I was right about Manual Lenses but…

[@JasonVong]

Which Manual Lens should I try next?

[@0610.linhalu]

laowa argus!!!!!!

[@Hyper88]

Vintage Nikon lens 👀🤔

[@ChristianThueringer]

pentacon can focus very close :)

[@ondrejkratochvil4589]

Carl Zeiss Jena vintage ones... Flektogon 2.4/35 has minimal focusing distance at ~ 20cm, so really good even by today's standards, 1:2.4 magnification... also the Pancolar 50 & 80 are pretty interesting ones to play with... plus the lens the legend Biotar 2/58 :) (not the Soviet copies)

[@KgerShyang]

Laowa 9mm f5.6😂

[@antant06]

After a while using the manual lenses, you get used to where the in focus zones are at around 2m, 5m and infinity. So the more practiced you are at a focal length, the faster you are at taking a picture, because so much of it becomes automatic. After 2 weeks travel photography with manual lenses, I was pretty much as fast as my AF lenses and I was fine. The only time I needed AF was if I had a really animated subject or if I was very drunk.

[@quentin6583]

I have shot with manuals on Sony for years now. Mostly on vintage Nikon Ai / Ais. The compactness and build quality is really something. Nothing comparable to today lenses (even if they are more durable). And for street, i'm faster with manual lenses than autofocus because i can focus with my left and frame with my right at the same time. And it's really critical for fast changing subject when you have 1sec max to shoot. 99% of the time i'm in Aperture priority, iso auto, focus picking on the screen, f/8 as a base setup. And i'm super fast that way. Unfortunatly, there is one big problem. Modern sensors have become so good that even a small missfocus is really visible on the image. Expecially with sharp lenses. And now that i have started to print my images big, i have found that some pictures who looks really good on screen and unusable for print and it sucks. So after a few years on manual, i'm now back with autofocus to try if i have a better rate of success. We will see.

[@JasonVong]

thanks for sharing your experience! dang that sucks about the print.

[@lout1587]

On that note, on the Sony a7rii and a7riv, I've tried a nikkor ai 55 micro, a 135 2.8, and a 200 f4. The budget impact is minimal and the fun is multiple.

[@SatanSupimpa]

The Leica lenses you're using are rangefinder lenses, they famously doesn't focus very close. SLR lenses will focus closer, but they need a longer adapter, that will make them a bit larger. Maybe you could go to the cheaper side and try some m42 mount soviet lenses. The Helios 44-2 is a classic, even used on the last Batman movie.

[@JasonVong]

ahhh that makes sense!!!

[@zacharypump5910]

also the Leica lenses I’ve used have HEAVY vignetting and softness in the corners… they aren’t very compatible with Sony sensors

[@Docmakesfotos]

This is true but if you use a rangefinder lens with a helicoid adapter you can shorten the minimum focal distance. I use m mount helicoid adapters.

[@jordanjoestar8839]

The Olympus Zuiko lenses are incredible budget 80s lenses and they are crazy sharp and rival anything. Love swapping it off my 1983 OM2 right onto my mirrorless Sony!

[@namzilla]

Thanks for making this video! I started photography in High School in 2001. I shot with a Canon AE-1 with manual Canon FD lenses because that's what my dad had. He got it in the late 70's when he immigrated here. Because of cost and access to a dark room, I never picked up a camera again until I became a working adult four years ago. I got the a6300 because I read that vintage lenses could easily be adaptor to mirrorless cameras. I quickly added automatic focus lenses to my kit because I thought that they were far superior and never picked up my manual lenses again. I always disliked when my camera wouldn't focus on what I wanted, and it took me several tries before it would lock onto what I wanted. I didn't like how the fear of missed autofocus messed with my workflow. After attending a photo walk with Professor Hines in Seattle and watching this video, it's given me the confidence to pickup the manual lenses again! I love how I feel when I use HIS old vintage lenses FD Canon lenses. I feel like he's always with me when I take shots through the same lenses he did over 40 years ago.

[@-grey]

Manual lenses used to slow me down, but then I got lazy and just stopped down to f6.4 and zone focus. Now I have the fastest focus around. No focus.

