Great video as always, my best after buying and selling around 35 lenses over the last 3 years is undoubably the Konica Hexanon AR 40mm f1.8 at £35.00 on a film camera, it is almost always on my Fuji X-T2, beautiful lens with amazing images.
@@top-voice1674I use a cheap, generic one I bought on ebay for around £10. They don't need to be anything fancy. Put your camera into the 'shoot without lens' setting in the menu and use focus peaking which is really accurate.
Want to give KUDOS 👍 On your rec I got the Miranda 70-210 for $15 + ship ($45 all in w/adapter) for fun…on my R6 I cannot believe how sharp even in comparison to RF 24-105 F4, contrast is really not bad and colors are nice and warm. I guess you’d call my copy “new-old stock” and it I think it’s gonna be a fun lens to play with. Thanks for the video!
I just bought this lens but can't figure out how to mount it on my R6 What type of adapter do I need I have M42 lenes and use them all the time. Vintage Lenses are additive 😁😁 Auto Miranda Objektiv EC 1,8/50 mm lens Ø 49 für Sensorex EE, DX3
Great channel I just subscribed. I just got into vintage lenses I was given a Pentax K1000 with a 50mm f2 lens it's a great lens. So I bought an adapter to use it on my modern Canon cameras it's great. I plan to buy more lenses . Thanks for all your advice.
I have had a couple of good purchases in the last twelve months, a bulk lot of Minolta lenses - Rokkor 28mm f2.8, Rokkor 50mm f1.4 and 135mm f2.8. After selling 2 cameras and 16mm fisheye ended up in profit of $85 aud. Helios 44m-4 for $20 aud. Mamiya 58mm f1.7 (10 aperture blades) for $20 aud.
My best buy maybe was the Tair 11a 135mm which I bought for 15€ to use it on my Zenit XP I bought it from Italy. I bought it when analog gear was thrown out everywhere. A Helios 44M-4 went for 5 US$ from Russia then. I find it funny that 2.8 lenses are regarded a "bit slow" nowadays when I recall digital camera reviews from a few years back which often mentioned the "fast 2.8 lens"
@@zenography7923 And not only for lenses. I bought a fully working Olympus XA for about 15 € in 2007 or 2008. Photo dealer then asked 13 € for the batteries.
I bought a Helios 44-2 in as-new condition (externally) for €11 on eBay. So cheap because it was full of fungus but I took it apart, cleaned it and put it back together. Now fungus free and takes some of my favorite images. Best purchase I’ve ever made
My best buy - Tele-lentar 135 f3.5 (m42) and Soligor 105mm f2.8 (in T2 mount) - either one cost $34. Both are sharp as can be and take beautiful vintage shots. Great for portraits (lots of background blur), I used them the most with extension tubes for macro. Not coated well, though, so must avoid direct light, but with a little care beautiful shots result! The build quality is wonderful.
At the moment my vintage lenses are: Jupiter-9 85mm f.2, Tokina 35-105mm 3.5-4.3, Auto Pentacon 135mm f2.8, Tair IIA 135mm f2.8, Raynox 25mm f3.5, Chinon 28mm f2.8, SMC Super Takumar 28mm f3.5, Helios 44M-4 58mm f2. Well maintained ones and like you said these vintage lenses all have their own unique character which I prefer my own photography as well.
The 50mm Minolta f2 is a cool lens. I've just bought a Minolta XG-M as i had one years ago, and will add a 50mm f2 to use with it. Lovely lens to accompany one of my favourite cameras.
Another blockbuster video Nigel. 7 stonking lenses all around pocket money prices. My best buy? A Canon FD 70-210 f4 constant aperture for £38. This came in a box, with a Hoya Skylight filter and front and rear lens caps and is virtually unused. The blur and colours are typical Canon and the lens is a joy to use on my Fuji X-E bodies. I don't have a Canon film body to use it on, but I'm always looking for the right camera. I, too, have a Minolta lens, the MC Rokker PF 50mm f1.7 paid £44 for it and I have it on a Minolta SRT303 body, one of a job lot I picked up for a tenner as not working/tested (it also included a Nikkormat), a little investigation showed that a lubrication point was bone dry and sticking the shutter, 1 drop of oil and it works perfectly (as does the Nikkormat). I noticed some swirl in the example of the Minolta you shot, at 15:42. I've never seen that before in any of my shots, I'm going to investigate it in the coming weeks to see if I can replicate it. Another good week at the Zenography Camera Club, I look forward to next weeks offerings. George
Thanks George, glad you enjoyed it! I think you're right - there is just a trace of swirl in the Minolta blur - I wonder if it will show in your lens? By the way, a good film camera to shoot FD lenses on is the Canon T70 - pretty cheap at the moment as the 80s tech look isn't sought after right now.
bought a Olympus OM4 with a 200mm f4 Zuiko plus a 50mm 1,8 Zuiko plus a 35-70mm f4 . And I got it for 200,-€ ...so I am happy with it. Got a Novoflex Adapter for my Nikon Z6ii, so that's amazing, what fun it is to work with these nice glasses....😁
Nigel, I love most of your videos. I look forward to them every Monday (that's the time in Eastern Australian time that they appear on RUclips). I have a Meyer Lydith 30mm/f3.5 in Exakta mount just like the one in your video, which I have owned since brand new in 1965. At that time I had an Exakta Varex IIb body to use it on, which is now long gone. More recently I have used it on my Fuji X-mount bodies, but I am now waiting for a Sony E-mount adaptor so that I can restore its full frame goodness on my A7. I think my best lens purchase, but not the cheapest, is a Helios-40 85mm/f1.5 for GBP50.00 on eBay. Apart from the odd freebie over the years I think the cheapest lens I have bought is a Helios-103 53mm/f1.8, which of course only comes in Contax/Kiev bayonet mount, for USD5.00, also on eBay. The best camera buy I have is a Rolleiflex 2.8F which I bought in a plant and machinery auction for AUD10.00.
Thank god, finally someone did my beloved Minolta the justice it deserves..... it is the reference, which I compare every 50mm to. It beats my Pancolar hands down. The only lens it does come second is the Contax 1,7 MM. But that cost considerably more. Thanx again for the great work. If you try different focal lenghts of the Minolta MDs you will find out, they always are extremly good lenses that do not have to hide from the competition... love your channel even more after this video😁
Always enjoy your enthusiasm and the information you impart, Nigel. Just wondering if that Chinon on screen right was there as a subtle tease for the curious, as you did not refer to it or the lens mounted to it. Hope I didn't miss anything in searching your videos, but I could not find any references to Chinon SLRs. As you do often call attention to undeservedly obscure equipment, perhaps you have something planned for that Chinon? Reason I ask is that, with my growing M42 lens collection, upon learning of the Chinon CE-3 Memotron SLR and its unique ability to allow ALL M42 auto lenses to be used wide-open for focusing, then stopped down to preset aperture at moment of exposure - and for metered exposure at stopped down settings to be "held" - I just had to try one out to have a "native" M42 film SLR with such capability, no matter the lens manufacturer. I found it to be a very well made, solid camera. Liked it so much I went ahead and bought its matching motor winder. Perhaps you share my appreciation of this little unsung achiever and would like to do a piece on it? All best, Steve
I'm glad you have discovered the delightful Meyer-Optik Gorlitz 30mm f/3.5 Lydith. It takes a little getting used to, but once you have the method sorted it's an absolute joy.
Thanks for reminding me about the Lydith. I got one in a job lot in June last year and quickly forgot about it. Just remembered I owned it when watching your video today. I just need to work out how to relube it. Also I don't think you mentioned that the lens has a preset aperture so no click stops for video shooters. Once I get the lens up and running it will be going up against my Mir-1 37mm 2.8 and Mir-24h 35 f2.
Some of the best bargains are "big name" vintage zoom lenses: most collectors are looking for prime lenses, but some of the zoom lenses from big names like Nikon, Konica and Canon are superb. Some of my example purchases: Konica Hexanon AR 70-150 (£15), Nikkor 43-86mm f3.5 (£21), Nikkor 80-200mm f4.5 (£40), Konica 65-135mm f4 (£27), Canon FD 70-210 f4 (£20). Careful of Canon FD zooms though - they're almost impossible to repair if they're faulty or have dirty/fungus-affected lenses, so make sure you buy a good one. Nikkors and Konicas are much more readily repairable. Some other of my bargains over the last year: Konica 52mm f1.8 (£11.50, but it needed some serious TLC to bring it back to life!); Pentacon 28mm f2.8 (£15), Fuji 55mm f2.2 (my cheapest ever purchase at just £9.79!); Carl Zeiss Jena 28mm f2.8 (£17.50), the phenomenal Konica 50mm f1.7 (£21); the super-sharp Canon FD 200mm f4 (£21); Nikkor pre-AI 135mm f2.8 (£26). True gems of luck include the rare and stupendous Konica 135mm f3.2 (£39), a huge but superb Carl Zeiss Jena medium format 300mm f4 Sonnar (but with M42 adapter) (£79); and the esoteric Nikkor PC 35mm f2.8 perspective control shift lens (usually going for several hundred pounds but I managed to grab it at £75!). So I agree, there are bargains to be had out there. Just be patient and vigilant! I won't give all my tips away though, otherwise I'll have too much competition! :-)
I found the Miranda 70-210mm and purchased it on eBay for a very good price. I haven't come across a decent Meyer-Optik Gorlitz 3.5/30 on eBay for less than $200 US. None the less, great video, as always.
