Mine would be the Konica Hexanon AR 40mm f1.8. I just love it for the images it makes, the small and compact size, the excellent handling.

@pawellewap1331

2 ай бұрын

I fully agree with you. For full frame 36x24mm, 40mm lenses are best. They reflect the perspective of the human eye, what our brain notices, but not the technical angle of view of our eyes. I love Hexanon AR 40mm f1.8.

I sat here watching this like it was Torvill & Dean all over again! The Zuiko 55mm f1.2 gets all 10s for artistic impression and it's my own favourite lens too! It's well behaved when you tell it to be, but somewhat flamboyant and eccentric when you let it loose!

Great video Nigel, mine would be my beloved Topcor RE AUTO 58mm 1.4.

@zenography7923

2 ай бұрын

I've heard that's a really nice lens, enjoy!

@seoulrydr

2 ай бұрын

I'm keen to know why you chose the Topcor 58mm f1.4

@bradl2636

2 ай бұрын

A very nice lens if you can find a good copy at a reasonable price.

@aidanhowgate5437

2 ай бұрын

@bradl2636 agreed, I got very lucky, I got the black version with the topcon camera at a house clearance auction for £67 plus 15%.

You beat me to it sir😂 This Olympus is so versatile because of the focal length, but also because it has a lot of imperfections/character wide open, but stoped down, it's almost clinically sharp and well behaved. Keep doing this, your channel is a major inspiration

@1kwords

2 ай бұрын

Ohai!

I choose Pancolar. This is the best, romantic and dreamy vintage lens. I love Helios too. It's sacred.

somewhere between 50 and 58mm is the sweet spot! personal pick would be the Meyer-Optik Oreston 50mm 1.8. also a big fan of the images from the Steinhel Munchen Auto-Quinon 55mm f1.9.

@OliverEvergreen

2 ай бұрын

oreston, zebra version ⚡ sold my helios 77 in favor of this beauty back then.

Another outstanding video! Thanks for all the work you put into this channel, it's rapidly becoming one of my favorites.

@zenography7923

2 ай бұрын

Very glad to hear it, thanks!

The Minolta 58mm 1.4 is such a perfect lens.

With sixty-odd lenses, most vintage primes, I've decided I could be satisfied with only one if I could only have one. The Auto-Takumar 35mm f3.5 made between 1959 and 1962 and limited to about 30,000 copies altogether. (I have two.) It's extraordinarily sharp and has great contrast and color.

Thanks for this deep dive! My aunt was a raku potter, an oil painter and a color consultant. Her influence led me to test my eyes for differences in field of view angle, daytime and nighttime color interpretations. All of this plays into learning what choices are important in lens use. I'm testing a Pentacon 50mm, my Helios 44-2 and a 50mm Meritar this month. Same roll of film, etc and subjects in the same lighting. Please, talk more about this and other ignored aspects of photography.

Olympus OM Zuiko 50 mm f/3.5 AUTO-MACRO. Gracias por tus videos Zenography

@zenography7923

2 ай бұрын

I love that Olympus lens, I have one myself and will never get rid of it! Me encanta esa lente Olympus, yo también tengo una y ¡nunca me deshaceré de ella!

The Summitar is my sentimental favorite. My first "real" camera was a Leica IIIc + Summitar 50mm f2 that my parents brought with them when they emigrated to the US from Ukraine after WWII.

When you just asked your question I thought about my Nikkor 55mm f1.2 lens. I am happy that your winner is similar to mine.

My one and only lens is the Leica M 35mm 1.4 Summilux pre-asph. It checks all my boxes of speed, compactness, quality images with zero distortion. Thanks for another great video, Nigel.

My one go-to lense is the Nikkor 50mm F1.2 that I have attached to my Nikon FE, great video as always, keep up the good work.👍

@bradl2636

2 ай бұрын

I have this lens too. Just a bit soft wide open.