[@JasonVong]

🤣

[@SourPlanet]

+1 to this right here. I use zone focusing around NYC and at this point I get annoyed by AF cause it's not fast enough lol

[@dannyboy9872]

I really like your personality in these videos, it makes me prefer watching yours over others because of the entertainment

[@angusmackay7281]

As someone who made the switch a number of years ago I regard this as a brilliant summary of exactly what's involved. I'm never going back. I had to use autofocus recently and it destroyed my enjoyment. The 28mm 'cron is the ultimate walkabout lens, IMO, the the 50 'lux ASPH is the best lens I've ever owned.

[@g33k3301]

Hey mate! I own a Leica M10 and tested / owned a couple of lenses, here are my impressions: The Ultron 28mm f2 Version II is the best 28mm you can get for the system, it easily beats the Summicron in every regard and doesn‘t cost this much. So does the Ultron 35mm f2, it is the better option than the latest Summicron 35mm f2. For 35mm there are two lenses I highly recommend: The first one is the Nokton 35mm f1.4 MC Version II which has lots of character, a nice bokeh rendering (swirl, classic) and is soft wide-open - it‘s amazing in use as a artistic lens. Next, if you prefer a modern 35mm or you want another one next to the Nokton, keep the ZEISS Distagon 35mm f1.4. This is the best lens I have ever owned and I had couple of Leica lenses or GM, ZEISS and Sigma lenses for Sony. That lens is optically almost perfect (can get some CAs in high contrast scenarios) and it is by far the better option than the Summilux 35mm f1.4 FLE. Yes, it is a bit bigger but you get a image quality that is superior. When it comes to 50mm, there are a lot to choose from. The best one in my opinion is the Sonnar 50mm f1.5 that you already have. It has a unique rendering and is sharp when nailed the focus. The best bang for your buck would be the Nokton 50mm f1.5 II which is tack sharp even wide-open and has a swirly bokeh. The Planar 50mm f2 ZM is one of the sharpest lenses I have ever owned. It‘s optically perfect (except the little distortion) but keep in mind it is a 46mm and not a real 50mm. It‘s very similar to the legendary Contax 45mm f2 lens. The 50mm f1.2 lens from Voigtländer another great lens, it is pretty sharp even wide-open, has some glows when shooting close and wide-open. Some say it‘s like a modern take of the Sonnar and being a bit faster - I still prefer the Sonnar because of its size. When you want a small and lightweight telephoto lens, try out the Nokton 75mm f1.5 APSH - that lens is amazing and very well built. My line-up is this one: 35mm f1.4 Nokton & 35mm f1.4 Distagon 50mm Sonnar f1.5 ZM 75mm Nokton f1.5 For 28mm I use a Leica Q, so no need for that lens but as said, the newer Ultron is a bang for the buck. As said before, I had some experiences with Leica glass and unfortunately they were not this good. Some had huge problems with focus shift (not a problem on an EVF camera), others, from friends, has some serious issues and needed to be fix‘d from time to time. The lenses I mentioned are not flaws at all, except the Distagon and the Planar. But they can easily be compared with the Leica lenses and some are even this good that they can beat them.

[@robinte98]

