My Four Best Vintage Wide Angle Lenses For Mirrorless

[@zaddy6960]

Well, finding your channel was a mistake. I can tell this is going to be my go-to procrastination activity for a while.

[@adventureswithanalog]

Because of your informative videos I went on a hunt for a wider OM system Zuiko lens. Managed to get a good condition, fairly priced 35mm f2.8 from a shop in Japan and I can’t wait to play with it. 😊 Thank you for the work you do on this channel!

[@kenheraty373]

Thanks for the energy you put into defining so many lens personalities. Zenography

[@N0rdman]

At 00:05:02 you talk about the Cosina having a Practica PK mount (you say Praxica); what is that? The Practica or P mount is the M42 thread mount, later adopted by Pentax and many more, then you have the PK mount, something developed jointly between Zeiss and Asahi Optical Co (later Pentax) when they intended to develop a joint camera system for the Zeiss owned Contax brand, something that fell through and Zeiss decided to go with Yashica as an electronics and production partner, part of the reason why the Yashica/Contax mount is so similar to Pentax K mount.

[@zenography7923]

Whoops, seems I made an error - I meant the Pentax K mount, thanks for pointing it out.

[@jillianhorsley5985]

I read the comments first then watched, really enjoyed watching. I love vintage lenses they create a mood and now I will buy the Flek for my mirrorless...thanks.

[@zenography7923]

It's a beautiful lens, I think you'll enjoy it!

[@philhodgkinson1460]

Top class beautiful images Nigel you deserve a Gold Star!!!

[@zenography7923]

Thanks man!

[@cdavey061]

i just purchased the Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon 35mm f2.4 in mint condition however, the aperture blades were stuck wide open due to a damaged spring inside the lens... looking forward to using it when built back up and thanks for the excellent review...

[@philhodgkinson1460]

Just want to say one thing Mr Nigel... I think you are very Zensory...and erm guess lots of others would say same thing..... Keep up the good work Nigel!!!

[@kasimirmaser99]

I'm having a lot of fun right now with an Olympus Zuiko 24mm f/2.8 on a Sony α7. I do a lot of landscape photography, and it's like every photo I take with this lens is an oil painting. The colors are so rich and beautiful, and the lens creates almost a dream-like atmosphere for me. Wide-open, it vignettes like crazy, but I love it. To my eye, it really adds to the charm. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on these wide angles. I'm eager to pick a few of these up and try them out.

[@zenography7923]

That 24mm sounds lovely! Glad you enjoyed the video and thanks for watching.

[@lifemate5511]

Which adapter would you use to put on the Sony A7 please

[@woodrowgrizzleiii9817]

@@lifemate5511 For a vintage Olympus lens, you'd want to use an OM to Sony E mount adapter. There are many of them on the market. Google that term or use your favorite vendor.

[@charlesmorgan8440]

I adore the Flektogon - I have the 2.4 in M42 mount and also a 2.8 Werra mount one (sadly the camera is now defunct). I once was able to compare the single coated Werra Flektogon against a brand new Zeiss Biogon C 2.8. Apart from a tiny bit of extra flare, the 60 year old Werra Flektogon was as sharp and as good with colour. The ultimate accolade was that Carl Zeiss of West Germany copied the design of the Flektogon for its Distagon. A cracking piece of glass in every way. Another excellent video, thank you!

[@zenography7923]

Many thanks, glad you enjoyed it. I didn't know the Western Zeiss company copied the Flektogon, although it doesn't surprise me too much, it really is an outstanding piece of glass.

[@charlesmorgan8440]

@@zenography7923 Just taken a few close up photos with it on the Sony A7s, which reminded me to measure the closest it will focus - where it says .2m it's actually 11cm. Which makes it an extraordinary macro too!

[@Magnetron692]

Thank you. As far as I can see the Olympus lenses deliver fantastic colors!

[@zenography7923]

It really does. The Zuiko lenses are some of the nicest for colour rendition.

[@Magnetron692]

Zenography Glad I have purchased some in mint condition! Thumbs up!

