loaded lock in place so you have to push in the aperture ring to change it
No problem! The history aspect makes it a bit more interesting definitely. :) enjoy your lens mate!
Great video Mark! I have the 10 blade, Q1, red T, preset version of that lens and I love it!
Thanks Gary!!! It’s a nice lens! When did you get it?
@@MarkHoltze About a year and a half ago. My lens has a unique story. I bought it on eBay and I didn't know it was a red T or Q1. The seller had it listed as an Ernst Abbe Jena lens because that is what the faceplate stated. The faceplate had a 5 digit serial number on it and at the time of auction I didn't think much about that. I just liked the way the lens looked and had never seen one (or since) listed with that nameplate. After I received the lens, I started doing some research and found a website that unraveled the mystery of my lens. Per that website, the 58mm F2 with the Ernst Abbe Jena faceplate was an export version of the Biotar 58mm F2. Legally, that lens could not be sold to the export market under the Carl Zeiss name. It stated that if I removed the Ernst Abbe Jena faceplate, the Carl Zeiss Jena faceplate would be underneath. Well, sure enough they were right! That is when I discovered the red T and Q1 markings as well. I had literally hit the lens jackpot! :) Like you said, it is such a pleasure to use and I love how it renders images. Thanks again for all of your great content!
Let me pause at 1:56 real quick just so i can drop a comment how much i love the format of this video. The documentary style is SO SO SO good. PLease PLEASE PLEASE make it your style.
That’s totally what I was going for George. Doing these over the months I’ve come to think of them more as Lens docs than reviews. The images and video images speak for themselves but it’s the history that I’m really fascinated by in terms of the story telling.
Finding accurate info is the biggest challenge, but worth the effort I think.
Thanks for noticing, glad it wasn’t done in vain.
Love this video! So entertaining to watch and will be one to remember and refer. Can't wait to see the views explode! :) Any suggestions on having my Biotar lenses serviced? I got them on eBay and the grease has hardened making it near impossible to operate focus and aperture smoothly!
Thanks mate! Appreciate the kind words! Service, hmmmm...I would check some local listings if they do it. I’m sure there are some places online but I honestly don’t know first hand. Maybe even RUclips? Could be something you can do yourself? Maybe...
Amazing production quality!
Thanks Clark! I'm trying to really showcase these old relics in a good light. :)
I have the CZJ Tessar 50 mm 2.8. Not near as sought-after, but still very interesting. I used it to shoot cutaways on a mic review video I made, and it instantly added style! Thanks for your reviews, and especially appreciate that it's from a Canadian!
I've just picked up one of these attached to a praktica IV. The focus pull is a bit stiff and that aperture reset seems strange, but I can't wait to use it!!
Great video mate!
Did you get a good price for the combo?
@@MarkHoltze yes- $5!!
Like for the dog! And what a good model he(?) is; my beast couldn't sit still for longer than 2 seconds...
(she) but hard to tell ;). She's pretty chill, an older dog so she's got her good habits locked down. :) What do you have?
@@MarkHoltze Abandoned Malty - Dachshund mix, adopted at his age of five...
He's alright now, but still turns to wolf every time he sees something with feathers on it...
Mad production, wonderful!
Great vid . I'm a Canon guy. And many of my favorite Canon L glass have been around for many years. Not the latest and " greatest".
I love Canon FD L series lenes, I want to collect them all!!!!!
@@MarkHoltze I hear ya! 👊
I regularly watch youtube videos on an old school 65" Panasonic Plasma 1080p tv (love the color and blacks). And I noticed distortion in your video. It made me think that it wasn't streaming at the right resolution. Like it was 720p or something. Looked at it on my laptop and it looked fine. So I flipped through a few more videos on youtube and played them on the TV. I didn't see any of that distortion. Went back to yours and.....distortion. It became really obvious to me when the text on the bottom of the screen popped up.. It wasn't sharp at all. But your logo in the lower right hand side was.
I am wondering if this is happening in the render and due to the settings? I ofter wonder if I'm exporting properly for youtube given the amount of compression that takes place. I'm using Resolve currently and I've heard that their default RUclips setting is not the best for youtube.
Oh, and I want this lens!
That's strange, I'm not sure what would be causing that. I'll have to check, my output settings are fairly standard...i'll look into it. Thanks for the info mate!
@@MarkHoltze You're welcome. Again, you don't see it on a small screen. At least not with my eyes.. It kinda looks like when youtube is still gathering your connection speed and it's at a slightly lower resolution. I'll watch your video when I get home from the studio again to make sure it's not something else.
Good review. So good, that I've just had to buy one. Was able to buy an Exacta mount, 12 blade version with a ding in the filter threads for only £50($60). I have the tool to fix the rim so looking forward to using it.