@camedia7291

2 ай бұрын

@@bradl2636 Yer i agree

Love your videos!

Great choice! I happen to own Zuiko 55m f1.2 and I love it! Just as said - wild open, but very sharp even slighly stopped down while retaining character.

Hi Nigel, many, many thanks you for uploading! Really nice lenses! I like the 100 mm lenses! A 28 mm lens is also very versatile! I have a Minolta MD 2.5/100 mm, a Minolta MD 1.4/50 mm and a Minolta MD 3.5/28 mm. Best wishes, Ralf

I guess I would take a 35 mm focal length. Can always crop later. Perhaps a great zoom. Helios definitely is nice

@zenography7923

2 ай бұрын

It was hard not to pick the Helios - I was seduced by that f1.2!

@julianjuellz

2 ай бұрын

what does it have to do with cropping? it creates a completely different image

Another great video & an excellent choice of lens. I think my pick would be my Minolta 50mm f1.7 - it's just a pleasure to use & tack sharp when stopped down a little.

This was a great exercise! Very stimulating, since some of these lenses do quite different things. Your final choice shows that you value a painterly esthetic. Mine would be more documentary or draftsman-like. Also, this inspired me to go hunting for a compact and tough vintage tele lens like the Olympus 135mm.

I have Helio 44-2 , 44-6. Takumar 50 elements But the one I find most convenient is Nikkor af 24-50 . Perhaps the non-D is a bit sharper. But at F5. 6 with flash in door everything is sharp. I covered a few relatives weddings.No mistakes allowed, believe me . Always appreciate your straight forward style, Nigel. Keep the great videos coming.

I continue to enjoy your reviews since I'm a certified vintage lens nerd, and adaptarian. I'm pretty sure the last lens I would part with would be a rangefinder lens conversion of a Tomioka-built Color-Yashinon DX 40mm f1.7, that I extracted from a malfunctioning Yashica Electro 35 GX, and converted to Sony E-mount. I don't remember how, but the close focus is now around 0.5m. Its closest competitor is another Yashinon DX, a 45mm f1.4, extracted from a Yashica Lynx-14 rangefinder camera, also now focusing around 0.4m. Both give me the "pop" I love and buttery-smooth blur. I tend to use the 40mm (I consider the ideal carry-around focal length, and much more "forgiving" regarding focus wide open) more than the 45mm because it is much more compact, and it's only a ½ stop less. Keep up the good work!

When i was in college,in the 1970s. My professor,had us all buy a Kodak Brownie. Set shutter,set apeture. We had to find the time of day,for proper lighting,to get a great exposure. REALLY, taught us all a lot.

My go to lens is my Nikon 50mm f1.4 which I bought new in 1982 with my Nikon FE2, both still with me great kit used both Professionally and for my own use. My son used it for his A level photography course which he got an A*

Nice video! You are truly the master of suspense! I like that your survey is framed as your choice based on your photography. So no one can argue with that! I am totally behind 'limitation breeds creativity'. I have found that going out with a camera and a choice of lenses just gets in the way of having a good time shooting as an amateur. I would never suggest a beginner starts with a zoom lens even if it is an excellent one as it adds another variable. Sadly the standard for many years is for a kit lens to be a zoom and they typically come with a maximum aperture of just f3.5. My preferred one and only lens would be a 28mm with excellent close focus performance. I got a 28mm Vivitar Close Focus with a Nikon EM body and humble though that sounds it's a great combination for very little money. It's not my ultimate 'Desert Island ' choice but it's what I chose to give to an enthusiastic beginner in the family as her first film camera. This combination has versatility without complication.

Given your criteria, you will exceedingly enjoy the Hexanon 57mm F1.2 AR lens. I look forward to your reviewing it someday when possible. Keep up the great enjoyable work you are doing 👌🏾

@bransoncarlton4939

2 ай бұрын

He has a video about the 57 mm Konica F1 .4 where he says he hates it! He is not a Konica fan boy. I think conical lenses are superb, except for the aperture ring is kind of chintzy/cheap feeling. Other than that you can’t beat their lenses!