[@Марк.Фетнов]

Hi Zen, I have to agree with everything you said about the 35mm Flektogon. My copy came to me boxed and in beautiful condition though I did pay for the privilege! As an M42 fan it stopped me in my tracks and I almost gave up buying lenses, well for a while haha. I use it on a Fuji XT1, for nature photography mainly and find it captures the most amazing colours, the background is mush and the subject razor sharp. It's like a wider version of the Pancolar, and the two in combo with a Sonnar 135mm make for an ideal set.

[@Zionist-Occupied-Government]

Pentax 28mm f3.5 is a lens that is worth 10 times for what it goes for on eBay ... Between £20 and £50 will buy you the ULTIMATE landscape lens with superior 3d pop IQ , excellent contrast , rich colour rendering , military spec. build quality ... decent flare resistance etc etc . Best 28 I own and I have Yashinon, Nikkon, Rokkor, Tamron .

[@zenography7923]

Hmm, perhaps it's worth a try... thanks for the tip!

[@zhekalis86]

I love this lens! It’s outstanding! And it’s very sharp too! the corners are rather good already at wide open and almost perfect from f/5.6 to f/8! I had no opportunity to compare it to zuiko though. SMC Pentax-M 2.8/35 is a very good lens too! wide open it has rather heavy vignetting but it’s very good at all other apertures. Very nice colors and contrast too.

[@cyrilcrn]

hi, are you talking about the asahi SMC takumar lens?

[@zhekalis86]

@@cyrilcrn Hi! I was talking about the K series version. The SMC Takumar version should be also good. But the K version is considered to be the best 28mm after the famous, rare and enormously expensive 28mm f2 (also K series).

[@Zionist-Occupied-Government]

Yes I forgot to say its the k version .. But the m version is still better than most of today's modern lenses.. The k version is up there with Zeiss and Voigtlander, check the reviews on pentax forums and see.

[@kenheraty373]

Thanks for the energy you put into defining so many lens . Zenography

[@shlomiofir2285]

I just order the Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon 35mm, waiting to here to come, and today see your video great thanks

[@zenography7923]

Many thanks, glad you enjoyed it! Hope you're enjoying that Flek too...

[@voicumariusgabriel268]

Hi there, great video presentation! Please answer to my question if I wanna use this om lenses on my new Olympus e-m10, I need adapter from om to mft? Best regards

[@followtheboat]

Hi, just stumbled across this video. Thank you. I've never understood why legacy OM lenses don't get the same love as Canon FDs or Takumars. With regards to digital mirrorless I've owned OM lenses the longest and they are an absolute joy to use. Very easy to manage (I've used them for video), sharp, great colour rendering, and compact. I guess we should continue to keep them a secret 😉

[@zenography7923]

I couldn't agree more, the OM lenses are little gems!

[@SudipHowladar]

I got into this rabbit hole about 6 years ago with a takumar 50 f1.4, 40 lenses later. I still think takumar lenses are amazing, so are FDs, but olympus is amazing too. They are like a jewel, live the focus ring cut and style of it. Photos turn out quite sharp (only got 50 f1.4 and 135 f2.8 at the moment and a 35 f2 on the way).

[@fares_of_arabia]

Your channel is such a find..........brilliant work

[@zenography7923]

Thanks so much, glad you're enjoying it!

[@bri_v]

A question came to mind when I saw you using the focus ring on your Zeiss. I just purchased the same lens, and the images are amazing! But when I extend the focus, I notice this creaking noise. Is that normal? I cleaned the area out with air and a tiny, tiny amount of white grease, but haven't noticed drastic changes... Really hope I dont need to take it to a shop 😕

[@tonylouisvisionvideography3469]

Cosina is a very high quality glass. I own 3 of the latest Voigtlander lenses and the are manufactured with Cosina glass

[@cheapshotslensreviewsandph3559]

This is a great guide. I think vintage wide angles are too often overlooked for modern "super-wide" lenses. But I think they're wonderful for landscapes and portraits alike.

[@zenography7923]

Absolutely - they're very useful little lenses!

[@nobody1841]

Vivitar close focus 28mm 2.8 also rocks it. 20 bucks!

[@philhodgkinson1460]

Not on the subject of wide angles wondered if you ever handled a Periflex 100mm f4 lens of 39mm screw fit for Leica etc etc Cheers Nigel.....

