Vintage 50mm Lens Shootout - 10 Lenses, Under $100

[@AndrewGoodCamera]

**UPDATE** You'll want to take my sharpness test with a grain of salt. Someone made me aware that vintage lens adapters can have an effect on corner/edge sharpness and may make a lens appear worse than it is. See this video for more info: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bXa4pGCJitODg9U

[@Ava-wu4qp]

That corner sharpness issue is typically either a result from either an optical adapter (the adapter actually has glad elements in it) or on wide angle lenses. The issue with vintage wide angles is that their high angle of incidence was not designed for the filter stack or microlenses on a digital sensor. For your review here, neither of those should make a difference.

[@AndrewGoodCamera]

Ava, not all adapter manufacturers are created equal and there can be a wide variance between assembly tolerances. Even with an APS-C device it's easy to spot when there are issues here. See the video I referenced above.

[@jp2503]

You should try the Fujinon 50mm f1.4 EBC ! The rendering is gorgeous in color sharpness and bokeh is soap bubbled for sure. I use it with a Zhongyi turbo II focal reducer. Also a Konica 50mm f1.4 and the 57mm f1.4!

[@harrison00xXx]

I would not be too sure about your Super Takumar 1.4 being radioactive at all. Most super takumars are non radioactive, and very few are slightly radioactive, something like 1-2 ySv/h. My SMC Takumar, highly thoriated, measures about 12-14 ySv/h. Note that my cheap geiger counter is only sensitive to Beta, Gamma and X-Ray so i only measure the decay products which are mainly beta and x-ray, meanwhile majority of radiation is alpha and barely detectable by my device. Also, most Takumars have a yellow/brown color cast, it just happens that the radioactive ones have mostly the worst color cast when not treated with UV for long, but when you treat the color shift it should be nearly clear for many months or even years or forever if you use the lens in daylight.

[@dalrok]

On an Crop APS-C Cam You don't have to worry much about the corners with these old fullframe-lenses. The crop-sennsor only uses a smaller part of the available field, so corner issues are only to be expected with very bad lenses (there are a lot out there), but not with these. I own a lot of these old lenses, different Pentax 50mm/1.4 (8 & 7 elements) & 50/1.8, Revuenon 55/1.4 & 1.2, Olympus Zuiko 50/1.4 Auto-S etc. They're used on FF cameras and APS-C, but most of the time I prefer the look of the FF images, even if the corners are a bit dark and not so sharp on some. On APS-C corner flaws are almost no issue. The Contax lens is known for not being really sharp at apertures less than f2.8, better 3.5. In my experience, all adapters with correcting lenses like the FD or MD-Adapters are not recommended, because the lenses are of inferior quality most of the time. About the often heard 'these lenses are not designed for digital' myth: the only issue here is, that the rear lens of these older lenses have no non-reflective coating on the camera side, that would avoid reflections by the sensor being reflected back by the backside surface of the lens. It has nothing to do with the filter stack.

[@n1k1george]

So happy to see people appreciating vintage glass in this day and age. I started shooting in the mid '70s so I have fond memories of the older gear. Thanks for the review!

[@othomsen1]

Just a little nerdy thing: I don’t think the Thorium Oxide, used on the Takumar, is a coating. It’s molded into the glass.

[@zippywalker6406]

And, auto-white balance pretty much nullifies the yellow tint.

[@LostRhodes]

New newer Canon is actually SC coated. All of the FDn lenses are SSC coated except the 50 1.8 which is SC coated. Solid video though.

[@Phantommxr]

Zenography is a great channel for vintage film cameras and lenses on digital cameras....he loves the Zuiko lenses!!!! The way he speaks and compares is so calm...

[@AgentBlackCrow]

Thanks for the tip, subscribed.

[@themoolag]

Thank you for this suggestion!

[@umac76]

He would hate that channel. As he said, he just doesn't understand why people are crazy about bokeh, and Zenography is all about that.

[@sclogse1]

@@umac76 Yes boookehhh is beeeeg (like my Akim Tamiroff impression?) with Zeno, but he is very sensitive to the other features of lenses. He loves edge to edge sharpness, temperature of rendition, and saturation. Yes, the in focus foreground is the thing, but if it occupies one sixth of the image, you have a lot of leftover space to deal with. Personally, if I really want to print a shot, I redesign my out of focus distant areas myself.

[@henryrogers5500]

@@umac76 Beauty and art is the eye of the beholder. But bokeh is universally and overwhelmingly desired in most photography. That said, to each their own.

[@jasonandrews7355]

This could be a series! I'd love to see a video on vintage wide angles or vintage portrait lenses, (or both, ideally lol)

[@N0rdman]

Thank you, nice comparison. A few notes; regarding Canon, when multi-coated lenses became a big thing they used designations on the lenses to attract customers, the first was S.C. for Spectra Coating and later Super Spectra Coating (S.S.C) for a few, then gradually more, expensive lenses. By the time of the later "new" FD lenses, all lenses had the best coatings, except the 50mm f/1.8 but it still had coatings. Regarding Pentax: The company that manufactured Pentax was Asahi Optical Company, their lenses was called Takumar or Super Takumar but later closer to the introduction of the Pentax K mount, the lenses were called SMC Pentax (the more compact for ME/MX was SMC Pentax-M), as Pentax was very much into multi-coating and mentioned their Super Multi-Coated (SMC) lenses in all their communication. Later Asahi Optical (Pentax) changed names to just Pentax and was bought by Hoya, then by Ricoh. Regarding the radioactive lenses made by several companies, even Kodak has made several radioactive lenses, came about when they realised that thorium was introduced into the glass mix, not the coatings, the optical glass produced had interesting properties. The glass had both higher refractive index and less dispersion, making it very useful. In layman's terms it means it bends light more, so you could have thinner glass, but still the different wavelengths of light was less dispersed so it was easier to correct all colours in focus. The mix of thorium varied but up to 30% in what is more or less sand and different salts; thorium salt although radioactive made optical design a little easier and better, not considering the side effects of radiation... So don't sleep with your radioactive lenses next to you! Otherwise the danger is mostly if you break the lens element(s) containing thorium, which usually, but not always, not the front element.

[@janG1993]

Would love to see a video about 35mm vintage glass :-)

[@ThirdEye105]

More specifically 35mm f/2's. I am interested to see side by side comparisons of Canon FD-N vs. Nikkor AI-s.

[@pixiedixie3682]

Mubeen Mughal Check" The Angry Photographer" videos he has over 500 lenses, he knows his stuff especially Nikkor Lenses

[@marion_roberts]

Andrew, dude, there's already a lot of full frame YTer nuts out there; You really don't have to explain yourself for using a camera with apsc sensor.I followed your channel mainly because I know you're a fuji system user and your content style is refreshing, definitely different from bigshot,sponsored ones. I say using the XT3 for this experiment was an excellent choice, *cough* mainly because it's the camera that I have lol.

[@stulora3172]

As an X-T2 owner, I second this opinion.

[@MathieuStern]

really cool ! i would add the Canon FD f1.4 , a splendid lens

[@AndrewGoodCamera]

Thanks Mathieu. I actually had that one and had intended to make it part of the review, but aperture ring wasn't working :(

[@samsen3965]

In Mathieu Stern, We Trust!

[@davidangel-blair9358]

Glad to hear you picked the Olympus lens one of the two you would keep. I have owned Olympus lenses for years and love them.

[@SchardtCinematic]

I've beenusing old MD mount Minolta lenses on my Canon DSLRs since I bought my T3i in January 2012. I have a 50mm f/2 lens and also a wider angle 45mm and a 35mm Minolta lenses. I also have 2 FD mount Canon lenses. I agree with you on how they have to connect to my adapter. It's not as simple as the Minolta lenses. The Minolta lenses were my Dads to his SRT-201 & his Newer Minolta X-9. My Canon lenses belonged to my Grandfathers AE-1. I'm glad I get too continue using these lenses from time to time. I've owned a T3i, 5D mark III, Canon 80D (no longer have), Canon 90D and my Canon R7. I love the look and organic feel o get from vintage lenses. Yes thee is always a bit of photoshop touch up needed afterwards. But it's still fun.

[@joshkiddfilms1295]

Just a note, the Pentax SMC is actually pretty similar to the Takumar SMC, but I believe the main difference is all the lens elements are coated, so it should actually have more coatings than the Super Takumar SMC. But saying its the non super version isn't quite accurate, as it does have the same super multi coating from the super Takumar SMC. Your findings on sharpness are interesting though. My Pentax lenses seem significantly sharper than the Takumars and Canon FDs I own.

[@hurleygreen927]

Great tips..I just got a used Nikon 55mm 2.8 macro lens and very pleased with its sharpness and resolution! Thanks

[@jb678901]

Would love to see: 1) Vintage 50, 55, 58 mm / f1.2 shootout. Canon, Hexanon, Nikon, Takumar, Minolta. 2) Vintage 85mm's, to include the Jupiter-9 3) Add the Helios 44 family (or just the 44-2) and Jupiter 8 (50/f2.0) to the mix in comparing against the popular vintage 50's. 4) Benefits of various value priced focal reducers on your favorite 50mm (Nikkor 50/1.4), from Roxsen, Kipon, Viltrox, Zhongyi Turbo II, all paired to your crop sensor (APSC or M4/3).

[@ldstirling]

Despite how fiddly some of the adapters are, especially for Canon FD mount lenses, it's hard to beat the value of the K&F Concept adapters for Fuji X-mount at $20-25 apiece. I have Nikon F and Canon FD mount adapters for my XE-2 and I love using the vintage glass on it, especially the Nikon 105mm f/2.5 and Canon 50mm f/1.4 SSC lens.

[@Man0fMetal]

I bought the Nikkor 50 f1.4 at a shop in Macau. he let me try a bunch of lenses outside his shop. ended up with the Nikkor because it was easiest to consistently hit moving targets and the sharpness was awesome. tried everything from Schneider - Kreuznach to Zeis lenses.

