Old manual lenses

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Reidy36

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Came across a few older manual lenses on ebay, for what appears to be a decent price.

I know AF is the way ahead, but do any of you specifically have any that are manual focus only?

I am sure that one thing, it will make me improve as i won't have the AF help.

I am looking at the third party models more as they seem to be in my budget.
 
Reidy36 said:
...but do any of you specifically have any that are manual focus only?
Click to expand...

Of course, but I use mine on a MFT camera and I can call up a magnified view which makes focusing a doddle. Focusing through the OVF of a DSLR will be more difficult at anything other than close distances or stuff big in the image.

If you can avoid pixel peeping and only produce small images you'll be ok but if you start to pixel peep or print large any slightly missed focus issues will be easy to spot.

As an example chosen pretty much at random...

Manual shot, whole image...
fe1_zpsb8ea59fd.jpg


100% crop...
fe2_zps5bb8f36b.jpg


I'm pretty sure I couldn't have done that with a manual lens on a DSLR, a close up shot - Yes, but at a distance with an object small in the frame? Very probably not.
 
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No reason why not. I have a couple of Nikon Fs with a few pre AI lenses. Sometimes I use them on my Nikon D3200.

The viewfinder isn't as good as the Nikon F finder but I find it o.k. for manual focusing.

A good trick to focusing manually is to find the point either side of focus where it starts to get fuzzy and set it half way between the two.


Steve.
 
Actually, just thought of something...

If you get focus confirmation it'll be a lot easier.

I've used legacy lenses on my 5D and... I'd rather not bother :D but with image magnification or confirmation it'll be easier.
 
Depends what you shoot. I shoot mainly kids so MF is pretty much a no!
 
Hi I've written an article of my own concerning a comparison of old adaptall 2 tamron lenses with a modern af sigma lens. I allowed the Sigma to af the tamron's I had to focus manually , with what little help the canon 5d mark ii would offer. The tamron sp 60-300 absolutely kicked the sigma 80-400 ex dg's arse at just about every comparable focal length and aperture when comparing central sharpness. A lens that you can buy for less than 100 absolutely humiliated a lens that cost me more than 430 on eBay .
 
Catz eyes do a split prism focusing screen for the D300, they help immensely when using manual focus lenses.

I use a couple of MF lenses, but my failing sight is letting me down these days so for me AF confirm or focus peaking would be handy.
 
I remember the split screen that my first SLR (Minolta x700 ) had. It couldn't have been easier. I'm sure I looked into getting such a focus screen for my canon 5d2 when I first purchased it but didn't follow it through not realizing at the time how well these older lenses actually performed. I'm sure there something available probablbly from the Far East on eBay
 
I have a D300 simular to the D300s, whats not to like with manual glass ? The reason I brought the D300 in 2008 was because you could mount and meter most of the Nikon AI lenses you even have the option to add nine non CPU lenses where you set the maxium aperature and focal length so you get Exif data.

Some people do not find the built in electronic rangefinder spot on but I have found it adequate and would rather trust my eyes for what I am chosing to focous on / how I want the zone of sharpness.

Plenty of the third party lenses should give decent performace for little outlay also as they will be for full frame you will be using them in the centre of they image circles.

I can understand how for action shots auto focous is a huge bonous or if you struggle with your eyesight but for static portraits macros or landscapes I'd pick manual focous any day.

I would try a few lenses out before considering changing the screen personally I always loathed split screen centre spots and changed the screens in my FE and F4 to the E type matt with grid lines.

Recently I brought a D3200 which has meant more manual focousing as it does not have the motor in the body several lenses I have are now manual focous only on it also it may not have the indexing ring but its still easy enough to use the AI manual lenses on it.
 
Oops, will soon be the proud owner of a nikon fit Sigma 400mm prime f5.6 :-)
Manual of course.
 
I have a collection of old manual lenses that I enjoy using. I probably end up using more MF than AF and find MF preferable in a range of situations. The focusing screens on older film SLRs were definitely better than my DSLR, but not too bad most of the time and being able to zoom in on the live view screen is a good thing.

I've noticed that many people use old glass on mirrorless cameras. Is there something about these cameras that makes the old glass and adapters easier or better to use?
 
I have a few ;) :D

In answer to the above question, mirrorless cameras allow a much greater variety of lenses to be used due to the short register distance (sensor to lens). Nikons are limited whilst Canon can take a fair number of different mounts (Pentax, Contax, Yashica, Nikon, M42, Olympus), hence I have been driven down the Canon path :)
 
MJWC1 said:
I've noticed that many people use old glass on mirrorless cameras. Is there something about these cameras that makes the old glass and adapters easier or better to use?
Click to expand...

You can fit almost anything to these cameras and you usually get some sort of focus aid like a magnified view which makes manual focus even at wide apertures pretty easy.
 
Well the lens has arrived.
On the packaging was written fragile. Oh no I thought, there is the red rag to the posties, for them to play parcel football.
Opened the case, not a sign of any bubble wrap, just the lens in the case and able to rattle about.
Lift out lens and I can hear a funny sound of bits moving.
Off comes lens cap and I am greeted by shattered glass. The filter is in numerous pieces and the metal is bent.....not good.
Had to take dog out so have put it back in box.
I am hoping the lens itself is showing no damage, but other concern is could there be internal damage?
 
That's awful, Reidy. Hopefully it is just the filter. I suppose you just need to test it on camera to identify internal damage.

I must say that whenever I've bought anything on eBay it has arrived with enough packaging to withstand a nuclear attack. The one exception was several years back when I bought a used Olympus C-5050 from a guy in the States. Arrived in its original retail box, with some of the original styrofoam - and nothing else. No obvious damage (other than crushed corner of flimsy box) but dead on arrival. Grrr...

Hope it works out OK.
 
I had an email back off guy saying thought it would be ok just in it's hard case. I mean really? Has the guy never used Royal mail before? ???
Initial testing last night and think it is just damage to filter. Images sharp so think I have been lucky.
Guy has offered to refund money and also pay costs to send back if I am not happy, or send replacement filter.
 
Shame that the lens appeared damage I have 4 old MF M42 lenses that I use on my DSLR's, why well just because it's bit of fun that takes me back to MF days but also the quality even off a Soligor 135mm that I picked up for £10 is amzing
 
I have too many!! :)


Charleston Heart by cloud34.com, on Flickr

Voigtländer 35mm/1.4 on Sony NEX5N


Yashica 28mm test by cloud34.com, on Flickr
Yashica 28mm/2.8 on Canon 5d


VW Golf Edition 30 by cloud34.com, on Flickr
Leica 80mm/1.4 on Canon 5D

I love the look you can get with the manual lenses of days gone by, you have to work a lot harder with them, but they do also let you remember what the AF lenses are doing for you. So it's a good learning tool IMHO
 
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