Vintage Vs New Lens Shoot Out at DVinfo.net

Steve Oakley · July 12th, 2012, 06:36 PM

this is a first of its kind lens shoot out of new vs old vintage glass. lens charts, real world images, 5 lenses. a long project to get completed but its done !

Jon Fairhurst · July 12th, 2012, 07:32 PM

Bravo, Steve!

Nicely done. As you mentioned, it's what one would expect. That said, people who have less experience with lenses wouldn't know what to expect. This is fantastic information for people who buy a DSLR, go to a forum, and post "what lens should I get?" People often advocate either vintage or modern glass. This will help people decide which one works best for them.

I like that you didn't just go for beauty flare shots. You showed the real-world situation of how backlighting can wash out an image.

The real take away is that when shooting at f/5.6, you can get away with almost anything. If you shoot wide open, for style or out of low light necessity, the new glass is the way to go. Then again, if you like diffusion, the older stuff delivers. Of course, one can buy glass diffusion filters or add diffusion in post, so new lenses can deliver a similar look.

But it's really a value question. Modern lenses generally cost more. Your video shows what the tradeoff is when saving money on old glass.

Again, bravo!

Steve Oakley · July 12th, 2012, 08:33 PM

thank you for the very kind words !

F4 would probably be about the cross over point... which is why I went with 5.6 as most glass is at its peak from F4-F8.... and I had enough tests to shoot :)

with the older glass, its diffusion look is different than one of my favorites - black pro mists. it can also interact with focus a bit too. of course its also different between lenses.

I found the color differences more interesting ...

July 12th, 2012, 06:36 PM	#1
Steve Oakley Trustee Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: United States Posts: 1,158	Vintage Vs New Lens Shoot Out this is a first of its kind lens shoot out of new vs old vintage glass. lens charts, real world images, 5 lenses. a long project to get completed but its done ! Vintage vs New Lens Shootout Review Featuring Rokinon Tamron Vivitar Kiron Glass - YouTube __________________ Steve Oakley DP • Audio Mixer • Editor • Colorist http://stevenoakley.com

July 12th, 2012, 07:32 PM	#2
Jon Fairhurst Inner Circle Join Date: May 2006 Location: Camas, WA, USA Posts: 5,513	Re: Vintage Vs New Lens Shoot Out Bravo, Steve! Nicely done. As you mentioned, it's what one would expect. That said, people who have less experience with lenses wouldn't know what to expect. This is fantastic information for people who buy a DSLR, go to a forum, and post "what lens should I get?" People often advocate either vintage or modern glass. This will help people decide which one works best for them. I like that you didn't just go for beauty flare shots. You showed the real-world situation of how backlighting can wash out an image. The real take away is that when shooting at f/5.6, you can get away with almost anything. If you shoot wide open, for style or out of low light necessity, the new glass is the way to go. Then again, if you like diffusion, the older stuff delivers. Of course, one can buy glass diffusion filters or add diffusion in post, so new lenses can deliver a similar look. But it's really a value question. Modern lenses generally cost more. Your video shows what the tradeoff is when saving money on old glass. Again, bravo! __________________ Jon Fairhurst

July 12th, 2012, 08:33 PM	#3
Steve Oakley Trustee Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: United States Posts: 1,158	Re: Vintage Vs New Lens Shoot Out thank you for the very kind words ! F4 would probably be about the cross over point... which is why I went with 5.6 as most glass is at its peak from F4-F8.... and I had enough tests to shoot :) with the older glass, its diffusion look is different than one of my favorites - black pro mists. it can also interact with focus a bit too. of course its also different between lenses. I found the color differences more interesting ... __________________ Steve Oakley DP • Audio Mixer • Editor • Colorist http://stevenoakley.com