Share your photos with legacy lenses

[xaviergut]

Trying the Nikon 50mm f/1.5 Pre-Ai with the Lumix S5ii:

• Panasonic DC-S5M2
• 50mm
• 1/5000s
• ISO 100

• Panasonic DC-S5M2
• 50mm
• 1/3200s
• ISO 100

• Panasonic DC-S5M2
• 50mm
• 1/2500s
• ISO 100

 

[Jonathan-Mac]

I made an online purchase of a kit that included a Pentax ES II (apparently working except the light meter), a 55mm f/1.8 SMC Takumar, a 24mm f/3.5 Takumar (not known if Super or Super-Multi-Coated) and a 100mm f/2.8 Takumar, plus cases and an original hood for the 24mm. I knew the last of those lenses doesn't exist and looking at the bad pictures I thought it would be a 135/3.5. All I really wanted was the 24mm plus hood and calculated that if the rest was in a good state I could sell it off and the 24mm would be around €70 at the end of the day.

The package arrived today and I've finished checking it out. The 24mm is Super-Multi-Coated and in good condition except for slow aperture blades, not too much of a problem as it doesn't matter on digital and on an M42 film camera I can use it in manual mode instead of auto. The 55mm is fine. The camera is mostly OK but sometimes the mirror sticks up and doesn't come back until I've fired the shutter a few times, I may be able to fix that. And what I expected to be a 135mm f/3.5 is actually a 120mm f/2.8! That's a lens I've had my eye out for for some time, so I was very happy to see it. A closer look shows it has a ring of balsam separation all the way around one of the lens groups, which is a shame but it doesn't seem to affect image quality that I can tell.

So overall I think that worked out quite well, although I'm going to have to gather up some other stuff to sell off if I'm to keep the 24 and the 120.

A few shots with the 24mm wide open where it's certainly not super sharp

Autumn in park morning light by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr

Start of autumn by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr

Park morning by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr

And a few with the 120mm, all wide open except for the butterfly which was taken at f/4 and is cropped to 25% of the original image

Light blue butterfly by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr

Pod by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr

Small flowers by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr

Rose and stick-y bokeh by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr

All of these were taken in the local park, I haven't had a chance to go any further afield yet.

 

[CaliforniTexican]

Thank you for your very interesting and well-written article. I have been looking into buying a mirrorless camera and one of my main goals is to use old manual lenses (given I prefer to manually focus my modern automatic lenses anyway).

I particularly am glad to know focus peaking works with the old manual lenses because it is my preferred focus method.

Your images are wonderful — as a B&W guy I particularly like “Smoke in the Crystal Palace.” Is the atmospheric aspect of that image due to the site and light that day, or due to the Tamron lens?

Thanks so much for sharing!

 

[Jonathan-Mac]

Thank you for your very interesting and well-written article. I have been looking into buying a mirrorless camera and one of my main goals is to use old manual lenses (given I prefer to manually focus my modern automatic lenses anyway).

I particularly am glad to know focus peaking works with the old manual lenses because it is my preferred focus method.

Your images are wonderful — as a B&W guy I particularly like “Smoke in the Crystal Palace.” Is the atmospheric aspect of that image due to the site and light that day, or due to the Tamron lens?

Thanks so much for sharing!

You're welcome and thank-you. I enjoy using old manual lenses and that enjoyment has increased since I moved to full-frame mirrorless as it's easier to focus precisely get great results. FF mirrorless is the best way to enjoy vintage lenses.

"Smoke in the crystal palace" is one of my favourite photos I've ever taken and probably could have been done without a huge difference using any ultra-wide-angle lens, but the Vivitar/Tokina 17mm f/3.5 was all I had at the time, having owned it for use on film for a few years. Nowadays I could also use the Lumix 16-35mm f/4 and it would likely be a bit sharper and with more contrast but I doubt that would have added anything positive to the image; I like it just the way it is. Interestingly, earlier this year I saw a very, very similar image on Facebook, taken by a Portuguese photographer a few months after my photo was taken. There was a piece about his masterful use of light and shadow, blah blah blah, and I was very tempted to add a comment that it's just a copy of my photo taken a few months earlier, but I resisted.

 

[Jonathan-Mac]

Two with the Pentax S-M-C Takumar 24mm f/3.5

Carved by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr

Rusted barbecue by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr

And a heavy crop of a shot from the S-M-C Takumar 120mm f/2.8 at f/4

Froggy by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr

 

[Jonathan-Mac]

A couple of shots from this morning with the Pentax M 50mm f/1.4

Golden morning by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr

Morning flowers by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr

 

[Jonathan-Mac]

Pentax M 50mm f/1.4

Morning walk by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr

Sun/flowers by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr

 

[Jonathan-Mac]

Another with the Pentax M 50mm f/1.4

Aluche street art by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr

 

[Travis Butler]

20251002-SDIM8382 by Travis Butler, on Flickr

Sigma fp, Konica Hexanon 57/1.4. The lens has been getting some praise on the Adapted Lens Forum lately for its painterly bokeh effects, and I found a copy recently at an estate sale, so here we are.

20251002-SDIM8402 by Travis Butler, on Flickr

Classic Hexanon colors, too.

 

[Jonathan-Mac]

I just bought my third 40mm lens this year - the Pentax M 40mm f/2.8. So far it seems to be better than it's spotty reputation would suggest, with plenty of sharpness in the central area even wide open.

A few samples all at f/2.8

Pentax M 40mm f/2.8 test #3 by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr

Pentax M 40mm f/2.8 test #4 by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr

Pentax M 40mm f/2.8 test #3 by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr

 

[Travis Butler]

I just bought my third 40mm lens this year - the Pentax M 40mm f/2.8. So far it seems to be better than it's spotty reputation would suggest, with plenty of sharpness in the central area even wide open.

I've had decent luck with the M 40/2.8, though not spectacular.

20220526-SDIM0821 by Travis Butler, on Flickr
Sigma fp, Pentax-M 40/2.8

20220609-SDIM1124 by Travis Butler, on Flickr

The DA 40/2.8 Limited is essentially the same lens set up for autofocus/auto aperture control, and it seems to have a much better reputation. I have to wonder if it's because the DA Limited version was used almost exclusively on APS-C, and so the central area was emphasized.

 

[Jonathan-Mac]

I've had decent luck with the M 40/2.8, though not spectacular.

The DA 40/2.8 Limited is essentially the same lens set up for autofocus/auto aperture control, and it seems to have a much better reputation. I have to wonder if it's because the DA Limited version was used almost exclusively on APS-C, and so the central area was emphasized.

I used to have the SMC DA version and I liked it a lot, it's one of the Pentax lenses I miss. Of course, I used it exclusively on my APS-C K-3 so I can't really compare it to shots taken with the M version on the S5.

* * * * * *​

A few shots from the Madrid railway museum with the Pentax K 24mm f/2.8

Train museum II by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr

Train insides by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr

Train museum by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr