Vintage Lenses

I've been wading through pictures I've taken in the last 6 months and selecting some to put on my tablet and phone and into my favourites folder which I often run a slideshow from and it stuck me how many of my favourites have been taken with film era lenses.

:D
 
woof woof said:
I may be missing something but I can't really see any logic in looking at adapters first, surely look at lenses first and then the adapter to follow? There seem to be adapters for just about everything so I wouldn't worry too much about that, just check there definitely is one for the lens/lenses you want before you start buying.

I don't know what focal lengths and aperture ranges you'd be looking at but that's where I'd start. Deicide what you want, 24mm f2.8? 28mm f2.8? 35mm?... etc... and then see what's available and at what price. Once you've spotted a lens or lenses you're interested in then look at the adapters. That's the way I'd do it.

The only mounts I'd think about before diving in are the screw mount ones which some people find a hassle and as I've found there can be lining up issues and some dislike the arguably/some would say fiddly Canon breechlock too.
Click to expand...
I'm inclined to agree that it should be lenses first, but both M42 (Pentax screw mount) & LTM (Leica thread mount) are excellent choices with hundreds of cheap good quality options. Both are rather lacking in wide angle options so if this is of interest lens first becomes more important.
Another option might be to get a Fuji to EF helicoid adapter & add EF to SLR adapters to this - no good for FD but most SLR mounts are adaptable to EF & this gives a flexible setup with reduced focus distance available on any lenses. EF makes a convenient interim mount as there are many small adapters for it, I generally wouldn't suggest using EF lenses without a smart adapter as they can't focus or adjust aperture on dumb adapters.
If you go the helicoid route you can also adapt many lenses that are not designed to be interchangeable by jury rigging them to a modified EF body cap. (Sometimes this works better with M42 helicoids as the range of lengths is much greater).
 
Just as it's a bit quiet...

I've been going though pictures to save and include in a slideshow and doing some final polishing and this is one I liked. It's just a scene in Great Ayton taken with my Chinon 50mm f1.4 which seems to be a perfectly acceptable lens. In Nik Filters I applied "Glamour Glow" to the whole picture to soften it a bit and then removed it from the bridge and some of the people.

4Vysux5.jpg


One last one. Tomatoes at home last summer, taken with a Nippon Kogaku 50mm f2 and No.4 close up filter.

3bEr05P.jpg
 
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THIRTYFIVEMILL said:
180mm ED AIS @ Sandown Airport today.


BI-PLANE, SANDOWN AIRPORT by Vintage Photography, on Flickr
Click to expand...

Are you stopping down much with shots like this? I took mine for a walk today but didn't get to shoot much, was meeting my daughters for lunch, just went for a quick ramble down the river first. Got this photo of some random woman out walking her dog, she stopped to chat for a minute, telling me where I could find a Heron and some Otters apparently [never seen them down this rive before but I will have to investigate] - I did find the Heron but he was way too far off on the other side of the bank. The thing I like about this shot is, well first off she agreed to pose happily, but I didn't want to keep her so this was a one off shot, obv manually focussed after I had to walk a distance to fit both her and the doggy in :D

Luna by K G, on Flickr

DSCF1023 by K G, on Flickr

I did find some ducks but they weren't doing anything interesting

DSCF1034 by K G, on Flickr

These were all at 2.8 and on the duck and Heron had to remove some nasty purple, it's strange because wide open where there's good light the fringing is much lesser, but where I want it to perform most - in dimmer lit areas, the fringing can be severe

On the flip side, when you do nail focus, it is quite sharp at 2.8 [you can read the telephone number on the dog's collar clearly when you zoom in]
 
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If you want the vintage lens experience I can heartily recommend the new TT Artisans 17mm 1.4.

Resized.1.jpg

Resized.2.jpg

It's a dinky little thing and has a nice feel to it. Ordered directly from China via Pergear, it took a little over a week to arrive.
 