I shoot with old manual lenses since I began photography in 2017. In the beginning it was because of budget, but I was quickly drawn towards the look and workflow which shaped my photos. I still only shoot manual and I want to share my experience with different kinds of old lenses. German lenses (Leica, Zeiss): I never bothered to buy German lenses. The image quality is basically the best you can get in an old lens (from what I know). But you have to pay a premium for the better German lenses like the "Carl Zeiss Biotar 58mm F2". How good, that basically every lens manufacturer started out by copying german lenses. But there are a few things to look out for... Sowjet lenses (Helios, Tair, Jupiter): Most of the old sowjet lenses are probably copies of Zeiss lenses. As is the "Helios 44 58mm F2". Those with a keen eye might notice the similarities with the before mentioned Zeiss lens. Down to the odd focal length, the Sowjets tried to copy everything. But Sowjet engineering wasn't as precise. Old sowjet lenses are heavy, have loose tolerances and offer less sharpness. But despite that the Helios 44 is one of the most well known vintage lenses today. The reason is that the greatest weakness is also the greatest strength of sowjet lenses. The image quality is objectively bad, but the resulting images have a lot of character. Especially the swirly bokeh that most sowjet lenses deliver, is desired by many photographers and videographers like myself. Also many sowjet lenses are very cheap and easy to find. Japanese Lenses (Minolta, Canon, Takumar, Nikon, Auto Chinon) While Japan also just copied German lenses in the very beginning, these lenses mostly offer a smoother bokeh and a sharper image than the russian counterparts. The image quality is closer to German Glass (if not the same). The weight differance, as well as the differance in tolerances to sowjet lenses is quite significant. All in all, japanese lenses are the easiest to work with, and offer a lot of character. The prices can vary a lot more, as some lenses like Canon FD and Takumars are truly legendary. On the other hand you can get Minolta and Auto Chinon lenses that offer good quality for a cheap price. My first lens ever was a "Minolta Rokkor 50mm F1.8" that I bought for 25€ and I still use it today.

[@joe2snj]

For native manual focus options on emount check out Voigtländer 35mm f2 APO 50mm f2 APO 50mm f1.2 Nokton 35mm f1.2 Nokton 40mm f1.2 Nokton Zeiss The entire Loxia line These options have electronic contacts so you’ll get exif data and lens profiles.

[@kane01337]

Awesome stuff - would love to see some Zeiss ZM vs Voigtlander lens comparison videos on Sony E! :)

[@pykfilm]

Definitely recommend Nikon AI-S lenses for a vintage lens set! I think they provide a great balance between image quality, size and weight, and price. They’re also pretty common and accessible as I believe Nikon made some of them New up until a couple of years ago (Def recommend buying them from KEH or B&H)!

[@CampbellDownie]

Love your videos, just ordered my first manual lens, so cant wait to see the results :-) thanks for making a video and making me smile :-)

[@danielx555]

I am a hobby photographer, but I'm taking a sabbatical from work and spending a lot of time with my camera and lenses. I find that manual lenses really are amazing. I didn't realize until a few years ago that the camera would assist so much with the manual focusing. The camera will tell you what is in focus, and it gives you a lot more control over focus.

[@johnstinchcombe1811]

Great video (as always). My favourite vintage lenses are: Minolta Rokkor 50mm f1.4, Carl Zeiss 35mm f2.4 Flektogon and Canon FD 35mm f1.8. Each of these has their own characteristics that add to the enjoyment! Keep up the good work.

[@B9scrambler]

I love using Pentax lenses on my A7siii. The Pentax-M 50mm f1.4, Pentax-A 135mm f2.8, and the Pentax-M 100mm f4 Macro are my go-to models. Light, tough, affordable, and wonderful optical qualities :)

[@jameswburke]

The Pentax 50mm f4 Macro lens is very sharp and goes to 1:2 close up. A wonderful lens and not expensive. I use mine a lot. I don't shoot wider than f4 so it's not a problem.

[@classicboy97]

Get the voigtlander apo-lanthar lenses native to e-mount. The sharpest lenses that rival legendary g-master lenses, but with the extreme “pop” and color you love so much from the Leica lenses. Plus meta-data!

[@JasonVong]

been seeing a lot of comments on the voigtlander apos! gonna check them out and see whats up!

[@paulfedorenko2301]

I haven't used manual focus lenses since 1997 when I switched from a Nikon Nikkormat FTn to a Nikon F601, and I never looked back. Your video just reinforced why I haven't manually focused in 25 years! :D

[@eugenheller4182]

Okay.. Here is my story.. I am working in Switzerland for a Photography Videography Company. We are hosting Events with popular photographers from around the world from time to time. A few weeks ago we had "Peter Coulson" at our Store and he was teaching about lighting and how to talk to a model... I had quite a few chats with him and talked about his gear. He handed me a TTartisan f/0.95 50mm Leica Lens adapted to his A1. Boy fell I in love with the lens. I almost immediately bought the lens and am using it since on my A7SIII. I always thought AF lenses are so much better, because the pictures are more crips and it was easier to take pictures. Yes, maybe. But. The character of a manual lens like the TTartisan 50mm f/0.95 is unbelievable. It made me change my whole perspective of taking pictures. I am taking way more time now and I am slowing down. Which is super nice to be honest.