[@SeanFisher]

I use a SMC Pentax 1:1.2/50mm on aps-c Sony body. I took out the ball bearing to de-click it and it works smoothly for video, too. Love it. Color isn't as good as I'd like, but built like a tank.

[@ukolbe5589]

Having a great time with my good old Carl Zeiss Jena and Pentacon glass; the 1.8/50, 2.8/135, and 4/300 are my favorites. Been using them with K&F adapters on my X-T3.

[@barrycohen311]

Zeiss Jena Tessar would blow any of these lenses away.

[@Johnkostercreative]

Super Takumar. There is no other. Sharp and crazy bokeh. Now if you had the Nikon 50 f/1.2 AI-S, then you'd be talking.

[@jeremyhle]

You can correct the yellowing of the Super Takumar by using a UV-B lamp, the kind that you get from a pet store as a heating lamp for reptiles, instead of leaving it in the sun. Ultraviolet-B rays are what correct the yellowing

[@darwinmacon]

Another great test would be to compare the flaring. I love sun flare and the Takumar is supposed to produce a really pleasing, dreamy flare. It would be cool to see how the others compare.

[@WaywardAce]

Agreed on the Zuiko ..... Having a hard time taking it off the XE2 , love everything about it ..... great vid!

[@fenixtech1342]

Would be cool to see a dedicated video on the 1-2 lenses you chose here, see it out in the field. I picked up a Helios 44-2 (58mm) for the X-T3 and its pretty amazing in quality, build (and price).

[@Noealz]

BTW it isn't a thorium coating, it is actually baked into the glass : )

[@Iggie1970_1]

But at least he did a good "blablabla"...

[@jb678901]

Correct, it is thoriated glass (Th-232 doping) and is used, typically in the rear element, to reduce the size of the element itself. This is due to the inherently higher refractive index achieved by using thoriated glass. Are these elements radioactive? Yes. But the Th-232 decay chain is mostly low penetration alpha and beta decay (blocked by the lens itself, the camera body, clothing, and for alphas, the human dead-skin layer (which is pretty thin!!) The last part of the decay chain gives off low-energy gamma. Th-232 has a very LONG half-life of about 14.2 Bio years. It is as common in the Earth's crust as lead (about 2cc's per cubic meter of earth) and a key contributor to our naturally occurring background radiation.

[@thedondeluxe6941]

Oooooh, I'm almost drooling looking at all those lenses on the same table. I'm lucky enough to have several of them, and it's so enjoyable to use them on a full frame mirrorless. I would also highly recommend the Helios 44 for portraits!

[@arashi9469]

If you want to remove the yellow tint from the Takumar, you can just leave it for a day under a desk lamp (and also put tin foil under it to reflect the light from below), it worked fine with my thorium Fujinon (50mm f/1.4). Also I'm surprised that your Planar is not sharp, since it's the sharpest of all my 50mm lenses.

[@domtomas1178]

Great video! thanks for taking the time to make it. I've adopted an Olympus Zuiko OM 50mm f1.4 and 28mm f2 on my Fuji X-Pro2 both with a dummy adaptor as well as with a Metabones SpeedBooster Ultra. Have to say, I'm really enjoy using these legacy lenses. I actually find that the sharpness is better with the SpeedBooster. However, on the Pro-2 body, the Speedbooster doesn't fit properly and I don't have focus at infinity. Been meaning to fix this, but It will require filing down the back of the Speedbooster, which I've been putting off 😁 (previous using a Fuji X-E2, that worked perfectly for many years!)

[@erikhorne986]

Nice round up! I think a 'vintage character' comparison and a 'vintage portrait' comparison would be interesting narratives to open up. Always enjoy your guys content.

[@PhotoArtBrussels]

Just FYI, the 'non SC' lenses of Canon are the 'New FD' and so more recent and better coated than the 'SC' or 'SSC' lenses wiith are the older FD lenses. All 'New FD' lenses, the ones with the little black button, have the best coatings Canon had at the time. Great video, i have almost of the lenses shown, and many others, and adapting lenses is fun. Much choice and many 'special' cases. The Takumar 55mm 1.8 is charper, so is the Yashica 50mm f2. I use mine on my Sony A7 III, Panasonic GH5 and (less) my Canon 80D (because no focus peaking)

[@AndrewGoodCamera]

Thanks!

[@Desmond-Hume]

Can you tell, which version is sharpest, Canon fd 50 mm 1.4, with s.s.c, or without it?

[@buzhichun]

I'm missing Konica in your lens selection! I've used dozens of vintage 50's, including most of these (and more expensive ones), and their Hexanon 50mm f/1.7 and f/1.4 lenses beat pretty much everything else

[@AndrewGoodCamera]

I have a Konika and waffled between including it or not. Ultimately decided not as it's not as popular, as you noted.

