Top 4 vintage lenses
 

Alot of people here are talking about vintage glass but the conversations are all scattered and hard to find. I'd like to start a thread discussing and collectively narrowing down a top 4 vintage lens list along with the best adapters you have found for these lenses.

How are you defining "vintage"? These days that could mean more than 10 years old!
I think the original Canon 300mm f2.8 FD lens has to be one of the best.
Steve

Hey Steve,

It could be that...

I was thinking some of the older 60's and 70's model lenses that people are finding to have amazing quality... but it could be anything as long as it didn't come out onto the market within the last few years..

I would go for the Helios 44m and Mir 24m. Honestly, solid and amazing lenses.

I found videos on Vimeo using both of these lenses and its as you say, amazing quality on the T2i.

MIR 24m

Helios 44m


Thanks for posting!

Takumar SMC 50mm f1.4 is fantastic. Wonderfully smooth and fast. It's even inexpensive, but that's not why I'm putting it here. Best Bokeh in the business.

I don't know this photographer, but I quickly searched to find some examples of photos:

S-M-C Takumar 50mm f1.4 - a set on Flickr

Hi Steve,


Unfortunately the manual focus Canon lenses can't be adapted to auto-focus bodies. Its really a shame that all those great FD lenses aren't being used on modern digital SLR's like the Pentax, Olympus and Nikons from the same era are.

Top four...that's a tough one and then you have to also consider the budget. There is some extremely sweet but expensive Leica and Zeiss glass that most people shooting video would not use because of the cost. I will list some that are below the $500 mark, but I will have to expand it to the top 5. Sorry. ;-)

Mir 24. It's a 35mm f/2.0 and I really like the lens alot. Depending on condition they sell from $100-200.

I also have a Helios 44, 55mm f/2.0. They can be found for $25-75, which is a real bargain. I have not experimented at all with the Helios 44. The first one I got would not mount on my camera with the M42 to EOS adapter. The second one would not work with my M42 to EOS adapter because the adapter did not hold the aperature pin down, so now I finally have an adapter that works, but I have not gone out and experimented with it. I am listing it in the top four from everything I have heard Chris Watson say about the lens.

Nikon MF lenses. I have a 24mm f/2.8, 50mm f/1.4 and a 135 f/2.8. Great lenses and can usually be found between $75-200, depending on which one and the condition.

Zeiss Planar T. I have a 50mm f/1.4 and tomorrow a 85mm f/1.4 arrives. The 50 can be found in the $250-350 range. The 85 is closer to $500-600. If you have not held a Zeiss in your hands, you really owe it to yourself. I listed the Planar T because that is what I have experience with. There are several different models out there and yes, you can buy brand new Zeiss lenses, but be prepared to fork over some series money.

With the vintage Nikon, Zeiss or any other lenses, you can save some money if you get a slower lens, but since I shoot a lot in low light conditions, the speed is worth a little extra money.

And for my 5th lens in the top four...Vivitar Series 1 zooms. I have both a 70-210 f/3.5 and a 28-105 f/2.8-3.8. These can be found for $50-100 and the macro feature on the 28-105 is incredible.

I use some fantastic Leica-R series lenses on my 7D. Elmarit-R 1:2,8/28mm, Summicron-R 1:2/50mm, Macro-Elmar-R 1:4/100mm. All are fitted with Leitax adapters to mount to 7D. All are full manual from the late 70's I think. Belonged to my Dad and are pristine.

Canon cut all of it's customers at the knees. So now we use other glass. Nikon bit the bullet, and did the hard work to make SURE it's older professional glass would still work. Kudos to them, and now I buy their glass instead. If they hadn't been so slow to market with a viable DSLR, I would have one of those instead of a Canon.

There is a huge market that is craving manual lenses right now - if only someone would buy up older Minolta and Canon lenses and automate converting them for infinity focus. I've seen how-to descriptions but the process is very tedious and you're always very close to ruining the lens if you do something wrong.

We've got some good suggestions going here.. I'm going to be updating the vote every so often so as to stay on track with the initial point of the thread.

