Large collection of Vintage Lenses, but which ones are cool

S

sadude

Active member
I recently came into posession of a rather large collection of old vintage lenses. I was wondering if i could use any of these lenses to build a kit for some video shoots i want to do with an dslr. I have the adaptors. Has anyone used these lenses with their dslr's? Is there a gem in this list?

vintage_lens_collection.jpg
Here is the list:

M42 screw mount lenses – prime lenses:

Chinon Auto 2.8 f28mm
Tamron Auto 2.8 f35mm
Super-Takumar 1.9 f85mm
Helios-44m-4 2 f58mm
Carl zeissjena 1.8 f50mm
Super-Takumar 1.9 f85mm
Vivitar 2.8 f100mm
Vivitar 3.8 f21mm
Super-Takumar 3.5 f35mm
Super-Takumar 1.8 f55mm
Super-Takuma 2 f55mm
Super-Takuma 3.5 f28mm
Super-multicoated-Takumar 3.5 f 28mm
Chinon Auto 2.8 f135mm
Super-Takuma 3.5 f135mm
Super-Takuma 3.5 f28mm
Super_multi-coated macro-Takumar 4 f50mm
Super Takuma 1.4 f50mm
Super-Takumar 1.8 f55mm
Chinon Auto 1.7 f55mm
Super-Takumar 4 f150mm
Tamron 2.8 f135mm
Schneider-kreuznach 3.5 f90mm
Super-multi-coated Takumar 4 f200mm
Super-multi-coated Takumar 4 f100mm
D&N 4.5 f 200mm
Super-Takumar 4 f300mm
Super Takumar 4 f200mm
Tele-Takumar 5.6 200mm
Tele-Tokina 6.3 f400mm
Kimunor 8 f500mm

M42 screw mount – zoom lenses:

Vivitar Auto 4.5 f90-230mm
Beroflex Auto 4 f90-210mm
Super Cosina 4.5-5.6 f80-200mm

Pentax PK-Mount Lenses –prime lenses:

Sears Auto 2.8 f135mm
CPC Auto 2.8 f28mm
Chinon Auto 1.9 f50mm
Asahi smc 1.7 f50mm
Asahi smc 1.7 f50mm
Soligor 2.8 f105mm
Asahi 4 f50mm
Tokina 3.5 135mm

Pentax PK-Mount lenses – zoom lenses:

Sun 4 f70-230mm
Asahi 4.5 f80-200mm
Tokina 5.6 f100-300mm
Marexar 3.5-4.5 f28-80mm
 
I would shoot tests with each lens but I would be the most interested in the Carl zeissjena 1.8 f50mm and Super Takuma 1.4 f50mm, among others. Play with lens flare, different lenses have different flares and older lenses have better (i.e. less controlled) flare.

I am pretty jealous of your collection.
 
Justin Kuhn said:
I would shoot tests with each lens but I would be the most interested in the Carl zeissjena 1.8 f50mm and Super Takuma 1.4 f50mm
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I was looking closely at the carl zeissjena, it seems like a realy solid build. Any thoughts on the zoom lenses?the "Sun 4 f70-230mm" seems like one of the faster ones but the actual zoom mechanism works up and down rather than twisting.
 
That's quite a score!

The Carl Zeiss is definitely a great find. Also, the Helios has become a cult favorite for its vintage look. None of the zooms on the list are particularly fast, so unless you're often shooting video with plenty of light, either out in the sun or with a full grip truck worth of lighting, they won't be useful for much.

It also looks like you may be able to cobble together a basic prime kit from the Super Takumar lenses. Play with them and see how well their colors match, and focus on the faster primes if you can.
 
Super-Takumar 1.9 f85mm is a ballpark $300 + lens right now, today, at auction. I've been on the lookout for a deal on one (which means in the $250 and down range) for 6 months now.

I shoot exclusively on Super Taks. You have my entire kit, plus some... damn it!
 
gonzo_entertainment said:
Super-Takumar 1.9 f85mm is a ballpark $300 + lens right now, today, at auction. I've been on the lookout for a deal on one (which means in the $250 and down range) for 6 months now.

I shoot exclusively on Super Taks. You have my entire kit, plus some... damn it!
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i think there are two of those lenses in the kit, but they both have webbing on the inside glass.
 
That's a great collection.

I have the Helios and love it.

play with all them if you have the adapters like you said.

How did you acquire these? You got them all at once?

that's a reallly nice haul
 
Samuel H said:
Play with them and you'll soon see which ones are great and which are... not that great.

At a minimum, test sharpness and bokeh:
http://www.similaar.com/foto/lenstests/lenstestsa.html
http://www.similaar.com/foto/lenstests/bokehtests.html

But also shoot some real-world scenarios, some lenses will be soft and blurry but still deliver a very interesting image.
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Funny you would say that, after posting this thread, i started reading up about still lenses and the difference between them and the cine lenses. I know these vintage lenses are great cause of the manual aperature, but they do breath a bit. I tested them in a pentax and the bokeh thing confuses me greatly. i couldn't see a difference between the different lenses, but i guess that comes with experience. They all seem sharp as well, by that i mean, they all focus well on a subject.

Is it just me or do those dollar bills seem to get sharper in the middle f stops
 
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I now found a Makinon MC Zoom 35-70mm f2,8 pk mount. To me this sounds great, has anyone ever seen such a lens?
 
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