Don't forget to mention the mirror lock up!

Goin back to this review after years of cameras.

I bought a very tidy 1980 44M for £20 last week (2024) - bargains are still out there!

Do a video on how to repair the shutter button

I was managed to get some background blur from f4 SmenaSymbol camera. Even stopped down to f 5,6... so that industar lens will make even better.

Recently, I got an Exakta Varex IIa from a thrift store. Beautiful condition-- although I can't seem to get it open. Things seem backward-- For example, why are the top lever controls on the left side of the camera?

They jeered at the cameras because they were small. The metering system for the OM-2 was invented by Minolta and for some reason leased to Olympus. The OM-3 and OM-4 did suffer from battery drain but the To versions corrected that. I must use my OM-4

I use mine on my g9 with great results

The Carl Zeiss Jena 80mm, f2.8 Biometar is also worth considering. I have found my example to be sharp, with smooth rendering. It is cheaper to buy in Pentacon Six fitting, rather than M42, or Exakta.

So wouldn't you use 50mm f1.4 at say f2?

I bought the Sony A900 quite a few years ago. It had a 24.6Mp sensor. Obviously there are differences in technology now but all the A7 cameras have the same number of pixels so how do the various A7's differ in quality of images?

Leica's made between 1937 and 1940 have a different shape frame around the viewfinder, similar to the Russian copies but with the top right corner rounded

The mju ii is excellent I agree the settings are tiny but normally it's great

You look funny with your hair down (in the thumbnail). Are you a hippy? 🤔

I picked up two OM-G cameras and two OM-2n cameras advertised for parts - as is - no guarantee cameras. Once I added the two LR44 batteries to each one, they came alive. I must say that the camera is well made, light and smaller than other SLRs. A couple of days ago I tested my OM-G in auto mode with Adox and Fomapan black and white film. The results were fantastic. So good in fact, I will likely sell some of my rangefinders and SLRs and stick with the Olympus body and lenses. I cannot say enough about how much I enjoy the OM film line.

I knew someone who had five hundred cameras! Another who had six hundred one was a 24 by 20. Now films are really expensive!

More camera, less face.

I'm surprised this is your dream lens. I have one! I had better start using it. Trouble is film is expensive now! Where can I get little screwdrivers for these lenses?

My OM2sp, which my dad gave me, is dead. Electronics are fine mind you - whenever I put batteries into that camera it springs back to life. But winding / rewinding mechanism is messed up, badly. And it's unlikely that I'll be able to fix it, course nobody wants to work on it. There's a service for it in Germany but I guess that would cost me as much as "new" camera, which is currently already overpriced for what it is. So most likely that camera goes with me into the grave... When we are talking about my dad, for the most part of his life he photographed with Kodak's Retina IIc. Once he climbed a mountain, and he wanted to take a shot, the camera was completely frozen, course the temperature dipped below 0c. And the camera was NEW at that time mind you! Once warmed, it worked again as normal. Since than, he always wore that camera under the jacket in the winter.

“Seller’s remorse.” I like that phrase. I have experienced it. I am now on my 3rd Nikon D7000 after selling the other two. It is an astonishingly good camera. The previous two went to fund the purchase of a Nikon D810. Again, an amazing camera. I also own a Fujifilm X-T2 which I will never sell. Three great cameras that cover all my photography needs. Oops - forgot about my precious OM2n black body. I use that very occasionally. I understand and sympathise with your dilemma Nigel. Good luck.

Nikon 10.5cm f/2.5 Nikkor-P Canon Serenar 100mm f/4

That TTArtisans 100mm seems like a great value and looks fun 😊 The new Meyers is insanely overpriced, their new Lydith as well 😕... it's just more practical to spend that same money, or maybe a bit more, on a Zeiss or Voigtlander

Is this James Hoffmann dad?

Cabbage!

Thanks for reviewing all of these, I wasn’t aware TTA did those two, I’ll be hitting eBay for sure!