Don't have many lenses, but 29€ Chinon 55mm f1.7 was just perfect for my Zenit E. Lot's of dust and haze inside but after cleaning one of my favourite lenses.
Great video well my sale of the century purchase was vivitar 75-205 zoom....it was embarrassingly cheap almost free....as you would say.... with patience and good research... bargains are out there... they really are......
Hi Nigel, nice to see your latest review! Many thanks! Back in 1983, when I was 14 years old, I got a Minolta XG-M along with the MD 2.0/50mm. My first 35mm interchangeable lens. As a special offer the set cost around 399 DM back in the day at a photo retail store (Photo Stober) in Offenburg. Best wishes Ralf
@@zenography7923 Hi Nigel, thanks, It‘s all well with me. Yes, as you can imagine, I was indeed pleased with the camera and the lenses. It was a recommendation by my French teacher. He had three Minolta cameras: The XM (pro model with interchangeable viewfinders and focusing screens), the XD-7, and the X-700 along with several lenses. He loaned me lenses for my XG-M. One day in December 1984 I had the opportunity to take pictures with his Novoflex Schnellschussobjektiv 5.6/400 mm. With its 8 times magnification it was quite impressive! By the way I haven’t forgotten to take the pictures with my Leica PA-Curtagon 4.0/35 mm. Spring is on its way and I’ll lake some nice pictures when the weather is fine. All the best amigo! Ralf
My best buy was a Sun 24-40mm f3.5 it has awesome warm color and a macro setting. All metal construction with rubber on the focus ring for only $6 US. Thanks for sharing this video!
Spot on. I have been buying. Selling and collecting equipment for many years. Three of the sharpest lenses I have ever tested were Minolta lenses I found in junk bins and a thrift shop. The most interesting was a rebranded Helios 44 I bought for almost nothing on a “Cosmorex” camera, the only Helios lens I have seen marked in feet. I kept that one.
Those sound like some pretty good buys! I haven't heard of the Cosmorex, but if it had a Helios on the front it was a good find! Thanks for looking in.
@@zenography7923 l believe the cosmagon lens is the same lens as the Helios 44M lens only re- branded foe the American export market along with the Zenit cameras
My best "thrift shop" lens buy, yes, I'm in the USA is a Soligor 80-200mm 3.5. I almost passed on buying it. I thought it didn't fit my Minolta SRT 201. Was on vacation in Fredericksburg, Texas. I happen to have the camera with me went back to the shop and tried it on the camera and it fit. Paid $35.00 US, and the quality is amazing not to mention that I can get the far away shots I want.😁😁😁😁
I mostly shoot analog so no experience with shooting on mirrorless but I recently got my hands on a Pentacon Contax F with a 50mm Carl Zeiss Jena and it renders beautiful on color film
found at a flea Market an interesting bag and bought it for 10€. I noticed, there was some vintage Canon stuff inside but the seller told me, she won't bring it every weekend to the flea so I can have all for this 10€. Inside the bag was a plastic canon af35m camera and 3 canon fd lenses in top condition, 17mm F4, 28mm f2. 8, 135mm F3. 5. All in the original leather boxes with caps on both sides. There was some other stuff inside. I bought a fd adapter and enjoy my new hobby with an older eos 550d. Some weeks later I added an auto revuenon 55mm f1.4, that I bought for 15€ on the same flea.
Best buy for me has to be the Zuiko 100mm f2 for $100 AUD, local camera store even took $20 off, but also finding a Minolta 45mm f2 in my garage was a nice free lens.
I got a tokina 135mm f2.8 for 10 quid, a helios 44m for 13 quid and a carl zeiss jena p 50mm f1.8, also for 13 quid. I am not sure if I did well or not, but I can`t wait for the adapters to arrive to try them out.
I bought a Petri C.C. Auto 35mm f/2.8 for next to nothing as they are constantly written down here (Sweden) and I tested it alongside Olympus 35mm f/2.8 and some other much more modern lenses and I was blown away by the sharpness and contrast together with the character, it had a lovely bokeh, a little swirly; I didn't believe my own tests although I had written down every shot I took. So I had to do another test as I thought I had got my notes mixed up but no, it was a great find, totally unexpected that it bested more well-known brands and matched more modern lenses in center sharpness. One little correction; Vivitar never made any lenses of their own, they had optical designers and designed lenses but they outsourced manufacturing to proper third-party lens makers like Tamron, Cosina, or Tokina or whomever they could buy in from.
Great video! The sleeper lens I'm most impressed with right now are the Petri, both the breech-lock (Petrimount) versions and the m42s. The 55mm is outstanding in both sharpness and bokeh/color and the 35mm/2.8 is not far behind. I don't own the 135mm but the images and feedback I've seen give high praise. Downside is the Petrimount adapter on ebay is a little pricey and the m42s naturally have a small premium. Petrimount lenses are as low as $20-30. M42 around $30-80. Even at $80, I consider them a bargain. Avoid the 50mm, they are late 70s/80s rebrands as the company began to decline.
i own both the 35mm and the 55mm Petri lenses, and they are both very sharp, even though I've seen some youtube reviews saying they are not. I guess you have to be a bit lucky to get a good copy, maybe ?
@@anianoenrique2115 I don't think so. The forum feedback I've seen over the years has been very consistent regarding image quality for the 55mm. However, sharpness is somewhat subjective. What may be sharp for one person may not be for another. I have both an older 55mm w/ clickless aperture and later M42 version. Both are plenty sharp. Same with my 35/2.8.
Fantastic video. Great lenses are not always expensive ones. Last buy was a Icarex 35s and attached to it was Carl Zeiss Ultron 50mm f1.8 and Praktica MTL5B with Pancolar 50mm f1.8 paid 150€ together. Ultron was full of fungus but cleaned up like new.
My first vintage lens I purchased some 7 years ago was a Helios 44 for £5 since then I’ve got a 75mm f 1.5 Biotar and four other German lenses for £80 Keep up the good work 👍
I have bought a panagor 24mm f2.5. You should look for one if you dont have one yet. Especially when you like flares. They are absolutly beautiful! I would like to see what you think about it.
I picked up a Sears Auto just today at a flea market that is a rebranded Ricoh Singleflex with three lenses 50mm F1.4, 28mm F2.8, and 135mm F2.8 which are all rebranded Ricoh and Cosina glass. Only $80 for all of it. The camera even still works and the optics were flawless. That never happens. I can't wait to test them out.
I love your videos. You are a wealth of information. With so many cameras and lenses do you rotate through your collection or do you have favorites you shoot with mostly?
Great video, thank you. When you can , could you please make a little revue about the quality of rings adapter I found d great differences between one brand and another.....
The best two scores I have come across have been at estate sales. A couple months ago, I spent $100 for a Soligor Elitar 135/2.8 (a 20 blade monster), a Steinheil Muchen 35mm/2.8 and a Exakta VXIIa body with a Steinheil Muchen 55mm/1.9 all in pristine shape.
Off subject a little, I picked up a Pentacon Pentona II last monday, it's a quirky camera that will not fire unless it has 35mm film in it, but the magic element to it is it sports a Meyer Optik Gorlitz Trioplan 3.5 45mm lens. The focusing works by guess work, no rangefinder, but stopping down in the summer or using my digital to focus first and transfer the readings should be fine! Did you say you're from Stockport? I lived in New Mills for decades.
Kiron lenses are also quite nice. Got a 28mm f2 lens for Minolta FD recently for 40 USD. That's well less than the brand name lens Minolta 28MM 2.0 go for and it compares very well to my 50mm 1.4 my X-700 came with.
I recently bought a Tolina 70-210mm f4-5.6 SD II in Canon FD mount for £14. This is a very compact push-pull zoom which produces very sharp images. I don't need this sort of focal length very often so couldn't justify the cost of a modern zoom of this length for my Fuji but at this price you can't go wrong.