[@A1Bokeh]

Man so many lenses

[@therealchickentender]

The algorithm demands popularity over quality. Content creators embrace this for clicks. I'm entirely fine with no one mentioning Hexanons on a well-viewed video. Keeps them and the related cameras affordable. They can all just keep shooting and buying those AE-1s. ;-)

[@babylon4953]

I got the Nikon 50 1.4 AI-S. It's a really nice lens. But pretty soft fully open. (Shot on 42mpx) Stopping it down to at least f2 is a must. But I often shoot it at f2.8.

[@AndrewGoodCamera]

It's actually sharper wide open than all the other 1.4 lenses I tested, except for the minolta, which it was very close to. At least my copy

[@scottparis6355]

Yeah, regarding the poor performance of the Zeiss lens, one problem with all vintage lenses is that they're vintage lenses. They've been soldiering along for 30-40-50 years and you can't know if they've been dropped, or repaired/cleaned by someone who put them back together incorrectly. If you get one that is disappointing, try another example. For sure, none of these lenses had gritty focusing when they were new. So a gritty one is dirty, or was improperly lubricated when rebuilt.

[@IanDavis-n1h]

really appreciated this.. your methodology was unbiased unlike many of these kinds of videos which are 'these are the 10 lenses I bought at garage sales over 20 years'.. I like 'best selling' as a more reliable indicator of general quality.. though crazy fad is not to be dismissed as a possibility.. I wanted to add my direct experience with almost all the pentax 50s.. I'd check out the A series 1.7.. and the 55mm f1.8 which is outstanding for creamy yet sharp either the thread mount or the first couple bayonet. The 50mm f1.4 you tested I shot with for many years.. it's nice.. but more akin to the other 50mm M series the f2.. the 55 has a different formula.. they are pretty dang cheap for being such a great lens. another 'hidden gem' is both pentax macros in the FA (the ugly barrels with red lettering and a tiny focus ring) both the 50mm and the 100mm f2.8 are SPECTACULAR for the used costs..

[@-grey]

I'd like to see vintage wides, or focal reduced/speedboosted, on aps-c of course. 😉 The X-T series is the best camera for manual focus out there. That dual screen EVF, is perfect for old lenses. And why I sold my A7RII for the X-T2 in the first place.

[@QuietOC]

Vintage wides are pretty awful even without adding more glass.

[@-grey]

@@QuietOC probably. But they're fun. I have the FD 24f2.8 and it's really great, so I'm interested.

[@cameragod1]

I just bought a Mir 20mm 3.5 its beautiful. facebook.com/cameragod/videos/10211297701996931/

[@cameragod1]

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[@pixiedixie3682]

Matthew Huizing Try Nikkor wide ones.....

[@MrPoser-qc8fl]

This was fantastic. I certainly want to try some of those lenses on my X-T20 now. I've been using a Pentax SMS 55mm f/1.8 and love it. It's a great portrait length on the cropped sensor and mine is incredibly sharp. For future videos, I'd like to see some vintage macro lenses. I bought an Olympus Zuiko MC 50mm macro this spring, and like you noted, it's really fun to shoot with. It's sharp and easy to focus - I even won a couple awards for a macro stack I made using it. My budget is tight but I've been wondering if I couldn't just use a Fuji XF 60mm macro and get the macro and sharpness I love from the OM and the focal length of the Pentax without the weight of two lenses, vintage glass and adapters. It might not be as fun to shoot, but might simplify my setup.

[@Kthomasritchie]

The first vintage lens I ever bought for my Sony A7III, was the 50mm SMC Takumar f/1.4. I totally fell in love with it. I have now built up a collection of Takumar lenses. I also own the Canon 50mm nFD f/1.4. The build quality is terrible, and as you have noted in this video, it's a pain to use adaptive.

[@SimeonKolev]

The lock of the Canon FD adapters is actually more like open-close aperture ring. You can use it like a preset mechanism.

[@tylerfields2368]

I have a canon rebels sl3, debating getting a 50 mm fd 1.4 (which adapter u got?)

[@dudragon49]

The kind of sensor you use might also be of greater influence on results. And you're right the feeling you have is so important in the choice of a lens.

[@corycity6897]

I like the review style, not just harping on sharpness. The 50mm-58mm on APS-C has kept me from buying an 85mm for my full frame.

[@hamzatatta952]

hi which one do you use for fuiji, i am just about to gEt XPRO 2 , I Was thinking of getting the 56mm fuji

[@solvm1652]

Fun vid. Great work. Thanks mang. Yes, vintage lenses with character sound like fun. Helios, Auto Sears and Voigtlander could be fun.

[@shellyliebler4204]

Vintage lenses on Fuji are awesome. I don't have any of these, but plenty of 50ish lenses. Love to see another photo challenge with vintage lenses.

