Who here uses vintage manual lens?

[stanislasphotography]

I've only been into photography for over 2 years but I am obsessed with vintage old manual lens.

There's just something about the feel of it.

so far this is my list.

Tokina 28mm 2.8
Pentax M 50mm 1.7
Super Takumar 135 3.5
Super Takumar 200 4

still waiting for the adapter for the super takumars so cant test them out yet.

Any recommendations for a wide angle cheap lens? Tokina is my first wide angle and I now love the point of view.

[ameerat42]

Yo! Here!
I regularly use an old Formula 5 75-205.

Wide angle? What camera have you got? Is it a crop sensor camera, or FF?
28mm is not all tha-a-at wide on a crop sensor camera.

Tokina (from reports here) make a pretty good 11-16 (I think that's the range).
I don't know its price, though. And also good, Sigma 8-16, but you would NOT want to know its price.

OK, if you look here you'll see some.
Am.

[Rattus79]

28mm on a crop sensor is hardly a WA
The Pentax DA 15 is a superior wide angle. it's tiny and it's not exactly cheap.

I have a few, I got rid of a few too.

Some of those super tak's are acutally raidoactive too (FYI)

Curently I have:
2x tokina 28 2.8
soligor 100 2.8 (rare)
a 135 3.2
Makinon 35 2.8

Do take a care using vintage lenses. Fungus is contagious!

[arthurking83]

In addition too the lenses listed in my sig, I currently have access to an old Schneider 135mm f/3.5 and a Pentax 55/1.8(currently on load thanks to Andrew, my best buddy, chum and mate )

In fact I'm almost over my 3 month illness and will be fit for travel again in a couple of weeks to get them back to their owner once again.

Adding further to that in an old UV Topcor 53mm f/2 which seems to be worth the effort to adapt to fit the F-mount(when I can be bothered to do so).
Lens reversal so far seems to indicate some ok images are possible, but not worth the expense if the expense is significant.

The other week I received my 105/1.8 Nikkor, and apart from a few quick comparisons to the 105VR, this lens has yet to come off the D300 ... can't wait for my Fx camera to come soon.
So far this lens seems to offer some promise of nicely rendered images too.

I love 'em and am always on the lookout for interesting stuff here and there.

[StanW]

Amongst my collection, still in use on my Pentaxes:-

135mm Rodenstock Yronar f3.5
Auto-Takumar 85mm f1.8

[ricktas]

I've only been into photography for over 2 years but I am obsessed with vintage old manual lens.

There's just something about the feel of it.

so far this is my list.

Tokina 28mm 2.8
Pentax M 50mm 1.7
Super Takumar 135 3.5
Super Takumar 200 4

still waiting for the adapter for the super takumars so cant test them out yet.

Any recommendations for a wide angle cheap lens? Tokina is my first wide angle and I now love the point of view.

Hope we get to see some of your photos up for critique on the forums soon. Show us that you can use this gear you have accumulated.

[stanislasphotography]

sounds like old gear is alive and well here.

I have a pentax Kr, so yes 28mm is not considered wide or wide enough, did I mention I am also a budget photographer.

so any recommendations for old CHEAP wide angles lens will help =p

I've done it again, bought some more lens, I will pick up from the central coast this weekend.

I'll post some photos this weekend after the central coast trip.

- - - Updated - - -

thanks ameerat42, I had a look at the price. yikes that's out of my league for now.

rattus79, I had my first fungus experience this week, I purchased a pentax m 135 only to find it has fungus, without knowing I stored it in the same case as my other lens and camera and also used it on my camera for a full day.

it's now isolated and awaiting return for refund, are my gears now contaminated? what should I do?

[Rattus79]

Just dont' put it on your body.

I wouldn't worry too much, just never store vintage lenses with your good new ones.

My advice:
dont' go spending a fortune on legacy glass. unless it's a DA* or a limited lens.

You will eventually want USM focus and spend a whole lot again on good new glass.

[William]

Re : The fungus, The spores love it to be in Dark and Humid places , Dont have all the gear stored always in the Camera bag, Apparently especially the old leather type of lens cases , Sunlight (UV) will kill it , Leave the gear out in the fresh air occasionally , BTW , Just Google - "How to kill lens fungus" No probs

[stanislasphotography]

rattus79 - USM focus?

I dont intend to spending any more money on gear, it's time to start taking photos and stop hoarding.

Thanks for the advice William, I actually left my gear out near my window yesterday near the light, I'll take them out from time to time now just to be safe.

[Rattus79]

USM - Ultra Sonic Motor

It has the focus motor in the lens rather then the screw drive clunk clunk of the older AF lenses. It's quicker and almost silent.

