…! The only lens I’ve tried so far that has more character than the Meritar 50mm F2.9 is the legendary Helios 44-2 58mm F2. If you are familiar with the 44-2, you’ll know that any lens similar to it will be pretty magical. Like the 44-2, Meritar 50mm F2.9 doesn’t just lose contrast when pointed at the sun; the flares have all sorts of rainbows and colors to them. It also produces slightly swirly, but smooth bokeh when used wide open. Colours are qu… Continue Reading
…200. In coming weeks I’ll be taking a more in-depth looks at both Canon FD 50mm F1.4 and Zhongyi Lens Turbo ll, so make sure to check back soon! Find Canon 50mm F1.4 on EBAY Find Zhongyi Turbo II on EBAY I try my best to make this website a great resource for people interested in vintage lenses for video use, so I hope you’ve enjoyed this & other posts. I sure hope they will help you save some money on your future lens investments too. I’ve joined… Continue Reading
…I found on internet. My one has 3 lines on the focus ring, just like Nikon 50mm 1.2 and unlike all the other 50mm f/1.4s I’ve seen, which have 2 (see the pictures below). I was told that this is actually a Nikkor 50mm/1.4 ‘K’ pre Ai version made from 1974-76 updated later with Ai kit no. 5 (that’s basicly an aperture ring required to mount the lens on Nikon cameras from 1977 to today’s models). This particular version got also the longest focus th… Continue Reading
…/vimeo.com/47339498 I’m a big fan of vintage 50mm lenses. I’ve test 3 fast 50mm primes in this test and ended up keeping the Olympus which I use on daily basis. I also absolutely love my Helios 44-2 58mm lens. There are so many other great 50mm lenses that I’m yet to discover. The video above was shot completely on Yashica Yashinon DS 50mm f/1.4 lens, which is yet another amazing value for money 50mm f/1.4 lens. I don’t have this one yet, but than… Continue Reading
…FD 50mm f/1.4 : I have 2 of them and will be comparing it with my current 50mm 1.4 lens of choice, Olympus Zuiko. I’ve used my 50mm f/1.4 a few times already, some examples can be seen in this video most of the mid shots and closeups are shot with this lens and I must say it performs quite well for the money. Canon FD 50mm f/1.8 : Very similar looking lens to 1.4 version. A stop slower, but also much cheaper. Still really fast at 1.8. I should de… Continue Reading
…77mm step ring Pancolar 50mm F1.8 – No set can is complete without a nice 50mm and as it’s often the case, this 50mm is the fastest lens in the set, making it a great choice for low light and bokelisios shots. Funnily enough it’s also one of the cheapest lenses in this set, but if budget is really tight and you don’t care about that extra stop of light, the Tessar 50mm F2.8 is also an excellent choice (my review). Specs: Closest Focusing Distance… Continue Reading
…n any ways, I just prefer to go wider or more tele most of the time. 28mm, 50mm, 90mm “barebones set”, seen here complete “un-cinevised” If I were to build a barebones set with the knowledge that I got today, I would probably focus on getting the 28mm, 50mm and 90mm. They are very different and can cover almost everything, especially if you have many camera bodies with different crop factors to choose from. In order to mount the Summicron 50mm and… Continue Reading
…just a high-end camera. Here is what Stefano had to say about his Takumar 50mm f/1.4: This video was made with my Sony NEX-VG10 and the Super-Takumar… no special color correction but only “sunset” picture style on the camera. Super-Takumar 50mm f1.4 it’s a superb prime lens famous for his high toxicity construction’s material glass. I love this lens! It’s very sharp wide open, awesome bokeh and also very cheep (less then 100$/€ on eBay). Indeed t… Continue Reading
…but I think the F1.4 is best value for money option out of the 3. Canon FD 50mm F1.4 & Canon FD 50mm F1.2 side by side. These lenses are not that different really and even though F1.2 costs 3 times more than F1.4, I can’t really say that it’s much superior optically, definitely not 3 times anyway 🙂 85mm F1.8 (61mm F1.2 with FR) – Also a very, very sexy lens if you have the budget for it. It’s not the cheapest in the set but for around $150-200 it’… Continue Reading
…ak a bank. As with any vintage lens, the benefits that you have with Ricoh 50mm are hard stops at each end of the focusing rage and aperture adjustment directly on the lens. The focusing ring on this lens is definitely not the best for a vintage lens, but it’s not stiff and can be easily turned with two fingers. The focusing through is about 45 degrees which is again not that great for a vintage lens. One last thing on this lens that is not my cup… Continue Reading