My best buy ever was actually a freebie. My wife’s grandfather’s cousin Harold passed away a couple of years ago and his wife Kitty called me one day out of the blue. She said she had been going through Harold’s things and came across a box of old camera gear. Since I was the only person she knew that was into photography, she asked me if I wanted the box. I said sure, Not wanting to hurt her feelings, I agreed to take the box. I had never seen Harold with any camera stuff so I wasn’t expecting much. So a few days later, Kitty drops the box off and just as I thought it was a box full of probably close to a dozen or so dusty, non-functional point and shoot film cameras from the 1980’s and 90’s. Nothing but dust covered junk or so it seemed. I almost threw the whole “collection” in the trash, but something told me to just go through the box item by item. And boy am I glad I did! Guess what the last thing in the bottom of the box was? An Olympus Zuiko 50mm f/1.4 attached to an OM-1 body! Both camera and lens in perfect shape, not a scratch. Needless to say, I was ecstatic! I had heard Nigel rave on this lens several times and now I had one in my hot little hands. And on top of that, it was free! The Zuiko 50mm 1.4 has become one of my all-time favorites mounted on my Sony A7 II. Just goes to show that you can’t always judge a book by its cover. BTW, thanks Zenographer for all your hard work and dedication in making this channel what it is! Absolutely love your content and delivery!
I have several of the ones you showed including the on 50 mm 1.8. I consider it a very sharp lens. I also have the Nikon version but it doesn’t seem as sharp. I shoot mft cameras including Olympus and Panasonic. I have the Minolta 50 1.4 but I haven’t shot digital with it. I enjoyed this episode.
Hello Nigel, Just purchased an Asahi pentax S3 slr camera along with a pentax smc takumar 35mm 3.5 lens for £23 Also awaiting delivery of a czj 50mm 2.8 lens in zebra design for £11 Love your Sunday photographic essays! Derek
Gosh, those sound like two pretty good buys, both those lenses are really nice, and the S3 is a very solid and reliable camera, I hope you enjoy them! Hope all's well with you Derek, and thanks for looking in!
i bought helios 44-2 58mm f2 for about 20 gbp. i have more expensive 50 mms but i like it very much, not for the swirly bokeh but for the old and soft look it gives.
I consider by bargains to be £24 for my Pentacon 50mm f1.8 and my £40 CZJ Sonnar MC 135mm f3.5. Both fully working and good condition lenses. My cheapest lens was £9.99, again a good condition lens, Chinon Auto 135mm f2.8, which is nearly as good as the CZJ.
And I once bought a Minolta Rokkor 28mm f/2.8 for 8€ plus shipping cause it once had taken a severe hit. The filter thread is dented and it looks pretty battered in general, but in regard of mechanics and optics it is still fine and I use it ever since.
That sounds like quite a bargain - and if you ever want to straighten that filter ring there's a tool called a lens vice, cheaply available, that will straighten it for you!
Great and inspiring video again, Nigel, thanks! I was a bit surprised by the Miranda zoom; is this a different maker than the Miranda camera company of the 50's, 60's and 70's that made a range of slr's? Further, I also have a Minolta xg1, and I find it a very capable camera that's really pleasant to use too, I'm looking forward to that review. Minolta lenses often gives great value. My latest found was a Pentax smc 28mm 2.8 for 13 euros at a thrift shop, a good deal. My greatest bargain was at another thrift shop, a super takumar 85mm 1.9, usually an expensive lens, but it was priced at two euros! In general, it's only logical that prices on vintage glass rises, given the increased interest, and that they don't make them anymore.
Goodness me, you did well with that Pentax 85! As for the Miranda name, it was apparently bought by Dixons (a UK retailer) in the 1980s and used by them to sell lenses, but aside from the name it seems there was no actual connection to the old Miranda camera company. Thanks for looking in!
Great episode as per normal, always feel inspired by your broadcasts. I’ve purchased a couple of vintage lenses which I get great satisfaction from although my keep rate is poor. ¿Could you do a broadcast on manual focusing tips?
I own just one vintage lens. It belongs to Minolta camera that I bought 1979 and is a 45mm f2. I was told it replaced the 50mm f2 as a standard lens on Minolta slr cameras at that time. I wonder if there is any other difference than the focal length. This is my favourite photography channel btw.
@@zenography7923 Bit more research: it was a 75-300mm (not 70) f4.5-5.6, optimistically labelled Macro as was common then with any lens that would focus nearer than about six feet!
I can add a Jupiter 37A 135mm 3.5 as a decent Zeiss copy, own one that is still sharp wide open on XT-30 26mp aps-c. Most of them are, but sometimes you can catch a bad one that is not sharpwide open,as usual with USSR lenses. You can get a mint one from 2500 to 4000 rubles in RU, it is over 25 to 40 pounds.
Hello Nigel, top Video - as always. I wrote it underneath your last Video too… i am absolutely in love with the Minolta 1.2/50 MD. A little soft wide open, but i shoot it in 90% of the time wide open. Colors an blur are fantastic. Posed pictures from my daughters, i usually sharp up a little. I also like the Pancolar, which i bought because i watched your Videos. At the moment i own 4 of them. All of them the same 8 bladed Thorium Version. Dont know what to do with them, but i think i will keep them. Do anyone have the Zuiko 1.2/50mm and the Minolta 1.2/50mm? I would like to hear how them perform to each other. For some weeks now, i think i need a 1.2 Zuiko. If anyone wants to swap a Zuiko for a thorium 8 bladed Pancolar, let me know. Greets from Germany Thomas
@@caw25sha one of my Pancolars, i bleached under a UV LED bulb. That worked well. The other thee of them are more or less yellow. Doe to the white balance adjustment in post process, the yellow color isn‘t a problem.
Hi Thomas, I can't speak for the Minolta 1.2, but I was lucky enough to shoot the Zuiko 50mm 1.2 a couple of years ago and it's sublime - far better than my 55mm 1.2 and remarkably sharp wide open. Highly recommended! Glad you enjoyed the video.
I agree. Olympus was an innovative film camera company which made great cameras and lenses. I've got 2 lenses and looking out for more for my Sony A7 bodies.
Blimey! I can't remember what I paid for most of mine. One I do remember though was a Fujinon 40 - 70 zoom, along with the 35mm 3.5. I think the pair of them cost me about £30.00, cases and all.
@@zenography7923 Thank you, I spotted them from a bus. When I went there and asked about the 50 he said that he only sells them as a bundle, I was a bit bummed until I heard the price. Sold the macro lens for 120 and besically got everything for free. Anyways, thank you so much for those videos, you and Mathieu Stern inspired me on this photography journey
I just recently bought a Cosinon-W 28mm f/2.8 in almost mint condition for as little as 7.5€ plus shipping. The seller didn‘t mention the mount and didn‘t show any pictures of it. But the seller also offered a Carenar camera which I assumed had a PK mount. The lens didn‘t arrive yet. So I still don‘t know if I was right. But anyway, it cannot be anything utterly exotic.
Not sure, if my best deal was a Canon T70 with a 50mm 1.4 in perfect condition for 10 EUR or a Minolta 303b + Rokkor 35mm 2.8 + Rokkor 50mm 1.7 + Rokkor 135mm 3.5 + Rokkor 75-200mm 4.5 for 37 EUR. Only the zoom was a bit stiff, all other lenses in perfect condition. You can decide :-)
Bonsoir Monsieur I come to you for advice. Have you ever tried or testéd focal converters.As i get older weight has become an important criterion and à doubler could be interesting for me.For hiking i only use 3 lenses ,19 mm 28 mm and 100 mm.A doubler for a minimal weight could be interesting.there are many si wich one to choose.Thank you in advance for your advice. Bonne soirée Cordialement.
I bought a Ricoh 50mm f2 for £20 and it's astonishingly good but if you want a real bargain the Tamron 80-210 f3.8/4 is astonishing and can be had for as low as £10
Well, the Miranda cost £10 from a charity shop, the Lydith was £35 from eBay, the Minolta was £35 from eBay (with a camera), there's an Olympus 135mm f3.5 on eBay right now for £35 - there are lots of cheap lenses around! Glad you enjoyed the video Jim, thanks for looking in.
@@zenography7923 Well, I do enjoy your videos. Every time, I went on Ebay I could not find anything for 30 quid. Could you recommend a lens for night street photography for Fujifilm x mount?
I have a large collection of HATED lenses. If I ever mention what I've got on a photography site, they're universally called crap, but they work fine for me.
I like crappy lenses, there is always a good use for them! I use soft lenses so i dont need (to buy or use) filters when i try to get that softness. Filters are expensive and post production is not always the best looking.