[@zenography7923]

I'm afraid not Phil, sorry!

[@AndyCombes]

Would you recommend the Olympus OM Zuiko Auto-W 28mm F2.8? I hear the F2 or F3.5 has more character than the F2.8? Thank you

[@georgeparkins777]

So I have a Soligor wide that I can't identify. Obviously, being branded "Soligor" tells us very little. I just bought it yesterday. The lens is a 35/2.8. It's a T-mount (I THINK) with my example having a Minolta bayonet on it, and it has preset aperture, not automatic. The aperture is 8-blade and made of grey metal. It is quite compact and attractive, especially mounted on an old Minolta, as well as being in good shape. It has nice-looking coated glass. I even have a very nice Minolta MC-Rokkor with the same specs but this lens was cheap and I was a fascinated by it. I do think I need to adjust the T-mount adaptor. It doesn't focus quite to infinity and I think the inner sleeve of the adaptor needs to be loosened and slid out a hair.

[@zenography7923]

The real origin of some 3rd party lenses is often very hard to trace - though the internet usually comes up with something useful!

[@kjvisual7]

Absolutely beautiful images. Thanks for showing photos taken with these lenses.

[@zenography7923]

Thank you!

[@HansBaier]

The Zuiko 35mm 2.8 is one of the most used lenses in my collection. I got a silver nose with a dented filter ring dor about $70 incl. Shipping. But I love it so much. The bokeh is just dreamy and beautiful and I am stunned how sharp it can be when stopped down, even with a dumb tube adapter on micro 4/3.

[@zenography7923]

I love my copy - really lovely.

[@HansBaier]

@@zenography7923 It was the first vintage lens I bought because recommended by you. It developed into the 24mm2.8 the 28mm 2.8, the 35mm 2.8 the 135mm 3.5 and on the way is the 50mm 1.4 with OM2n camera. Totally turned me into an OM Zuiko fanboy.

[@selimb10]

Thanks for the great video. I'm looking to buy a Cosina 28mm. I've found one on eBay that looks in great condition. It seems like the majority of these lenses come in K mount. The one I'm looking at has an OM mount which I'd be fitting onto my Sony A7C2 E mount camera with an adapter. Does anyone have any experience using the OM mount version? Or is it better to stick with the K mount options or is there no adverse erect on quality/compatibility? Many thanks Selim

[@jameswburke]

Another great lens is the Vivitar 28mm f2 Series 1. S/N beginning 22 denotes Kiron-built and best quality. Very sharp, like all the Series 1 Vivitars.

[@jezztech]

Minolta MD 28mm f2.8 coupled to Fujifilm Xe1 via precision Novoflex (German ) adapter, exquisite results in very judgement criteria.

[@zenography7923]

Now that sounds like a nice combination!

[@rileysmithphoto]

Wow. Good one mate. Those Zuiko's are the ticket for a budget prime collection.

[@zenography7923]

It's true, the Zuikos are hard to beat, all things considered!

[@martinda7446]

Great work. Some truly lovely shots here. The OM1 and Zuiko lenses are such a joy to own and use. They are such beautiful things that give complete confidence to the user.

[@zenography7923]

Agreed - beautiful little things! Thanks for watching.

[@martinda7446]

What a great name ..'Flektogon'. (Which preceded the 'Distagon' lenses)

[@Zionist-Occupied-Government]

Tamron adaptall 28mm f2.5 are good too if you are on a budget, but they arent too good at flare resistance .. but under 20 pounds they are good enough, nice clours but sometimes a reddish colour cast WB in late afternoon light.

[@diforbes]

How well do these perform adapted to the Fuji GFX cameras? I assume vignetting unless you use a different aspect ratio? Thanks.

[@zenography7923]

I'm not sure how much of the sensor the image circle of 35mm format lenses would cover, but yes, I would imagine you'd get some vignetting to a greater or lesser degree. You might be better off exploring some vintage medium format lenses?

[@diforbes]

@@zenography7923 Thanks for the reply. You have me thinking in another direction now. Which medium format lens brands do you like?