Right now we have:

2 Votes: MIR 24m 35mm f2
2 Votes: Helios 44m 55mm f2
1 Vote: Takumar SMC 50mm f1.4
1 Vote: Nikon MF lenses
1 Vote: Ziess Planar T
1 Vote: Leica-R series lenses


It would be nice in the future to see some examples of what these lenses can do especially on the T2i. Note that this thread is of course in the T2i/55d section. Suggestions of lenses on cameras such as the 7D is fine since it is also APS-C.

Great suggestions here..Keep it up!

Olympus OM, amazing glass, always was. Very small compared to a lot of other older lenses. I picked up a 50mm 1.4, 50mm 1.8, 28mm 2.8 and a stunningly sharp 35-70mm f4 all for £150

Tair
 

A lens that I have been interestd in, and have been researching for the past few days is the Tair 300mm 4.5. There is a 330A, 300s, 300 PHS (photo sniper), A Tair3, and a Tair33. Does anybody know the difference between the Tair3, and the 33? Do they use the same optics?
Anyway, here is a link to some amazing (my opinion anyway) photos shot with the Tair 300s. I don't know the person, but the shots were sure inspiring to me.

Jaak | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Also, I have, and can recommend the:

Helios 44-m4 58mm F2 - I paid $47 + shipping

Helios 80-200mm 1:5.6 (fixed aperture, made in Japan) hard to find - Don't remember exactly what I payed, but was under $100

Nikon 75-150mm F3.5 fixed - a little over $100

You'll need the fixed apt zooms for the T2i to avoid light change when zooming if you're shooting video. I'm sure most know that, but for those who don't.

Nikkor lenses from the 1970's ...
 

I nominate the Micro-Nikkor 55mm f/3.5 and the Nikkor 105mm (f/2.5 I think).
I remember a friend telling me about a Nikkor 180mm f/2.8, but I never got to try that one.

Ken

here's a little something done using only old manual glass on the 5D :


Vivitar 28mm f2.0 Close Focus
Porst 35mm f1.8
Mir-24H 35mm f2.0
Super Takumar 50mm f1.4
Helios 44M-6 58mm f2.0
Helios 40-2 85mm f1.5
Jupiter-9 85mm f2.0
Vivitar 90mm f2.5 macro
Porst 135mm f1.8
Jupiter 6-2 180mm f2.8


my all times favorite is the Helios 40-2 (85mm f1.5 with amazing swirly bokeh)


this website gives more info about the wonderful world of vintage russian glass...

Thierry HACQUARD's collection of Photographic devices: Lenses for Zenit Cameras

Okay I can't top the above video. But here's something I shot with the Helios.

Alright everyone. These are the results from this "Poll" if you will, of vintage lenses. If any of you would like to nominate another lens feel free to post. Videos are a big plus! Along with the adapters for EOS mounts

So far:

4 Votes: Helios 44m 58mm f2
3 Votes: MIR 24m 35mm f2
2 Votes: Nikon MF lenses
1 Vote: Helios 40-2 f1.5
1 Vote: Takumar SMC 50mm f1.4
1 Vote: Ziess Planar T
1 Vote: Leica-R series lenses
1 Vote: Olympus OM
1 Vote: Micro-Nikkor 55mm f/3.5
1 Vote: Nikkor 105mm f/2.5
1 Vote: Nikkor 180mm f/2.8

Below are the remaining lenses from the video above that Regis Hervagault posted. I will count that as a vote for all of them since that video attests to the ability of each one of those lenses thought they were used on the 5D and not the T2i.. Superb example of the ability of vintage glass.

Vivitar 28mm f2.0 Close Focus
Porst 35mm f1.8
Super Takumar 50mm f1.4
Helios 40-2 85mm f1.5
Jupiter-9 85mm f2.0
Vivitar 90mm f2.5 macro
Porst 135mm f1.8
Jupiter 6-2 180mm f2.8

Keep in mind that this is a nomination for lenses by people participating on this forum and are not full in-depth evaluations of the build quality and preformance of each lens. The participants own and use these lenses and can tell you their personal experiences. This is primarially for people using vintage lenses on the Canon T2i though you can post videos or nominate from use on different DSLR cameras.

