Vintage lenses. Why on earth would you use them in the digital age?
Well, most of the people shoot with popular cameras and lenses, as a result, the images look similar. As soon as you use some sort of non-ordinary equipment – your photos stand out. Vintage lenses usually don’t have the same image quality as modern ones, they may have some optical imperfections and are optimized for the film. But the image you get with most of them has some interesting, different look.
Two categories of vintage lenses
I would say the lenses can fall into two categories. The ones you buy because of the price and the ones you buy because of the artistic effect they give. With price – everything is simple. If an older cheaper lens gives you needed quality – why should you buy a more expensive modern one? Mostly you lose the autofocus though…
Another category is lenses that you buy for artistic effects that they give. These lenses are often bought, because of interesting bokeh effects, unusual colors and imperfections, that make the image unique. Never listen to professionals in commercial photography who start to measure the performance of such lens. Artistic photography doesn’t have the same requirements.
How to adapt a vintage lens to a modern camera?
To install a lens on a modern camera, you use an adapter. They are sold online and are easy to find on eBay. But you have to remember a couple of important things.
1. Some lenses may not be adapted on DSLR. There is a mirror in front of the sensor and flange distance is large. Lenses that were originally not designed for DSLRs were installed closer to film (now there is a digital sensor instead of film). Mirrorless cameras can take a wider range of lenses.
2. Vintage lenses usually perform better on full-frame cameras. The full-frame sensor is the same size as a widely used 35mm film. If the sensor is smaller – you only use the center of the lens. It often makes the image softer. Sometimes though, there isn’t much difference, because the center of the lens is the sharpest.
To figure things out, I recommend checking online. Vintage lenses is a popular hobby and there is a lot of information online.
Vintage lenses when traveling
In my blog, I talk about vintage lenses in the context of travel photography. They are an addition to my existing kit and I use them to get different artistic effects. I use only lightweight and small lenses because I don’t like carrying extra weight when I travel. Soviet lenses have a special place in my heart :)
To get to know more, check one of the lens reviews: