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Old lenses for dummies


Iko

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Summarizing, I can say that buying an M42 adapter is a safe bet to start experimenting. The lens choice is huge and their prices are mostly fair.

Helios, Pentax Takumar and Carl Zeiss Jena are brands to look for, and there is more interesting stuff if you do some research. Be wary of german sounding brand names made in Japan. There are gems in between but you really need to know your business. The same counts for Russian glass. Other mounts like Contax-Yashica (C/Y) and Leica-R have nice offerings too, but the prices go steeply upwards too.

 

Google is your friend here, go look for the character/rendering you like best. If you want utmost sharpness, least distortion and CA etc, please stick with native.

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Adapting older lenses need not be limited to antique Soviet era lenses. 

 

If you are transitioning from Canon or Nikon but on a limited budget an adapter can let you use some of your old lenses until you can afford a Fuji equivalent. An example would be using a Nikon 50mm F/1.4 D until you can afford Fuji's 56mm. 

 

There are also some lenses with capabilities which no Fuji lens matches yet.  For example my Fuji's 60mm which I really like is more a "demi-macro" than a true macro like Nikon's 105mm micro.  Fuji has a true macro on the way, but until then an adapted Nikon 105mm is useful.  Or if you are one of those rare people (I'm not one of them) who uses a tilt-shift lens you can either keep your old Nikon body just for that or use an adapter with a Fuji body.  Since T-S lenses can't autofocus anyway you loose zero functionality.

 

None of the scenarios above involve compromising on IQ.

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It's not for everyone that's for sure.

 

When I decided my D90 had to go and the XT-1 replaced it, I didn't have any budget left for some sexy Fuji glass.

 

I bought 12$ adapters off ebay and slapped my dads old Canon FD lenses (28 f2.8, 50 1.8 and 100-200 5.6) on it. The focus peeking isn't perfect on Fuji and it takes time to nail it. It's a freeing experience IMO.

 

Images don't need to be tack sharp to be good. I take my time ALOT more and treat my XT-1 like my AE-1 (film camera...): slow and methodical. I don't shoot sports so it suits me well.

 

 

Not for everyone, but it's for everyone's budget. Try it at least!

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Hello everyone, first time poster here. I shoot pretty much exclusively with old 35mm manual focus lenses and have done so for many years now. I can definitely say that they are worth using from both a creative and cost effective point of view.

 

The issue of adapting lenses is really quite simple. Does a lens, be it a new auto focus model or older manual lens, give you what you need to create the shot or vision you are attempting to capture? If the answer is yes then use the lens. It doesn't matter where it was made, or if it was made yesterday or 50 years ago.

 

Now if you are a professional photographer shooting paid work for a client then it is critical you choose the right gear. You will probably see most working photogs using modern auto focus glass that has full functionality with their camera body. This is to be expected since speed is life and AF will help nail shots in critical focus right when you need it. On the other hand, there are plenty of other pros out there using older adapted glass when speed is not as important or when an older lens is lending a desired creative effect to the work being captured.

 

Where you will see much more use of adapted lenses is in the work of non professional photographers and this makes a lot of sense. When you are shooting work/art for yourself (or family/friends) they you have a lot more lee way to slow down and make mistakes while making the capture. And please don't take this in any way as a slam to non pro photogs. I myself firmly fall into this category with only a few small paying jobs under my belt. That is simply not why I shoot photography. It is a common misconception that the goal of photography is to become a professional photographer and nothing could be further from the truth. The goal of photography is to create a compelling image that moves the human soul, or to document something in a visual format.

 

With that in mind it makes sense for non pro photographers to adapt old lenses to their cameras so that they have access to some really wonderful glass, at a fraction of the cost of their modern equivalents. Keep in mind that almost all of the great photographs from all the masters in the 20th century were taken on manual focus film lenses. In the hands of an experienced photographer the lens and camera simply become a tool for the creative process happening in the brain. But it is to easy in this internet forum discussion age to forget this fact and focus instead on the small differences in gear both old an new. People have a desire to min/max everything and will spend countless hours 'discussing' the perfect lens when in fact no such thing exists.

 

I guess the point of all this is....it doesn't matter which camera you hold in your hand. It doesn't matter when the lens you are using was made or who it was made by. It doesn't matter if focus is achieved by a small electric motor and a computer or by the fingers on your hand gripping old worn metal knurls. What matters is the image you create. Is it pleasing to you? Has your art been made manifest? If it is paid work then is your client happy with it?