[@hamzatatta952]

hi which one do you use for fuiji, i am just about to gEt XPRO 2 , I Was thinking of getting the 56mm fuji

[@dirtywater5336]

The Canon "new" FD lenses all received the spectra coatings of previous generations. They just didn't stamp it on the lens going forward after the breach lock mounts. It's a shame they didn't give you the 1.4 version. It's definitely cheaper than $100, has butter smooth focus, amazing color and contrast, is tack sharp, has decent throw, and amazing bokeh thanks to its 9 blade aperture. It is, in my opinion, the sleeper of all vintage 50mm lenses in terms of IQ. By comparison of both 1.8s, which I did have and did an IQ test on, the 1.4 blew them both away. I sold them the next day. Sharp as a tack! I suggest you do a shootout with the nFD 1.4 against your two favorites from this video. That would be cool to see where it ranks. As for the fiddly claim, I agree sometimes they can get annoying. I've learned that you need to have the adapter ring set to open for it to work. If it's in the lock position, the aperture wont work. Secondly, to mount it easier, I put the red dot on the lens to 1 o'clock on the mount and slide it counter clockwise until it clicks in. It doesn't catch on anything doing it this way. Also, leaving a lens out in the sun for a couple days sounds like a great way to ruin a lens with balsam separation. I would never advise doing that unless you're comfortable with possibly having to throw that lens out

[@AndrewGoodCamera]

They actually had given me a 50mm 1.4 but I couldn't get the aperture to work with the adapter. I think something was wrong with it.

[@dirtywater5336]

Denae & Andrew were you able to move the lock/unlock ring on the adapter once it was mounted? Because like I said, if it’s mounted while even a little bit locked, it can cause the aperture not to work because the pin didn’t grab the mechanism on the lens that controls the aperture correctly. I’ve had that problem many of times while mounting FD lenses so I just make sure the adapter is set to open before mounting

[@seoulrydr]

Nice comparison and information laden video! If you haven't already considered it, I would love to see Konica Hexanon lenses thrown into the mix. And you could always do a 50mm - 55mm f1.2 comparison vid! Thank you for all your hard work!

[@johancoetzer2165]

You really messed up on the Pentax nomenclature. The SMC Pentax M 50mm f/1.4 is very different from the SMC Pentax 50mm f/1.4. The M stands for "miniturized." There is no Super version - SMC stands for Super Multi Coated. The Takumar and Pentax were made by the Asahi Optical Company but nobody talks about an Asahi Pentax lens. On the whole, not a very good video. I stopped at the halfway mark. 😢

[@Smoothblue90]

I have the Super Takumar 1.4 for the win. I use it on Olympus cameras with focus peaking. And it is absolutely clear. It is fun, but it is the only old non af glass I have. It did not start me on a legacy train.

[@jcblum1507]

Hello Andrew & Denae, as always congratulations for your channel and these wonderful reviews, but I have a doubt, I bought an AX mount URTH adapter to use some old Sony lenses and the adapter ring only takes 8 steps, is it normal?

[@TomChamberlain]

It's my understanding that the NON-breechlock canon lenses are the FDn version which has the S.S.C. coatings as opposed as you noted it as "uncoated." The breechlock versions came in two flavors, S.C. and S.S.C. Spectra-Coating and Super Spectra Coating respectively. I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong.

[@davidsimerly3261]

You're correct. The nFD is multi coated, although with nFD they removed the S.C. and S.S.C. nomenclature.

[@drfaustens4504]

I shoot a lot of vintage/legacy Nikkors from when I shot for the newspapers in the 80's. Just a suggestions, you may want to consider three lenses from that era. Without going into detail, the first is the Nikon (not a Nikkor) 50mm f/1.8 e-series. It is very sharp and inexpensive; the next is the 50mm f/1.8 Ai-s lens that was sold only in Japan. Identified by serial numbers starting n the 205... to 226... range (Roland's Nikon database has more precise data listed under "Ai-s 50mm /1.8 Japan"), but it close focuses to 1.5 feet as opposed to 2 feet for other 50mm Nikkors, Last but not least is a relatively unknown zoom auto focus (Nikon literally calls it an AF lens) 28 to 80mm f./3.3-5.6G strictly bare bones; I call it eccentric. It close focuses surprising close (it has no distance scale on the lens, but I've gottin closer than 2 feet (I think; some say it focuses to 14 inches). It is out of production since 2005. Each of these lenses I was able to purchase in the past five years for under $70 (The zoom maybe still offered on Amazon, the others on e-bay).

[@PaulHofreiter]

I’ve used the Canon FD Mount 1.8, Super Takumar (though 55mm) 1.8 and Pentax f2. 1.7 and 1.4. You’re right about the breech lock of the Canon - I didn’t like the 50 but do use the Vivitar Series 1 70-210 3.5 and 28 f2 and switching them in the adapter is really annoying. My favorite of the 50s though is the Pentax 1.4. It produces a really nice look and is sharp even compared to newer 50s I’ve used. I wonder if I just got a good copy since yours didn’t fare that well in sharpness. The 1.7 wasn’t bad either but the f2 wasn’t very good. The Super Takumar isn’t a great performer (though not bad) but the bokeh is really interesting. Not what many people want in bokeh but it has a lot of character. Edit: you’ll need to leave the Super Takumar in the sun for more than two days. I left mine under an LED lamp, which also works but more slowly for two weeks and it improved quite a bit.