[@JasonVong]

That’s a great story 😁 thanks for sharing! Sometimes you just gotta try it just to see what’s up. Might have to check out TTartisan myself.

[@eugenheller4182]

@@JasonVong I can highly recommend it. Also. They are "cheap" compared to other lenses. Plus they come in a really cool Box with a tiny Screwdriver. In case the focus is not on point you can adjust it manually (how to included).

[@Ni5ei]

0:52 Your Leica lenses may be light and small including an adapter but that's because the LM mount has a short flange distance so the adapter is also small. Take any other brand like Nikon, Canon, Minolta or any M42 lens and you end up with a lens that gets twice as big because of the adapter.

[@kh1188ish]

Loving the scenery from Singapore. Yes, so hot but my favorite place for so many reasons. For night shots, try going to orchard ion for some amazing lights. For traffic light trails, go to a pedestrian overpass esp if it’s near an intersection and use a mini tripod like a manfrotto pixi. most of the ped overpasses have flat surfaces on the retaining walls to set it on (but always keep one hand on it for safety).

[@baan3197]

there are close focusing adapters where you can focus closer range. i have a voigtlander adapter but it cost a good $300 usd. works well and build quality is very high. and also, there exists af adapter for manual lenses and it works lol

[@hdwblade]

PLEASE do a manual lens roundup! I just bought my first camera, an A7IV, and a 1.8 85mm. I need more lenses, but want to get them on a budget. And faster is better, as I'm not trying to buy a bunch of lenses, but cherry pick over the years... While on a budget. I want one for astrophotography, of course as fast as possible, and a 35 or maybe a 50? But IDC about focus, manual or auto, I just want a banger of a deal, so a manual round up would be AMAZING!!!

[@smaganas]

Great video Jason, loved chapter 2 about slowing you down being good and bad.

[@alexdiaz3465]

I have voightlander 35 1.2 m lens and I have Sony cameras but the thing is that it’s not very light and the chromatic aberration is bad , maybe some lenses are light but not all any comments thanks

[@korteksvisceralzen2694]

A great skill to have! I am shooting the 35mm Brighton Star 0.95 and having fun doing it.

[@TheArtOfJerry]

Thanks for featuring Singapore ! You ROCK!! pls leads us to explore more into your hybrid-ness

[@JasonVong]

it was a blast being here!

[@paolenmangkhongsai2172]

Hi loving your video so can you give me any suggestion on any two lens which you will used on Sony a73 for street and waiting photography for whole day. 👍

[@jackbeltane]

Manual focus allows you to control the depth of field better than AF. As a travel photographer they are a lot more compact and easier to carry onboard the plane. I use 1960s and 70s K mount and m42 mount lenses. The Pentax-M 50 mm f1.4 is amazing lens and similar performance to my M42 mount Takumar 50mm f1.4 radioactive lens

[@patrickhanly7458]

I exclusively use Voigtlander lenses (Sony mount) on my a7rii and I love photography again. What a blast.

[@maheshg212]

Hi Jason, how do you find the 28 cron at f2? I see you have taken lots at f8. I suppose at f2, you will have 'smearing' etc

[@MaiElizabeth]

I discard the lens cap when I always forgot to take it off when the moment came. I feel for Vivien.

[@ChoicesHabitsAttitudeLuck]

If I want to go Manual Focus. I can just do that in my camera without buying a new lens. So it is not really about MANUAL but using OLD LENSES before the AUTOFOCUS TECHNOLOGY.

[@MelonAMango]

Zone focus will save your day 😁

[@JasonVong]

i need V to teach me

[@toomanyhobbies400]

My favorite manual is the Kamlan 28mmF/1.4. Want a lighter lens? Kamlan 21mmF/1.8. The sharpness shows up even in the rear screen.