Great roundup -- I'd have a tough time settling on just one! Considering I'm on the Fuji-X system.. out of my own vintage collection I'd likely go with my Nikkor 35mm f/2 AIS or the (somewhat radioactive) S-M-C Takumar 55mm f/1.8.

@zenography7923

2 ай бұрын

That little Tak is a beautiful - and often overlooked - little optic, for sure!

Great video Nigel. Thought you may go for the Pancolor, but not surprised it was the Olympus. From my small collection I’d pick the Oly 50mm 1.4, which can double up as a 75mm on my APSC. 2nd would be my Helios 44-M and 3rd my Sigma 28-70 f3.5-4.5.

I do enjoy the OM Olympus lens, especially 28mm and 50mm. Another very informative video 😊

Surprised that the Pentax Takumar 55mm f1.8, or the 50mm f1.4 are not on your list. I would also think that the Olympus Zuiko 50mm f1.4 is a worthy consideration, being between the economic f1.8 and the expensive f1.2.

@tonygarrett7214

2 ай бұрын

You make a very valid point. I have used the lenses you refer to and can confirm the quality of Takumar glass. The richness of colour and clarity is difficult to surpass.

@scrptwic

2 ай бұрын

For me it's the Takumar 50mm1.4 great little lens great color and bokeh

My lens of choice would be the Carl Zeiss Pancolar 1.8/50mm (old zebra version).Sharpness perfect, colors wonderful, minimum distance good, mechanism build quality very good.Thank you for your time very great videos and explanations.

Ps you hot a mention in a recent Martin Helborn vlog where he was doing an assessment of the upgraded Holga! Very good and your one who he rates as a man who knows his stuff!!!! So double Brownie points a compliment indeed.

So many wonderful choices, hard to pick just one. The OM lenses are great (but haven't tried the 55 f1.2, but have the others), love the helios. The zuiko 100mm is a great lens, one of my favorites. But of all my lenses the Steinheil-Munchin auto Quinon 55mm f1.9 is the favorite. It's plenty sharp with a painterly, yet energetic, bokeh that swirls in the right conditions. Tons of character! Colors are a little muted but this adds to the charm IMO. I hope you get a chance to try one out, I'm certain it would be near the top of your picks. Thanks for a fun and informative video!

That's a useful imaging tip , adapting my shots to what's on the camera, here I am with a heavy bag of glass fumbling lens changes, maybe chill stick to the glass on the Camera and just think out my shots a bit better. Must say for me the Canon 50mm Plastic Fantastic F1.8 is my outstanding fixed lens.

@zenography7923

2 ай бұрын

That Canon's a nice lens, enjoy!

very enjoyable , ive been using the minolta pf 58mm f1.4 very nice lens

Very interesting and a copies range of lenses with a very legitimate propersision, not nit picking but you discarded the 100 mm as to long, so although you did a great job of ignoring that foible, it was a given that you weren't going to choose the 135s and I know how much you like them, especially as legacy lenses! The rest was a cludo performance and took me a little by surprise, which is a good thing as I'm a great fan of all Olympus products, so we'll done and a double even triple vlog, as you decided a conundrum, exposed the virtues of a lot of lenses and extold the virtues of other lenses for different uses!

The Olympus is right there for me too (bought it because of your video on it), but for me it is the KMZ RO2-2m, 75mm F2 lens. It can be very sharp but the blur is wonderfully odd.

Great video! I'd suggest the Canon FL 55 f/1.2 as well. It renders beautifully at 1.2!

@jonathanraven5939

2 ай бұрын

Me too.