[@arttafil6792]

I can eliminate all this questioning, simple answer is ANY MANUFACTURER’S 50mm f/2! This particular optical formula is perfection!

[@rtpwyk]

I am a fan of how the FD lenses bloom vs flare when light is in or near the frame. They give a rather dreamy look that's hard to find in other lenses.

[@Marspalacios]

It is my understanding that a longer focus throw is preferred for video because it allows for a smoother focus, primarily if you use a follow focus device.

[@AndrewGoodCamera]

I assumed that too, but I was told otherwise by a videographer. Maybe he didn't know what he was talking about though :)

[@YannickKhong]

Great comparison. Please compare bokeh at mid to longer distance for future ones. Usually this is where it's at the weakest for a lens.

[@Spaviladiy0]

Awesome comparison. A video on vintage lens with character would be 👌🏻

[@fwatson1990]

Do 35mm and try the Carl Zeiss Flektogon 35mm 2.4. You'll love the close focus on that

[@Leondrian]

I also would love to see 35mm. And for upcoming episodes the ones on the wider end. It's really hard to find "good" vintage lenses under 24mm and I would really love to get some good info on which ones to pick up. Maybe 135mm as well. Thanks in advance, Robert.

[@apislapis]

Thank you for your excellent video. I still have my old Olympus lenses and OM10, OM2SP & OM4 gear and have recently gone back to using Olympus MFT for travel photography. It would have been interesting to see what results you got from the Zuiko 50mm f1.4, but I guess they go for more than $100? My 86 yr old dad just gave me a Nikon F-301/N2000 & EM in 2021, both having series E 50mm f1.8 lenses, which I will be adapting to my Olympus due to their pancake like size. I would have been interested to see what results you got from this plasticky but cute little lens? I often hear variants of the phrase 'the best lens you have is the one on your camera,' and tho' it is fall/autumn, I hope to use my zuikos and series E when travelling. Cheers, your video has inspired me to use my vintage glass.

[@endautrestermes]

Great content, thanks ! Would be very interested for a 35mm showdown indeed ! Great format

[@jamesdbong]

Great video. I really liked your take on these lenses. A friend gave me his old Super Takumar that was a hand me down. I just love it! I'd like to see how these lenses perform on full frame, especially vignetting.

[@douggottlieb]

Great video! Would love to see your take on vintage Leica lenses because you’re not a Leica shooter. Is there really a “Leica look?” Do you like it? 50 dual range and 40 summicron would be great.

[@jasonandrews7355]

Great video! Definitely inspired me to get out my suite of Minolta & Konica glass...maybe I'll take a couple of those oldies along with my trusty X-E1 camping this weekend :)!

[@homesickphotographycomau4107]

i have three of the Olympus. all very close in every way on om1 and om10. good review will be getting the Nikon for F4 and FG

[@Sertao2013]

The super takumar 1.4 was made 2 different ways . One what the 8 element which is super sharp and way sharper than the 7 element version . Which one did you use ?

[@smashtime1904]

Have you done this for effective 50mm for instance: 35mm on 1.5x crop or 2x crop sensor, or 24mm-28mm for a 2x crop sensor? As a m43 user I always have a speedbooster on camera where a 35mm f2 or f1.4 acts like a 50mm f1.4 and f1 respectively. I've gone so far as to pick up some 50-135mm f3.5 because they become 70-192mm f2.5 and recently picked up the Sigma 17-50mm f2.8 which becomes a 24-70mm f2, and Tokina 50-135mm f2.8 as a 70-192mm f2.

[@New777World]

There's an 8 element version of the 50mm vintage super takumar 1.4 that is a favorite not included in this test. I have it and love it with a speed booster!

[@A1Bokeh]

Howd you set up the speed booster ?

[@New777World]

@@A1Bokeh I used zhongyi speed booster lens turbo II m42 to nex.... I used this for Sony a6000 camera

[@A1Bokeh]

@@New777World cool thanks man!

[@antoniof.8614]

I'm quite surprised by the results from the Zuiko because it's an early silvernose copy, probably even single coated

[@hoorayforpentax3801]

For the Super Takumar on DSLR, there are in-camera colour palettes which can ameliorate the yellowing if you want to shoot straight out of camera and not play around in post, at least for the more sophisticated models. For film, I have to admit that I stick to black and white when I mount that lens.

[@amsimun]

would love to see a review of wide angle (24-35mm) vintage lenses on fuji mirrorless systems.

[@mjones410]

the Oly 50mm f1.4 is quite lovely as well, although perhaps a bit more pricey. Having said that though Planars make me go weak at the knees, I don't care that they are not sharp, they are just so dam creamy :)

[@duringthemeanwhilst]

great comparison :-) I use the Canon FD on my X-T3 with quite pleasing results.

