VINTAGE vs NEW Lens for Landscape photography // Nikon 50mm

I was curious to test a vintage vs new lens for landscape photography. I own a 50mm lens made in 1979, and also a brand new z-mount lens for my Nikon mirrorless Z6 camera. Is the new lens really worth 10x more in price than a vintage lens?

Vintage lenses are increasing in popularity. They are often better made and more durable than new plastic lenses, smaller, lighter, and can offer beautiful optical characteristics that modern lenses can't.

I do hope you enjoy this video. Like and subscribe if you would be so kind 🙂

Hey, I'm on INSTAGRAM too! :

#landscapephotography #vintagelenses

[thomaschipman]

i love vintage glass and mirrorless cameras make these lenses a pleasure to use. they may not have the resolving power to handle the super-dense, crazy pixel density of some newer cameras but they are wonderful on most modern systems. these days, i'm finding many digital images entirely too sharp for my taste and prefer images that are less clinical. i'm no longer concerned if glass is slightly soft when wide open, or if the corners fall apart, or if there is vignetting. i'm much more interested in the how the images are rendered overall.

[JayGilmourMedia]

Completely agree, I love using my vintage stuff, much more character and even the imperfections look good in them.

[fps]

Awesome video Simon. Great to see you venturing into the vintage lens thing too. It’s become a real obsession of mine for video recently. There’s just so much aesthetic variety you can get and from glass that costs next to nothing. Anyway, cracking video dude.

[strote]

Lovely video, really charming shots. You’re going cause an increase in vintage prices!

[SimonBurnCreative]

Do use a vintage lens? Let us know in the comments below! And please give this video a like if you didn't fall asleep.

[DGriffGallery]

I wish you had more time. To make more of this sort of thing. Fascinating, and some great points! 😊👍

[VintageInsightPhotography]

Love my vintage glass. I have Canon, Minolta, Pentax, Olympus, and more. The character of the vintage lenses is different than modern lenses and varies from brand to brand. One of the sharpest vintage lenses I have is a Jupiter 8 I peeled off a Kiev rangefinder camera and stuck to a L39 adapter. Sharp, yet has a beautiful glow to the highlights. Most unique is a Leitz Wetzlar Dimaron 100mm projector lens. I’ve even shot some video footage with it.
Whilst there are no affiliate links available for vintage lenses, there is a good market for them on eBay. 😉
That Nikon 50mm looks superb. 👍

[mmalasig]

I Own modern lenses and vintage lenses i still pick my vintage lenses over modern when i go shoot. its the look they give and makes you focus more on shooting the subject.

[BrianHorsey]

I’ve been using my MC Rokkor 50mm f/1.4 - the kit lens when I bought a Minolta SRT 101 in 1972 - with an adapter from eBay on my 5D3 and enjoying the results. Thanks for sharing your findings.

[nevillewatkins]

Pretty much sums it up. Since I dug out my old Pentax lens I haven't looked back. Yes, modern lenses are technically very good. But I just feel that's missing the point somehow. We don't criticise Michelangelo because his edges are a bit soft. It's the painting that is important. It's the same with photographs. Who is going to compare a new lens to old if the image pleases you? Faults and all.

[EddyHerreraCC]

Great clips! Color grading is on point 🔥

[paultaylorphotography]

Great vid mate crackin shots too i have an old nifty 50 on my old Minolta 9 it’s probably my fave lens such an underrated focal length so versatile and cheap as chips. Cougar or a bear I’d go with the bear cougars wear too much makeup

[RaymondParkerPhoto]

What a coincidence to discover this video, after I just compared the same 2 lenses, for video. It should be noted that the Series E lens is primarily plastic, with just the metal ring on the second edition, which I picked up last year with an FM camera in mint condition. I was pushing 30 when I bought my first FM and the lens in question, in early 1981.
Should you have insinuated that those of us who participate in affiliate marketing are dishonest? Probably not. That's a pretty wide-ranging aspersion to be casting.

[acecreates]

Did curiosity kill the cat? Great video Simon! I've been using vintage lenses on my fujifilm x-t1. Thanks for sharing!

[philipculbertson]

Completely agree Simon and thanks for speaking up about "unbiased reviews" from YouTubers. I disregard everyone of those and more often than not, don't watch them. Of the ones I have watched, I have never seen one, not one, where a photographer got a freebie for a review and then recommended not to buy it. Frankly, I just don't believe that and it makes me call into question the integrity of the reviewer so these days, I don't watch them. As for the Chinese and Taiwanese lenses, they are often built to fail far sooner than the old lenses were. I think you were dead-on with the video.

[SteveGerrardPhotography]

Fun subject and very interesting results.

[IanSmithFotografi]

Cougars can teach you a few things 😅 or maybe not 😂... such a well made film (as I’ve come to expect from you)... hope you are well Simon... cheers Ian

[kamranhkhan]

Excellent content, a real eye opener. The real world use case is a lot different than what these youtubers want you to believe and honestly no oke cares how many pixels one can count when zoomed in to 400%

[Alan-DPhotos]

Thanks Simon. You've reminded me to dig out my old Canon 18-200mm F3.5-5.6 EFS lens to use on my EOS R on long hikes. That gives me roughly a 39-320mm full frame equivalent. Even if I add the 16-35 F4 L to my bag, would still be a great weight saving. I'll just have to try and keep it dry though! lol :-)

[thevalleywalker]

I have no interest in Nikon gear but watched this with interest... .. the images and your test certainly will have Nikon users hunting for copies I would think. Hope ya well.. glad to see that business is keeping you busy mate. atb Al