If new "old" lenses are allowed I can recommend the Voigtlander 35mm f1.4 E mount which is I think based on the old "classic" Leica mount lens but optimised for the Sony E mount. I've owned both and the E mount lens is so much better on my Sony at least. This is my most used lens. The bokeh is harsh with a complex scene but improves upon stopping down and I think that the stopped down look is very nice. Even f1.4 bokeh can be nice with less complex scenes.

ll0364q.jpg


OGBIwMH.jpg


It's this lens that I like to take out with a No.4 close up filter.

I also have the 40mm f1.2 which is also optimised for E mount.

She's got the same coat on, just a coincidence. Here at f1.2.

lgiE85l.jpg


The 50mm f2 APO is as far as I know a new design and is a simply stunning lens.

CBvF08g.jpg


If posting about these lenses breaks the Vintage rules I wont do it again :D
 
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Plain Nev said:
If you want the vintage lens experience I can heartily recommend the new TT Artisans 17mm 1.4.

View attachment 321576

View attachment 321579

It's a dinky little thing and has a nice feel to it. Ordered directly from China via Pergear, it took a little over a week to arrive.
Click to expand...

Had my eye on that very lens since it's announcement, the only thing putting me off is customs from China [in the EU] - looks tasty for Fuji, nice and sharp wide open [besides the corners which nobody should care about besides astro togs!] and very nice close focus. It's also 1/6th the cost of the Fuji 16mm 1.4, one of my fav lenses - but I aint re-buying that anytime soon much as I'd love to

Also you bring up a good point, I'd like this thread to be not just 'vintage' but more, Vintage + adapted as it's all pretty niche and I think both go together with the same target audience, others may disagree though
 
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woof woof said:
If new "old" lenses are allowed I can recommend the Voigtlander 35mm f1.4 E mount which is I think based on the old "classic" Leica mount lens but optimised for the Sony E mount. I've owned both and the E mount lens is so much better on my Sony at least. This is my most used lens. The bokeh is harsh with a complex scene but improves upon stopping down and I think that the stopped down look is very nice. Even f1.4 bokeh can be nice with less complex scenes.

ll0364q.jpg


OGBIwMH.jpg


It's this lens that I like to take out with a +4 close up filter.

I also have the 40mm f1.2 which is also optimised for E mount.

She's got the same coat on, just a coincidence. Here at f1.2.

lgiE85l.jpg


The 50mm f2 APO is as far as I know a new design and is a simply stunning lens.

CBvF08g.jpg


If posting about these lenses breaks the Vintage rules I wont do it again :D
Click to expand...


Lovely, great colours. Voigtlanders do look very nice indeed, very pricey though in general no?
 
The 35mm f1.4 is £637, the 40mm f1.2 is £810 and the 50mm f2 APO is £869. Since I bought mine they've brought out SE (Stills Edition) versions of some lenses which are a bit cheaper and smaller and lighter and although AFAIK sharing the same optical formula have a different body design lacking the older lenses aperture declick option. Oh, and they've also brought out a new 35mm f2 APO which is getting rave reviews.
 
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Looking back through the thread I see I've not shared many images from my legacy lenses so here are a few more;

Using a Pentax 28mm & a variable ND to give IR on my converted A7ii:
PK 28mm vari ND by Mike Kanssen, on Flickr

Shooting full spectrum with my retractable Industar 50 (the crystal ball is modern optics):
industar 50 + crystal by Mike Kanssen, on Flickr

My 50mm/1.2 projector lens (on MFT):
50mm/1.2 projector lens test shot wide open by Mike Kanssen, on Flickr

The same lens with a bokeh mask to reduce aperture when it was too bright for f/1.2
jaguar in the flowers by Mike Kanssen, on Flickr

Some surface mount electronics through the works microscope (using an APSC DSLR and stitching at least 12 images):
PCB detail from an old mass spectrometer by Mike Kanssen, on Flickr
 
woof woof said:
If new "old" lenses are allowed I can recommend the Voigtlander 35mm f1.4 E mount which is I think based on the old "classic" Leica mount lens but optimised for the Sony E mount. I've owned both and the E mount lens is so much better on my Sony at least. This is my most used lens. The bokeh is harsh with a complex scene but improves upon stopping down and I think that the stopped down look is very nice. Even f1.4 bokeh can be nice with less complex scenes.

ll0364q.jpg


OGBIwMH.jpg


It's this lens that I like to take out with a +4 close up filter.

