Trying a Lens From 1970s (Minolta 40mm f2)

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In this video I get a chance to try a very old lens. Specifically the Minolta 40mm f2 from the 70s!
It is a Leica mount so it was adapted for Fujifilm (sorry no idea what the adaptor was as it is not mine).
In the video I talk about my experiences using it as well as show you both photo and video footage from Venice using this lens.
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[@kcphotogeek6207]

For anyone interested in vintage glass I’d recommend checking 135mm glass, still pretty cheap the Canon FD, Takumar M42 and Pentax-M variants I’ve tried have all been great particularly the Pentax-M. Good for outdoor portraits and giving you a different perspective on urban shooting. I recommend this as it’s a focal length mostly abandoned in the digital age, I can only think of the Sony FE off the top of my head

[@mkting101]

Definitely recommend the Pentax M.

[@KeinAzzlack]

I got my hands on the 135mm canon fd over a year ago and its my favorite lens

[@jannisbmrt]

agreed. My go-to for travelling are 28mm and 135mm, both analog.

[@caw25sha]

By a strange coincidence I've just bought an adapter so I can use an old 1960s Nikon 50mm f2 lens on my Fujifilm cameras. It only arrived yesterday and a few minutes ago I got round to putting it on my X-Pro 1, and then your video popped up! I'll try it out at home this evening, then go out and try it next week.

[@MelvinGarcia]

I bought a pair of cheap TTArtisan manual lenses to give my X-T4 a second life and it totally changed the way I photograph. Ive been enjoying manual focus much more than AF. AF is convenient when you need it, but now I rather manually focus and not worry about setting up AF correctly and placing the box where it needs to be. You get faster at MF the more you practice and its so fun.

[@dan.allen.digital]

Nice video. You may also want to consider a speed booster when using vintage lenses to get the field of view closer to that of the way the lens was designed to look on a 35mm full frame. On a crop sensor you are missing out on some of the character you get near the edges of the vintage glass since you are only taking the middle portion to cover the Fuji sensor.

[@stevesvids]

I got hooked on old vintage lenses . Got loads. They're all different in their colour rendering and background blur effect, and light bloom, flare etc. Love em 🙂😎📷👍👋

[@bloomylicious]

Great video :) just to add to the plethora of recommendations you're getting, my favourite manual lenses are not actually vintage, but are from Samyang. They're very underated, made for the X mount, and it's the whole range of the 21mm f1.4, 35mm f1.2, 50mm f1.2, even the 12mm f2. They have great focus rings, very satisfying to use, well built, excellent image quality, internal focusing too, and pretty cheap, each used can be found for £100-£200, which I know isn't mad cheap but for the image quality they're very impressive.

[@aucourant9998]

Love the photos, lovely colours. The focus peaking on Fuji cameras works great; I use the red high because it's generally easier to see than the white .

[@drchtct]

I honestly think from what I've seen from your POVs a manual focus lens would suit your style of photography very well. Maybe something to think about when trimming down travel weight, Voigtländer has fantastic options for Fuji.

[@maureenhanson1640]

I use vintage manual lenses on my Fuji’s ( X-Pro2, now X-T4) 99% of the time. My favorite, and it is almost always on the T4, is the Minolta MC Rokkor 58mm/ f1.4. The vintage Nikons I use are simply magic on a Fuji camera. Hard choice on which is the best.

[@matt3194]

Do you use with a focal reducer adapter or no? How do you deal with the crop factor?

[@maureenhanson1640]

@@matt3194 No I do not. The crop factor has never been an issue for me.

[@charliejg]

Fun stuff!! Looking forward to shooting with my vintage lenses this summer. I have a Pentax 50mm f1.7 that is fun. I'd love to get a 24mm or 28mm Canon FD lens, but the video folks have really driven up the prices on those wider focal lengths. But, I'll keep looking! I have an FD135mm f3.5 that is really nice too. Lots of fun... Have a great day!

[@pdk]

The ttartisan 25mm/2.0 is so stupid cheap and fun that I think basically any x-shooter should have a copy. If you prefer a longer focal length, the 50mm/2.0 is fine as well. Of course there are gazillions of m-mount options out there, too. Don't remember the brand but cameraquest carries adapters that actually correctly focus infinity. To me it's worth the extra to have good clean infinity focus stop. Exploring manual focus lenses with adapters can be a very long and deep adventure.

