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Share your photos with legacy lenses

S-M-C Takumar 85mm f/1.8

I have found in the last few years that 85mm is my favourite focal length to use on a beach. Compared to a 50mm it gives me a bit more room to photograph my daughters as they play without intruding on their space, it can isolate unusual features or objects and provide a little more compression for shots of lone people with the expanse of space around them. Using a manual lens is usually no problem because it's not the kind of situation where there's any rush.

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Blue by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr

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Beach hotel by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
 
A portrait of my wife, taken during an evening walk in Como, Italy.

Panasonic Lumix S1 + Mamiya Sekor 55mm f/1.4 — shot wide open at f/1.4, ISO 2000

One of the things I enjoy most about the L-Mount system is how well the S1 works with vintage manual-focus lenses. Shot wide open, the old Mamiya 55mm shows plenty of character: a gentle rendering on the subject, smooth transitions and a very distinctive, almost painterly background.

I particularly like the contrast here between the warm city lights, the slightly cooler light on her face, and the vivid green of the dress. At f/1.4 the background melts away nicely, while the S1 still delivers very pleasant tones and detail at ISO 2000.

For me, this is exactly where old glass and modern full-frame digital complement each other.
 

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ElisemkII said:
A portrait of my wife, taken during an evening walk in Como, Italy.

Panasonic Lumix S1 + Mamiya Sekor 55mm f/1.4 — shot wide open at f/1.4, ISO 2000

One of the things I enjoy most about the L-Mount system is how well the S1 works with vintage manual-focus lenses. Shot wide open, the old Mamiya 55mm shows plenty of character: a gentle rendering on the subject, smooth transitions and a very distinctive, almost painterly background.
Click to expand...
Portraits aren't my thing, but I definitely like that Mamiya 55/1.4.

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Missouri 20240903-SDIM2598 by Travis Butler, on Flickr
Sigma fp, Mamiya-Sekor 55/1.4

(Sharp enough to provoke moiré on some of the ventilation grilles!)

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  • 1/1250s
  • ISO 100


And bokeh I like when shot wide-open.
 
The $4 Takumar 50/1.4

I get almost all of my vintage lenses from estate sales... but this one was a particularly notable find. The camera it was apparently used with was already sold when I got there, and I happened to randomly run across it elsewhere in the sale. No price tag, so I brought it to the cashier and asked; she looked at it for a moment, shrugged, and said. $4. <grab>

I've already got a couple copies of the Super-Takumar 50/1.4 - including both the legendary 8-element version and a de-yellowed 7-element version*, in addition to the Super-Multi-Coated 50/1.4. So it was a lens I already had... but for $4, I couldn't resist, and at worst I figured I could pass it along to a deserving soul.

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20260818-SDIM1504v1.dng by Travis Butler, on Flickr
Sigma fp, Super-Takumar 50/1.4 (yellowed)

Was taken just after sunset, so the lighting wasn't that good... but still pleased by the results. :)

*For those not familiar with the 50/1.4's history... the original 8-element Super-Takumar was designed in the mid-60's as an absolute best-of-the-best lens to demonstrate Pentax's ability to stand on the same ground as premium lens makers like Zeiss. Because of its complex design, it was very expensive to make - many sources claim it sold for less than its manufacturing cost - and after a couple of years, it was replaced by a simpler 7-element version. To keep the IQ high, the original 7-element version was designed with a thoriated glass element, and radioactive decay yellowed this element over time. The yellowing can be reversed with a strong UV light source; I used a LED lamp from IKEA, which cleared my original copy in about a week.

In the early 70s, the last generation before Pentax switched from M42 to K-mount, they introduced a Super-Multi-Coated version of the 50/1.4 with improved coatings; I don't notice that much difference, but I rarely shot it in situations where flaring was an issue. According to some reports, they also were able to eliminate the radioactive element; they also changed the focus ring, from an all-metal hills-and-valleys design to a rubber grip.

Two Pens sm.jpg
  • Apple iPhone SE
  • iPhone SE back camera 4.15mm f/2.2
  • ƒ/2.2
  • 4mm
  • 1/30s
  • ISO 64

The later SMC version is on the left; the original metal ring is on the right.
 
Another shot with the Canon FD 135mm f/3.5 “Chrome Nose” on the Panasonic Lumix S1.

The subject is very simple — a row of rental bicycles — but I liked the repetition of the orange baskets, the handlebars and the frames, and I thought it was a good opportunity to see how this old 135mm handles depth and separation.

What I particularly like here is the gradual transition from the sharp central basket to the progressively softer elements in front and behind it. The 135mm focal length compresses the different planes nicely, while the lens keeps enough definition in the out-of-focus areas to preserve the structure of the scene.

The Canon is certainly not “clinical” in the modern sense. It has good detail and contrast, but the rendering remains gentle, with smooth tonal transitions and a very natural sense of depth. To my eyes, this balance between sharpness and softness is one of the most appealing characteristics of this early FD lens.

Panasonic Lumix S1 + Canon FD 135mm f/3.5 Chrome Nose
Minimal processing.

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