I also have the 40mm f1.2 which is also optimised for E mount.

She's got the same coat on, just a coincidence. Here at f1.2.

lgiE85l.jpg


The 50mm f2 APO is as far as I know a new design and is a simply stunning lens.

CBvF08g.jpg


If posting about these lenses breaks the Vintage rules I wont do it again :D
Click to expand...

Looks nice and sharp!! No worries posting about the Vs mate.
 
F
Cagey75 said:
Had my eye on that very lens since it's announcement, the only thing putting me off is customs from China [in the EU] - looks tasty for Fuji, nice and sharp wide open [besides the corners which nobody should care about besides astro togs!] and very nice close focus. It's also 1/6th the cost of the Fuji 16mm 1.4, one of my fav lenses - but I aint re-buying that anytime soon much as I'd love to

Also you bring up a good point, I'd like this thread to be not just 'vintage' but more, Vintage + adapted as it's all pretty niche and I think both go together with the same target audience, others may disagree though
Click to expand...

Funny thing is, I've yet to be charged anything for a purchase from China except via eBay purchases where the tax is now collected during payment.
 
On the previous topic of adapters, when you get too into vintage lenses this is what your adapter case looks like. This is a Pelicase 1500, one of the large suitcase type. :D

MAX.jpg

I now have two further MAX430s cases, which are nearly identical copies of the Peli 1500. This is my A case which houses my favourite lenses:

MAX-2 copy.jpg

And this is the B case that houses the rest:

MAX-3 copy.jpg

Under each lens there's a little silica bag. Dust-proof, waterproof and moisture-proof. This is the best way I've found to keep top condition lenses in top condition. Only got a few places left, tho! :oops: :$
 
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THIRTYFIVEMILL said:
Under each lens there's a little silica bag. Dust-proof, waterproof and moisture-proof. This is the best way I've found to keep top condition lenses in top condition. Only got a few places left, tho! :oops: :$
Click to expand...

No problem. Buy more boxes!

:D
 
A K&F adapter for my screw mount Takumars came today and 5 minutes later I've made the decision to send it back. It doesn't allow the lens markings to be at the top and wont allow focus to infinity. This is the 3rd K&F adapter to be received and sent back, just zero quality control there. I also sent the Novoflex adapter back as it allowed focus to infinity but the lens didn't reach the top.

So, what now? Pay £20/30 for another K&F, try another make or try another Novoflex at over £70?

Really, I'm just p'd off at the zero quality control. How hard can it be?

I'll make a decision and order something tomorrow.
 
woof woof said:
A K&F adapter for my screw mount Takumars came today and 5 minutes later I've made the decision to send it back. It doesn't allow the lens markings to be at the top and wont allow focus to infinity. This is the 3rd K&F adapter to be received and sent back, just zero quality control there. I also sent the Novoflex adapter back as it allowed focus to infinity but the lens didn't reach the top.

So, what now? Pay £20/30 for another K&F, try another make or try another Novoflex at over £70?

Really, I'm just p'd off at the zero quality control. How hard can it be?

I'll make a decision and order something tomorrow.
Click to expand...
Alan
Fellow K&F user here.
Can I ask if you’re using the “original” adapters or the (newer) ‘pro’ version?
Reason for asking is that I’ve just picked up a “pro” version M42/Sony E and although I’ve not even taken it out of the box yet, happy to have a look at it/give it a go tomorrow and report back if that would be of any help.
Stuart
 
I can't see "pro" on it anywhere, it only cost £18.99 but the exact same one can be £20-odd on evil bay. Whatever the reason I've had three duffers now although to be fair the first was just the wrong adapter in the box.

This is the one I bought...

www.ebay.co.uk

K&F Concept Mount Adapter M42 Lenses to Sony NEX E-Mount KF06.067 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for K&F Concept Mount Adapter M42 Lenses to Sony NEX E-Mount KF06.067 at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.
www.ebay.co.uk

I'll happily buy a "pro" if it'll work but other than that I think I'm done with K&F after three fails in a row.

I see the pro is available from £18 and up. So, same price as the non pro, depending on where you buy.

So yes, a report back would be wonderful thank you.

PS.
I've just ordered a "pro" for £18 including delivery and it's due by Thursday 24th so I'll see how that goes. If that's duff too I'm going to see if I can get a job in QC and turn this around :D
 
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woof woof said:
I can't see "pro" on it anywhere, it only cost £18.99 but the exact same one can be £20-odd on evil bay. Whatever the reason I've had three duffers now although to be fair the first was just the wrong adapter in the box.

This is the one I bought...

www.ebay.co.uk

K&F Concept Mount Adapter M42 Lenses to Sony NEX E-Mount KF06.067 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for K&F Concept Mount Adapter M42 Lenses to Sony NEX E-Mount KF06.067 at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.
www.ebay.co.uk

I'll happily buy a "pro" if it'll work but other than that I think I'm done with K&F after three fails in a row.

I see the pro is available from £18 and up. So, same price as the non pro, depending on where you buy.

So yes, a report back would be wonderful thank you.

PS.
I've just ordered a "pro" for £18 including delivery and it's due by Thursday 24th so I'll see how that goes. If that's duff too I'm going to see if I can get a job in QC and turn this around :D
Click to expand...
Hi Alan
rather than wait till tomorrow, I've just unboxed the adapter, popped it on the A73 and taken a couple of shots. Nothing definitive, just an initial impression only.
i don't have another M42 adapter, so in terms of weight/build, etc, i have to compare it to my K&F Canon FD (original version).
My thoughts are;
feels slightly'weightier'/better quality than the FD adapter
a couple of v. small sharp edges on the bayonet side, but similar to my FD adapter
Claimed better internal 'anti reflective' covering (paint or whatever) looks to be about right - but not confirmed with any photos I've taken
Although the lens markings are not exactly where I would ideally want them, they are close enough that it doesn't matter to me. A photo taken at 'infinity' seemed to be OK with focus peaking appearing to be OK at infinity (reached just before the infinity stop on the lens but so close to make no real difference).

Photo attached with the adapter on my Sony. You'll see the pro wording and the orangey/gold coloured band, which I'm sure I've read somewhere is supposed to match the Sony lens mount.

I confess to having been a bit confused before buying this adapter. I'm well used to the original K&Fs. But i then read about version 2s which are all brass and then the Pro version pops up and I couldn't get my head round whether the version 2s and the Pro are the same adapter. Anyway, I couldn't see this particular adapter on the K&F site and after several discussions with a seller on E-bay, bought one of his adapters which were unused (he did have another for sale - let me know if you'd like details).

Hope some of this helps.

Stuart

20210619_145829 (2).jpg20210619_145829 (2).jpg
 
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woof woof said:
I can't see "pro" on it anywhere, it only cost £18.99 but the exact same one can be £20-odd on evil bay. Whatever the reason I've had three duffers now although to be fair the first was just the wrong adapter in the box.

This is the one I bought...

www.ebay.co.uk

K&F Concept Mount Adapter M42 Lenses to Sony NEX E-Mount KF06.067 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for K&F Concept Mount Adapter M42 Lenses to Sony NEX E-Mount KF06.067 at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.
www.ebay.co.uk

I'll happily buy a "pro" if it'll work but other than that I think I'm done with K&F after three fails in a row.

I see the pro is available from £18 and up. So, same price as the non pro, depending on where you buy.

So yes, a report back would be wonderful thank you.