[@th1649]

Bit late, but the zuiko 28mm f3.5 doesn't cover at all. But their 50mm f1.8 is great on gfx.

[@jimmyng1507]

I am thinking to acquire the Takumar fish eye 17mmf4, can you take an opportunity to review it？how does it compare to Minolta 16mm fish eye？Thanks.

[@zenography7923]

I'd love to try the Tak 17mm - if only I had one!

[@MrBrentknoll]

Love the intro sound!

[@zenography7923]

Thanks!

[@tonylouisvisionvideography3469]

I have the Olympus 24mm F/2, 28mm F/2.8, 35mm F/2 and LOAWA 7.5mm rectilinear lens. The 24mm F/2 is exceptional

[@zenography7923]

I've heard great things about this lens and would love to try one. Maybe someday...

[@tonylouisvisionvideography3469]

@@zenography7923 You won't let go of it once you use one and see the results

[@wilsoncortezribeiro]

Nice review! Have you ever tried Pentax/Takumar 28 f 2.8? If so what you think about it?

[@ianhand5006]

My Olympus 28mm f3.5 is slightly soft. Try the 24mm f2.8, they’re excellent!

[@zenography7923]

I must say my 28 3.5 seems pretty good, though I've heard good things about the 24 2.8. Hmm, perhaps a visit to ebay...

[@ianhand5006]

Zenography I’ve reassessed my 28 f3.5, and it’s actually very good indeed. I’ve put it on my OM10 to see what it looks like on film.

[@milkyway6080]

Thanks for the video. I've just pulled the trigger on a Cosina 35mm f2.8 m42. Paid $20 shipping included. What do you think of this one?

[@zenography7923]

I haven't tried that one, though I've found many gems among cosina lenses - and for $20 you can't go wrong!

[@markcuddihee2862]

Do you have the G or H version of the 35mm 2.8? I was wondering how the extra element (the H version) impacts IQ. Lovely videos. I enjoy your storytelling style.

[@zenography7923]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed the video. It's the G version, so can't comment on the H, though comparison would be interesting...

[@noahfick6124]

Which one has the widest angle? Are any comparable to Rokinon or Samyang 12mm 2.8

[@silencenhikes6692]

noah fick No way 12mm is way wider than those.

[@SFXFF]

with the Olympus full frame lens what speedbooster size can you recommend for APC size camera (Fuji X H1) ? Ps also because I am looking at video I'm looking for a low contrast sharp lens. love your videos so much and passion for character filled photography. I am a high school photography teacher.

[@zenography7923]

I must be hinest, I don't have much experience with speedboosters as I always shoot full frame. However, the metabones one looks good, if a little pricey...

[@SFXFF]

A low roll off on highlights and Sharp lens recommend, with good "3d pop" ?

[@nicholassmith7723]

Would you recommend a low serial number Flektogon or the later MC version?

[@zenography7923]

Difficult to answer as I've only used the MC version, however, it's so good that if I could keep only one lens, this would be it!

[@tjbwhitehea1]

I've had a zuiko 50 1.4 on which the grease dried a bit. Got it serviced very easily though. The one fatal issue with them seems to be there susceptibility to mould though, particularly in humid countries. Avoidable if you store them somewhere dry with a mould prevention agent.

[@zenography7923]

Never had this problem with Zuikos, then again the UK isn't a particularly humid country. Enjoy that 1.4, and thanks for watching.

[@alanread6596]

Another excellent video

[@zenography7923]

Thank you!

[@bege4394]

Have you tried Industar-50-2 50mm f/3.5 lens? It's a tiny pancake and you wouldn't (well I'm sure you actually would! :)) believe how sharp it is. Even with high megapixel count sensor it's sharper than some of the brand new lenses. It's pain to use but if you get a serviced and lubed copy, then the using experience will lift up a bit :D

[@zenography7923]

I've heard great things about this lens, but have yet to try one. Another one for the list...

[@dalecarpenter8828]

Thanks ! Good info !

[@zenography7923]

Glad it was helpful!

[@rasmussen75]

you should grab the Olympus 28mm f2.0. it's probably one of the best 28mm made.

[@zenography7923]

I've heard it's fantastic, would love to try one someday. Thanks for watching.