[@judylindo6874]

I needed (wanted) a wide angle lens for my XT4 for a specific shoot I was going on...NYC from up high. I just couldn't afford or justify the fuji lens version so I opted for the Rokinon 12mm manual focus. I am so happy with this lens, since I am using it for cityscape I count on the distance guide on the lens and it has been spot on every time. I have also put it on the camera and walked around with it just to have fun...still impressed.

[@kerryymm]

I totally know what you mean about feeling more connected with manual lenses. I have three manual lenses now: an old Russian Helios 44-2, a TTArtisan 7.5mm Fisheye and a 7Artisans 35mm F/0.95. The Helios is a wonky old thing, not the sharpest but it has lots of character and lovely swirly bokeh; the 7Artisans is pretty sharp, and with that massive aperture it’s a bokeh monster. The fisheye is good fun, but fairly limited in what it can be used for. I’ve had a Samyang 12mm F/2 as well and I agree with everyone who’s recommending it, it’s a genuinely great lens 👍🏻

[@steffenmuller5361]

If you‘re willing to look into manual focus lenses that are native to the X-Mount by Fuji than I would highly suggest giving the Voigtlander Nokton 35/f1.2 a shot. This lens has an interesting look with nice bokeh and flares a lot when shot wide open. That it comes with electronic contacts can be viewed as a convenience bonus. On an x-Pro 3 it‘s a match made in heaven!

[@jcbarker1]

That and the 23mm Voigtlander X-mount manual lenses are great. I liked their build better than a couple Leica M lenses I rented recently.

[@snapsbyfox]

I might or might not have ordered the new Voigtlander f2 pancake....

[@jcbarker1]

@@snapsbyfox Didn’t know about this one! I’ll have a look

[@steffenmuller5361]

@@snapsbyfox this one is also high up on my „most wanted“list, as it has better minimum focus distance and +a stop of light than the xf27mm. Crossing my fingers for it to be a lens with interesting lens characteristics 🤞🏼

[@meme4one]

I love my vintage (1970s) lenses. I inherited a few from my grandad and they give great results. All mine are konica 👍 They just add another dimension and interest to photography.

[@ofthenearfuture]

Lots of great captures in this video! And cool to hang with Faizal in Venice, it's a beautiful city, obviously lol. Also just cool to try a new lens and way of shooting. I'm a big fan of Canon FD lenses, and there a lot of good options. Some are very expensive now however, but they are mainly the L glass and 'cine' gems that people will convert.

[@SourPlanet]

It's technical a Leica lens, so you know It's gonna be killer! I started shooting vintage primes on Sony a few years back and now I don't even own an AF lens. Hell, I don't even own a body that has autofocus anymore ha. Zone focus and rangefinder are just too good in the streets.

[@angumotzfeldt3093]

Punch in zoom and focus traps works better. If you have to use the focus assist lines, use the low as they are usually more accurate.

[@trevorbrooks813]

The manual/auto car is a great analogy. I sometimes use a Meike 25mm f1.8 on my Canon M6 (40mm equiv) if I'm on a casual walkabout. It can be a challenge for my (exceedingly) mature age eyes but it still 'connects' with the process. Some lovely shots in there, thanks.

[@ct_1]

I recently picked up a canon fd 50mm for my Sony A7 and have been really enjoying it. Like you say, best used when you have some extended time available to get the best out of the lens

[@gabrlyg]

So good at always Roman! Watching your videos always inspires me to take more photos.

[@TheCuri]

I started with my xt10 with a meike 25mm 1.8 manual lense for 80 Euro and I still mostly shoot square black and White photos with red Peak Highlight which really contrasts with the black and White image and with a thumb focus tap it is actually pretty easy nailing focus

[@caw25sha]

White isn't ideal for most situations. I'm surprised no manufacturer has developed firmware which automatically selects the colour which contrasts most with the subject.

[@TheCuri]

@@caw25sha yeah could be as simple as using the colors around the detected edges and inverting

[@professionalpotato4764]

One of my recent favourites is the Laowa 25mm f/0.95. It's a little huge, about the same size as the Fuji 18mm f/1.4, but handles very similarly. Focus throw is looooong with nice dampening so it allows for precise focus, but vice versa it can be hard to nail quick focus for that single moment if you want to throw it from 1m to 5m for example. I've also tried the famous Helios 44M, Olympus Zuiko 35mm f/2 and 50mm f/1.4.

[@dylandigby1776]

Have a mint one of these too, and it's my favorite vintage lens by far

[@xfani]

Love the Minolta M-rokkor 40mm f2 lens. Another one I'd recommend is the Konica M-Hexanon 50mm f2.