Nice one. I only have one lens that I use wich is the planar 50mm f1.4 and I hava been plenty happy with that. Took me a while to be able to get it and I rather spend the money on film and developing than on lenses and I haven't really felt the need to get another

Mine is the nikkor sc 55mm f1.2 for all the same reasons has your Olympus. I just love the character you get with old glass. My second choice would be my summitar 50mm f2 but only for b&w

great topic! i could go with the rarest and most expensive lens in my collection but, nah, one lens that will be most usable any given situation is Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 50mm f2.8 (or it's competitors version with same design, such as Meyer Primotar or Schneider Xenar), sharpness, bokeh, handling (especially early 50's versions), and most importantly - price! (writing this comment at 0:48, lets see)

I couldn't limit myself to one prime lens but if it was two I could definitely say that one would be the Nikon 105mm f2.5. This was apparently the lens that took the famous Afghan Girl shot. It is getting a bit more expensive now but it is an all time classic. Decent reach and a very good all round lens. Sharp, lovely bokeh, beautiful colours and exceptionally good for taking photos of people.

@anandarochisha

2 ай бұрын

I had a complete nikon kit bag stolen last year. A black Apollo Nikon F plus 50, 105, 135 and 200mm lenses plus a big Metz flash and more. The 105mm 2.5 was usually hanging off it. This exercise is kind of silly. The lens depends on the camera brand and since I got my 35mm kit stolen I am not going back to film. All of his recommends are therefore nostalgic rambling for me. My next camera will be full frame I think. The 105 2.5 took a lot of nice photos for me since 1990. Sharp as can be and true blue portrait lens.

@ryanstark2350

2 ай бұрын

@@anandarochishaSorry to hear that you lost your gear. It's kind of worrying to walk around with lots of valuable kit but I suppose it could be worse. New lenses are very expensive compared to vintage. The problem with lenses is that they are all good at different things so limiting to one usually limits you to particular effects, at least this is definitely the case with vintage lenses which this channel is about. I could see that with modern lenses you probably could limit to one zoom lens but then it would be more of a jack of all trades.

I love your Videos Nigel, I have purchased a couple lenses because of your reviews. No doubt others have asked you this but I will too, where can I go to see your photos? I am hoping you have a place at some site where we can go see many of the same photos you show in the videos. KZread compression doesn't do photographs well. My collection of vintage lenses is around 20 I would say and your channel has inspired me to find these old gems. I was just out shooting with my Helios 44 M4 right before I saw this video. I would love to find a 13 blade version somewhere. Another I heard you mention was one that has become one of my most cherished lenses, and that is the Super Multi Coated Takumar 50mm F4 Macro. Just an incredibly sharp lens for any kind of shooting. Thank you for the many hours of lens talk I have enjoyed.

Hi, thanks, interesting video! As I adapt Fuji aps-c I would go for the Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon 35mm f2,4 which gives me a 50mm equivalent and it has an absolutely nice close focusing distance of less than 20 cm, which allows for creative work - center sharpness wide open is good and at f8 across the frame as well.

From my stable, the Canon fd 50mm f/1.2 L. It has a different look compared to the 1.4 and 1.8, with a floating element, giving more of cat eye bokeh, but my favorite.

1 minute in and I can totlly relate to this issue of too much choice, I have similarily found that if I load a bag with a handfull of lenses and adapters for my a7 that I may not even open the bag after I start shooting. I Have a 58mm f1.2 Canon FL that gets lots of milage, the 40mm f1.8 is similarily a lens that once mounted I do not really feel I need to swap it out. I do have a bunch of FD, M42, KONICA AR, and Pentax K mount lenses. I do love all of them for their individual characteristics. It would be hard to let them go and pick 1. Speaking of Industar I jave a 50mm f3.5 m42 mount, it's a tiny lens that is crazy sharp stoped down. I don't use it often but it is exceptional for it's unassuming appearance. There are a half dozen Helios 44s that I enjoy as well although not as often as I used too. I I have a bunch of 50 f1.4s 3 different Canon FDs, , 7 and 8 ellement Takumars, Konica again both f1.4 and f1.7 as well, it's intwresting to see you mention so many of the lenses I have collected myself. 135mm is a focal length I also have plenty of and they are great for candid portraits but it is a bit long for walk around and a bit short for birding. I don't think I could narrow down a 1 and only lense.

