6 FANTASTIC VALUE Vintage Lenses You SHOULD BUY!

Not all vintage lenses are created equal. I've shot hundreds of vintage lenses, and these are my picks for top value and top performance. They will give you quirky, characterful images like no others, and for a great price too.

Not all vintage lenses are great, but ALL of these will make great, characterful and quirky images on your mirrorless camera, or indeed on film!

I've shot hundreds of vintage lenses, and these are the best I've used.

Try at least one - I guarantee you won't be disappointed!

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[infinityfabric]

1.- 40mm F1.8 - AR mount - Konica Hexanon 2:26
2.- 58mm F2.0 - M42 mount - Helios 44 KMZ 6:22
3.- 50mm F3.5 - M39 mount - Industar-10 FED 11:26
4.- 50mm F2.0 - M39 mount - Jupiter-8 KMZ 15:55
5.- 50mm F1.8 - M42 mount - Carl Zeiss Jena DDR MC Pancolar 20:04
6.- 35mm F2.4 - M42 mount - Carl Zeiss Jena DDR MC Flektogon 24:00

Thank you for sharing them Nigel!

[julianjuellz]

the way you speak about lenses just gives me peace and joy. I am 33 years old and i owe every konica lens but the 35mm f2 and i love them! if i had to keep a lens set i would take the konicas haha

[Itchybiscuit]

I own them all apart from the Industar. In addition, I have the silver Jupiter 8, the 44-2 Zebra, the Pancolar 50/2 and the Flektogon 35/2.8 - among many others which I also rate like my Meyer-Optik Gorlitz collection.
I totally agree with your reviews of the lenses you showcased. However, if you love the 'vintage' look I highly recommend buying the older Pancolar f2 and the Flektogon f2.8. They're very 'dreamy' in output while retaining the sharpness and colour rendition of their more clinical younger siblings - in the right, bright conditions. Try them out in the 'golden hour' when their character changes completely. The soft light brings out something special.
As ever, thanks for your thoughts. It's always a pleasure listening to you.

[luig]

Thank you so much for sharing. I agree with another mate I've read here, your photos are so interesting and misterious, and really enjoy the pace of your story.

[Koshelev]

Initially FED cameras, as copies of Leika, were maiden by orphans in Kharkiv, Ukraine (in that time - USSR), in an orphanage named after Feliks Edmundvich Dzerzhinskiy (that is meaning of FED), led by famous educator Anton Makarenko. Those kids really put their soul on what they did.

[billbillings]

Recently I've been watching a lot of youtuber's reviews of some cameras I'm thinking of buying -- possibly a Fuji or Olympus or Sony model. I haven't decided yet. What confounds me is that when they edit in their sample photos, it's the most boring pictures I've ever seen. Boring pictures of their families, boring pictures of their cats, cowardly street photography, and boring architecture. Worst of all, the cringey wedding gig photos. However, your sample photos are always so interesting. I like your eye for photography, especially your street photography. You have a picture of a rock which elicits emotion when I view it. Keep making great videos, we need someone out here like you who "gets it."

[Magnetron]

Hello Nigel my friend! Very useful video about some fine vintage lenses! Thank you! Imagine I purchased a vintage lens also worth every penny - the Minolta MD Rokkor 8.0/100-500 mm. What a behemoth! If you wish I can send you some pictures as soon as possible. Best wishes, Ralf

[aucourant]

My favourite vintage lens is my Pentax 50mm f1.7, everything about it is wonderful from the way it feels and works to its amazing sharpness and colour rendition. Almost every shot I take with this I like (sometimes I can't even explain why, I just like what it does.).
My second favourite is my Konica Hexanon 40mm f1.8, small in size and sharp as a tack.
My third favourite is my Minolta Rokkor 58mm f1.4. Beautiful bokeh and colours. A little soft fully open (but not too soft, especially for portraits) and really sharp at f5.8-f11 for landscapes. It does need a lens hood though to prevent flare even if the sun is to the side a bit.

[robstammers]

Another superb video, I'm totally absorbed, I'm thinking the Helios is on my shopping list. Way back when I used to shoot a Zenith with a KMZ Helios on it, wish I'd kept it.
Regards Rob.

[davesaunders]

I’d like to extend my thanks to you. Sometime ago I watched a video where you discussed the CZJ Flektogon. On the back of this I bought one for my Leica SL2s and quite honestly it’s made me fall in love with the lens and a camera I was not particularly fond of. Thank you.

[kireibeautypruducts]

Sir thanks for the review of all these fantastic lenses. I own a Helios 44 M6 and a Nikkor-p.c 105mm 2.5 on a Canon T3i and I personally can't get rid of them. Indeed I ordered another vintage lens, a Vivitar 200mm. These lenses have personality.

[AnnaVahtera]

I have the Helios-44 and I agree that it's a very nice lens. Literally the only reason I haven't shot more with that is that I own a 50/1.4 Minolta that's an absolute treasure.

[throtol]

Last month I picked up a Konica Hexanon 40mm f1.8 lens with the original camera. It is a great lens. The colors are amazing. Unfortunately, the camera body was broken, but I honestly had no intention of using it. I have been using it alongside a Zeiss Jena Flektogan 35mm f2.8 on my Fujifilm X-T2.

[glencoe]

The more of these videos come out the more prices go up because there starts to be a demand. I keep seeing videos with "cheap" vintage lenses and then go and look for them online I see them for $250+

[MichaelRusso]

Great collection of lenses all good performers all have their own unique properties for the look you want.

[AIDorinte]

Have the helios 44-2 kmz, the pancolar and the flek. I want the konica now, felt like it had so much depth in your shots… Thanks for the content!

[David_Quinn_Photography]

I have a helios 44m_4 58mm f2 from Zenit I want a 40mm f2 to go with it, I love the Bokae these lenses give wide open I just need to learn how to use my camera with them.

[JonasStuart]

Great video thanks!! I'm going to try a few of these for sure!

As a note on Zeiss, I have a set of modern Zeiss Milvus (f1.4 and f2) lenses which I LOVE and use every day for my professional filming work. I had an old Jena 'zebra' 50mm f2.8 knocking around I'd played with in the past and pretty much forgotten about. Anyway, I put it on my cinema camera and did some filming one day and honestly, in good lighting conditions you can't tell the difference between it and my modern zeiss 50mm which cost about 25x more! It loses some ground when direct light hits it the glass (flare is very uncontrolled), and also obviously at f2.8 is not as good for bokeh or in low light, but in regards to colours and sharpness (and for that famous zeiss 3d pop....) they looks almost exactly the same. This was a big shock to me - and testament to the long, illustrious pedigree of this incredible brand!

[duncanrae]

Haven't tried my Flek 35.f2/4 on, My A7ii yet great on M4/3 and APSC , have you tried any Topcor lenses ? recently converted a Kowa 50mm f 1.8 from a fixed lens SLR, lovely clear images too .

[terrynoon]

Hi Nigel, you usually rate theOM 50mm and Canon 50mm FD. Highly. Would you rate them above or below the six here or is it not important anyway. After all they are all good!