 

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These are just some examples of my art over the last few years. I currently shoot with a Sony A7 and previously with a NEX 7. You might think it odd that a Sony shooter is posting on a Fuji site, but as I said before the name on the box really doesn't matter as long as it is providing what you need. While I do love my A7 I almost purchased the X-T1 instead when it came out and there was much deliberation between the two before the purchase was made. Having said that I am still giving Fuji a hard look at a possible replacement for my Sony gear. There are several things about the X line that I find intriguing and to be honest I miss using the Metabones Speedbooster for my nex 7 and I believe the Fuji cameras are an excellent body to use as a platform for the SB.

 

If you like you may view my A7 files that have many more examples of manual focus lenses here. https://www.flickr.com/photos/8539414@N07/sets/72157641534772013

And for examples of the Speedbooster on my NEX 7 you may go here. https://www.flickr.com/photos/8539414@N07/sets/72157633126249795

 

I hope the information here helps someone. If you want to try old lenses then I can heartily recommend it. Don't be afraid to try and don't get caught up in the search for gear. By all means educate yourself on the lens choices available but don't let the pursuit of gear be the driving force of excitement in your photography. Just remember that it is the image that is important. Only this and nothing more.

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f/otographer the more I dive into photography and the more I come to the same conclusions that you exposed in your post. Gear is really a small
part of the creative process, and all comes to the ability of the human behind the camera to use at best what he has. This really puts in another prospective
all the talks about the last gimmick in one body or in another, and so on.
 
That said, I loved using the Helios last night. As this is my first time using a fixed focal lenght lens and also the first time using a manual lens, the learning curve
is steep, somethimes you loose the shot because you didn't have focus in the right position or you can't make a step back or forth to your subject.
But ehy, neither with the best of the best of the shooting gear you have always the photo ensured.
 
By the way there are some of the first shots I took, I hope you enjoy them:D

DSCF1217_v1.jpg

 

DSCF1243_v1.jpg

 

DSCF1294_v1.jpg

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Two things:

What you lose using old lenses (apart from automatic functions) is mainly micro contrast. Lots of old lenses are gems but the micro contrast is often a lot worse than we are used to now due to inferior coatings (so often not good for backlit subjects).

Oil on the blades is actually rather irrelevant with mirrorless cameras since the aperture does not need to close fast like it does on a native camera. The lenses I had with oil on the blades still closed fine, just sometimes too slowly for an exposure on a native camera.

 

One of my favourite manual lenses is the Nikkor 100 f2.8 Series E. It's the little brother of the famous 105 f2.5 but significantly smaller, lighter and cheaper and still offers amazing image quality even wide open. It's very sensitive to direct light though so it's not useful for backlit subjects. Knowing that limitation I've gotten some really nice portraits with it and the 150mm EFOV at large aperture can give awesome subject isolation. It has terrific sharpness even wide open, good contrast if there is not backlight and is built like a tank. I got mine for 50 € in great condition. Here's an example I took on a D200. The lens still performs really well on my D7000. Image is taken at f2.8:

Nikkor 100 f2.8 Series E example

 

Another good performer has been the Nikkor 50 1.8 AiS. It's tiny but really good and I got it for 10 € in great condition (that was a steal...). Better at handling backlight than the aforementioned as well. Sharpness and contrast are good wide open but benefit quite a lot from closing to something like f2.8. This one oiled up (aperture blades) when I took it to Iran so maybe be a bit careful with exposure to heat. It also does great with landscapes but the good examples I have of that are all shot on slide film so that won't help. Here's an example of the D200 (at f1.8):

Nikkor 50 f1.8 AiS example

 

I haven't adapted any of these lenses to a Fuji body since I only own an X100S. But I've used them on my D200 and D7000 so they should do great on Fuji as well. Manual focus on both is a dream. And even with adapter they should nicely fit the small size of Fuji cameras.

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Oil on the blades is actually rather irrelevant with mirrorless cameras

 

I agree, but since mirrorless cameras have their sensor exposed to the lens at all times, oil from aperture blades can really mess things up. Warning to all old lens lovers out there! Clean out the old

lube and re-lubricate your helicoid with a modern grease that hopefully won't separate....

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Having a considerable number of non-x lenses, i have gotten myself a few adapters and use them fairly much.

 

Here are my findings:

 

For landscapes i own the exceptional 10-24. When i want the camera to fit in my pocket, the voigtländer 15/4.5 is the perfect complement. I also have a sigma 14mm that i can mount on a tilt/shift adapter, its fun to play with but the opticts doesn't really cut it.