PS.
I've just ordered a "pro" for £18 including delivery and it's due by Thursday 24th so I'll see how that goes. If that's duff too I'm going to see if I can get a job in QC and turn this around :D
Click to expand...
The silver part should rotate to get your lens markings at the top. Typically they are held in place by three tiny grub screws.
Lack of infinity focus was an issue among many very early adapters but shouldn't be the case today (except for special short adapters designed for helicoids - which this is clearly not). adapters are now made fractionally short to allow for slight miss calibration of lenses etc so they should focus slightly beyond infinity & need turning back for focus.

I've brought many adapters mainly much cheaper models than K&F and have hardly ever had a problem.
 
Thanks.

That not lining up issue will annoy the hell out of the obsessive in me but at this point I might live with it. As I said though, how hard can it be?

On the whole I'm massively disappointed with the quality of these adapters. It just doesn't seem to matter if you pay £5 or £75 which brings me back to... How hard can it be?

I do regret buying another K&F even though I've just done so a few minutes ago. What possessed me? But in my defence it doesn't seem to matter what brand or price, it all just seems to be a quality lottery. I will however never recommend a brand of adapter again.
 
Petrochemist said:
The silver part should rotate to get your lens markings at the top. Typically they are held in place by three tiny grub screws.
Lack of infinity focus was an issue among many very early adapters but shouldn't be the case today (except for special short adapters designed for helicoids - which this is clearly not). adapters are now made fractionally short to allow for slight miss calibration of lenses etc so they should focus slightly beyond infinity & need turning back for focus.

I've brought many adapters mainly much cheaper models than K&F and have hardly ever had a problem.
Click to expand...

I've bought many adapters too and I've only ever had one problem before this last batch of buying, a Leica M to Sony adapter that would only focus to about 30 ft. I guess my luck just ran out.

This one deffo wont focus at infinity, it's not even close at f5.6/8. It's out and clearly so.

I'll look for a way to rotate the next one if that's the only issue.

I've just done a quick mental tot up and I think I have 8 good adapters at the moment. One is a K&F for Nikon, three Novoflex, one Pixco and the rest I don't know.
 
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woof woof said:
A K&F adapter for my screw mount Takumars came today and 5 minutes later I've made the decision to send it back. It doesn't allow the lens markings to be at the top and wont allow focus to infinity. This is the 3rd K&F adapter to be received and sent back, just zero quality control there. I also sent the Novoflex adapter back as it allowed focus to infinity but the lens didn't reach the top.

So, what now? Pay £20/30 for another K&F, try another make or try another Novoflex at over £70?

Really, I'm just p'd off at the zero quality control. How hard can it be?

I'll make a decision and order something tomorrow.
Click to expand...
woof woof said:
I've bought many adapters too and I've only ever had one problem before this last batch of buying, a Leica M to Sony adapter that would only focus to about 30 ft. I guess my luck just ran out.

This one deffo wont focus at infinity, it's not even close at f5.6/8. It's out and clearly so.

I'll look for a way to rotate the next one if that's the only issue.

I've just done a quick mental tot up and I think I have 8 good adapters at the moment. One is a K&F for Nikon, three Novoflex, one Pixco and the rest I don't know.
Click to expand...

I've found the Shoten adapters to be good but you need to shop around the Chinese sellers as prices vary enormously. Don't know if they do Sony.
 
goinggreynow said:
Hi Alan
rather than wait till tomorrow, I've just unboxed the adapter, popped it on the A73 and taken a couple of shots. Nothing definitive, just an initial impression only.
i don't have another M42 adapter, so in terms of weight/build, etc, i have to compare it to my K&F Canon FD (original version).
My thoughts are;
feels slightly'weightier'/better quality than the FD adapter
a couple of v. small sharp edges on the bayonet side, but similar to my FD adapter
Claimed better internal 'anti reflective' covering (paint or whatever) looks to be about right - but not confirmed with any photos I've taken
Although the lens markings are not exactly where I would ideally want them, they are close enough that it doesn't matter to me. A photo taken at 'infinity' seemed to be OK with focus peaking appearing to be OK at infinity (reached just before the infinity stop on the lens but so close to make no real difference).