[@Vintage35MM]

Not all rose gardens for me. I am currently experimenting with a LUMIX GX1 and pre AF Minolta lenses and Nikon DX lenses. Because of the magnification going from Micro4/3 with full frame lenses (a 50mm vintage lens on M4/3 is called to 100mm), one can quickly run into motion blur that I don’t have with stabilized lenses. And the motion blur is two fold. First if one uses a manual assist that magnifies a portion of the scene the image is jumping all around trying to focus. Then depending how careful one is there can still be motion blur induced by imaging taking process. Ive found it’s more frustrating. Tripods help allot but slows one down even more. Just my experience so far!

[@tuongmac2263]

If you’re afraid of missing out the focus with high depth of field, then just scroll the focus ring while shooting continuously.

[@highrro]

Jason Vong simply makes dope videos. 🤙🏼

[@JasonVong]

thank you sir!!!

[@tenth4]

About the min.focal distanace almost all rangefinder lenses are 0.7m, however using voigltander VM-E close focus adapter have a helicoid enable to cut the min. focal distanace to 0.2m to 0.4m (highly depends on the lenses) I manage to focus to 0.45m or so with my leica 50mm cron v5, my voigtlander 15mm F4.5 III front element could touch the subject with the close focus.

[@tenth4]

@jason vong is free stuff really from you?

[@lout1587]

I have that adaptor. It works great on my summicron 35 f2.

[@anupew3276]

I bought a sony A7II specifically to use with manual lenses. Aboslutely love it. Those vintage lenses have interesting characteristics (desaturated images with MIR 1-V, warm tones with Super Takumar thorium glass lenses, swirly bokeh of Helios 44-2, some modified for interesting effects etc) and it moves focus much more to artistic expression. What do I want to do? Which lenses to bring with me (based on their characteri as I have 10+ prime lenses in 35-50mm range so not really focal lenght choice for me)?. Its just overall joy to use. And with magnification, focus peeking etc its not that hard to get it right (unlike on DSLR). But, when I go to shoot something or someone and someone else expect results I will either have just autofocus lenses or both (one or two bodies with autofocus lenses, one with manual lenses). But then I am hobbyist, I do photography for fun of it and to this day I had exactly no money out of it.

[@ared18t]

I just Move the focus constantly and click when I land focus kinda like how bad autofocus constant does. When you get good at it you have a surprising amount control over when you land the focus. I took pictures at my sister's quinceañera like this.

[@BIbiVstf3sx]

id love to se some emount voigtlander pls! and yes, do some more manual reviews!

[@amapro_life]

our Sony God is slowly converting in to Lecia :O

[@JasonVong]

Stop me

[@anthonyptak8650]

Can you help us understand how to use manual focus on Sony e-mount primes?

[@malcolmng547]

what zone focusing? how was it with the adaptor?

[@LucaBono.Studio]

The new Meyer Optik Gorlitz are pretty spectacular lenses...in particular the Primoplan 75mm f1.9 II

[@karlturner8167]

I have had good results with TTARTISANS 50 mm 1.4 on my A7III manual lens. Only draw back is no metadata

[@AndresLopez-rz1yq]

I always wondered, I see some you tubers getting shots on top of buildings. How do you usually get on top on the buildings?

[@panhradu]

Most youtubers can fly.

[@ScottJWaldron]

Great overview of the benefits and negatives with manual lenses. ;)

[@user-sg6xv2kb8s]

Nokton 40 f1.2 (Sony mount), Loxia 35 (basically a Zeiss CP.2), Nokton 50 f1 (just came out and is stunning). I wish they made a Loxia 28 although the 28 Biogon ZM is very good.

[@andytheghosthunter]

I have the Sony A7 (1st version) and I use the Minolta Konica AR 40mm f1.8 and the Olympus OM 28mm f2.8. Both are superbly built and insainly sharp lenses. I love film but hate the faffing about so I use my camera in manual mode and turn off the rear screen so it's as close to using a film camera as I can get.

[@rutlegs]

I use a manual 25mm lens on my XE2s as an EDC camera. I love it so much that I'm rarely using my XT4

[@nikkop]

Enjoying the ones that I have with me right now!! Even used the Voigtlander 50mm 1.2 for a project shoot I'm doing! I see the charm of it all, man. 👌🏻 Not for everyone, for sure, but👏🏼just👏🏼let👏🏼people👏🏼enjoy👏🏼things!! 👏🏼

[@nikkop]

also, i see that bloom, braugh 🌝

[@JasonVong]

Glad the V50mm went to go use!