Sharpness shouldn't only be measured at the center of the frame. Try shooting landscape images with Pancolar wide open, it'll become pretty clear what I mean. Anything but the very center will be as sharp as smooth bokeh, so to speak. Minolta MD 50mm F2 (mark III, probably the one you tested, but I'm not absolutely sure) is much, much sharper wide open. Only near the edges it starts losing resolution and contrast, but that improves with stopping down to F2.8. At F4 it's at its maximum in the center and midframe, definitely no need to go beyond F5.6 for corner-to-corner sharpness when each pixel is important, but usually no need. That lens needs at least one stop less stopping down than most 50mm vintage lenses (like Pentax, Olympus, Canon etc. 50mm F1.4 and 1.7/1.8 lenses) for similar performance. They usually need F4 to match this Minolta at F2.8. Close up photography is something different, there field curvature and edge sharpness have little importance. Of course, there are different tools for different needs. Speaking of the Minolta, another nice advantage is extremely low distortion where it does better than most alternatives. Most people find the bokeh to be average at best though. I don't love it, but I don't mind it.
I bought an old Olympus OM20 film camera in great condition with the 1.8 / 50mm lens on it. See 19:40 I've been using the lens on my Sony A7. Lovely colours and very portable kit. Wasn't that cheap, but worth paying a bit more for the condition. Already had an XA and Trip from my 1990s film days and very fond of the Olympus 'marque'. Zenography in depth review of the 1.4 and 1.8: ruclips.net/video/8tTAyHbFAV8/видео.html
Miranda cameras made very good cameras and in the 1960s was on par or better than Canon and Nikon they did not make their own lenses i believe Soligor did or the same company owned Soligor and the Maranda lensmaker whatever it was called (they may have owned Miranda as well) i forget now ....Miranda went bankrupt in the late 1970s ...Dixens the UK electronics chain bought the rights to the name in the early 1980s and put it all sorts of stuff and most probably that Miranda lens will have been from Dixons ...definitely if it, not Miranda bayonet ....the (original) Miranda lenses had their own Baynet or some accessories like microscope adapters etc used the M44 screw that was inside the bayonet
$900 for a lydith? Prices on eBay right now range from £34.99 (reasonable) to £164.99 (a chancer hoping to make a score). Not so expensive as all that then!
What's the point in showing off your skills at finding inexpensive lenses, when the rest of us simply cannot find any lenses at these same prices. Our typical source of these finds is ebay. And its impossible to be sure of the condition of lenses bought via ebay, its a bit of a lottery. I have had to return at least one lens, and accept that I wasted money on one more lens. What would really help us all is - where are you getting these lenses from, and how do you check the quality of these lenses before you buy them? Furthermore for the vast majority of users, the key issue with all these vintage lenses is getting the focus right, cos 99% of the shot is in the accurate focus. With the terrible optics of mirrorless cameras, and by this I mean that their LCD's cannot really do that much to help you with focus, albeit they do provide some assistance via focus peaking, but you tend to get a good number of near misses, unless you have a subject which is not moving, or you are shooting lansdscapes, so with vintage lenses, you end up having to take a few more images, at varying focusses, in the hope that one of the pics will be sharp enough. My suspicion is that its probably more effective to buy a modern auto focus lens, with modern optics, in-camera correction of the lenses aberrations, superb sharpness - from modern computer aided design of the lens, superb colour rendition - with excellent modern coatings. You spend a few hundred quid on one or two good lenses, and you can forget about buying new lenses for maybe 5 or more years, and above all you get the shot - quickly, cos the camera is doing its job of helping you get the accurate shot, which is what counts at the end of the day, not the camera - the shot - perfectly in focus with ease, otherwise what's the point of photography, if you do not have a high percentage of images in focus. I have eventually learned how to take sharp images with my digital camera and vintage lenses, but I think this is a hobby for those who like a bit of punishment, albeit the punishment has helped me fully understand how cameras work, and the learnings and the fad has been valuable. A nice sideline, but for anyone who is going to be taking lots of photos or take photos with ease, I think with digital cameras, best to save up and aim for a good autofocus lens, so you can concentrate on framing, and have the camera take care of focus for you. My two cents. You are welcome to an alternate opinion. Our different priorities are not contradictory, we can live in a world where we do not all think the same way, cos our priorities are different. Nevertheless, this channel has been most valuable in my elementary stages of photography, but its time for me to aspire to greatness, and aim for a more modern camera body, and todays, top quality lenses. I will still continue to use my vintage lenses, in the interim, and thankfully I did not spend a fortune on what I have bought so far. At the end of the video he gives away the secret of cheap lenses - Auctions. That requires a whole lot of patience, and is also like a lottery, when will the excellent lens be available at a bargain - pretty much the auctioning process is another hobby. So if you have a lot of time - sure. But if you need to take excellent pictures now, just buy an easily available autofocus used lens from MPB.com or a new one, and move on to the really fun bit - actually taking pictures and sharing them/curating them.
Great video as always, my best after buying and selling around 35 lenses over the last 3 years is undoubably the Konica Hexanon AR 40mm f1.8 at £35.00 on a film camera, it is almost always on my Fuji X-T2, beautiful lens with amazing images.
I love that Konica lens - one of my absolute favourites!
Likewise, one of my favourites which 'lives' on my Fuji XE-1.
Hi, thanks for the information, which adapter you use for fuji with it ?
@@top-voice1674I use a cheap, generic one I bought on ebay for around £10. They don't need to be anything fancy. Put your camera into the 'shoot without lens' setting in the menu and use focus peaking which is really accurate.
Well hello 👋 there Zenographers! My favorite channel!
Many thanks - very glad you're enjoying it!
Want to give KUDOS 👍 On your rec I got the Miranda 70-210 for $15 + ship ($45 all in w/adapter) for fun…on my R6 I cannot believe how sharp even in comparison to RF 24-105 F4, contrast is really not bad and colors are nice and warm. I guess you’d call my copy “new-old stock” and it I think it’s gonna be a fun lens to play with. Thanks for the video!
That's great, glad it was useful!
I just bought this lens but can't figure out how to mount it on my R6 What type of adapter do I need
I have M42 lenes and use them all the time. Vintage Lenses are additive 😁😁
Auto Miranda Objektiv EC 1,8/50 mm lens Ø 49 für Sensorex EE, DX3
Great channel I just subscribed. I just got into vintage lenses I was given a Pentax K1000 with a 50mm f2 lens it's a great lens. So I bought an adapter to use it on my modern Canon cameras it's great. I plan to buy more lenses . Thanks for all your advice.
I have had a couple of good purchases in the last twelve months, a bulk lot of Minolta lenses - Rokkor 28mm f2.8, Rokkor 50mm f1.4 and 135mm f2.8. After selling 2 cameras and 16mm fisheye ended up in profit of $85 aud. Helios 44m-4 for $20 aud. Mamiya 58mm f1.7 (10 aperture blades) for $20 aud.
Those were some pretty good buys - well done!
My best buy maybe was the Tair 11a 135mm which I bought for 15€ to use it on my Zenit XP I bought it from Italy. I bought it when analog gear was thrown out everywhere. A Helios 44M-4 went for 5 US$ from Russia then. I find it funny that 2.8 lenses are regarded a "bit slow" nowadays when I recall digital camera reviews from a few years back which often mentioned the "fast 2.8 lens"
There were certainly some bargains about a few years ago, no doubt about it, and that Tair 11 was certainly one of them! Thanks for looking in.
@@zenography7923 And not only for lenses. I bought a fully working Olympus XA for about 15 € in 2007 or 2008. Photo dealer then asked 13 € for the batteries.
I bought a Helios 44-2 in as-new condition (externally) for €11 on eBay. So cheap because it was full of fungus but I took it apart, cleaned it and put it back together. Now fungus free and takes some of my favorite images. Best purchase I’ve ever made
My best buy - Tele-lentar 135 f3.5 (m42) and Soligor 105mm f2.8 (in T2 mount) - either one cost $34. Both are sharp as can be and take beautiful vintage shots. Great for portraits (lots of background blur), I used them the most with extension tubes for macro. Not coated well, though, so must avoid direct light, but with a little care beautiful shots result! The build quality is wonderful.
Those sound like nice lenses - enjoy!
At the moment my vintage lenses are: Jupiter-9 85mm f.2, Tokina 35-105mm 3.5-4.3, Auto Pentacon 135mm f2.8, Tair IIA 135mm f2.8, Raynox 25mm f3.5, Chinon 28mm f2.8, SMC Super Takumar 28mm f3.5, Helios 44M-4 58mm f2. Well maintained ones and like you said these vintage lenses all have their own unique character which I prefer my own photography as well.
The 50mm Minolta f2 is a cool lens. I've just bought a Minolta XG-M as i had one years ago, and will add a 50mm f2 to use with it. Lovely lens to accompany one of my favourite cameras.
Another blockbuster video Nigel. 7 stonking lenses all around pocket money prices.
