Legacy glass: what do you shoot most often?

drwho9437 · Apr 27, 2011

For me the tactile feel of a brass thread on a MF lens and the click of the aperture dial is evocative. I Just enjoy moving the ring and seeing my subject come into focus.

I am sure many of you feel similarly, so what glass do you find you use most often?

I just have a Pentax 50mm f1.7 which makes an okay portrait or short tele.
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nzmacro · Apr 27, 2011

Just received a Canon 300 F/2.8 L (this morning actually) and the feel and finish is just like the old days. The focus is just so smooth and its sharper than the Panasonic 45-200 thats for sure.

99.9999% I shoot macro, but I'm thinking about those darn flying gadgets for a change, hence the 300 2.8.

All the best and yep, you are right, there is still something special about "that" feel

Danny.
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G2 4/3 macro

http://www.macrophotos.com/g2macro
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http://www.macrophotos.com
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Worry about the image that comes out of the box, rather than the box itself.

mpetersson · Apr 27, 2011

For me it's a mixed bowl since I have so many lenses from other systems that I can use. I have adaptors for M42, Minolta MD, Contax G, Minolta/Sony Alpha and I use lenses from all these systems from time to time. I guess my favorites are my Sony 50mm f1,4 which gives great results on the GF1. I also use my 50mm Sigma macro-lens quite a bit (also Minolta AF). Another favorite is my Meyer-Optik Orestegor 200mm f4 (M42 mount) which is a nice and compact tele that looks really nice on the GF1 and gives great results in good light.

I would like to use my CZ-lenses with Contax G-mount more, but I'm not really friends with them on m4/3 yet. I have trouble focusing properly and most of the photos I've taken so far have had poor focus. I'm going to have to work on that. Nothing wrong with the adaptor though, just my handling.

StephenL · Apr 27, 2011

I love the Tamron SP90. Just feels so "right".
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pannumon · Apr 27, 2011

Black and white portraits with Canon FD 50mm f1.4. At large apertures it gives nice soft texture to the skin and B/W hides 'color issues' in skin. Details like hair still look sharp. B/W also make noise to be not an issue. The ability to see everything B/W from the viewfinder is very inspiring!

I only wish I could shoot "RAW" video with B/W EVF/LCD.

Simon Zeev · Apr 27, 2011

The most used is Pentax K f1.7
Also the Chinon mirror lens 300mm f5.6 and Pentax k 135mm f3.5

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Zeev
Simon = family name so... call me Zeev!
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amalric · Apr 27, 2011

I think the last one, which arrived yesterday, will see a lot of use, being a pancake: the Industar 69 28/2.8.

I checked its virtues with the EVF, but in the street or on the beach, I will simply use it in hyperfocal. No shutter lag at all, isn't it nice?

It even comes with a macro ring, which should be nice for wild, small flowers.

Am.
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Photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/amalric

Tim in upstate NY · Apr 27, 2011

. . . I like all three of them. I haven't had much luck yet with my FD 300/5.6 but a newly arrived carbon fiber tripod might help me a little with that one.

peroni · Apr 27, 2011

OM 135 f2.8, I don't use MF lenses often but this is excellent and extremely well built.

Here's a shot with it

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/per0ni/show/

jeffharris · Apr 27, 2011

drwho9437 said:
For me the tactile feel of a brass thread on a MF lens and the click of the aperture dial is evocative. I Just enjoy moving the ring and seeing my subject come into focus.

I am sure many of you feel similarly, so what glass do you find you use most often?

I like manual lenses a lot. The tactile feel. Manual focus is just great! The fact that it slows me down a bit and forces me to think and compose more carefully is a benefit I hadn't counted on.

I've got a couple of Nikon lenses I bought for my FM2 that I'm using with my GH2... 20mm f2.8 AI, 35-135 f3.8~4.5 macro zoom. They're pretty nice, especially the 20mm, although the 2x crop kills it as a wide angle.

I just bought a used Nikon 60mm f2.8 AF-D m1:1 macro lens. Nice, very nice! I've taken a few walks in Central Park with it and the results are really good so far. I've never owned a lens like this and now that it's Spring, I'll be using it quite a bit.

jonnie burtoft · Apr 27, 2011

Hi!

I love using my fd lenses, i have the 50 1.4 and 85 1.8. Both produce great results and i enjoy the feel of the smooth focus and clicky aperture ring, i find i enjoy my photography and have more of an attachment to my images since getting the fd's. I find i have a greater input in taking the photo and also how the finished photo looks, it takes a degree of skill to use the manual lenses and can be a hit and miss affair, however it is very satisfying when i get a great result.

paulawd · Apr 27, 2011

Other lenses regularly used: FDn 50 1.2, FDn 200 2.8, Pentax M 50 1.7, Pentax K 35 2.0.

Paula

Reto · Apr 27, 2011

Konica 40/1.8. Brillant lens. Here with (Admiral) extension tube.

Picture was taken today in my kitchen with studio lighting (Elinchrom Ranger Quadra).

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Reto

grapher · Apr 27, 2011

1.) Pentax M 50/1.7; that is my favorite. I had the 1.4 as well, but sold it, I like the 1.7 better.

2.) Pentax M 85/2.0; love that lens. Due to the longer focal-length it is used less than the 50.

3.) Pentax M 150/3.5; very good lens, but tripod is a good idea. I had the M 135/3.5 as well, but sold it for the 150.

Manual focusing is so much fun with this "coupled" feeling the old lenses give you.

Tiffoknees · Apr 27, 2011

I can't offer anything here, but I am looking for a compact fast prime that's middling tele, maybe around 60-70, that I can combine with the 20mm for climbing trip lightweight action..

Can anyone recommend anything?

tedolf · Apr 27, 2011

Minolta Rokkor M. Great outdoor walk around lens/portrait lens/ambient light lens. My daughter just shot a charity event with it (that and its sibling, the Rokkor M 90mm f/4.0):

Tedolph

jbzspace · Apr 27, 2011

I like the Olympus OM F.Zuiko Auto-S 50 1.8 (Made in Japan version) and the Pentax

SMC-A Macro 50 2.8 on my EP-1 and EPL-1. Both have very smooth focus and great glass.

petergerritsen · Apr 27, 2011

For me the Olympus OM 50mm 1.4 works great

Peter Gerritsen

Iansky · Apr 27, 2011

I love my GF1 as it reminds me of the Leica CL's of old. The quality of image is great and as much as I love my 20mm & 14-45mm I still get a thrill from using my Leica "M" lenses and my favourite is my 50mm f2 Summicron - great combo for portraits.
Looks pretty good as well!!

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http://www.Ianskyphotosite.blogspot.com

Serenoa · Apr 27, 2011

This is an interesting thread with all the various lenses that are being used.

I'm just getting back into photography after many years. With my G2 I have been using the lenses from my very old Minolta srt101. The Rokkor 55/1.7 is sharp and nice but the one I was surprised by was a Vivitar 20mm f3.8 wide-angle that is a close focus (5") lens. It is rather awkward looking with an 82mm filter size.

I also have a Topcon RE Super with various lenses, including the Topcor 58/1.4 that I am really anxious to try, but still waiting on the Exakta mount adaper that I ordered a few weeks ago.

This photo is with the Vivitar 20mm and I slightly enlarged it from the original for printing. I really like the creamy look of the backgrounds with this lens.

Legacy glass: what do you shoot most often?

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