[@ravensatodds]

Great review mate. Helped me decide on the Olympus

[@jimgraves4197]

I know some folk have put their Takumar Thorium glass under a UV light for a couple of days to successfully remedy the yellowing.

[@IAmTheCraftsman]

I have a Canon FD lens with the proper adapter for my camera. I recently noticed that the aperture ring on the adapter does not do anything to the aperture on the lens when I rotate it. In this vid you mentioned that you have to get it on just right for the aperture adjustment to work correctly. I'm thinking I'm putting it on right, but obviously not. I will search for a video on here, but do you have any other tips or techniques to get the adapter on the lens correctly?

[@jndowse]

Thank you for this! I've been looking at cheap/vintage lens options to pair with my X-T20 and this really helped. I'm also considering something more modern yet equally cheap, the 7Artisans 55/1.4. Would be interesting to compare your top pics to the 7Artisan!

[@Gallery90]

Among the later multi-coated 50mm f/1.8 lenses some had a problem with the lubricant on the diaphragm blades. They ended up being sticky. Eventually Oly got the problem solved. Used on a DSLR or mirrorless the sticky diaphragm is less of an issue. The easiest way to ensure you have the most improved version is to get one of the 50mm f/1.8 MC lenses that is numbered 5,000,000 or higher. Note that at some point in time Oly stopped marking the multi-coated lenses "MC" -- since it was no longer a marketing distinction. Oly made zillions of 50mm f/1.8 lenses over the years and for a while they were in demand to be used as loupes (there were a lot of orphan lenses out there as the OM double-digit and OM-Letter camera bodies started dying). My 50mm f/1.8 is the last remaining of the many OM lenses I once owned.

[@AndrewGoodCamera]

Wow this is really great info Larry. Wish I hadn't just shipped that lens back to KEH so I could look and see. But I'll definitely be picking one up, so this is very helpful.

[@tomislavmiletic_]

First of all, 35mm lens comparison is a good idea in general. Furthermore, a comparison of 135mm lenses would be nice course back in the day everybody made them. Even Russians 😁 In regards to bokeh... I know it's maybe cheesy, but those Christmas lights can quite good show the character of a background bokeh...

[@onegreenev]

Best of mine are my Super Takumar 55mm 1.8 and my 58mm Rokkor 1.4. Still in the 50mm range of lenses. My Canon 55mm FD 1.2 and FL 58mm 1.2. With flash they all perform exceptionally well.

[@Rocanrollnene]

I'm a very happy user of a Nikon 50mm E series 1.8. So I know what you're talking about. I use it on a Nikon FE (film camera). Now I have a question: what do you think about on the 1.4 comparing with mine? Is Sharp? I really would like to see a comparison between 35mm like these. Thanks for your video!

[@scotttate1400]

I actually received my copy of the Nikon 50mm 1.4 on Friday so this weekend I’m testing it on my Fujifilm and Nikon film cameras. Great video as always.

[@PhotoTubeUK]

A review of 28mm vintage manual focus lenses would be interesting (42mm equivalent on Fuji so similar angle of view to the human eye). If you do one please be sure to include the Nikon 28mm f/2.8 AIS (the one with the close focussing ability) - an awesome lens!

[@caldera878]

The Canon FD breechlock is simple. I would even say it's as easy as a bayonet mount. Get the adapter set on lock and just make sure the rear aperture lever engages the pin before it goes into the mount. It takes practice to rotate the lens a little bit before it engages the pin and you're set. Canon FD optics are superb and can be had for less money thanks to Canon abandoning the mount when they created EF. The FD L lenses fetch quite a bit of coin and are extremely desirable today even.

[@AndrewGoodCamera]

I had to google it. To me, that's too much effort when there really is no need, with fantastic vintage lenses that are simpler. But for someone who loves Canon, sure. I'm sure they'd get used to it.

[@seoulrydr]

Helios variants! (unless you've already done a video on it)

[@QuietOC]

Old double gauss/planar primes tend to have awful bokeh, but stopping them down a bit tends to help a lot.

[@homesickphotographycomau4107]

mate, i got a Super Takumar Asahi M42 50mm f/1.4 Asahi Pentax sp spotmatic. I conquer the Focus ring is amazingly smooth even criminal. for only $50AUD at op shop, straight after watching this video only the next day. even more so stoked... lens is great nick... i feel like i just missed out on model1 for some reason 8 elements. mine the radioactive. is true to leave in the sun.

[@wingrider7931]

With the exception of the Olympus and Zeiss I have all those lenses and can confirm your results with the exception of the Takumar, which I found to be on par with the Nikons. However, mine is the Super-Multi-Coated version, which is optically the same but with newer coatings. BTW, the thorium is not a coating but mixed into the glass and yes, the yellowing can be removed as I’ve done this on several copies I have on this lens. Great review. Thanks for posting your findings.