 

For street i have gone from the bulky 23/1.4 to the tiny 27mm. I was going to use a voigtländer 40/2 on a speed booster for when i needed the large aperture. I found out that i never do on the street though, but its still a nice combo for wide portraits. I also have a beloved nikkor 24/2.8, sadly it gets so big with the adapter that there is no advantage over the 10-24.

 

I seldom shoot normals, but when i do i use the nikon s 35/2.5 with great joy. Every lens has its own character and this one excells at night with beautiful, almost fuji like, colours and beautiful stars. It works very well with the t/s adapter when the need for that kind of control occurs.

 

For the shirtnportrait range i want tilt. I have a ballhead tilt-adapter and a substantial collection of 55-60mm lenses. The voigtländer 58/1.4 is my default choice, but minoltas, konicas, helioses and zeisses gets used too. This is one of the things i love most with x system. The ability to choose a t/s lens for its character, not just use tge only one there is for the system.

 

For long portraits, I think i could as well have glued my speed booster to my m-g orestor 135. The booster enhances an allready excellent portrait lens with better centre resolution, softer corners and removes the flat back lens problem. Pure love! I have some other 135mm too, but they seldom leave the shelf. A 90/2 is on the wish list as a complement when the sun is in the picture. When i need a pocketable alternative, the super light nikon s 100/2.8 is my choice.

 

Things that dont work so well:

Basically, the fuji lenses are excellent, even the zooms. If you own a 10-24 and an 18-55 there is not much you can adapt if you want better general quality. The old full frame primes can look like a cheap kit-zooms compared to modern fujis. They are made for using the hole frame and the pixel density of a dx sensor is higher than a stretched part of even a good film era prime. A speed booster fixes this, but only in the center and at the expense of softer corners. Very nice for most portraits, but horrible with landscape photography.

 

Adapt when you have the need for something fuji doesnt provide or if you can't afford the fuji alternative or when you want the character of a certain lens.

 

 

 

Skickat från min SM-N9005 via Tapatalk

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Reading the other threads in this section I have started to thinking about getting some old, cheap lenses

in flea markets here in my city, to play with. But since I am a total noob in the topic I thought it will be nice to have a place here

on the forum where people can post and read of hints & tips about the second-hand lens's market.

 

For example what you need to check before you buy an old lens, what types of adapters or other stuff you could need,

if some lenses need to be modified in order to be used on a digital fuji and other thigs like this.

 

Feel free to recommend some lens you love or that has a strange special effect you like, maybe adding some hints on the price

to expect and some photos taken with it.

 

Your experience will be really usefull to many of us :D

 

These two videos might help you:

 

 

PART 1 (revamped) HOW to quickly be an expert at Inspecting Used Lenses

 

https://youtu.be/BuULcrNU43M

 

PART 2 (AF & modern lenses) HOW to be an expert at Inspecting Used Lenses

 

https://youtu.be/3ewcWRqsI4U

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As to the adapter questions, the single best adapter I can recommend for Canon FD mount is one I found on the auction site that is made in Poland. It is a unique 1 piece design that doesn't need the sliding ring that most FD adapters require to activate the aperture pin on FD lenses. You can view a video of its operation here.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CvB8n5wFPg

 

This is far superior to any FD adapter I have used. Every other one I have ever had has gotten loose and jiggly over time. This adapter solves that problem and it has the added benefit of being made in Poland to very high tolerances. In this modern "Made in China" world this is very refreshing. The maker/seller of the item on the auction site is ciecio7 and I can heartily recommend this adapter. The price isn't to bad and while it does take a while to get here it is well worth it.

 

FD lenses were some of the best glass ever made for manual focus cameras. Some are better then others but for the most part it is hard to go wrong with them. I currently only have the FDn 50/1.4 and I must admit it stays on my camera most of the time. Here are some recent examples.

 

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This lens does have a very nice rendering and works nicely for the 'no focus' style of photography I shoot quite a bit, as in the last photo. This is not to be confused with Ralph Eugene Meatyards style of 'no focus' but it is similar. That man was an incredible photographer and while I use him for inspiration his no focus is so much more raw then mine. I find I shot it a bit more clinically, and it is the poorer for it.

 

Any of the fast primes in the FD lineup are worth getting, such as the 35/2. My only minor issue with some of the FD's is that many times the slower version of the primes will only have a 5 bladed aperture. This annoys the heck out of me as I simply cant stand little pentagons showing up in the highlights on the OOF areas. Luckily the faster primes, like my 50/1.4 have an 8 bladed aperture.