I've never been too fussy about my lenses. Just as long as it's tack sharp and quality built, I'm happy. I like a "Standard" 50 to 58mm in f/2. Down to maybe a maximum of f/1.4 A "short tele" of 85 to 110mm Medium tele of say; 135mm. And genuine 200/300mm glass telephoto at the longest. I seldom have need for "Wide-angle", but from 28mm to 35mm is all. There! The full kit that got me through nearly 62 years of taking photos. And a 40 year career of "The Guy" being PAID to get "the right" kind of pictures.

@zenography7923

2 ай бұрын

It sounds like those lenses have served you well!

If I had to choose it would be a 50mm just out of habit. Of those which I have it would be a '57 KMZ Jupiter 8, a Cooke Amotal (2") or the Skyllaney Bertele Sonnar. I like the Sonnars a lot. The Cooke can get that dreamy look at the wider apertures.

You have a great story telling voice.

@zenography7923

2 ай бұрын

Thank you!

Thank you Nigel for another great video. My choice would be the Konica Minolta 40mm f1.8 as I just love the 40mm focal length, being a nice sweet spot between 35mm and 55mm for the photography that I do. I’m curious though why there were no Takumar’s on the original shortlist? Again, great video.

Leica Summulix R 50mm F1.4..but I also have a love for the Zeiss Jena pancolar 50mm1.8 for that special little thing it does in bokeh and classic rendering.

Great video. If I could only use one lens it would be a Canon 24-105 2.8 but I suspect that isn't in the spirit of the discussion. Otherwise it would probably be my Zenitar 50 f1.7. Mine is a peach!

@zenography7923

2 ай бұрын

I've heard that Zenitar is very nice, enjoy!

Excellent video. I used to own the Olympus 55mm f/1.2 Sadly I sold it for being too soft wide open. My lens of choice would be the 8 element super takumar 50mm f1.4. It’s still quite soft at f/1.4 (not as bad as the olympus) but the images that can potentially come out have got tons of character.

@zenography7923

2 ай бұрын

No shortage of character from that lens, for sure!

I would've put my money on a flectogon , for its close focus and contrast. Your fondness of blur and Olympus got the better of me! 3 jellybean parts can get rf lenses on mirrorless additional close focus while keeping infinity available for about £ 20 Went through my helioses , I'm a bit heliosed out at the moment.

I have most of those so I can instantly say -- you make good choices. Too hard to really choose one. To make an instant off the cuff pick, it could be the Canon 50mm f1.4 LTM from 1956. The most versatile lens I do believe I've shot. Though in being a rangefinder it may not meet your requirement for its natural close focus. But I often extend this lens and it gives the most artful painterly bokeh. A lens when wide open, it's technical flaws become an artistic add, capable of everything from buttery smooth to impressionistic art. Well worth the extra step of extending it.

@zenography7923

2 ай бұрын

If I find one at the right price I'll give it a go!

I think mine would be my Konica Hexanon 57mm f1.4 or my Super Multi coated takumar 50mm f1.4, love them both. I do also love my Canon 100mm f3.5 for m39, really fun and tiny!

Minolta MC Rokkor pf 55mm 1.7 is my darling !

@sclogse1

2 ай бұрын

I've just been shooting indoors with mine, around 5 p.m. with low light coming in, and a little stopped down, Nothing short of fabulous. I have faster Minolta Rokkors, but the 1.7 with the combo of the best price of all the Rokkors, and the rendition I'm getting...wow. Now I have a 50mm 1.2 Minolta, but am having trouble finding something to shoot at 1.2 on my Fuji X body.

Zuiko 50mm f1.4 first version. A beautiful lens on my OM2n and Sony Alpha cameras. Interesting review thanks.

