Shooting with a vintage lens on a new camera is entirely feasible with the aid of a specialized adapter bridging the gap between the two. One might question the rationale behind such a choice, given the abundance of excellent modern lenses available. However, vintage lenses possess a distinct charm, capable of producing exquisite imagery with exceptionally creative bokeh effects. Unlike their modern counterparts, vintage lenses lack autofocus functionality; instead, adjustments are made manually directly on the lens itself, while other camera functions remain operable.
Different vintage lenses sometimes have a different connection, so you always need a different adapter that connects the lens to your new camera.
There are many different brands of Vintage lenses, the most famous ones are the Helios 44-2, Pentacon 50mm, Carel Zeiss, Meyer Optik Trioplan, and many more. Most lenses also have different models and series, and were made in different analog eras.
Most vintage lenses come from Russia, and you guessed it, imports to Europe have come to a standstill. So the lenses that are available now are becoming scarce and increasingly expensive. Look at flea markets, second-hand stores or second-hand online websites. Remember, a lot of junk is also sold, damaged glass, aperture ring is stuck, mold and rust. You especially don't want to transfer the fungus to your modern camera! So don't buy an expensive lens online and have it shipped to you, there's a good chance you'll make a bad purchase.
I started hunting for lenses in my area that I could drive to and test and of course haggle over the price. Now I came across some lenses that were no longer good, I got them for free or for little. Completely disassembled at home, cleaned and made into 1 whole lens from several broken lenses. A broken lens is an excellent option for parts.
The vintage lens features in a new guise is called Lensbaby Composer Pro, which works approximately the same as a Vintage lens, you control the aperture on the lens. You can place different optics in the Composer Pro. Such as sweet, edge, twist, creative bokeh, soft focus and others. Lensbaby also has some prime lenses.
With a lens baby you can also take very creative photos, more about lensbaby you can find in de lensbaby blog.
There are many different brands of Vintage lenses, the most famous ones are the Helios 44-2, Pentacon 50mm, Carel Zeiss, Meyer Optik Trioplan, and many more. Most lenses also have different models and series, and were made in different analog eras.
Most vintage lenses come from Russia, and you guessed it, imports to Europe have come to a standstill. So the lenses that are available now are becoming scarce and increasingly expensive. Look at flea markets, second-hand stores or second-hand online websites. Remember, a lot of junk is also sold, damaged glass, aperture ring is stuck, mold and rust. You especially don't want to transfer the fungus to your modern camera! So don't buy an expensive lens online and have it shipped to you, there's a good chance you'll make a bad purchase.
I started hunting for lenses in my area that I could drive to and test and of course haggle over the price. Now I came across some lenses that were no longer good, I got them for free or for little. Completely disassembled at home, cleaned and made into 1 whole lens from several broken lenses. A broken lens is an excellent option for parts.
The vintage lens features in a new guise is called Lensbaby Composer Pro, which works approximately the same as a Vintage lens, you control the aperture on the lens. You can place different optics in the Composer Pro. Such as sweet, edge, twist, creative bokeh, soft focus and others. Lensbaby also has some prime lenses.
With a lens baby you can also take very creative photos, more about lensbaby you can find in de lensbaby blog.
Carl zeiss lens
Carl zeiss lens
vintage lenses
Vintage lens
Helios 44M 58mm - carl zeiss - pentacon -
Helios
In an additional blog, I will delve deeper into each model of vintage lens I own, explaining how to use it and what kind of images it produces.
✨Vintage lens photo's collage✨
CARL ZEISS Jena Tessar ZEBRA 50mm f/2.8
CARL ZEISS Jena Tessar ZEBRA 50mm f/2.8
CARL ZEISS Jena Tessar ZEBRA 50mm f/2.8
CARL ZEISS Jena Tessar ZEBRA 50mm f/2.8
CARL ZEISS Jena Tessar ZEBRA 50mm f/2.8
CARL ZEISS Jena Tessar ZEBRA 50mm f/2.8
HELIOS 44M-2 F2 58mm (swirly bokeh)
Pentacon 50mm f1.8