[mongo]

Stanislasphotography,


you have hit upon one of Mongo’s true loves (apart from food) - “special old lenses”.


Mongo has often espoused his love and romance for these and mentioned some he has collected and still uses with much fondness. Just going to mention two of many below:-


First, for your wide angle question, Mongo answers - the SMC Pentax-M 20mm f4. This is a superb piece of old optics which can easily hold its own against modern lenses many times it s size and cost and often better them too. This is Mrs Mongo’s favorite wide angle when she was using full frame film cameras. It is very small, very light, takes 49mm filters, is wonderfully sharp and has superb colour. Sadly, Mrs Mongo has not used it for some time as Pentax do not make a full frame SLR but she is keeping it in case they do in future. It is relatively inexpensive for what you get - if you can find one or some one willing to sell theirs to you. Whilst this is an “M” lens, Mongo speculates that Pentax later made an “A” lens equivalent.

sorry about the small dust specs on this lens
lens1.jpg

Secondly, Mongo has (amongst others) a lovely old Schneider- Kreuznach Tele-Zener 150mm f5 which he converted with a “T” mount many years ago to use on his Nikon bodies. It is a beautiful piece of engineering just in the way it its made and the materials used to make it. Hopefully, this can be seen in the image of it which Mongo has posted. Whilst not the sharpest lens, it is quite sharp enough but has a lovely “mellowness” to the images it produces (both in colour and features) that Mongo has not been able to match or reproduce with any other lens. Best results have been for portrait use. It is a small lens (80mm high and 50mm at its wides point) but extremely solid. And what a diaphragm !!! - on a very quick count, Mongo counted at least 18 aperture blades giving the most perfect circular aperture opening of any lens Mongo has ever used.

lens2.jpg

Mongo could go on about many more virtues of these two lenses but he has said enough to surely get you wondering and maybe for them to have earned a little of your admiration and respect.

[GTV6FLETCH]

be warned-collecting and using old MF lenses is very very addictive.
my list to date:

Canon FD.50mm 1.8
Canon FD.50mm 1.4 SSC

SMC Pentax Asahi 28mm 2.8
Super Takuma 55mm 2.0
Takuma 135mm 3.5
Takuma 35mm 3.5

Pentacon 50mm 1.8
Elicar auto 35mm 2.8
Meyer Gorlitz Domiplan 50mm 2.8
Nikon Nikkor 50mm 2.0
Yashica DSB 28mm 2.8
Hanimar auto 135mm 2.8
Sun Hi Tele 85-210mm 4.8
Soligor 200mm 4.5

Minolta MD ROKKOR 50mm 1.4
Minolta MC W ROKKOR 28mm3.5

Contax Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 35-70mm F/3.4

Love them,
I actually find that using them kinda makes my photos more ,mmm, umm, involved.
what i am trying to say is that with my canon bodies and these lenses much more thought goes into my photo's.
Having to think more about apertures and iso and shutter speeds.
I feel more like i created the photo with the camera instead of the camera doing all the auto this and that stuff.
any way
enjoy

cheers
Adam....

[Kym]

My manual K mounts lenses...
Pentax M 50/1.7
Tamron 85-210/4.5
Osawa 28/2.8
And a 1.4x TC

[The Man from Mona]

I have three Pentax lenses, one wide and two normals (55/75/105).

They're all awesome and their focus rings are fantastic. I've thought about getting some adapters to switch them over to my 5DII but the crop factor is going to annoy me.

[ameerat42]

Hi Rodney.
What do you mean about these lenses? Are they vintage (ie, old film era) lenses? If they are, then there should be no "crop factor" effect on the FF 5d2
Am.

[arthurking83]

..... I've thought about getting some adapters to switch them over to my 5DII but the crop factor is going to annoy me.

crop factor??

I'm as confused as Am is.

What's this crop factor?

And I'm curious as to what makes the focus rings "fantastic" too?

Focus rings are focus rings, and unless it turns through more than 360° they're all pretty much the same to use(except for the really dinky kit lens type focusing ring).

[ameerat42]

Aha! I think I am about to have it "got".
I suspect that the aforesaid adapters would have some optical element built in to accommodate these lenses, thus effecting a crop of the image on the sensor.
If this is not the case, then I own to still being baffled, bamboozled (with figures optional), even balderdashed, or almost anything suitable that starts with "ba".
(But maybe not black sheep.)
m.

[stanislasphotography]

that pentax m 20mm looks very good mongo, why did you post a picture?

this is just going to fuel my addiction even more.

I have a question for all you vintage lens collectors

Super Taks 50 1.4, these are going bananas on ebay. Are they really worth $120 or more?

or is the 1.8 worth a look at?

[stanislasphotography]

Does any one here have any experience with the brand Soligor? and their wide angle lens?