[@robertblacquiere9508]

DiHybride Shooter ;-) I have great fun with an old canon fd 50mm F1.4 on my A7 III. It has lots of character.

[@mikeonthemarne]

Perhaps not as well made as a Leica 28mm lens but very sharp, with vivid colours and aubtle tones, the Pentacon 30mm f3.5 also focuses down to 0.35cm. It is also somewhat cheaper!

[@philunger8926]

Very interesting video, but what about leica R lenses?

[@raulal00]

Some people are afraid of use them, but is not that diffucult to focus a 35/50mm at f2.0/2.8 (f0.95 is hard, ok) and sharpness and characterr is a lot more than a AF shot. Anyone is capable of, maybe not sports or kids playing indoor, but just walking? ofc yes, and they will granted if use them

[@shibnathbanerjee560]

Make a video about using cheap cine lens for photo & videography.

[@LZXun]

try the yashica electro modified to e mount, 35mm1.8 and 45mm1.7

[@jamesmlodynia8757]

I have several manual glass from Voightlander two of which are f1.2 for the Nikon ZF, one is the 15mm f4.5 and 4omm f1.2 along with the 23mm f1.2 APSC lens, these are beautiful, well made made lens that are easy to use and have focus conformation with the electric connections from the lens to a camera body, easy piezy.

[@shanepaulneil]

Gotta try the Pentax 50mm 1.4

[@basedviet]

I shoot Sony professionally but have a Q2 for personal stuff and Leica glass is in a class of its own.

[@christopherrodriguez7223]

Hi Jason and Vivian, I’m in love with the voigtlander APO line 35 and 50. They’re absolutely wonderful. For 28 I use the ultron. I did have the 28 Elmairt for a time but get roughly the same quality for much less in my opinion.

[@JasonVong]

been hearing so much about the Voigtlander APO! Gonna have to start looking into them!

[@Ryan_Wiseman]

Even for action video, I like manual focus lenses. While it may not be for everyone, you tend to get a good idea of how motion moves to and from the camera. While I do like autofocus, the more action that takes place in a shot, the harder it can be for the camera to determine what is in focus. Once you get an idea of how to choose which subjects are in focus, you can have a better focus pull than what autofocus tries. Autofocus looks great so long as it doesn't look like autofocus. It can be very jarring to see footage where someone has far too much action and compositional changes and the autofocus struggles. This tends to be the case with video where autofocus is good for 80-90% of the time. I do like autofocus lenses, there are some like the Sony 11mm that has really good glass when used right (although limited to APC crop modes). AF lenses have one thing about them and that is they take longer to focus pull compared to vintage, which does make sense with needing autofocus, esp if you don't want to carry a monitor around for focus peaking. I find there is a lot of interesting characteristics about vintage lenses where I've naturally gravitated toward shooting entirely manual, but to each their own

[@ListenHereOldMan]

i'm SO confused by the comment "i don't like 28mm on a zoom, but a prime for street photography?" why would you not like it in the zoom range? it's the same thing... do u just mean u like to shoot it at wide apertures? im confused

[@bobd7384]

I have a number of Canon FD lenses and using the Itotin adapter. I grew up on the manual Canon F1. Yes the auto is nice but manual will make you pause and frame your photos.

[@giulianomarialodi3722]

It slows you down if you don't use zone focusing 😆Great video btw

[@julesmeijerink1289]

Hi Jason, are you being inspired by professor Hines street photography and motion blur using manual focus lenses? I love the manuals!

[@julesmeijerink1289]

And i enormously enjoyed your video, thanks a lot!

[@JasonVong]

yep! i'm taking a lot of influence after our recent collab! The guide really helped me out personally and been applying his tips in my photos

[@davidmenkel4411]

Nice vid on older lenses, those are the ones I used in high school (not Zeiss and Lieca though, they were too expensive). Can you do a comparison between Zeiss and Lieca lenes. I am wondering if one is sharper than the other. Another thought is to showcase some fisheye (ultra wide) and marco lenses.

