May 2020: Let’s go go old skool, kinda

I’ve posted many times here about the value in using old, manual focus lenses on modern mirrorless cameras. Cameras from Olympus and Sony are what I’ve mainly used, and between focus peaking and screen magnification, they have made it SO easy to use these old lenses. Working with manual focus and aperture does create a neat hybrid experience for photographers — whether they’ve never shot a film camera and what an analog-ish experience, or if they have decades of film camera experience and are longing for what they’re “used to”. Too, these old lenses…they have character. Modern lenses ARE great — no doubt — very sharp, good color, aberrations controlled, but the old lenses, they bring something special.

Last week, I went out with a Super Takumar 55mm/1.8 and an Olympus 45mm/1.8 on my Olympus E M-1. I used a Fotodiox lens adapter to mount the Takumar. The results…honest, I really can’t say one is better than the other — they are just different from one another. Near as I can tell, the Oly is sharper wide open, but the Taku has a softness wide open that is kinda nice (and that softness disappears by 2.8). Check this out! And then come by the store and see what old lens you want to put on your modern camera body!

Here’s five shots from the Takumar…

And here’s five from the Olympus 45/1.8…

And two more comparisons…sometimes, the Takumar looked warmer, but I think it depended on the light at any given moment — it was not consistently warmer in color rendition.

You can pick up a screwmount lens for under $100, and the lens adapter for a mere $13! It’s a really fun way to expand your lens lineup. Come by hte store soon and see what excellent manual focus lenses we have in the Used Department — Canon FD, Nikon F, Minolta MD, Pentax K and screw mount, Ricoh, Olympus OM, and more!