My best buy? A Canon FD 70-210 f4 constant aperture for £38. This came in a box, with a Hoya Skylight filter and front and rear lens caps and is virtually unused. The blur and colours are typical Canon and the lens is a joy to use on my Fuji X-E bodies. I don't have a Canon film body to use it on, but I'm always looking for the right camera.
I, too, have a Minolta lens, the MC Rokker PF 50mm f1.7 paid £44 for it and I have it on a Minolta SRT303 body, one of a job lot I picked up for a tenner as not working/tested (it also included a Nikkormat), a little investigation showed that a lubrication point was bone dry and sticking the shutter, 1 drop of oil and it works perfectly (as does the Nikkormat).
I noticed some swirl in the example of the Minolta you shot, at 15:42. I've never seen that before in any of my shots, I'm going to investigate it in the coming weeks to see if I can replicate it.
Another good week at the Zenography Camera Club, I look forward to next weeks offerings.
George
Thanks George, glad you enjoyed it! I think you're right - there is just a trace of swirl in the Minolta blur - I wonder if it will show in your lens? By the way, a good film camera to shoot FD lenses on is the Canon T70 - pretty cheap at the moment as the 80s tech look isn't sought after right now.
bought a Olympus OM4 with a 200mm f4 Zuiko plus a 50mm 1,8 Zuiko plus a 35-70mm f4 . And I got it for 200,-€ ...so I am happy with it. Got a Novoflex Adapter for my Nikon Z6ii, so that's amazing, what fun it is to work with these nice glasses....😁
Nigel, I love most of your videos. I look forward to them every Monday (that's the time in Eastern Australian time that they appear on RUclips). I have a Meyer Lydith 30mm/f3.5 in Exakta mount just like the one in your video, which I have owned since brand new in 1965. At that time I had an Exakta Varex IIb body to use it on, which is now long gone. More recently I have used it on my Fuji X-mount bodies, but I am now waiting for a Sony E-mount adaptor so that I can restore its full frame goodness on my A7. I think my best lens purchase, but not the cheapest, is a Helios-40 85mm/f1.5 for GBP50.00 on eBay. Apart from the odd freebie over the years I think the cheapest lens I have bought is a Helios-103 53mm/f1.8, which of course only comes in Contax/Kiev bayonet mount, for USD5.00, also on eBay. The best camera buy I have is a Rolleiflex 2.8F which I bought in a plant and machinery auction for AUD10.00.
Thank god, finally someone did my beloved Minolta the justice it deserves..... it is the reference, which I compare every 50mm to. It beats my Pancolar hands down. The only lens it does come second is the Contax 1,7 MM. But that cost considerably more. Thanx again for the great work.
If you try different focal lenghts of the Minolta MDs you will find out, they always are extremly good lenses that do not have to hide from the competition... love your channel even more after this video😁
Always enjoy your enthusiasm and the information you impart, Nigel.
Just wondering if that Chinon on screen right was there as a subtle tease for the curious, as you did not refer to it or the lens mounted to it. Hope I didn't miss anything in searching your videos, but I could not find any references to Chinon SLRs. As you do often call attention to undeservedly obscure equipment, perhaps you have something planned for that Chinon? Reason I ask is that, with my growing M42 lens collection, upon learning of the Chinon CE-3 Memotron SLR and its unique ability to allow ALL M42 auto lenses to be used wide-open for focusing, then stopped down to preset aperture at moment of exposure - and for metered exposure at stopped down settings to be "held" - I just had to try one out to have a "native" M42 film SLR with such capability, no matter the lens manufacturer. I found it to be a very well made, solid camera. Liked it so much I went ahead and bought its matching motor winder. Perhaps you share my appreciation of this little unsung achiever and would like to do a piece on it?
All best,
Steve
I'm glad you have discovered the delightful Meyer-Optik Gorlitz 30mm f/3.5 Lydith. It takes a little getting used to, but once you have the method sorted it's an absolute joy.
Indeed it is, quite something!
Thanks for reminding me about the Lydith. I got one in a job lot in June last year and quickly forgot about it. Just remembered I owned it when watching your video today. I just need to work out how to relube it. Also I don't think you mentioned that the lens has a preset aperture so no click stops for video shooters. Once I get the lens up and running it will be going up against my Mir-1 37mm 2.8 and Mir-24h 35 f2.
Some of the best bargains are "big name" vintage zoom lenses: most collectors are looking for prime lenses, but some of the zoom lenses from big names like Nikon, Konica and Canon are superb. Some of my example purchases: Konica Hexanon AR 70-150 (£15), Nikkor 43-86mm f3.5 (£21), Nikkor 80-200mm f4.5 (£40), Konica 65-135mm f4 (£27), Canon FD 70-210 f4 (£20). Careful of Canon FD zooms though - they're almost impossible to repair if they're faulty or have dirty/fungus-affected lenses, so make sure you buy a good one. Nikkors and Konicas are much more readily repairable. Some other of my bargains over the last year: Konica 52mm f1.8 (£11.50, but it needed some serious TLC to bring it back to life!); Pentacon 28mm f2.8 (£15), Fuji 55mm f2.2 (my cheapest ever purchase at just £9.79!); Carl Zeiss Jena 28mm f2.8 (£17.50), the phenomenal Konica 50mm f1.7 (£21); the super-sharp Canon FD 200mm f4 (£21); Nikkor pre-AI 135mm f2.8 (£26). True gems of luck include the rare and stupendous Konica 135mm f3.2 (£39), a huge but superb Carl Zeiss Jena medium format 300mm f4 Sonnar (but with M42 adapter) (£79); and the esoteric Nikkor PC 35mm f2.8 perspective control shift lens (usually going for several hundred pounds but I managed to grab it at £75!). So I agree, there are bargains to be had out there. Just be patient and vigilant! I won't give all my tips away though, otherwise I'll have too much competition! :-)
Wow, you've got some pretty good bargains there Rob, whatever method you're using, it's working well!
It's the 50mm f1.4 zuiko. low light is incredible, beautiful soft look, colours incredible, oh, and you told me about it.
I found the Miranda 70-210mm and purchased it on eBay for a very good price. I haven't come across a decent Meyer-Optik Gorlitz 3.5/30 on eBay for less than $200 US. None the less, great video, as always.
Don't have many lenses, but 29€ Chinon 55mm f1.7 was just perfect for my Zenit E. Lot's of dust and haze inside but after cleaning one of my favourite lenses.
Great video well my sale of the century purchase was vivitar 75-205 zoom....it was embarrassingly cheap almost free....as you would say.... with patience and good research... bargains are out there... they really are......
Hi Nigel, nice to see your latest review! Many thanks! Back in 1983, when I was 14 years old, I got a Minolta XG-M along with the MD 2.0/50mm. My first 35mm interchangeable lens. As a special offer the set cost around 399 DM back in the day at a photo retail store (Photo Stober) in Offenburg. Best wishes Ralf
Hi Ralf, hope all's well. I bet you were pleased with that Minolta, it must have been pretty cool in 1983! All the best amigo!
@@zenography7923 Hi Nigel, thanks, It‘s all well with me. Yes, as you can imagine, I was indeed pleased with the camera and the lenses. It was a recommendation by my French teacher. He had three Minolta cameras: The XM (pro model with interchangeable viewfinders and focusing screens), the XD-7, and the X-700 along with several lenses. He loaned me lenses for my XG-M. One day in December 1984 I had the opportunity to take pictures with his Novoflex Schnellschussobjektiv 5.6/400 mm. With its 8 times magnification it was quite impressive! By the way I haven’t forgotten to take the pictures with my Leica PA-Curtagon 4.0/35 mm. Spring is on its way and I’ll lake some nice pictures when the weather is fine. All the best amigo! Ralf
My best buy was a Sun 24-40mm f3.5 it has awesome warm color and a macro setting. All metal construction with rubber on the focus ring for only $6 US.
Thanks for sharing this video!
A very cool buy - I've only used one Sun lens but it was surprisingly nice! Thanks for watching.
Spot on. I have been buying. Selling and collecting equipment for many years. Three of the sharpest lenses I have ever tested were Minolta lenses I found in junk bins and a thrift shop. The most interesting was a rebranded Helios 44 I bought for almost nothing on a “Cosmorex” camera, the only Helios lens I have seen marked in feet. I kept that one.
Those sound like some pretty good buys! I haven't heard of the Cosmorex, but if it had a Helios on the front it was a good find! Thanks for looking in.
@@zenography7923
l believe the cosmagon lens is the same lens as the Helios 44M lens only re- branded foe the American export market along with the Zenit cameras
@@derekholmes1302 Exactly. It’s a Zenit E.
The Vivitar Series One 70-210 was a hot lens back in the Eighties. Keep an eye out for one of those.
