jlrivera Loc: Round Lake, Illinois

Some people like to use old camera lenses with a new camera. Why ???

http://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/3-reasons-to-use-old-camera-lenses/

Michael66 Loc: Queens, New York

Cool article. I even mount my old FD lenses on my new Nikon D7100. Why? Because I can. Like the author said, they're fun and are great conversation starters.

jsmangis Loc: Peoria, IL

In many cases, the old lenses have better glass and make sharper images. I use my old Nikkor 50mm F1:1.4Ais on my D80 as a portrait lens.

amehta Loc: Boston

My opinions are very different than his. I don't think we should pick equipment because it slows us down. If we want to slow down, just slow down. And

"you should be controlling everything manually. This allows you to gain a profound knowledge of how your camera works, how to focus properly and quickly, how to set proper exposures for the utmost creative control"

seems completely off. There is nothing profound about focusing manually or setting the exposure manually. More importantly, if I do both manually, it's a profound ignoring of the camera's workings. :-)

I agree that the manual focus lenses are cheaper. But if a cheap older lens has better image quality than his $900 lens, I expect he is mixing primes and zooms in the discussion. But if there is an old prime which is different than a focal length we already have, then sure, the older lens is a cheaper option.

jlrivera Loc: Round Lake, Illinois

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

JL, any old lens that is good, such as the old Canon L glass, may be cheaper than a modern lens, but not by much. Sure, old kit lenses are cheap, but the good stuff is still really expensive.
If you're running a low budget operation, old lenses can get you started. For landscape, macro and static portrait work, you could get away with old manual glass, but any action would be pretty tough, unless you have installed some special focusing screen to aid in focus. And the focus confirm chipped adaptors are worse, especially since all they really tell you is that you just went passed the point of focus, but are already off of it. If you have time to set up live view, it's your best bet.
For me, in the end, if you have a very special piece of glass, they are with fiddling with. I've used two different lenses and currently use one.
I used to use a Canon 55mm 1.2 lens. But it wasn't worth trying to use, so I use my Auto Focus 1.4. But, I still use a 600mm on an EdMika adaptor, but it gets very limited use.
All that said, I'm not very nostalgic, and prefer all the technology and advantages that my new lenses and bodies can give me. It would be pretty darn hard to do any kind of paid job with the old manual stuff.
Yes, I too used all that old manual stuff for decades, but those times are long gone for me, for good!! Good luck with all that old glass. ;-)
SS

jlrivera Loc: Round Lake, Illinois

"It would be pretty darn hard to do any kind of paid job with the old manual stuff"
SharpShooter; I agree with you :thumbup:

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

JS, do you actually have some kind of real world comparisons to back that statement up? Because if it's really true, it's pretty sad that the new Nikon lenses are going backwards. I would switch brands! ;-)
SS

Racmanaz Loc: Sunny Tucson!

Really?? How did Photographers take photo's with old manual lenses and manual film cameras? A good and skillful Photographer does not need auto-focus in their lenses, they did it for decades before auto-focus was prevalent.

Racmanaz Loc: Sunny Tucson!

I do agree with the author of this article, I for one hate hate auto-focus lenses. It's funny how some claim it's better to operate your camera in manual mode but when it comes to auto-focus, I hear a different tune.

Racmanaz Loc: Sunny Tucson!

A true Photographer slows down, a camera operator speeds things up and lets the camera do the "talking" ;)

amehta Loc: Boston

The standards and requirements were different.

amehta Loc: Boston

Do you hate auto focus, or auto focus lenses?

amehta Loc: Boston

Perhaps a true Photographer takes the pictures at the pace which they happen, instead of arbitrarily speeding up or slowing down just because they're supposed to.

bull drink water Loc: pontiac mi.

yes I do, WHY? because I can and it is fun. think back to the 40's and 50's when many cameras were manual everything, and at best we had a hand held light meter. we shot everything we shoot today. today I can afford a $3000.00 lens back then I couldn't afford a $150.00 lens. canon and Nikon had some fabulous lenses back then that I could only drool over. today I can get some of them on the used market. look at what you younger guys may have to look forward to,
1 a sensor that rates 12800 iso with NO noise.
2 a sensor with 100% range of the human eye.
3 a 10mm-80mm f 1.4 lens.
4 a 100mm-600mm f 2.0 lens.
5 a 3 or 4 layer sensor with big pixels, offset to give iq beyond belief.
i'll be gone by then, but you youngins will get to enjoy them.