[@utomotjipto5294]

Have used both on digital Leica. Assuming correct speed, and correct focus both lenses are sharp!! In real life, very difficult to pick one over another from sharpness (am not talking about MTF etc), but in terms of rendering each have its own characteristics. Leica lenses tend to be colder whereas Zeiss lenses are warmer. If you turned the pics into Black n White doesnt matter which lenses you use. If you want to keep the colour then it depends on your beauty preferences.

[@vince3ang]

Check out Minolta 58 f1.4. It is so affordable and it was once the bokeh king.

[@Hyper88]

Pre-pandemic there used to be a photo exhibit in Brooklyn NY called Photoville and they had a booth to borrow Leica cameras. I was able to shoot with an M10 using a 35mm and honestly I resonate with what you said, if you have the opportunity to use such a baller lens then you just have to do it and experience the glory of a 7-8k lenses 🤪

[@armada1e]

Try the voigtlander 40mm f1.2!

[@andrewchau6334]

Canon FD 50MM F1.4/1.2 are awesome!

[@Herobox-ju4zd]

I'm on the fence about manual. Shooting F8 from a decent distance or on infinity on any F number it's manageable. But I want to use my helios 44-2 on F2 and reasonably close up and that's pretty finicky. Never mind that focus peaking just doesn't work properly (I heard or read somewhere that is has to do with the camera not actually telling you what's in focus but where the highest contrast is on the lcd screen, and that's not the same as focus). With my old Nikon DSLR I could put a focussing glass in my viewfinder, that worked great. Unfortunately there's not really such an option for mirrorless cameras.

[@davidwallace8980]

Most legacy range finder lenses wider then 28mm have blurry corners on digital sensors. SLR adapted lenses are OK.

[@BrianGJohnsonPhotography]

recommendation: biotar 58mm f1.5 mark 2, my copy arrives in a few days.

[@niceone1456]

It’s not yet a few months Jason :) we will see

[@JasonVong]

great. now I will need to make a part 3 just for you 😫

[@subaruspirit7690]

Can't believe I spotted my first subscriber here! Nice one!

[@Joe_Edits]

Manual lenses look so aesthetic! Never owned one but would like to one day

[@raksh9]

Have you considered the Zeiss Loxia lenses? They were specifically designed for Sony E mount and have great reviews.

[@JasonVong]

I've tried the Loxia before and I'm thinking probably choosing one or two next for something long term like I did with these ZM lenses & Leica

[@jkhollywood]

I'm a fan of the Zeiss Biogen f2

[@Docmakesfotos]

I love shooting manual lenses on my A7c. Lately I’ve been doing that more than my auto focus lenses. Voigtlander 35mm 1.4 ii is on it now. I like shooting with my Minolta m rokkor set as well. 28 f2.8, 40 f2, and 90 f4.

[@professionalpotato4764]

How's the Voigtlander 35mm on it? I'm on the fence between a 28mm f2 ultron ii, or 35mm nokton f1.4 ii.

[@Docmakesfotos]

@@professionalpotato4764 it’s great on there. Small compact and looks great too. I think it would come down to what you like to shoot or what focal length you favor.

[@sarkarpappu]

I passed this phase a year or two ago and now my favourites are some vintage and some new Manual lenses. Recommendation: New- Voigtlander Ultron 35 f1.7, Voigtlander Nokton ASPH 50mm f1.5 (they have a few versions with unique character each). Vintage - Helios 44-2, or 44M-5 or 6 (must have), SMC pentax 28mm f2.8 SMC Pentax 135mm f2.5 (if you can get one). All of these I own and have used. They were highly recommended by experts and veterans of manual lenses. I am satisfied well beyond my expectations. Here you go my 2 year’s worth of research and time in few lines of comments. Cheers.