My best "thrift shop" lens buy, yes, I'm in the USA is a Soligor 80-200mm 3.5. I almost passed on buying it. I thought it didn't fit my Minolta SRT 201. Was on vacation in Fredericksburg, Texas. I happen to have the camera with me went back to the shop and tried it on the camera and it fit. Paid $35.00 US, and the quality is amazing not to mention that I can get the far away shots I want.😁😁😁😁
That sounds like quite a lens - a lucky find! Thanks for looking in.
I mostly shoot analog so no experience with shooting on mirrorless but I recently got my hands on a Pentacon Contax F with a 50mm Carl Zeiss Jena and it renders beautiful on color film
That sounds like a very nice camera/lens combo - enjoy!
found at a flea Market an interesting bag and bought it for 10€. I noticed, there was some vintage Canon stuff inside but the seller told me, she won't bring it every weekend to the flea so I can have all for this 10€. Inside the bag was a plastic canon af35m camera and 3 canon fd lenses in top condition, 17mm F4, 28mm f2. 8, 135mm F3. 5. All in the original leather boxes with caps on both sides. There was some other stuff inside. I bought a fd adapter and enjoy my new hobby with an older eos 550d.
Some weeks later I added an auto revuenon 55mm f1.4, that I bought for 15€ on the same flea.
Best buy for me has to be the Zuiko 100mm f2 for $100 AUD, local camera store even took $20 off, but also finding a Minolta 45mm f2 in my garage was a nice free lens.
Wow, that Zuiko was a bargain indeed! Thanks for looking in.
I got a tokina 135mm f2.8 for 10 quid, a helios 44m for 13 quid and a carl zeiss jena p 50mm f1.8, also for 13 quid. I am not sure if I did well or not, but I can`t wait for the adapters to arrive to try them out.
I bought a Petri C.C. Auto 35mm f/2.8 for next to nothing as they are constantly written down here (Sweden) and I tested it alongside Olympus 35mm f/2.8 and some other much more modern lenses and I was blown away by the sharpness and contrast together with the character, it had a lovely bokeh, a little swirly; I didn't believe my own tests although I had written down every shot I took. So I had to do another test as I thought I had got my notes mixed up but no, it was a great find, totally unexpected that it bested more well-known brands and matched more modern lenses in center sharpness.
One little correction; Vivitar never made any lenses of their own, they had optical designers and designed lenses but they outsourced manufacturing to proper third-party lens makers like Tamron, Cosina, or Tokina or whomever they could buy in from.
I've heard lots of good things about Petri lenses but haven't tried any yet - I'll look out for some, thanks for the tip!
Great video! The sleeper lens I'm most impressed with right now are the Petri, both the breech-lock (Petrimount) versions and the m42s. The 55mm is outstanding in both sharpness and bokeh/color and the 35mm/2.8 is not far behind. I don't own the 135mm but the images and feedback I've seen give high praise. Downside is the Petrimount adapter on ebay is a little pricey and the m42s naturally have a small premium. Petrimount lenses are as low as $20-30. M42 around $30-80. Even at $80, I consider them a bargain. Avoid the 50mm, they are late 70s/80s rebrands as the company began to decline.
I haven't explored Petri lenses yet but I really ought to - thanks for the suggestion!
i own both the 35mm and the 55mm Petri lenses, and they are both very sharp, even though I've seen some youtube reviews saying they are not. I guess you have to be a bit lucky to get a good copy, maybe ?
@@anianoenrique2115 I don't think so. The forum feedback I've seen over the years has been very consistent regarding image quality for the 55mm. However, sharpness is somewhat subjective. What may be sharp for one person may not be for another. I have both an older 55mm w/ clickless aperture and later M42 version. Both are plenty sharp. Same with my 35/2.8.
Have the Oly 50mm f1.8, the 135mm f3.5 the vivitar 28mm f2.8 alll shot on my em10 iii, luv your channel keep up the good work
Many thanks, glad you're enjoying the channel - enjoy those lenses!
Fantastic video. Great lenses are not always expensive ones. Last buy was a Icarex 35s and attached to it was Carl Zeiss Ultron 50mm f1.8 and Praktica MTL5B with Pancolar 50mm f1.8 paid 150€ together. Ultron was full of fungus but cleaned up like new.
Gosh, it sounds like you did pretty well there, well done! Thanks for looking in.
My first vintage lens I purchased some 7 years ago was a Helios 44 for £5 since then I’ve got a 75mm f 1.5 Biotar and four other German lenses for £80
Keep up the good work 👍
Wow, a Biotar - I think that might be the best find so far!
I have bought a panagor 24mm f2.5. You should look for one if you dont have one yet. Especially when you like flares. They are absolutly beautiful! I would like to see what you think about it.
I picked up a Sears Auto just today at a flea market that is a rebranded Ricoh Singleflex with three lenses 50mm F1.4, 28mm F2.8, and 135mm F2.8 which are all rebranded Ricoh and Cosina glass. Only $80 for all of it. The camera even still works and the optics were flawless. That never happens. I can't wait to test them out.
That sounds like a great buy - enjoy! Thanks for looking in.
I love your videos. You are a wealth of information. With so many cameras and lenses do you rotate through your collection or do you have favorites you shoot with mostly?
Great video, thank you. When you can , could you please make a little revue about the quality of rings adapter I found d great differences between one brand and another.....
I need to get together a few more adaptor types first, but as soon as I can, I will! Thanks for looking in.
The best two scores I have come across have been at estate sales. A couple months ago, I spent $100 for a Soligor Elitar 135/2.8 (a 20 blade monster), a Steinheil Muchen 35mm/2.8 and a Exakta VXIIa body with a Steinheil Muchen 55mm/1.9 all in pristine shape.
That sounds like some successful lens hunting! Thanks for looking in.
Off subject a little, I picked up a Pentacon Pentona II last monday, it's a quirky camera that will not fire unless it has 35mm film in it, but the magic element to it is it sports a Meyer Optik Gorlitz Trioplan 3.5 45mm lens. The focusing works by guess work, no rangefinder, but stopping down in the summer or using my digital to focus first and transfer the readings should be fine! Did you say you're from Stockport? I lived in New Mills for decades.
Kiron lenses are also quite nice. Got a 28mm f2 lens for Minolta FD recently for 40 USD. That's well less than the brand name lens Minolta 28MM 2.0 go for and it compares very well to my 50mm 1.4 my X-700 came with.
I recently bought a Tolina 70-210mm f4-5.6 SD II in Canon FD mount for £14. This is a very compact push-pull zoom which produces very sharp images. I don't need this sort of focal length very often so couldn't justify the cost of a modern zoom of this length for my Fuji but at this price you can't go wrong.
Indeed you can't - enjoy the Tokina!
My best buy ever was actually a freebie. My wife’s grandfather’s cousin Harold passed away a couple of years ago and his wife Kitty called me one day out of the blue. She said she had been going through Harold’s things and came across a box of old camera gear. Since I was the only person she knew that was into photography, she asked me if I wanted the box. I said sure, Not wanting to hurt her feelings, I agreed to take the box. I had never seen Harold with any camera stuff so I wasn’t expecting much. So a few days later, Kitty drops the box off and just as I thought it was a box full of probably close to a dozen or so dusty, non-functional point and shoot film cameras from the 1980’s and 90’s. Nothing but dust covered junk or so it seemed. I almost threw the whole “collection” in the trash, but something told me to just go through the box item by item. And boy am I glad I did! Guess what the last thing in the bottom of the box was? An Olympus Zuiko 50mm f/1.4 attached to an OM-1 body! Both camera and lens in perfect shape, not a scratch. Needless to say, I was ecstatic! I had heard Nigel rave on this lens several times and now I had one in my hot little hands. And on top of that, it was free! The Zuiko 50mm 1.4 has become one of my all-time favorites mounted on my Sony A7 II. Just goes to show that you can’t always judge a book by its cover. BTW, thanks Zenographer for all your hard work and dedication in making this channel what it is! Absolutely love your content and delivery!
Gosh, there's no better buy than free, and I bet the OM1 was a very nice surprise! Glad you're enjoying the channel, thanks for looking in!
@@zenography7923 Your welcome. Always love me some Zenography!
Great video. Thank you. I got Canon FD 85mm F1.2 L for 120 € and FD 50 mm F1.2 for 40 €. My best bargains and work well in EOS R
Wow, those were real bargains - well done!
Where did you get those prices? :)
I have several of the ones you showed including the on 50 mm 1.8. I consider it a very sharp lens. I also have the Nikon version but it doesn’t seem as sharp. I shoot mft cameras including Olympus and Panasonic. I have the Minolta 50 1.4 but I haven’t shot digital with it. I enjoyed this episode.