Alright a couple questions... The widest that any of the lenses posted go is 24mm. What if I want to stay "vintage" and get an equivalent range of around 17mm? I would have to find a 10mm which would equal 16mm on the 1.6 crop...

Anyone know of anything like that in the vintage?


Second question, Collin Rowe - What are we looking for specifically with the OM. Do you mean OM-1 or Auto-S....there are different types but I have a feeling i'm looking at the wrong one.

Thanks!

Hi Terry,

The widest lens I own is a 16mm 2.8 Zenitar. You can find them on Ebay for around $200. I have seen other vintage lenses that are wider, but the price is considerably higher, $800 and up.

A friend of mine owns the Tokina 11-16mm 2.8. I really like the lens. It's about $600, so it is much cheaper than other vintage lenses in that focal range, but it's really hard to find in stock.

I am working on a piece right now that has some shots from the Tokina 11-16. I'll post it when I get it done over the next couple of days.

Leica-R lenses on 7D
 

Here is a video I just finished that shows my Leica-R lenses on the 7D.

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/eos-7d-s...r-canon7d.html

Hey Mark. Yeah I see your point. I had initally planned on getting the Tokina 11-16mm but then I went off on this wild "vintage glass" discovery track thinking well i'll just get old lenses and even further amaze my viewers since all of this was shot on what is presumably old out of date lenses....not big expensive zoom lenses with all the viberation control and IS stuff on it.. So far so good..but I need something Wide angle..Ultra wide angle even... I think the Tokina is going to have to be my next big buy. It is the best known lens for the crop sensors.

Jon - I honestly sat there in a daze watching that man play that guitar. This means something. That you, with the editing and focusing, didn't interupt my attention. You have a good video. Great job. Let me ask you, did Keith build that guitar himself?? I saw on his website in his pictures section where he was showing the construction of the guitar... That is honestly a beautiful work of art let alone the music he creates with it.

Thanks for the kind words Terry! Nice to get compliments from your peers.

Yes, Keith built and designed his Medley 27-string guitar. Keith is a master luthier in addition to his musicianship, and a super nice guy. He built the guitar to create the music in his head which is pretty amazing when you look at it that way. It's a pretty awesome instrument and you don't get that it is one guitar making all the sound unless you see him play it. His album has some percussion and synth pads on it but the rest is just him playing the guitar in one pass; no overdubs. That is what I tried to depict with this video. I think we'll do more videos on other songs later that will take different creative approaches but for the first one I thought it best to keep it simple, dramatic with the focus on Keith, his hands and the instrument.

You'll like the Tokina 11-16.

You're welcome Jon. Keep em comming.

For those of you still interested in adding more lenses feel free. Above is the list thus far. If you would like to nominate a lens in the list go right ahead!

The Mir24 and SMC 50/1.4 are indeed excellent bargains.

The Kiron/Vivitar 24/2 and 28/2 can be found cheaply in various mounts, often with a sticky aperture which is okay for video purposes.

Other good lenses to keep an eye out for, OM 28mm and 35mm and 50mm primes, SMC 28mm and 35mm primes. The OM lenses tend to be smaller and lighter.

Hey Kin. Yes OM lenses are very cheap. I just picked up a Vivitar 28mm for around $30.

Word Of Caution
 

Vintage lenses are great, but they are old. I have purchased a few lenses on Ebay that were beyond use. Make sure you purchase from a seller that has a 99% or higher score and has a friendly return policy.

One lens I bought was scratched beyone use. I contacted the seller and the gave me a full refund. On two other occasions, the lenses appeared to be fine at wide open, but when I closed the lens down just one click from wide open, the aperature would adjust as I focused, making it impossible to roll focus unless I was wide open. One seller issued a full credit.

Most vintage lenses have some flaws, if it be dust between the elements or small scratches, but a lens with minor amounts of dust and light scratches will still yield good results, just beware of deep gashes or major dust and fungus.

Good suggestion Mark. When I am searching I ususally look for sellers who provide nice close up pictures of multiple angles of the lens and then read the description to see how they word whatever might be wrong with it. Alot of times they try to make it sound like its not as bad as it is and haven't ever really tested it. If they do have bad feedback, take a look at what bad feedback they have to see what the accuser had said it was about..Alot of times its just "ohh it took too long to get here" which is something to consider but if they have good review of item quality then atleast that is a good sign.

