Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

In my case it was actually $21 which included delivery to my door... I am very happy, but then again I love these old lenses and hunt them out... Anyway for folks that don't know that old glass is new glass on your modern DSLR I create these posts... I took this lens out into the yard this morning and came back with these...



Tele-Takumar 200mm f/5.6 Preset lens... Circa 1962 manufactured by Asahi Optical Company (Pentax)

http://www.pentaxforums.com/lensreviews/Takumar-Tele-Takumar-200mm-F5.6.html

RichardSM Loc: Back in Texas

Hi Blurryeyed

Very nice photos and a good deal on that Pen lens. Can you post your pics using "Store Original" in the future. thanks

rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA

Most of the lenses I use are from the 70's and 80's, which I either received for free or purchased at very low cost. Other than not having auto focus, I find that many of them perform quite well compared to more recent lenses. Some photographers like to point out that modern lenses produce superior images, but I find this generally true only with zoom lenses, not with prime lenses. My Tele-Takumar 135mm 1/3.5 gives fantastic results and it's built like a tank.

davidheald1942 Loc: Mars (the planet)

I think the lenses from the seventies and eighties are MUCH better than what you can buy today. Yes they were multi-coated way back then with the same coatings they use today.
ronny

Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI

If you can nail the focus (half the battle), these lenses can produce equal or some times better quality than native lenses (depending on the lens).

There's also something about having to manually set f-stops and manually focusing that makes me feel more in tune with photography.

Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

I guess that they are different on different camera bodies, I agree about the focus but I have focus confirm on my adapter that is a great crutch, when the camera sounds I just have to fine tune the focus. What I enjoy is how much you learn about exposure on these lenses, at least on my Canon I am constantly having to make exposure adjustments because the adapter tells the camera that it is a 50mm f/1.4 lens wide open... That is partially why the image of the potter's table is over exposed, the other is me and handling the light that was not prime for that shot.

Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

Thanks for your comments. I have two Takumar 135mm f/3.5's one is the Super Takumar from the mid 60's and the other is the 135 preset from the late 50's, silver/black edition. The older lens looks as if it is brand new but the focus throw on it is so stiff that it causes the lens to unscrew from the adapter.... I am going to have to spring for some lube and tear that lens down... It looks to be a very simple design so no worries.

Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

Thanks Richard... I often do but these are just snapshots to show off the old/new lens.

Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

Yes, I have an Takumar Super Multi Coated 50mm f/1.4 that is very nice and compares very well to my new Sigma 50/1.4

I just sold a M SMC 50mm f/4 Macro that is very comparable to my Canon 50mm Macro, it was one of the sharpest lenses that I have ever mounted to my camera. The old M SMC 50/1.7 can be picked up on ebay for a song and it is actually an excellent lens...

This is my hobby, I buy these old lenses and tear them down if need be, clean them up and sell them on ebay... Evey now and again I come across a really great lens that I add to my collection, that is also how I obtained my Sigma 50.... a little cash and a couple of old lenses that I paid about $20 for. Worked for me and I think that the other guy was as happy with the deal as I was. Mostly I just get one or two bills paid each month out of this hobby and some really nice old glass.

RichardSM Loc: Back in Texas

Hi Blurryeyed

May I ask you which confirm focus compfermation adapter you use on your Canon FD lenses you use?

Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

Unfortunately FD lenses are not directly adaptable to the EOS body, the FD lenses have to be closer to the sensor plane than the EOS body will allow. A member here did find a source on a machined adapter that will somehow fix that but it costs about $100 and requires that you tear down the back of the lens and rebuild it. There are FD to EOS adapters available but they use a lens in the adapter to compensate for the difference in registration, a set of eyeglasses for your lens if you will. I never thought that was a good idea either, why put cheap lens behind your precision Canon glass.

In researching old lenses from my Canon EOS cameras I found that old manual Pentax, Olympus, Yashica, Nikon, and all M42 lenses can easily be adapted to the EOS without a simple adapter that spaces the lens the proper distance from your sensor. For that reason I chose to go with those other manufactures and avoid old Canon lenses, they are easily adapted to the Canon M and your Olympus, Panasonic, and Sony mirrorless cameras but not the Canon DSLR's. There are other lenses that will work on Canon EOS also but these are the lenses that I have personal experience with, I know that there are many Zeiss lenses that can be adapted and I think that Fuji lenses may also work. Minolta and Konica unfortunately will not adapt to the EOS which is a shame because they produced a lot of great old lenses.

At anyrate because of their build quality and optical quality I seem to have fallen in love with the old Takumars, they come in both single coated and in the latter years multi coated versions, I pretty much shoot only M42 lenses when shooting manually, although I have briefly owned a couple of others. I just like the long focusing turns of the Takumars better as well as their solid steel construction. I do have a full line up of Canon EF and EF-S lenses and do use them, I just enjoy using the manual lenses more.

This link is to the adapter I use, it came from China and I had to wait a few weeks for it to come in, you can find them located in the US but generally at a much higher price, I used to buy them 3 at a time.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/221250484654?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

RichardSM Loc: Back in Texas

Thanks Blurryeyed for the information on these adapters I did not know there were so many available for the EOS camera. I did know about the one in Canada Edmika FD to EOS adapter and you are right they start at $100 and up!

jim quist Loc: Missouri

I use my hasselblad lenses on my canons. Even with the beep when the focus is right, its hard to get it tac

Nikonhermit Loc: In This Place

BUT . . .(and a question for actual users)

But then, as megapixel count has increased, there is yet another crowd that says no, you cannot really use your old AI-Nikkors on your D800-series camera, because they are not up to snuff. You must have the Holy Trinity. There is even one reader here who will not use zooms at all and advocates only primes if possible. So Question 1: is this really true?

Question 2: Is there anyone on here who is using old manual-focus Nikkors on the D800-series cameras and if so, which ones give the best results? Your real-life list is of value to me.

Thank you in advance.

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

Long Live Old Glass !!

Minolta Minolta,how Sony loves ya, my dear ol Minolta...
Swany was written by RUFUS WAINWRIGHT, Al Jolson was the singer associated with it.... Rufus??? Now how popular was the name Rufus???!!!

Yep, trashed the old Minolta 7000i body and kept those lenses, then a friend sent me her ol' 7000 and lenses. Minolta collaborated both with Zeiss and Leica, excellent glass. Sony captured my business... all I had to do was buy the DSLR body. Sony purchased the Minolta technology... real smart move.

First SLR (full frame sensor, by the roll!) camera was a 1972 Ricoh. Those old manual focus M-42 fit my Sony DSLR with an adapter. Two M-42 manual lenses coupled with a reversing ring are great for macro, since you can control both focus and f-stop. (adapter less than $20)