[@ilanwinkel1942]

Hi Roman, Thank you for your great videos! I got one (NOS) new old stock in Japan version 2 and I use it with a SL2S. I have also the 35 mm summilux FLE2 which costs 6 times the price of the 40 and the Rokkor stays on the SL2S. Every time I swap, the other lens stays less than 10 minutes... (28 summaron (Great BTW), 50 summicron V4, Elcan LLL..) This tiny lens is awesome! Thanks for sharing!

[@treharris1677]

I recommend the Olympus 50mm f1.4! Its colors are warm and it's tack sharp.

[@beowulfschmidt6031]

My very first SLR camera was a Minolta XD-5. Nostalgic.

[@sammy_sam_leonardo]

I really love the Voigtlander 23mm f1.4 for X-Mount, it’s a little bit soft wide open but above f2/2.8ish it’s really sharp yet also has great character and colour rendition. I think Doriyan Coleman and iamtongue have videos featuring it.

[@darksideemt]

Honestly if you wouldn’t have told me I wouldn’t have known those images were from a 50 yo lens. Amazing stuff as always sir.

[@danfarmer_photo]

I can highly recommend the Voigtländer lenses, BUT, not the Fuji X mount. Don’t get me wrong, the X mount are ok, but I wasn’t really impressed with them. However, the M mount range is huge with so many styles of lenses to try, and they also (IMO) are superior in IQ. Also, M mount lenses always have great resale. Great video 👌

[@venom2k2]

I got their 35mm f/1.2 today. I am well aware of its flaws but I want to try out a premium MF lens. I havent used it much, but maybe I will consider their 23mm f/1.2 (I am aware of the field curvature but don't care) and new 27mm.

[@stefanschafer6816]

Good Morning Roman, what Type of Adapter did you use for this Lens? Where can I get? Greetings from Vienna Stefan

[@danfarmer_photo]

@@venom2k2 I did exactly that. The halo effect at 1.2 was just too much for me. There are so many 23mm & 35mm options with the M mount, I found versions that I am really happy with. Good lucky with your X mount versions. You may have a better experience that I did. All the best.

[@suzukitaka4470]

@@danfarmer_photowhich ones do you recommend specifically?

[@danfarmer_photo]

@@suzukitaka4470 I have the 35mm f1.5, the 50mm f1.5, 28mm ultron f2, 21mm f1.4. Each are amazing in their own way. My favourite is the 21mm. It’s massive, but it’s beautiful.

[@garywebb5912]

I've been using 70's Olympus Zuiko 28 & 50mm lenses on my XPro3, absolutely love them.

[@professionalpotato4764]

Which 28mm do you have? I'm looking to buy one but can't quite decide if I should get the 28mm f/2 or 55mm f/1.2. Currently own the 35 f/2 and 50 f/1.4 and have the OM-1n/2n as well.

[@garywebb5912]

@@professionalpotato4764 it’s the f2.8, love the small form factor and the 42mm equivalent focal length suits me well.

[@alyhazzaa]

you need to check the Voigtlander lenses made specifically for Fuji cameras right now they have 3 lenses (23, 35,and 27) with contacts to tell you the aperture value in the metadata.

[@thedarkslide]

Just a quick clarification: The focus tab you showed on that lens is not the original tab that comes with the lens. The original one does not have a finger indent. The one on that 40mm is after-market.

[@stevenmccaughan2752]

The Minolta lens was designed by Leica for there CL camera I use the Canon FD lens on my Sony 6400 and fine them equal to the excellent Sigma lens you need to borrow a Leica M6 to find out how fast you can focus it you would be surprised

[@SuchetB]

While the photos from this lens are great, it is some of the footage you shot with it that looks awesome and cinematic. Love it - I have a MINOLD MD X ROCKER 50mm f1.8 and a MINOLD MD ROCKER 28mm f2.8, which I use on my SIGMA fp and LUMIX S1 - I am now thinking of adapting them to the Fuji X Mount.

[@joskal1965]

I have Summicron-C 40 German version of Rokkor at my Leica M and it is very haded optical gem, far away from perfect sterile sharpens as Summicron -M 35 APO($ 5000+). But photography with those is so Wonderfull with character

[@itonuoro3813]

I have a Nikon-adapter for my Fuji camera and I like to use old Nikon AI lenses from the 1970 / 1980 on my camera. These lenses had been very expensive at that time, but today you can get them really cheap. These lenses produce a specific look, that you cant achieve with modern lenses. For night-photography the old nikkor 50mm f1,4 lens is excellent!

[@eyeofalchemy]

This lens is a great performer!

[@sittymaha3741]

I recommend to try NIKKOR AI series especially with 24 mm f2.8 The character of the lens is quite pleasant. Shooting wide open the lens giving soft contrast and the flare make the image looks quite cinematic but sharp. Focus ring is firm which is good for critical focus for the details.

[@caw25sha]

I used to have one of those. Excellent lens.

[@vishwaskrishna]

Superb images. Especially liked the image at 2:02. I too use manual lens on my Fuji cameras. Though I have few Carl Zeiss and a Helios lens, I prefer the Nikon 35mm f1.8 DX lens . Such an easy lens to focus on. But this Minolta , used in the video , surely has character.

[@wouterj.vanduin8706]

Hi Roman, One of my favourite lenses for manual use is the wonderful Laowa Argus XF/CF APO f/1:0.95 33 mm It is in my opinion the best ever nifty-fifty for the Fuji-X camera's. It's a great lens for night, evening, interior and what not. Fully open it shows it's character but also makes focusing with manual focus-peaking a joy. I do however prefer a red outline since it is more clear as an additional element in screen when focussing.

[@professionalpotato4764]

The Laowa 25 is another great option if one prefers slightly wider fov of somewhere around 37mm.

[@eduardoflores7732]

I have Fuji XE2 and XE3 with fuji 23,35,50 f/2’s and 18-55 kit lens. But I prefer to use manual lens. I have an extensive collection of 40 manual lens and I feel more connected to the camera when using them.

[@robertgrenader858]

Great compositions; I particularly like the one of the man in the blue-hulled boat. For manual focus Fuji X-lenses, consider 7Artisans or TTartisan.

[@R8135003]

The Minolta Rokkor 45mm F2 was basically a kit lens. The coatings varied from batch to batch. It is becoming a little bit of a cult lens. Be lucky stay safe

[@OverPaul]

Stunning. Have you ever tried the over-chatted Helios 44-2?

[@djtruedomination]

I have maybe 30 vintage lenses. I love vintage glass.

[@Brendan-Grant]

Welcome to the manual focus life! I love seeing other photographers embrace the analog experience :D

[@Artha1337]

Very nice video! I also totally enjoy taking pictures with an older lens. I can recommend the AF D 60/2.8 Micro Nikkor 😎👌 also a very nice makro lens and the 90mm equivalent on the cropped sensor.

[@jules_mac]

Great video. Thanks Roman.

[@vikdaddy]

Just get yourself one of the Voigtlander X mount lenses, it's an unbeatable manual focus experience for Fuji

[@vladimirs5029]

Definitely try helios 44 and super takumar 50 mm 1.4

[@TheMegabam5]

As far as Fuji x manual focus lenses are concerned, its pretty hard to beat the value that Samyang lenses provide. You should check out the 21 and 35mm! Although a tad large, they are amazingly sharp for a good price.

[@ernstfrohlich897]

No.

[@jeejbeej]

Cool video! I do think you need to start using a lens hood. Some of the flare is cool, but the 'veiling flare' that happens when you shoot into bright light ruined some of the shots IMO. It results in a lot of loss of contrast.

[@JasonFisk]

Shooting old film cameras i'm used to using manual lenses. At the moment I only have one vintage lens with an adapter for my fuji's. But getting one for my old Canon FD lenses is on the list. Great video as always. Do you think you'll get some vintage lenses?

[@Jaywestend]

Love that lens! Was my first lens for my Leica M8. I will never sell it! 😅

[@miked3564]

Voigtlander 27mm f2 ULTRON Fuji X Mount to be released this month.

[@guillaumesandmayer7053]

The rendering on this Minolta/Fuji seen here in this KZbin viddy' would fool any film vintage eye of the beholder - I for one would be happily fooled seeing hanging prints of these shots and probably never think they were created on a digital Fuji platform - the Fuji film simulations are a gift from the camera gods as everyone knows but like so many, particularly the newer Fuji native lenses are becoming increasingly *too sharp and accurate* - what ever that means - I believe it's just an unexpected outcome from the pursuit of the optics engineers. Being more optically precise and clinical is progress people!!...Or is it for many here? Hmmm...

[@gkampolis]

Wow, that’s quite the find! Is the galati on natural from the lens or is it from a filter in front? Not going to lie, contemplating this plus a speedbooster so that the 40mm viewing angle is kept.

[@emptypixels]

Minolta gang! I absolutely love vintage manual focus, there is nothing even close to that feel today aside from maybe Voigtlander and Laowa. Electronic MF is just an absolute nightmare to use and feels horendous.