I once found a Zenith with standard lens and the Tair 300mm f4.5, for £15. I told them they could keep the camera, I just wanted the Tair.
Hello Nigel,
Just purchased an Asahi pentax S3 slr camera along with a pentax smc takumar 35mm 3.5 lens for £23
Also awaiting delivery of a czj 50mm 2.8 lens in zebra design for £11
Love your Sunday photographic essays!
Derek
Gosh, those sound like two pretty good buys, both those lenses are really nice, and the S3 is a very solid and reliable camera, I hope you enjoy them! Hope all's well with you Derek, and thanks for looking in!
Best buy for me have been the two boxes full of vintage cameras and lenses I got from a colleague in exchange for a bottle of single malt Scotch.
Now that does sound like a good buy! Thanks for looking in.
Best bargain was at a house clearance auction, a lovely exakta Mt Pancolar for £7, it came with other cameras, so in real terms, it was free.
Yashinon-ds 50mm f1.9 has been lots of fun and is cheap ($28 +shipping). I have a Helios on the way, and I think I'm going to look for a hexanon next.
You won't go wrong with a good Hexanon - my favourite is the 40mm f1.8! Thanks for looking in.
i bought helios 44-2 58mm f2 for about 20 gbp. i have more expensive 50 mms but i like it very much, not for the swirly bokeh but for the old and soft look it gives.
There's nothing quite like the look from a Helios 44 - it certainly has a unique quality.! Thanks for looking in.
I consider by bargains to be £24 for my Pentacon 50mm f1.8 and my £40 CZJ Sonnar MC 135mm f3.5. Both fully working and good condition lenses. My cheapest lens was £9.99, again a good condition lens, Chinon Auto 135mm f2.8, which is nearly as good as the CZJ.
Those sound like some excellent bargains! Thanks for looking in.
And I once bought a Minolta Rokkor 28mm f/2.8 for 8€ plus shipping cause it once had taken a severe hit. The filter thread is dented and it looks pretty battered in general, but in regard of mechanics and optics it is still fine and I use it ever since.
That sounds like quite a bargain - and if you ever want to straighten that filter ring there's a tool called a lens vice, cheaply available, that will straighten it for you!
@@zenography7923 Thanks for the advice. I will try that.
Great and inspiring video again, Nigel, thanks! I was a bit surprised by the Miranda zoom; is this a different maker than the Miranda camera company of the 50's, 60's and 70's that made a range of slr's? Further, I also have a Minolta xg1, and I find it a very capable camera that's really pleasant to use too, I'm looking forward to that review. Minolta lenses often gives great value. My latest found was a Pentax smc 28mm 2.8 for 13 euros at a thrift shop, a good deal. My greatest bargain was at another thrift shop, a super takumar 85mm 1.9, usually an expensive lens, but it was priced at two euros! In general, it's only logical that prices on vintage glass rises, given the increased interest, and that they don't make them anymore.
Goodness me, you did well with that Pentax 85! As for the Miranda name, it was apparently bought by Dixons (a UK retailer) in the 1980s and used by them to sell lenses, but aside from the name it seems there was no actual connection to the old Miranda camera company. Thanks for looking in!
Recently got a Nikkor-S 50mm 1.4 w/ lens hood on a Nikkormat SLR for $65.00 USD. Both near mint.
Wow, that was some pretty good lens hunting!
Great episode as per normal, always feel inspired by your broadcasts. I’ve purchased a couple of vintage lenses which I get great satisfaction from although my keep rate is poor. ¿Could you do a broadcast on manual focusing tips?
A good idea, thanks for the suggestion! Glad you enjoyed the episode.
I recently bought an Olympus OM Zuiko Auto-Zoom 1:4 f = 75 - 150mm. For 20 Euro.
Now that was a good buy, for sure! Thanks for looking in.
Made a great bargain since started seeing your ch. Thank u😆👍
And thank you, glad you're enjoying it!
Wonderful lenses. Nothing beats Minolta glass!
It's really quite something - very beautiful! Thanks for looking in Bert!
I own just one vintage lens. It belongs to Minolta camera that I bought 1979 and is a 45mm f2. I was told it replaced the 50mm f2 as a standard lens on Minolta slr cameras at that time. I wonder if there is any other difference than the focal length. This is my favourite photography channel btw.
Thanks, glad you're enjoying the channel! I haven't used the 45mm lens you mention - I'll look out for it though!
My uncle had a Miranda telezoom in the 80s, I think it was a 70-300 or thereabouts. Quite a mundane range nowadays but unusual back then.
Indeed, it must have been quite something back then! Thanks for looking in.
@@zenography7923 Bit more research: it was a 75-300mm (not 70) f4.5-5.6, optimistically labelled Macro as was common then with any lens that would focus nearer than about six feet!
Hey Zenography, I purchased a Zenit ET with a Helios 44M 58mm F2 and a Helios 44mm F2.8 for £25.
That was a pretty good buy, well done! Thanks for looking in.
I can add a Jupiter 37A 135mm 3.5 as a decent Zeiss copy, own one that is still sharp wide open on XT-30 26mp aps-c. Most of them are, but sometimes you can catch a bad one that is not sharpwide open,as usual with USSR lenses. You can get a mint one from 2500 to 4000 rubles in RU, it is over 25 to 40 pounds.
I've heard that's a very nice lens - and a good price too! Thanks for looking in.
Hello Nigel, top Video - as always.
I wrote it underneath your last Video too… i am absolutely in love with the Minolta 1.2/50 MD. A little soft wide open, but i shoot it in 90% of the time wide open. Colors an blur are fantastic. Posed pictures from my daughters, i usually sharp up a little.
I also like the Pancolar, which i bought because i watched your Videos. At the moment i own 4 of them. All of them the same 8 bladed Thorium Version. Dont know what to do with them, but i think i will keep them.
Do anyone have the Zuiko 1.2/50mm and the Minolta 1.2/50mm? I would like to hear how them perform to each other. For some weeks now, i think i need a 1.2 Zuiko. If anyone wants to swap a Zuiko for a thorium 8 bladed Pancolar, let me know.
Greets from Germany
Thomas
I read up a bit about thorium after the previous video and apparently it can turn the lenses yellow with age, and also fog film.
@@caw25sha one of my Pancolars, i bleached under a UV LED bulb. That worked well. The other thee of them are more or less yellow. Doe to the white balance adjustment in post process, the yellow color isn‘t a problem.
Hi Thomas, I can't speak for the Minolta 1.2, but I was lucky enough to shoot the Zuiko 50mm 1.2 a couple of years ago and it's sublime - far better than my 55mm 1.2 and remarkably sharp wide open. Highly recommended! Glad you enjoyed the video.
Best value are the Olympus Zuiko zooms. Utterly underrated compared to the primes, unfairly I believe but great value for the buyer.
I agree. Olympus was an innovative film camera company which made great cameras and lenses. I've got 2 lenses and looking out for more for my Sony A7 bodies.
Agreed - I have the 35-70 f4 - a lovely lens! Thanks for looking in.
@@zenography7923 me too - it's a corker.
Blimey! I can't remember what I paid for most of mine. One I do remember though was a Fujinon 40 - 70 zoom, along with the 35mm 3.5. I think the pair of them cost me about £30.00, cases and all.
I think you did pretty well there! Thanks for looking in.
Pentax SMC M 50mm 1-7 bought for ten pounds great lens.
In a flee market i got a 50 f1.4, 28 f2, and a macro 35-105 f3.5 canon fd with a nice canon body for 60£
Wow, an incredible buy, well done! Thanks for looking in.
@@zenography7923 Thank you, I spotted them from a bus. When I went there and asked about the 50 he said that he only sells them as a bundle, I was a bit bummed until I heard the price. Sold the macro lens for 120 and besically got everything for free. Anyways, thank you so much for those videos, you and Mathieu Stern inspired me on this photography journey
I just recently bought a Cosinon-W 28mm f/2.8 in almost mint condition for as little as 7.5€ plus shipping. The seller didn‘t mention the mount and didn‘t show any pictures of it. But the seller also offered a Carenar camera which I assumed had a PK mount. The lens didn‘t arrive yet. So I still don‘t know if I was right. But anyway, it cannot be anything utterly exotic.
That was definitely a good buy, and PK mount sounds about right!
@@zenography7923 The lens arrived yesterday. I was right. It has a PK mount.
Not sure, if my best deal was a Canon T70 with a 50mm 1.4 in perfect condition for 10 EUR or a Minolta 303b + Rokkor 35mm 2.8 + Rokkor 50mm 1.7 + Rokkor 135mm 3.5 + Rokkor 75-200mm 4.5 for 37 EUR. Only the zoom was a bit stiff, all other lenses in perfect condition. You can decide :-)
Bonsoir Monsieur
I come to you for advice.