[@rboydphotography]

how is the "SMC pentax 28mm f2.8"? been looking to get some rather wide manual lenses with decent aperture but its been hard to find some good FF manuals that have the age+great glass combo. ideally I would hope to find a 20mm FF manual with an aperture between f1.4-f2, f2.8 at a stretch :P

[@sarkarpappu]

@@rboydphotography it’s tiny, easy to handle and even easier to focus. These film era lenses does have a character to its rendering. At 2.8 the edges can be soft but center sharp which is typical. Once passed 5.6 almost sharp throughout. These are available at very affordable prices. I got mine in good condition at 60 dollars or so.

[@dgross2009]

Go all the way and go analog film and your pictures will really look awesome.

[@adden2242]

I tried manual lenses before, it hurt my back and really slows me down, im getting old now,not young I switched back to my auto focus lens..I tried those manual lens doing portrait shots, it hurt my eyes trying to adjust my focus each and everytime, i always focus on the eyes on my subject, and everytime she does a different pose the focus shifts somewhere else..nice vlog,but im just not a huge fan anymore of Manual lenses.

[@jaegerschtulmann]

My only question is why Leica can manage tp produce fast lenses in such a compact form factor? (yes even if you had to add focusing motors I believe their lenses would still be smaller than let's say any canon or Sony f1.4 lens.)

[@celestial_78]

Nope, focus motors are huge

[@SourPlanet]

Maybe you mentioned it in the video and I missed it... but did you shoot with any Zeiss lenses? I'd be super curious to know your thoughts on Loxia vs Leica. I know the Leica got that thang but the Zeiss pop is no slouch either! If you dig into vintage, check out the Jupiter 37a! Its a 135/F3.5 with a lot of character but also shocking sharpness. I toss it in my bag just in case I need that extra crispiness. You'll hear about all sorts of must have vintage lenses anyway... But I wanted to toss out a fringe favorite that just delivers every time. And hey, you can grab a minty fresh copy for like $50 🤘

[@JasonVong]

Only the ZEISS ZM in this video. I will be trying out the Loxias again when I get back to the states! we featured the Loxia a lot in our recent street video!

[@SourPlanet]

@@JasonVong Sweet. Love me some vintage but I want to pick up a proper modern manual lens and see how it feels. Probably just listen to professor Hines either way 🤣

[@achraf9946]

In a controlled placed its nice but in trouble I missed MANY MANY shots!

[@oliverastorga7288]

I want to be an a photographer like you someday

[@MrDeonkidjo99]

Thanks for sharing your experience on this topic! I think those people missed their bus at 9:25

[@JasonVong]

OMG LOL

[@gicechicken7062]

Ive the Canon fd 50mm ,1.4 and 50mm macro 3,5

[@GiNodrog]

Sadly I've just traded in two of my Loxia' s 21mm and the 35mm , but then again I have an A9ii

[@JasonVong]

hahaha it's always funny to use Manual lenses on cameras that have the fastest AF capabilities

[@marcusransom9334]

I about lost my lunch when I seen the price of the 28mm, lol. Definitely NOT the prosumer lens

[@KgerShyang]

manual lens is easy for street shoot if you know how to shoot with the focusing scale

[@JasonVong]

I main Autofocus so I'm pretty f'd lol

[@jessemartinez2606]

Whoop anotha video!

[@tomariko]

Buy a Leica q2 you will enjoy it

[@watching-youtube-now]

Most of the downsides listed here aren't really downsides, they're just lack of experience. The learning curve is high but once you learn the range markings, and once you make the focus wheel control "automatic" in your brain, at least for the most used apertures, these downsides all go away. The real downsides I'd say are: steep learning curve that will take a lot of time to overcome, and even after overcoming you'll still have trouble with fine focus (f/5.6 and lower) in contexts where you have variable distance between you and the subject and it's all within 2 meters from you, e.g. shooting pets or kids, etc. If none of that is your use case, I think you literally don't even need an AF lens. And if you're the "f8 and be there" you won't even turn your focus wheel ever, just lock at infinity and shoot your *-scapes all day long.

[@heshamabdulrahman2133]

absolutely not sure..

[@JoshuaC923]

Hope you are having a good time in Singapore

[@JasonVong]

the best! (minus the humidity 😭)

[@JoshuaC923]

@@JasonVong right! the past few weeks has been hotter than usual! 🤣🤣🤣