Another good ebay tactic is looking for what you are buying in the completed listings section to see what it is selling for and how much they are generally going for.

Just did a T2i video shoot with lots of extreme closeups of jewelry, and was EXTREMELY happy with the footage from the Macro-Nikkor 55mm 3.5 lens (which I had bought new back in the 70's)

Hi Jon,

Thanks for sharing that clip. It looks great. Being a musician, I especially enjoyed how we built three instruments into one, but then tuned them so he would only have to fret the positions on one of the necks. Very interesting.

Hey Dave, can you post an example clip?

Excellent thread idea! Here's my top 4 based on what I reach for in my bag....

Vivitar Series One 28-90 2.8-3.5: As an event shooter, I like this lens because it hits the sweet spot when it comes to documentary shooting. Very useful focal range and excellent optics.

Vivitar Series One 70-210 3.5 (Kiron Version): Very useful zoom range and excellent "vintage" look especially during magic hour.

Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 50mm 1.4: Superb lens and a true "bokeh monster". Super sharp at 1.4 and the colors it produces are wonderful.

Helios 44M (58mm f/2): It's seriously one of the best, if not THE BEST kit lens ever made.

The Volna-3 80mm 2.8: This one is actually a medium format lens in the Pentacon Six lens mount. It's not the fastest but I love the optical quality of this piece of glass. It's wonderful to use when there's a sufficient amount of light for great telephoto shots. It also runs under $100 so if you need an 80-90mm prime on a budge, this is a great option. I use it alot!

Runners Up.....

Mamiya Sekor 55mm 1.4/Rikenon 55mm 1.4: Both these lenses were made by the same manufacturer, Tomioka, and have a wonderful look to them. I use the Rikenon variant and love the focusing ring on it.

Mir 24M: Fantastic lens. Super sharp, super contrasty, and excellent build quality. Add to that, it's also practically a macro lens. The only reason it doesn't make the top 4 is because the 35mm focal range is an odd one for me to use as a prime.

Great thread!!!

I was in the search for vintage lenses for 3 reasons:
1. they are cheap
2. many of them are great for video
3. they also fit full frame cameras like my 5d

I' am going for the following list:

1. takumar 50mm 1.4 (for portraits)
2. mir-24m (for use as 50mm on 1.6 crop factor cameras like 550d)
3. helios44m (i live the bokeh)
4. vivitar 28-90mm 2.8-3.5 (for events where I need various focal lengths)
5. zenitar 16mm 2.8 fisheye (I like the fish-eye lenses for some cases)

my question is:

is there a vintage super wide with the characteristics of tokina 11-16? (e.g a 11mm 2.8 prime)

I also want to buy an anamorphic adaptor but maybe later...

Can someone tell me how this works?

What are the differences on a full-frame/crop body (i.e. 1.5/1.6). Do they vignette? What is the crop factor? Are there any disadvantages? I am very interested in these lenses.

One note on the SMC Takumar 50 f1.4; as great as this lens is, it often requires a "de-yellowing" step. Many of these lenses have a slight yellow tint on the one of the lenses caused by one of coating methods. This can be removed by leaving the lens in a window for a few weeks facing the sun or quicker by artificial UV exposure, if you have that available.

The lens is superb once de-yellowed.

It is a sensor size thing...
Everything about it is here: Crop factor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Is there a lens in the range of 16-35mm?

Can someone explain it to me? I really can't find an answer to my question at that wiki page.

Ok, any OM lens is going to be nice. 50 1.4 in the house !

completely overlooked, total steal. Vivitar 35-105 3.5. Under $100. constant iris, internal zoom ! check out my review here Is the 1976 Vintage Vivitar 35-105 3.5 a Mini Primo ? UPDATED

I'll have a video review up

anything vivtar series 1 should be nice - I have a 28mm 1.9. wasn't so cheap, great lens. also got a 400mm 5.6 I'm liking :)

its easy to spend a lot for a good lens, far more challenging to find a good one for less.

I'm also considering a OM 35-105 2.8, $1200 or so if you can find one, and a OM 21 F2.0