Photo attached with the adapter on my Sony. You'll see the pro wording and the orangey/gold coloured band, which I'm sure I've read somewhere is supposed to match the Sony lens mount.

I confess to having been a bit confused before buying this adapter. I'm well used to the original K&Fs. But i then read about version 2s which are all brass and then the Pro version pops up and I couldn't get my head round whether the version 2s and the Pro are the same adapter. Anyway, I couldn't see this particular adapter on the K&F site and after several discussions with a seller on E-bay, bought one of his adapters which were unused (he did have another for sale - let me know if you'd like details).

Hope some of this helps.

Stuart

View attachment 321760View attachment 321760
Click to expand...

That's the one I use. The red mark isn't always TDC, but near as damn it! I don't know, but I suspect it might have always been the case. It only takes a slight variance in manufacturing tolerances to make the thread slightly shorter, or longer. Because that's what I think is going on. And, I don't believe all M42 lenses were machined to the same exacting standards. I don't think I've ever had a problem with a bayonet fitting.
 
I've never had a problem with bayonets lining up either but that is secondary to focusing to infinity. I have given these adapters as much benefit of the doubt as possible by trying all of my three lenses. I suppose it's just bad luck to have a bad run like I've just had. Fingers crossed for the next to arrive and be quality tested :D

And the (cheap) Pixco one I bought a month or so back for my Chinon lenses works perfectly.
 
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I've found a bit of a work-around regarding my 180mm 2.8 AF issue. I got a decent offer: trade for a very nice condition Nikon 200 F4 AI plus cash [works out at getting that 200F4 for just €100/£85] - The 200mm is a lens I've been wanting to try for a long time, just couldn't find a decent copy for the right monies. People are trying to sell them in or around €200! - this gives me the chance to try it out, off the AF 180mm and keep looking for a nice MF AIS ED version, which is what I really should have gone for to begin with.
 
AgentOrange76 said:
How are you all testing the focus at infinity?
Click to expand...
It depends on the lens, long telephotos I might test with the moon, shorter lengths I probably won't need to do anything special just look at a typical landscape shot...
Most of the time I don't bother doing testing, just take some shots & find how I like the results. The house across the road tends to be the first option here - but I don't feel it sensible to point long telephotos towards their windows!
 
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AgentOrange76 said:
How are you all testing the focus at infinity?
Click to expand...

I focus on a local hill. It's not too far away that details can't be seen with a 35/50mm and on a clear day I can see people by eye if they're on the skyline plus there's a brick monument on the top and some transmitters so I look to see that they are clearly enough defined. I don't expect miracles from old lenses but once stopped down a bit from wide open the skyline and the things on it should be clearly enough defined.
 
Thats what I thought but seemed too simple, I was thinking there might be some 50 stage process involving micro adjustments
 
AFAIK you don't need micro adjustments for AF lenses with mirrorless cameras as the focus is taken off the sensor (DSLR's are different beasts and because of how focus is achieved may need adjustments) plus of course with manual lenses it's down to your eyes to decide when focus is achieved... even with a DSLR.
 
woof woof said:
AFAIK you don't need micro adjustments for AF lenses with mirrorless cameras as the focus is taken off the sensor (DSLR's are different beasts and because of how focus is achieved may need adjustments) plus of course with manual lenses it's down to your eyes to decide when focus is achieved... even with a DSLR.
Click to expand...
But with DSLRs MF is often done using the ground glass that's part of the viewfinder, with mirrorless it's always using the main sensor
If the ground glass - mirror distance is different to the mirror sensor distance then the only time MF can be accurate is in liveview. :)
 
My 200mm AI F4 has arrived, nice copy, MF is definitely a lot easier than it was on the AF 180. The guy who traded with me messaged to say he's got the lens and he understand now why I had trouble with MF. Says the AF is snappy and accurate on his D850, so I'm glad someone will get better use of it. The AIS ED version would be certainly the one to go for should I decide. I will give the 200 F4 a chance first though, it is one I was itching to try for a while also
 
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