A Guide to Shooting with Vintage Lenses

"Corkscrew'd" (corkscrewd) 06/13/2019 at 20:53 • Filed to: PHOTOGRAPHY, AUTOMOTIVE PHOTOGRAPHY, VINTAGE LENSES, CAMERA, CAMERAS, COOL STUFF, LENS, LENSES

4

23

And now for something a little different! Originally posted on Corkscrewd.blog

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

One of my hobbies other than shooting photos at car events and blogging is scouring local thrift shops for vintage camera lenses. Any photographer will tell you that there’s nothing quite like vintage glass. Why bother with an Instagram filter when you can get the look you want straight out of the camera? Using vintage lenses doesn’t just give you the opportunity to be creative with your photos. It can help teach beginners the fundamentals of photography. Plus, you won’t have to break the bank! So, here is my guide to shooting with vintage lenses.

Finding Vintage Lenses

Finding an interesting vintage lens to shoot with is as easy as heading down to your local swap meet or thrift store. The majority of my lenses I’ve either acquired from Goodwill or as a trade at a flea market. You can usually find old cameras and lenses behind the glass cases at Goodwill or The Salvation Amry. You could also find them near the Audio/Video equipment next to vintage camcorders and projectors. In fact, you could even use old 35mm projector lenses as a camera lens, but that’s another story.

If the thrift stores don’t work out, sometimes you can find some interesting vintage lenses or even whole cameras at a flea market. I’ve often found some interesting stuff just laying around for cheap at some of the swap meets I’ve been to. I’ve even made trades for some lenses I had for something at the flea market. This can be a bit of a crap shoot though since more often than not the quality of the lenses depends on several factors.

What to look for in a vintage lens

When I find a vintage lens I like, I always check for the following:

Condition of the body, glass, and mechanics

Type of mount

(Optional) Novelty

The most important thing to look for is the condition of the lens. I often look closely at the quality of the glass, the body, and the mechanical components. If the glass looks hazy or looks like it has “hair” in it, then the lens is no good. Moisture might have gotten inside the lens and a fungus is now growing on the glass. The body of the lens could have some scratches and even some dings in it while still being usable. But, if the mechanical components are affected by the damage, then the lens is also no good.

Second, I look at the lens mount. This part isn’t quite as important as the condition of the lens since there are aftermarket conversion kits available for adapting a different lens mount to your camera body. For example, I use a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! adapter with my older Canon lenses. If I’m set on a certain lens, I can quickly check if there are options available to adapt the lens to my camera body. Also, there are resources like !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! that will help you figure out the type of lens you have and what kind of mount it uses.

The last thing I look for in a vintage lens is its novelty. This part is completely optional, but I can’t help but pick up a lens which I think looks cool or has a strange function! One of the coolest lenses I have I bought on a whim because I noticed that the aperture dial was broken, but the glass and lens body were pretty much perfect. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! !

Shooting with a vintage lens

Shooting with a vintage lens can get pretty tricky, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . I mentioned earlier that sometimes you’d have to find an adapter to adapt an older lens to your newer camera body in order to use it. While this can get tricky, later purchases of vintage lenses could be guided by whatever adapters you already own. I’ve already got several for Canon FD lenses, Minolta MD lenses, and Pentax K Mount lenses!

After mounting your lens, you would have to get used to shooting completely manually without the use of autofocus. While you can get adapters that allow you to use the autofocus controls, it’s not quite as fun as doing it the “old-fashioned way.” Setting up your camera to shoot with a vintage lens could require some experimentation as well. I usually set my camera to its “Aperture Priority Mode” since I would be controlling the aperture, zoom, and focus manually. In addition, I wouldn’t have to worry about shutter speed since the Aperture Priority mode automatically adjusts it. I usually set my ISO and my light balance manually, but you could also leave the ISO on Auto. If you’re just starting out with a vintage lens, I would suggest that you start shooting on Auto so you could get used to adjusting the lens manually.

In Conclusion

Shooting with a vintage lens is rewarding, but it does take a lot of work. Sometimes it could take more than a few tries to get it right with a lens. Even then, sometimes the lens you found might not work for you. However, a lot of these lenses are rather affordable, so if a lens doesn’t quite work out, you’re not going to be out a lot of money! Furthermore, a lot of vintage lenses are collectible, so you could trade them at swap meets or flip them on eBay! In the end, using vintage lenses will help you become a better photographer, and you’ll end up with some great photos!

Just Jeepin' > Corkscrew'd 06/13/2019 at 21:23

1

The reason I originally thought  about buying a Jeep was the idea I could get practically anywhere to take photos, and use the fact that with the top off I could get some higher-angle shots.

Unfortunately, by the time I actually bought my Jeep the seduction of the always-available iPhone camera and the general inconvenience of my DSLR had left me without a need for vintage (or any) lenses.

And the general paucity of secure storage in the Jeep makes it hard to envisage taking a camera bag anywhere.

Maybe once I’ve built/bought a larger “trunk” for my Jeep, but I rather doubt it. Phone cameras are just too good and too convenient.

Corkscrew'd > Just Jeepin' 06/13/2019 at 21:43

2

“The best camera is always the one you have on you.” Smart phone cameras have become indispensable, especially for street photography! But, sometimes you really need a lens to get that shot you want. I think smart phones are great companions to DSLRs, but in specialized cases they won’t replace them outright .

Plus, vintage lens prices will stay low because of smart phones lol.