Have you ever tried or testéd focal converters.As i get older weight has become an important criterion and à doubler could be interesting for me.For hiking i only use 3 lenses ,19 mm 28 mm and 100 mm.A doubler for a minimal weight could be interesting.there are many si wich one to choose.Thank you in advance for your advice.
Bonne soirée
Cordialement.
Definitely one of my favorite channels,thanks for sharing, I have a couple of em :)
Glad you're enjoying it, thanks for looking in!
23:46 The Olympus build-in hoods work more smoothly, when rotated slightly.
Thanks for the tip!
My best buy is a Mir - 37 mm 2.8 (as new ) for only € 50,00
Now that sounds like an excellent buy - well done!
Oh God! That weird feeling seeing own name in patrons list :D
I hope it felt good! Thanks for the support Andrew, much appreciated!
Another fantastic video! I've just had to buy an extraordinarily expensive vintage lens though - the Leica R 19mm. Still sweating from the purchase!
Is it possible to get a miranda mount to canon RF mount I can't find one online.
I bought a Ricoh 50mm f2 for £20 and it's astonishingly good but if you want a real bargain the Tamron 80-210 f3.8/4 is astonishing and can be had for as low as £10
That little Ricoh's a great lens, no doubt about it, and the Tampon sounds like a steal! Thanks for looking in.
Wonderful lenses, fantastic video
Many thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
Happy New Years 🍻😍
Thank you, and to you!
@@zenography7923 👍😊
Best buy: Zeiss Jena 80mm 1.8 when they were still comparatively cheap.
You really can't go wrong with that lens - perhaps the nicest vintage lens I've ever shot! Thanks for looking in.
My best buy is a KIRON 105mm 2.8 macro 1:1, paid 130 Swedish crowns which is around a tenner GBP. Who said Sweden is expensive????
Wow, that was a really good buy! Thanks for watching.
@@zenography7923 I am 7 minutes into the video as we speak. Thank you so much for taking your time to do these videos for us to view and learn
Norwegians certainly don't. :) Joking aside, if you paid 10 times as much it would be a fair price, it's a great lens.
Scored a Nikkor sc 50mm 1.4 ai converted for $38. Got lucky, no one else bid on it
Now that was proper lucky!
I haven't found zoom lenses of that era to be of any good...
Mr. Zenography has informed us well. However, one thing is not clear to me. Where do you buy vintage lenses for 10-40 quid?
Well, the Miranda cost £10 from a charity shop, the Lydith was £35 from eBay, the Minolta was £35 from eBay (with a camera), there's an Olympus 135mm f3.5 on eBay right now for £35 - there are lots of cheap lenses around! Glad you enjoyed the video Jim, thanks for looking in.
@@zenography7923 Well, I do enjoy your videos. Every time, I went on Ebay I could not find anything for 30 quid. Could you recommend a lens for night street photography for Fujifilm x mount?
I have a large collection of HATED lenses. If I ever mention what I've got on a photography site, they're universally called crap, but they work fine for me.
I like crappy lenses, there is always a good use for them! I use soft lenses so i dont need (to buy or use) filters when i try to get that softness. Filters are expensive and post production is not always the best looking.
Sharpness shouldn't only be measured at the center of the frame. Try shooting landscape images with Pancolar wide open, it'll become pretty clear what I mean. Anything but the very center will be as sharp as smooth bokeh, so to speak. Minolta MD 50mm F2 (mark III, probably the one you tested, but I'm not absolutely sure) is much, much sharper wide open. Only near the edges it starts losing resolution and contrast, but that improves with stopping down to F2.8. At F4 it's at its maximum in the center and midframe, definitely no need to go beyond F5.6 for corner-to-corner sharpness when each pixel is important, but usually no need. That lens needs at least one stop less stopping down than most 50mm vintage lenses (like Pentax, Olympus, Canon etc. 50mm F1.4 and 1.7/1.8 lenses) for similar performance. They usually need F4 to match this Minolta at F2.8. Close up photography is something different, there field curvature and edge sharpness have little importance. Of course, there are different tools for different needs. Speaking of the Minolta, another nice advantage is extremely low distortion where it does better than most alternatives. Most people find the bokeh to be average at best though. I don't love it, but I don't mind it.
That Minolta is certainly a sharp little thing, no doubt about it! Many thanks for the detailed info, most interesting.
Where you get the Olympus from
It was a lucky find on ebay - the bargains are out there!
the Minolta MD 50 F2 ..although not the sexiest at F2 and has not got the build of the MC lenses its probably the sharpest 50/55mm Minolta made
A surprisingly sharp lens, no doubt about it!
I bought an old Olympus OM20 film camera in great condition with the 1.8 / 50mm lens on it. See 19:40 I've been using the lens on my Sony A7. Lovely colours and very portable kit. Wasn't that cheap, but worth paying a bit more for the condition. Already had an XA and Trip from my 1990s film days and very fond of the Olympus 'marque'. Zenography in depth review of the 1.4 and 1.8: ruclips.net/video/8tTAyHbFAV8/видео.html
I'll check that video out, thanks! Glad you're enjoying the Olympus kit!
Miranda cameras made very good cameras and in the 1960s was on par or better than Canon and Nikon they did not make their own lenses i believe Soligor did or the same company owned Soligor and the Maranda lensmaker whatever it was called (they may have owned Miranda as well) i forget now ....Miranda went bankrupt in the late 1970s ...Dixens the UK electronics chain bought the rights to the name in the early 1980s and put it all sorts of stuff and most probably that Miranda lens will have been from Dixons ...definitely if it, not Miranda bayonet ....the (original) Miranda lenses had their own Baynet or some accessories like microscope adapters etc used the M44 screw that was inside the bayonet
This Miranda's in OM mount, so probably came from Dixons, as you say. A surprisingly nice lens though!
Meyer Optik Lydith 30mm f3.5 is going on eBay for $500. Sorry, make that $900.
Miranda 70 - 210mm f4.5 is going for $15.
$900 for a lydith? Prices on eBay right now range from £34.99 (reasonable) to £164.99 (a chancer hoping to make a score). Not so expensive as all that then!
What's the point in showing off your skills at finding inexpensive lenses, when the rest of us simply cannot find any lenses at these same prices. Our typical source of these finds is ebay. And its impossible to be sure of the condition of lenses bought via ebay, its a bit of a lottery. I have had to return at least one lens, and accept that I wasted money on one more lens.
What would really help us all is - where are you getting these lenses from, and how do you check the quality of these lenses before you buy them?
Furthermore for the vast majority of users, the key issue with all these vintage lenses is getting the focus right, cos 99% of the shot is in the accurate focus. With the terrible optics of mirrorless cameras, and by this I mean that their LCD's cannot really do that much to help you with focus, albeit they do provide some assistance via focus peaking, but you tend to get a good number of near misses, unless you have a subject which is not moving, or you are shooting lansdscapes, so with vintage lenses, you end up having to take a few more images, at varying focusses, in the hope that one of the pics will be sharp enough.
My suspicion is that its probably more effective to buy a modern auto focus lens, with modern optics, in-camera correction of the lenses aberrations, superb sharpness - from modern computer aided design of the lens, superb colour rendition - with excellent modern coatings. You spend a few hundred quid on one or two good lenses, and you can forget about buying new lenses for maybe 5 or more years, and above all you get the shot - quickly, cos the camera is doing its job of helping you get the accurate shot, which is what counts at the end of the day, not the camera - the shot - perfectly in focus with ease, otherwise what's the point of photography, if you do not have a high percentage of images in focus.
I have eventually learned how to take sharp images with my digital camera and vintage lenses, but I think this is a hobby for those who like a bit of punishment, albeit the punishment has helped me fully understand how cameras work, and the learnings and the fad has been valuable. A nice sideline, but for anyone who is going to be taking lots of photos or take photos with ease, I think with digital cameras, best to save up and aim for a good autofocus lens, so you can concentrate on framing, and have the camera take care of focus for you.
My two cents. You are welcome to an alternate opinion. Our different priorities are not contradictory, we can live in a world where we do not all think the same way, cos our priorities are different.
Nevertheless, this channel has been most valuable in my elementary stages of photography, but its time for me to aspire to greatness, and aim for a more modern camera body, and todays, top quality lenses. I will still continue to use my vintage lenses, in the interim, and thankfully I did not spend a fortune on what I have bought so far.
At the end of the video he gives away the secret of cheap lenses - Auctions. That requires a whole lot of patience, and is also like a lottery, when will the excellent lens be available at a bargain - pretty much the auctioning process is another hobby. So if you have a lot of time - sure. But if you need to take excellent pictures now, just buy an easily available autofocus used lens from MPB.com or a new one, and move on to the really fun bit - actually taking pictures and sharing them/curating them.