I bought the TTArtisan 75 based largely on your recommendation. Thank you-I love it! BTW, now there is a Vintage Lens section of the Ugly Hedgehog forum. Perhaps you’ll give it a look.

I own both the Nikkor 85mm f2 and the Leica Elmar 9cm f4. They’re both excellent, as you say, though haze is a common problem with the Leica lens, because of the early soft coatings. If you’re willing to take the lens apart and carefully clean the elements, it’s a beautiful piece of glass.

To me the olympus looks also very similar to a praktica tl3 or revueflex tl25

A great video as always, where do you buy most of your vintage lenses from, is there a special place other than eBay?

If you can get your hands on the Nikon 105mm f/2.5 in any of its many iterations, do so. It's a fantastic lens. It started out a rangefinder lens, then a F mount lens (I have an early rangefinder version). Nikon built their reputation on lenses like these, and when you shoot with them you understand their draw. 📸

Thanks for the cracking videos. I really enjoy and look forward to seeing them. Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year!

My experience with a M39 or any of these old lenses is that the focus ring becomes lose and shifts over time. You may have to readjust the focus ring to get infinity. I have had several lenses with this issue including a Takumar. Why I got them on the cheap. ;)

meyer optik gorlitz Telefogar 90mm f3.5 or Trioplan 100mm f2.8 will cover all vintage needs. Or, go AF

Thanks! I would like to try something in about 85mm - though I don't need it. I have that TTA 75mm and I find it absolutely amazing. It's got all the swirl, and the soft edges. But, stop it down a bit, and the picture quality just snaps in. At the price I think it's an absolute steal.

Hi there ¡ I've been taking photos since 1976 and really enjoy your reviews, due to.mobility issues I'm not traveling as far as I would wish,so I'm using.my cameras to take advantage of local scenes? I'm disciplining myself to (see potential in obvious views, my best wishes, John

Thoroughly enjoy your videos. I'm very glad that you are doing this.

I own the Nikkor 85mm f/1.8 which I had AI-converted to work on more of my Nikon bodies. I also own the Nikkor 85mm f/2.0 AIS and a Rokinon 85mm f/1.4. All of these are manual focus and a joy to use. On the older Nikons - D2x, D200, D300, D2h, etc., the lens becomes about 127mm which is also a nice focal length for the reasons you state.

Simon, you gotta let this go and find a life

Some tasty lenses in your selection. The old Helios at 58mm nearly makes it as a short telephoto in my mind. As a film shooter, I eventually opted for the Tamron Adaptall 2 90mm f2.5. It's excellent value, makes great images, can be found for well under £100, and the Adaptall mounts mean that I can use it on different camera makes.

The Nikon 85mm f2 was a replacement for the f1.8 which is a bit unusual. The 50mm for example went the other way round. Their various 105 2.5 lenses are also very good.

Have you been a naughty boy?....banished to the loft again 😁

I don't need any 50mm in FF because my standard lens is 35mm f1,8; only exception is my 56mm/f1,2 (in Aps C) which is the equivalent of 85mm.

The thumbnail is wild bro

I wish I could find my mju2 it has spot flash metering if I'm not mistaken

Don't you mean for the OM-1 or OM-2 for focussing screens?

Did the Helios 44-2 kmz m42 8 blade version come in silver ? Thankyou !

How do you clean a lens properly? How do you recognise haze and so on?

I prefer the similar pancake 50mm f/1.8 AIS, mainly for size and it's a third of a stop faster, and it's maybe cheaper or similar price. For mirrorless you'd be much better with the last AFS Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 IMO - it's much better than all the older ones in every way.

It's nice to know that someone owns even more cameras than I do, although I'm close! I'm getting to the age where I'm wondering what's going to become of all these cameras and lenses when I graduate to the netherworld.

If you can find a 50mm F2 tick mark lens, you won't regret buying it.