[@andrewtesdahl2371]

Im rocking the minolta 50mm f 1.4 on my fuji GFX 50r

[@fanism.267]

Now that you tried a manual focus lens and used focus peaking, my question is, does the higher resolution viewfinder on the xh2s make a noticeable difference compared to the xt5 's?

[@Enrique-the-photographer]

But it's all right now, I learned my lesson well, you see, you can't please everyone so you got to please yourself (don’t you just love Ricky Nelson). You're doing fine Roman, keep doing what you're doing.

[@alasadulmakki]

Could you pls share your c1 to c7 dial settings on your x-h2s for photos and videos? Thank you.

[@colanhanh6923]

Super ♥️

[@Boxx_PedroSoares]

Suggestion: X mount Voigtlander 35mm f1.4.

[@ItsMe-oi9dy]

I have this lens but my focus ring isn't like yours, and looking online it looks like there's a hundreds different variations of the focus ring/grip. The one you show appears to be the best type for focusing with, and everything else is super awkward and the biggest let down of this lens.

[@user-uq4eb9nf9u]

I have soviet Helios 44-2 58 mm f2.0 and rehouse for 2 price of this lens. Very funny process of his unique bokeh hunting.

[@williama-d6]

birds around the burger? did the person eat it afterwards?

[@felixk1606]

What lens adapter did you use for minolta 40mm f2. Thanks

[@toasty-toast]

How does it compare to the 45mm Minolta

[@eltinjones4542]

If they work fine but I don't think that I'd be able to tell the difference relative to the contemporary lenses?

[@ernstfrohlich897]

this lens works much better on a mirrorless digital camera with a full frame sensor.

[@kevrosas1]

Now try a cheap M42 lens with adaptor. Weighs a tonne, sticks out a mile and isn’t as quick to focus as that expensive Leica mount one!

[@antonielojeda5202]

Sorry if I am being ignorant but how do you use a Minolta (or any other vintage lens for that matter) in a X-mount camera? Does it even fit by itself or you gotta get yourself an adapter?

[@davidellinsworth3299]

There are adaptors available for just about any lens mount combination you can think of

[@michelvondenhoff9673]

MF I find a lot of fun, just as a prime lens with fast-ish aperture. It gives a sense of craftmanship (or lack of). Enjoy your new toy!

[@trashcansign]

2:48 he seems to have an attachment on the focus ring. can anyone tell me what it is? i can't find it anywhere. or is that a built in feature on some lenses

[@Tekrel]

It's built in

[@marksieving7925]

Search for "lens focus wrench." I think it's built-in to the lens he's using, but you can get them to attach to your own lenses.

[@M.Redsky]

the lens has a hazy, ghosty quality to it. can you tell me about this adapter?

[@snapsbyfox]

Not sure I'm afraid as it wasn't mine and I didn't check. I assume it was a generic Leica to Fuji one

[@lucapellizzaro80]

Are you still in Venice mate? I live literally 30 mins away and I'd like to hang out with you 📸

[@snapsbyfox]

Nah this was a couple weeks back, still catching up on all the videos. sorry but I'm sure I will be in that part of Italy again soon

[@lucapellizzaro80]

@@snapsbyfox and I'll be in London next week 😘😘😘

[@errole]

Are yoy worried about dust?

[@snapsbyfox]

nah, there are much bigger things to worry about in life haha

[@oddittydotco]

Do you ever worry that some of the vintage lenses are radioacitve ☢?

[@R8135003]

no more than carrying your phone in your pocket or the granite kitchen tops.

[@mikefoster6018]

loved your email today about losing subscribers due to your various photography/video opinions and video choices. We need a world where people stay authentic. I've been watching a lot of KZbinr 'movie reaction' videos lately (for my sins - and promise I'll stop) and it's astonishing how those sparky young vloggers 1) enter an emotional downward spiral if something too surprising happens in a film, such as a likeable main character dying and 2) there's bizarre conformity around hating seeing animals hurt even though it's just special effects, yet actively wishing ''baddie' characters are killed for things like theft, salaciousness etc. Nothing too surprising there, except the overall strangeness of expecting people to serve us up EXACTLY what we want to hear. No wonder Disney/Marvel movies have become so profoundly vanilla and fan-service. Glad you're keeping it authentic, and not doing some dirge such as posting your reactions to people's favourite bands and always saying they're "brilliant" for klout! Strange days!

[@zatoichiable]

I think 40mm is the real 50..