MM54 > Corkscrew'd 06/13/2019 at 21:51

1

I have a 50mm OM lens that I’ve used on my Olympus DSLR, it’s very nice. I also have an 85-300 macro lens which is considerably less useful.

Just Jeepin' > Corkscrew'd 06/13/2019 at 21:53

1

Since I neglected to say it the first time around: great article. You definitely have me thinking about it again.

Corkscrew'd > MM54 06/13/2019 at 21:59

1

Nifty Fifties man, they're pretty.. Er.. Nifty. 

Corkscrew'd > Just Jeepin' 06/13/2019 at 22:01

0

Thanks!

MM54 > Corkscrew'd 06/13/2019 at 22:02

0

I looked after posting this, and the only picture I know I used it for that I have handy is of someone, so I have nothing to share here.

Corkscrew'd > MM54 06/13/2019 at 22:04

0

Wait, you can't post portraits here? Is it something about the terms of use? 

MM54 > Corkscrew'd 06/13/2019 at 22:11

1

I’d like to have the guy’s permission first , and I’ve not seen or heard from him in 4+ years haha

My X-type is too a real Jaguar > Corkscrew'd 06/13/2019 at 22:12

2

I’m shooting with a yashica tlr and developing my own 120 film it reminds me how god we have it. 

Aremmes > Corkscrew'd 06/13/2019 at 22:51

1

I have an smc Pentax-A 50mm/1.4 that came mounted onto a Pentax P30. It readily mounts on my K-50 crop sensor DSLR, and save for autofocus (‘cause it’s an old pre-AF lens) everything works, including autoexposure. Getting things into focus on it is a gamble, though, since the wide aperture means that unless you nail it right on the subject everything becomes bokeh'd out into oblivion. When the focus's right, though, woooooooooo.

Corkscrew'd > MM54 06/13/2019 at 23:03

1

If their Facebook is public, I don’t think it’ll a big deal lol. Better to be on the safe side though.

Corkscrew'd > My X-type is too a real Jaguar 06/13/2019 at 23:04

0

Art is suffering lol. 

Corkscrew'd > Aremmes 06/13/2019 at 23:06

0

Yeah getting that sweet spot with a narrow DOF is something else lol

phenotyp > Corkscrew'd 06/14/2019 at 02:10

1

Most of the time, now, when I break out my dslr, I’m using my grandpa’s Leica lenses on it. I love it. 

thejustache > Corkscrew'd 06/14/2019 at 11:16

1

Nice write up. I’m a total vintage lens nerd (well, vintage camera nerd in general - I still shoot a lot of film). I don’t even have a modern lens for my a6000, and I’ve used my vintage lenses for all paid work I’ve done (to be fair, I don’t do a ton of paid work) . Are there times I’ve wished for something modern, sharp, and with autofocus/aperture? Sure, but for 90% of what I do I can manage, save $$$, and have more fun.

Current favorite lens? Kind of breaks the cheap rule slightly as it’s a little on the rare side, but the Pentax K series 28mm 3.5 is a total gem of a lens. I got it for landscapes and used it adapted to an a7rii for a week in Ireland, but even back home it’s cemented it’s place in my bag. I don’t even care if it’s slow, it renders things in it’s own way.

I think there’s one shot in my portfolio taken on a lens from the 90's, while everything else is 70's and 80's (or my graflex 4x5 from the ‘40s). Are vintage lenses as sharp corner to corner as almost any modern lens? Not at all, but I feel there is a lot more to photography than just pixel peeping. https://thejust.us/

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Corkscrew'd 06/14/2019 at 11:34

1

I use a few 70's Konica Hexanon lenses on my Sony A6000. They have a weird mount with a long blade, so unfortunately you need a wide adapter that causes image cropping. They produce beatiful images though, in fact many call them some of the best vintage lenses and you can pick them up for $30-$50 on eBay.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > My X-type is too a real Jaguar 06/14/2019 at 11:34

0

You don't know pain until you've shot with a 120 Holga

Corkscrew'd > thejustache 06/14/2019 at 12:30

1

That Pentax K 28 mm sounds awesome! I’d love to get my hands on one!

I just took a quick look through you’re website and I have to say, you do some excellent work! I wanted a Sony Alpha series, but the prices haven’t dropped down to where I want them. Plus, I think I would prefer a camera with a full frame sensor.

I actually have a draft of a list of my favorite lenses I use and why. I'm going to publish it later today so Oppo could see the weird stuff I got lol. 

Corkscrew'd > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 06/14/2019 at 12:31

1

Great pic! I'll have to keep an eye out for those lenses then! 

thejustache > Corkscrew'd 06/14/2019 at 13:21

1

Thank you! I got my a6000 for about $380 used on ebay a little over 2 years ago and have used it heavily ever since. I have to say I’m very impressed with it and at that price it’s certainly paid for itself several times over. By now it is starting to show it s age a bit, and I’d love to upgrade to something full frame. After buying a house and having a kid last year that’s going to take some time saving though...

Looking forward to the list of your favorite lenses! It really is a fun hobby when you can find a piece of glass for $5 at a flea market that gives you a whole new look

MM54 > Corkscrew'd 06/14/2019 at 17:47

0

His facebook consists of like photos of a couple trees and “last activity” from 2015 :/

Corkscrew'd > MM54 06/14/2019 at 20:08

1

Oh well. Sounds like you’ll need to dust off that lens again!