Top 4 vintage lenses

[Regis Hervagault]

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

LAVAL VIRTUAL AWARDS 2010 show opener on Vimeo

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

[Joseph Kassana]

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

Canon 550d Test at Virginia Water on Vimeo

[Terry Lee]

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.

[Terry Lee]

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!

[Mark Von Lanken]

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.

[Jon Grimson]

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

[Terry Lee]

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.

[Jon Grimson]

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.

[Roger Shealy]

You'll like the Tokina 11-16.

[Terry Lee]

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!

[Kin Lau]

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.

[Terry Lee]

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

[Mark Von Lanken]

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.

[Terry Lee]

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.

[Dave Sperling]

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)