Lenses with character

C

Chris Watson

Well-known member
One thing I've been finding out is that every lens brand seems to have a certain character to it. In other words, it has a certain way it renders colors or a certain way it produces bokeh or a certain way it treats lens flares. When people talk about lens character, the leader always seems to be the Carl Zeiss lenses. They have a look and feel all their own but there are several others both known and obscure. This is a thread to discuss that most elusive of qualities regarding lenses.

For me, my favorite lenses in terms of character are my two Mamiyas (55mm 1.4 and 35mm 2.8). Light passes through them and leaves a look that is very unique. What are some of your favorites when it comes to achieving a certain unique look?

Chris W
 
great thread topic Chris

I really notice the difference between FD's and AIS but for me, the lens I have found that has the most character is an old cheap vintage zoom made
by cosina and everything I have shot through it looks has a vintage look (also it produces the craziest flares I have ever seen)

 
Chris Watson said:
One thing I've been finding out is that every lens brand seems to have a certain character to it. In other words, it has a certain way it renders colors or a certain way it produces bokeh or a certain way it treats lens flares. When people talk about lens character, the leader always seems to be the Carl Zeiss lenses. They have a look and feel all their own but there are several others both known and obscure. This is a thread to discuss that most elusive of qualities regarding lenses.

For me, my favorite lenses in terms of character are my two Mamiyas (55mm 1.4 and 35mm 2.8). Light passes through them and leaves a look that is very unique. What are some of your favorites when it comes to achieving a certain unique look?

Chris W
Click to expand...


As someone who has been collecting alt-glass for his T2I since it came out and tends to look more towards old manual focus lens sites, I'm up for throwing my hat in the ring.

The Helios 44

Russian lenses are really strange.

The Helios 44 lenses are the normal lens that comes with almost any Zenit camera (aside from the industar, which I've yet to sample). It's a 58mm f/2 rip off of the Zeiss Biotar design. I've heard some people complain about it, saying that the quality control on Russian soviet russian plants was spotty at best, while others praise it, saying that it's damn near the same thing. At roughly 10-20 bucks on ebay, plus however much for an M42 to EOS adapter ring, it's worth buying four in the hopes of just getting a good one, and for anyone looking for something fun.

I picked up my Helios 44-2 from a cool weird guy I was selling a thrift store Alpa to on craigslist. He tried gave me a bunch of strange lenses that he couldn't get rid of, (including a 500mm nikor that was roughly the length of my torso and had a mount superglued to it, a weirdo medium format Bronica, a 135 with stuck apature blades and a Vivitar zoom). The Helios was the stand out of the bunch. It's become my beater lens, and outside to my 85 f/1.9 takumar, it's the one I get the most compliments on.

Why rant about a 58 mm lens from russia in the most common format? It's all in the Bokeh. Even though it's slow for a (sorta) normal lens, the bokeh has so much character. Swirly. Melty. Impressionistic. The background details, at least on my copy, tend to all sort of melt together to form a weird dreamy melange that I've seen on very few other places.

For the person just dipping their feet in the water that wants a challenge, like a film student, I could see you doing some amazing things. Screw your little plastic nifty fifty, get one of these boys.

Weird notes: The Helios 40 and Helios 44's are not the same lens. The Helios 44 series are all 58mm f/2, and the Helios 40 are 85mm f/1.5. (Yes, the number designations make absolutely no sense). The later is an infamously magical lens. It also has a preset apature and no click stops, which is strange but which I find oddly welcoming.

So perfect? Not by a long shot. It's slow, tiny, heavy and it's at a common apature, the preset apature takes time to adjust to and purchasing it can be a bit of a gamble, but in my experience it's also a dream machine that's built like a sherman tank, and I'll be damned if I can find more charisma for five bucks on Ebay.

Here is a video of the 40-2. Similar out of focus details:

http://vimeo.com/6637234

The Yashica ML

I have one Yashica ML in a 28 2.8. Got it for 5 bucks. Lucky me. It's a very contrasty lens, very sharp, and very well built. This is not to be confused with the yashinon DX lenses. I've heard various rumors on the internet as to how much Yashica aped from Zeiss when they were doing buisness, but if you can find one it's a nice little performer. The word crisp comes to mind.

Pentax Lenses:

The Super Takumars and SMC Takumars never fail to impress. I can't say a bad word about them, and the comprise the majority of my lenses. In particular, the 85mm 1.9 Super Takumar I have. It's a beautiful piece of glass I got at a thrift store for 30 bucks. Characteristics are hard to put a finger on, but dreamy is one of them. I'll have to take another look at the footage and think about it.

Other:

I also have an old Angeniux 28mm SLR lens I thrifted my way into, but I've been stingy about getting that Exacta to EOS mount. Has anyone shot on non-cinema/bolex Angeniux lenses out there? I'd be interested in hearing any reactions, or any experinces with using Exacta lenses on EOS cameras for film. It seems an oft-overlooked and obscure segment of the lens market.

Be interested to see what other people think in this thread.

-CP
 
Papapishu

Thanks for your insight and clip. Out of all the lenses I've seen pics from, the Helios has the most memorable bokeh of them all. That and the bokeh from the Volna-9.. Love the star shaped bokeh on that one. It's beautiful.

So when purchasing from the Russians on Ebay, it's better to buy in bulk and hope for the best? As long as shipping could be combined, I could see how this would be better to do but it still sucks you're taking a crap shoot.

Also, there's an Exacta to EOS adapter that lets you focus to infinity? If so, that's great news as there's lots of great glass for that mount available.

Thanks again for your insight. I'm looking forward to how this thread progresses myself as lens character is such an interesting subject.
 
Can't really say. I wouldn't just blindly buy 4 lenses, I'm saying that if you get a terrible copy, it might just be a fluke and another one might serve you better. I'd buy one, try it out, and if you don't like it shrug and move on or get a new one. Again, I have no experience with this, I literally got handed one, then tried it out and loved it, and now recommend them to other low/no budget shooters as an artsy beater.

My roomate oredered a Zenitar from rugift in Russia, though, and he said it took forever, so it might just be better/cheaper to order a Helios from the states? Or just buy an old Zenit with one attached. Again, I'm not to sure, but they can be gotten on this side of the ocean.

I do hear that you have to be careful with the Helios 44M, though. Apparently very minor tooling is required for it.

As for the Exacta to EOS mount; I'm asking everyone here. I know there are adapter rings, but I have no experience with them.

Oh. Also:

http://vimeo.com/7240098

I also recently found a really weird 135mm f/2.8 Sears lens that I'm oddly fond of recently. But then again, I'm a weirdo thrift store lens maven.


EDIT: Also forgot to mention the good/weird/interesting things I've heard (but not seen) about the Jupiter 9 and the Mir 1/ Mir-1B. Also worth looking into, particularly the MIR, since it's an easy to get ahold of 37mm f/2.8 lens and apparently is famous for winning an optics award in brussels in the fifties. ( http://vimeo.com/8263862 )
 
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Chances are that Sears 135mm 2.8 is actually a rebranded Mamiya Sekor. If so, you got yourself a nice lens there. Here's a clip most of you have seen but I'll post it here as well. This is a short demo reel of my meager 3 lens (at the time) collection including my two Mamiyas. Enjoy!

http://vimeo.com/10197920

The Mir 1 has been on and off my radar for a while now. I just haven't seen anything that makes me want to get the lens immediately. I'll probably save up my pennies for a Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon 35mm 2.4 so I can finally scratch that itch and either move on to the Soviet lenses or some Super Taks. I think it's safe to say I'm deep into my lens buying addiction!

Chris W
 
I like most Leica lenses, and the Canon 135 soft focus, and the Canon 50-200 L (old lens hard to find) Nikon 28mm F2.8
 
J Davis said:
great thread topic Chris

I really notice the difference between FD's and AIS but for me, the lens I have found that has the most character is an old cheap vintage zoom made
by cosina and everything I have shot through it looks has a vintage look (also it produces the craziest flares I have ever seen)

Click to expand...

looks cool. but that lens has no contrast!
 
My 24-105L even when flaring, still has some contrast..... this lens has a good look. its really "period".

check the new Eryka Badu Video. canon 1DmkIV, treated to look like old S8. looks like this...
 
TimurCivan said:
it hardly has any anyway....
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He's going for the vintage look and everyone knows everything from 1950-1980 had no contrast :D

The 40's on the other hand were quite contrasty.

The past has less contrast! That's why the nostalgic setting on the GH1 gives such great dynamic range.
 
I think a great lens with character is the Meyer Optik - Gorlitz Trioplan 100mm f 2.8. Crazy bokeh wide open, sharper when stopped down. I have purchased one recently and really like it much.
 
There are many adapters for old lenses. For instance, the Meyer Trioplan that I have mentioned above is an M42 mount which can be easily adapted. I have an M42 to Canon FD adapter to use on an FD mount DOF adapter. But there are also M42 to EOS or micro 4/3 adapters already on eBay.
 
robmneilson said:
Just picked up a Helios 40 (not the 40-2) on ebay. Can't wait to test it out!
Click to expand...

That's the 85 right? I'm jealous. I have my eye on that one too but it's around $300-$400 at the places I checked. How much did you get yours for? When you get bored with it (yeah right!), feel free to sell it to me :). Can't wait to see some clips.

Chris W
 
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