Best old manual lens

Manual lenses are so popular to own that they continue to thrive in the used gear market , and particularly legendary lenses still sell at prices comparable to modern, automated lenses. While adding a manual lens to your collection should definitely be on your list of gear to get, not all manual lenses are created equally, and some outshine others.

Multi-coated, with nine elements in seven groups, the lens performs well optically, producing sharp photos when stopped down. This pricey manual lens has been noted to produce wonderful, even bokeh, and is great for portraiture. While some users swear that the lens produces sharp photos at any aperture, many have reported that at its widest open, the lens produces soft pictures.

Stopped down, however, this lens is a guaranteed performer. The only real issue buyers may encounter with this lens is its cost, which is definitely on the steeper end of vintage lens price tags.

Price notwithstanding, this lens is still worth every penny. A sturdy lens, built completely from metal, it contains seven elements in five groups and eight aperture blades. While this lens produces beautiful, sharp photos when stopped down, its reputation is derived from its bokeh. Even today, the Minolta MC 58mm is still considered one of the best lenses for beautiful bokeh and is coveted by collectors and amateurs alike.

Unfortunately, some buyers may be dissuaded by the fact that this lens tends to flare and produce chromatic aberrations when wide open, a sadly common characteristic of many old manual lenses. Regardless, all versions are considered top performers.

This lens is known for its amazing handling, build quality, and optical performance. It is considered, by many, to be tack sharp. It was followed by the 35mm, 90mm and 40mm. In , the Summicron 28mm was introduced to the world. The Petzval Lens is an 85mm lens that comes with an interchangeable Waterhouse aperture system. This aperture system is helpful in terms of determining focus and exposure. The Lomography Petzval lens also allows you to create cool bokeh effects in your photos.

It also delivers relatively sharp photos and colors. Its metallic build gives it a funky, fashionable look. The Lomography Petzval Lens is perfect for photographers and collectors who want to experiment with their creativity.

The SMC Pentax 50mm f1. Not only it is sharp once you get to f2. This Pentax lens is a great alternative to the more expensive 50mm lenses in this post. You can probably find the f1. Created in in Russia, this 35mm focal length lens remains to be one of the favorites of those wishing to produce Leica-style photos without the price tag of a Leica. Some useful specs: its 35mm focal length is combined with an f2.

The construction of the Tessar lens dates back to The Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 50mm 2. While its f2. A beautiful Japan-made 28mm lens, the Sigma Mini-Wide 28mm is a well-constructed lens that will give you joy every time you use it. Its strongest feature is its incredibly near focus, aside from the wide angle, of course. With a focal length of 28mm, the Sigma Mini-Wide is perfect for any classic lens collector who is also into macro photography.

It weighs 9. Introduced in this unique 7-element, 7-group fast medium telephoto prime was originally designed for Minolta Maxxum 35mm SLRs and now provides the ultimate in soft-focus flexibility for Sony A-mount DSLR shooters. Asahi Optical Co. Pentax produced this beloved fast telephoto in M42 Pentax screw mount from , and the original, single coated, 5-element 4-group Super Takumar version is especially prized for its sharp natural rendition and gorgeous bokeh despite having a 6-bladed diaphragm.

The same formula and construction were retained in the Super-Multi-Coated Takumar version of , the only alteration being multi-coating, which helped control flare and slightly increased contrast. Any of these manual focus lenses are superbly constructed, ideal for precise, depth-of-field control and isolating the subject, and deliver exceptional image quality. The first F-mount Nikkor P for SLRs, based on the original 5-element, 3-group design, debuted in and it remained in production until Any version of this optical classic is an outstanding picture taker noted for its crisp, detailed, natural looking images and pleasing bokeh at wide apertures.

This impressive element, 6-group ultra-wide-angle prime in M42 standard screw mount was manufactured in East Germany DDR from to Its construction quality and focusing smoothness are satisfactory rather than stellar, but this lens sure takes beautiful pictures when you mount it on a DSLR.

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