[@ThenameisAntti]

Do you ever use Canon FD lenses? I'm absolutely in love with my FD 24mm f2, which I use with both a film FD camera and a m4/3. :) The softness of your Jena 35mm reminded me a bit of my Canon baby. :P

[@zenography7923]

I haven't had much experience with fd lenses, except for a 50mm 1.8, which was very nice indeed!

[@ekphotography]

I have a chance to trade a Mamiya 80mm 1.9 for a Zuiko 24mm 2.0. Has anybody used one on a BMPCC4K and are they MFT mounts or do I need an adaptor for it to work on a BMPCC4K? Thanks.

[@zenography7923]

Yes, you would need an mft to OM adaptor; a so called 'dumb' one will work fine. That BMPCC is a lovely camera too!

[@cyrilcrn]

Try the Nikkor AI-S 28mm f/3.5. Sharp, great bubbly bokeh, beautiful colours. They're a bit rare so I'd be surprised if you found one for under 100 pounds. Check it out on Flickr.

[@zenography7923]

I'll check it out, thanks!

[@imaflymydroneatit]

Are old 10/14mm vintage lenses a thing?

[@urbanimage]

Well, it depends on what you consider vintage. If you look at lenses from the 1970's, and take Canon FD's as an example range, then you have the : FD 7.5 mm circular Fisheye , FD 15 mm full-frame Fisheye, and the Canon Lens FD 17mm f/4, which is probably the widest practical lens you could use of those. Back then a 24mm lens on a 35mm SLR was considered quite a wide angle lens. Something wider was quite exotic and expensive.

[@JayGrapherTh]

this is the perfect video that i was looking for, that I would want the Cosina 28mm 2.8 and with the 28mm wide i can get the classic 35mm focal range olumpus zuiko lens as well. (owning 50mm for both film cameras right now and looking to have a wide angle lens for street photography as you mentioned.

[@ef3345]

I second that

[@razorback7828]

THANK YOU SIR!

[@alexblaze8878]

Wanna see a jaw-dropping price? Check eBay for the zuiko 21mm F2. As of today the prices range from $3,800 to over $6,000 dollars! That must be a helluva lens!

[@zenography7923]

Indeed it must!

[@JulesMoyaert_photo]

Thank you!!

[@zenography7923]

And thank you!

[@sputumtube]

I've always wondered about the pronunciation of the word Zuiko. I've always (lazily) said "zooko"... Lol..

[@zenography7923]

Zooko - certainly easier to say! Thanks for watching Paul.

[@babalooey100]

When I have a daughter I will name her Jena!

[@zenography7923]

That young lady will possess a fine name!

[@bendelandesful]

Best 28mm: pentax K 28mm f3.5, not the M version, not as good. A bit on the expensive side, but very sharp even wide open in the corners, and better than the cosina. The 28K f3.5 has a wonderful color rendition and 3D effect. I also have a Zeiss distagon 28mm f2. Well, the 28K beats it in sharpness at f3.5 and has absolutely nothing to envy to the Zeiss, to the exception of wide apperture of course, which is finally not that important on modern cameras and their high ISO possibilies. So, I'll sell that much to expensive distagon that has been a disappointment.

[@zenography7923]

That k28 is quite a lens, as I've recently found out! It features in my recent video on kits of primes, and I was very surprised indeed at how good it is. My best 28 by far.

[@bendelandesful]

@@zenography7923 if you have the opportunity, try the K version (optical design different from the M, and more expensive ), ab-so-lu-te-ly gorgeous rendering with a combination of 3D and colours pop.

[@pgtips4240]

On mft I would not consider any of those lenses wide.

[@bruhdabones]

When will KZbin add 3x speed

[@silencenhikes6692]

Bob dabiuld when you cure your ADHD

[@bruhdabones]

Silence N Beats no, I’m used to smart people like Ben Shapiro who speaks at 1.5x speed normally, so 2x gets me a total of 3x speed listening to him. This guy on the other hand speaks at 0.75x speed so 3x would just get him past 2x speed.

[@jeromecrockett2311]

Why you wispering.

[@zenography7923]

I thought I was shouting! :)