[@CajunDave79]

Wing Rider Why would you remove the yellowing from the glass? This is what gives the lens character sort of like the Cooke Cinema lens known for its amber/sepia look and known in the Cinematography world as the “Cooke Look”

[@wingrider7931]

@@CajunDave79 Yellowing or not the lens has plenty of "character." For colour work it just makes it easier, but to each his own.

[@andrewfranta6349]

Fwiw, my Zeiss Planar 1.7 is SUPER sharp. Great video!

[@AndrewGoodCamera]

That's good to hear. Good chance this copy is off

[@user-wy4ci7yj6b]

This is a really thorough comparison. Excellent! Thank you.

[@joshrock]

Another beautiful thing about the Oly Zuiko lenses is that they have the lens mount latch on the lens, and can be mounted and unmounted on Canon EF without removing the adapter. I used them almost exclusively before i switched from Canon to Fujifilm. The 100/2.8 and the 50/1.4 are both worthy lenses to try in that system as well.

[@llchristubell]

Hey Josh, do you think you could use an EF-to-FujiX speed booster with that OM-to-EF ring adaptor? I have some OM lenses and a plain OM-FX adaptor, but would be nice to use them boosted to use their full frame size...

[@joshrock]

@@llchristubell I don't see why not. In fact i intend to do exactly that. Currently the only speed booster I have is a Nikon to Fuji, but my next one will be an EF to use with my OM and PK lenses.

[@llchristubell]

@@joshrock Casa de Chrisso seems to have experience, see their comment below. I couldnt @you in the reply I posted there.

[@joshrock]

@@llchristubell I'll check it out

[@ldenglish316]

You can quickly clear up that yellow discoloration on you Super Takamar with a IKEA LED clamp spotlight

[@tm4651]

The Minolta 50mm f2 is better than the f1.7, imho

[@aomanchutube]

The G.Zuiko F1.4 yellowing is the entire front element. Don't take yours out in the sun as the grease will evaporated and condense on the glass...some tiny amount of it. That won't ruin the lens but you'll have to open it to clean it. I recommend you use UV 405nm LEDs. My 25W LED string I use for curing resin actually cleaned up the yellow in about 8hrs.

[@SweetLouPhotography]

Dude that hat is so boss. Fantastic vid. Those Canon locks are big annoying haha. My two favorite vintage lenses right now are the Helios 44-2 58mm, and the XR Rikenon 50mm f2 (recommended to me by a friend) They both are absolutely killer at weddings and have amazing character in their softness, their "glow" and of course their bokeh.

[@SuperStimon]

A test on 24/28 and 35mm would be nice.

[@gitithadani]

The canon FDn versions are usually sharper - a good copy of the 50/1.4 can be really sharp with good contrast. The helios has a very nice 50 (not the 58mm f2 swirly bokeh type). The zeiss pancolar can often be better than the zeiss planar. I actually like the yashica ML 50/1.7 more. It has 8 blades and very nice rendering. Some of the pentacons have bubble bokeh but there is so much copy variance. I also like the old canon Fl lenses - very different rendering from the later FDn & very nice to use despite the adapter. In the SLR days the 50mm lenses were equivalent to the kit lenses. But despite the variance each brand had its own signature

[@SecretCrowds128]

awesome video! i expected more out of the super takumar lens since it seems to be hyped up a bit more. i’d love to see some comparisons between older leica lenses and other rangefinder lenses

[@bklynhubby]

Hi Andrew. Really enjoying your videos. With regards to 35mm camera bodies, which camera lens mount/lens adapter combo would yield the greatest number of vintage lenses to choose from? Hope my question makes sense. 😂 Keep the videos coming.

[@AndrewGoodCamera]

Well, to try to state it simply, film era cameras had a greater flange distance than almost all modern mirrorless cameras. The only time you'd get a vintage lens that wouldn't be able to work with a modern camera is if the flange distance was smaller. But I honestly don't know of any modern mirrorless camera body that has a longer flange distance than any film era camera, so pretty much anything vintage can be adapted to anything modern.

[@bklynhubby]

Thanks!

[@WVMUSIC_NL]

I have the smc asahi pentax 50mm 1.7 That is a supersharp lens, has great colors and so easy to manually focus with.

[@punkrachmaninoff]

PRO TIP: no joke -- after extensive testing spanning decades of pentaxian innovation, the best lenses pentax ever manufactured are the "smc pentax" series!!!?! easy to miss, the smc pentax are the first lenses without radioactive glass, their first k-mount lenses; aka "k-series primes" on pentax forums... they sport a 52mm filter thread instead of 49mm, and in my experience this series is noticeably sharper than the either m42 era OR the m-series that followed in the pentax lens lineage. this testing took me two years, and 30 pentax lenses... 😭 frankly i agree with your findings on old vs new when it comes to pentax sharpness - even the a-series is not as sharp as the elusive k-series.

[@MrPoser-qc8fl]

I haven't tried 30 Pentax lenses, but I would agree that of the ones I have used, the k-series 55mm I have is the best.

[@Poludioskroz]

Maybe ricoh auto rikenon 55mm f1.4 (1964-1967) not many videos about that lens,especially that version.