Very well put together Mark. I have one of the 44 lens but it is tempting, though here in Australia cost app $640 plus $76 something postage. OUCH : but like you I love old lens
Thanks Brian! OUCH! THe price I can't believe how hard you guys get hammered down there. I guess your only real hope is to find one on the continent. Or winning one!! (I give a few away a year - i'm not shipping bias either) ;)
The engineers and technicians of Zeiss where the absolute best of their time. They also had great mathematicians to do the calculations.
"human" computers :)
I'm amazed when you tell the history of this lens...
It's only a glimpse, it goes much deeper ;)
I audibly "awwwww'd" when your doggo came onto the camera
I should have put some canned awe’s in full house style lol.
Just rewatching the video, as I got myself a copy of this nice lens (for an astounding 75€ - although with a pretty stiff aperture ring).
Lovely lens, that I've longed for for quite some time and a nice complement for my collection of CZJ lenses.
Mark, lovely vid!!! Did you get a hood for yours? If so, which one?
Hello Mark,
i watched now all of your Videos and want to start to learn Vintage lenses as well. I saw on ebay a really cheap lense, Kenlock 28mm F2.8 and Tokina 28mm F2.8 maybe you can do some Review Videos for those? they cost around 20€ - 60€. Would like to know if they are good to start with and also for the APS-C sensor.
I wanted to do try 35mm on my APS-C sensons in my city with my wife but i had to go a bit further away to make a "holiday" like photo with a building in a background, people were constantly moving between me and my wife because i was too far away from her. so i thought i need a wider lense. Not sure if 28mm is that much better or not.
28 is a bit wider, 24 might be a bit better better if can find one for a good price. Canon FD 24 2.8 is a good option. But a cheap 28mm will be better than the 35 so if that's all you can source for a good price, it will help.
Great post, Mark. Cute dog, to boot. Wonder if you had the chance to test lens performance on one of your Pentax film cams. The German engineers lacked computers of today but I bet they were pretty good with slide rules.😁
Hello, Thank you for the review! I use both with my old film cameras: Biotar with Exakta II (1949) and Exakta Varex VX (1956) and Helios-44M-4 with Praktica PL Nova 1 (1967) and I am very pleased with the results.
OHHHHH You have the HISTORY in your hands! I'd love to have had the Exakta for my broll sequences for this video! How long have you had it for?
@@MarkHoltze I have had Exakta II for many years (30?) And I bought Exakta Varex VX in collecting fever this year (2020). These are great cameras! I'm at the age of this younger camera, and this older one is only a few years older than me. I would like to function as well as they do. ;)
Great video! I use the 44K-4 MC Zenit Helios, on a Pentax DSLR and a Lumix M4/3, beautiful colors, sharp at f/2.0, crazy sharp at f/4.
My pleasure! Thanks so much for watching!
thank you for this perfect video!
My pleasure mate, thanks for being so generous with it's quality :). These lenses definitely bring out the best in me I think.
@@MarkHoltze I can see how passionate you are in this field, its a joy to watch, and through you and your videos, my passion for vintage stuff rises even more so
@@capmk It's infectious for sure!
I have both lenses, indeed a magical lens. Tessar 50mm 2.5 also amazing
Nice review
Makes me wanna buy one👍
Believe me using one would confirm that purchase ;)
So after a day out in the Cornish wilderness I’m back to civilisation, WiFi and your notification... phew!!
Loving the latest videos Mark, it feels tangibly like you’ve turned a corner into a really exciting chapter of your channel. I’m thrilled to be on the journey with you, in a bizarre supportive voyeuristic kinda way!! 🙌🍉🙌
How was your trip? Wifi connection? Man would trade that for a few days in the wilderness for sure! Not sure where it goes from here, but something will come to me ;), it always sort of does. THanks for watching guys! Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Great video and nice dog!! I´m in love with my biotar. First in apsc and now in ff. Need to lube its focus ring which is a bit hard to turn... Thanks for share mate!!
Thanks Jose! Ya these lenses work nicely on both aps-c and def full frame (intended). Is it easy to lube the focusing ring?
Fantastic video man, they get better every time! 🔥😁 What did you use to note which photo was shot with which lens? I use lenstagger after the fact in Lightroom but usually have to rely on memory...
lol i just used a sheet, HELIOS shots///BIOTAR shots...I'm so simple sometimes hehe.
Thanks for the kind words and watching mate. Hope you're enjoying the weekend and what is probably the last of these fall colours.
@@MarkHoltze A method at least as old as the biotar! And definitely hoping to get the last of the colors this weekend! Enjoy it too!
1:40 in and that production standard you have is thru the roof. Well done, Mark. I feel like I’m watching Finding Hitler, but about vintage lenses instead.
A thanks J, seriously though you could do an entire hour long special on Zeiss lenses in German before and after the war. Iron curtain, pentacon east Germany, Contax Zeiss west Germany....it’s so fascinating.