 

Oh, I should mention as I did in my last post. These are actually shot on the Sony A7. I am following things on the Fuji forum due to some consideration I am giving about switching over to X cameras. Although that new A7RII has me wondering. But then I think of an X-T1 with all that lovely Fujinon glass and I remember how much the new Sony costs. :)

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FD lenses were some of the best glass ever made for manual focus cameras. Some are better then others but for the most part it is hard to go wrong with them. I currently only have the FDn 50/1.4 and I must admit it stays on my camera most of the time. Here are some recent examples.

 

Great pictures!!!! Really love the first one and the OOF shot!!!! Unfortunatelly (for us Fuji dudes) these pics are taken on a full frame camera. So I cannot judge the bokeh it will have on an APS-C X-Trans cam! Nevertheless I just ordered the Canon FD 50/1.4 S.C.C. plus the adapter you recommended :D! Thanks!!!

 

Hope the lens is as good as my old Fujinon EBC 50/1.4 M42.

 

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Anyway, I'm sure you'll have fun, at the moment this is my only portrait lens. I recommend trees, forest, grass, dead leaves as background for the swirl, but I like the creamy bokeh without it too. 

 

These days I received my Helios 44M-6!!

By just taking some simple test shots I can say that this is a great lens!!! And I really had huge expectations cause of owning the awesome and sharp Fujinon EBC 50/1.4 M42! Thanks!!!

Now my just ordered Canon FD 50/1.4 S.S.C. has to compete with it ;)

 

OMG I'm addicted to lenses!!!! :o:D

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Haha, what a derp. The last post of mine was supposed to go in the Canon FD lenses thread. Maybe a mod can be nice enough to move it? :)

 

Iko, those are some very nice shots with the Helios. Reminds me of the results I got from mine.

 

VanDeCamp, thanks for the compliment. And Im glad the adapter info was useful. My copy really is a nice piece.

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The are harder than calculus to focus in the EVF so for portraits not so good. Otherwise well worth it.

 

Hmmmm, I have not had this problem. Focus peaking will work in some situations or when a fast grab is needed. Otherwise I press a single button on the back of my camera to bring up the magnified view for critical focus. Then a half press on the shutter brings the normal view back up. It is fluid and seamless and I do it while looking thru the EVF. You can even move the D pad around to move the magnified part of the image to where you need it to be based on the composition.

 

Calculus is much harder then this.  :)

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I also don't trust focus peaking. So I don't use it and just trust my own eye. I just use the magnification.

 

 

Then a half press on the shutter brings the normal view back up.

 

Just an advice for all those who don't want this: Set the focus mode selector from M to S - from manual to single AF. Then it keeps the magnification even when pressing the shutter button half way down.

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Great post by the f/otographer about choosing right gear for yourself. Once I read article that was written by famous photographer, there was tips for beginners about choosing photo gear, starting photo practice and improving skills. And the best idea from this article was "you need only gear that arouse you to taking photos". Ok, some people like their toprated fullframe bodies with actual super fast autofocus lens, some people like their rangefinder cameras with oldschool manual lens, and some people need only iPhone to deliver current mood into the photo etc. The main idea in photo should be mood, feelings, and doesnt't matter that technical tools you use.

Once I decide to sell my kit 18-55 and take some manual fix lens instead of it. It was deliberate limiting of my technical capabilities. Of course I think that Fuji XF are the great lens, but they cost a lot, and I really like oldschool smell of manual lens. It's like some kind of game with your gear.

So, I really love my manual focus lens.

Most of the time OM Zuiko 24mm f/2.8 sits on my camera:

16789235199_c103b9920d_b.jpgAlisa by crunch_tone, on Flickr

17954125820_542afea943_b.jpgSpring fingers by crunch_tone, on Flickr

18552292126_3716fc1469_b.jpg1 by crunch_tone, on Flickr

 

Also I have old Fujinon 135mm f/2.5 M42 lens that have great performance too:

17721285062_d3eb30b5f0_b.jpgHauschka live at Erarta (15 May 2015) by crunch_tone, on Flickr

18502381119_30f190ff84_b.jpg12 by crunch_tone, on Flickr

16867448363_496377d026_b.jpgComet tails by crunch_tone, on Flickr

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I'm using Nikkor 105/2 DC while I'm saving for XF 90/2. I also have Nikkors 28/2 ai-s, 50/1.8 ai-s longnose, 100/2.8 series E. I've adapted them to X-T1. It feels great because all these lenses are very tight and small. Nevertheless the IQ is not that great and I have Fuji alternatives so I have no need in shooting with them.

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