If I can only have one lens, I also assume I can only have one camera. I'd make the camera choice then choose the lens based on that camera, which would have to be digital with some video capability and a modern flippy display with live view. Canon R50 or Canon 70D? The 70D it is. I enjoy shooting vintage lenses, but my one lens would have to be more modern. I can't settle on a single focal length, so I'll take my Tamron 18-45mm f/2.8-?, giving me a reasonably fast, nicely sharp, AF-capable lens with an effective 30-72mm FOV on the 70D. I'm certainly thankful I don't have to make these choices.

@zenography7923

2 ай бұрын

I know what you mean!

As I like birds and wildlife, it would be Sony FE 400/2.8

Nikkor OC 35mm f2 if i could only have. Gives a decent balance of speed, cf, & subject versatility. A close second is the Nikkor 55 3.5 macro.

I kind of knew it would be the Zuiko! For me it depends on which body is in use. For my XPro-1 it would probably be the Zuiko 21/2 since I prefer shooting a wider field of view, or either the M-Rokkor 28/2.8 or Zuiko 28/2.8 for a 40mm equivalent field of view. On a 35mm SLR body it would either be the Hexanon 40/1.8 or the Zuiko 55/1.2. Of course I would have to buy the latter since I don’t have one. I *do* have all three versions of the 50/1.4 and would be happy with any of those.

Out of the lenses in this video, I have the Helios 44-2, in addition to other vintages lenses I own. After watching this, I checked prices on Nigel’s fave, and it sells for at least five times as what I paid for the Helios. So, adding in price as a factor, I would choose the Helios as my only vintage manual lens. That said, I wouldn’t actually choose a manual lens as my only lens for everything. I’d choose an autofocus 50-58mm f/1.4 or f/1.2 lens native to my mirrorless camera.

Nice segment on older lenses, I too prefer the longer ‘normal’ lenses of yesteryears of 55 and 58mm f 1.4 or F 2.0.

I have used the following focal lengths in one-lems only situations on full-frame bodies: 21, 24, 28, 35, 40, 45, 50, and 55mm. All worked well. However, the 35mm was my personal favorite. If forced to select from my inventory, I would select one of the following 35mm or equivalent lenses for one lens only situations: 35mm f/1.4 Zeiss M-mount 35mm f/1.4 Nikkor F-Mount 23mm f/1.4 Fuji APS-C X-mount If forced to select a zoom lens, I would select either the 28mm to 70mm f/2.8 Nikkor zoom for a full-frame SLR or the 14mm to 55mm f/2.8 zoom for an APS-C digital mirrorless.

I love my Pancolar and Flektogon, as I do my Helios 44 (13 blade). Perhaps it could be my Konica 57/1.4 or even my Konica 52/1.8? My Biotar 58/2 or my Trioplan 50/2.9? Out of my 100+ lenses I would surely choose my Auto Sears 55mm f1.4. It's also badged as the Auto Rikenon or Auto Revuenon. If folks haven't heard of it, check out Theoria Apophasis (Angry Photographer) review of the Rikenon version. Thanks as ever for your thoughts on the lenses you've showcased - informative and entertaining. 😊

@sclogse1

2 ай бұрын

YES.

@William-ht5me

2 ай бұрын

I have the Auto Sears SX 55mm f1.8 and it is an extraordinary lens. Very sharp, great color and a strong 3D pop in the right light.

Nigel its a difficult question being a Vintage lens GAS-like loving your favorite child-Started in 86 w Pentax SMC College-Loved Nikon-LTM Leica-Voightlander great modern contrast. I have to stick w Minolta 28 M-Leica partnership era. Just obtained a S5 Lumix and drooling using Vintage lenes! Great videos part of my Religion. Hello from Canada,

@zenography7923

2 ай бұрын

Hey Jim, thanks for looking in!

One of two lenses I would consider are 50mm 1.7 Rikenon lens, or Konica Hexanon 57mm 1.4 Lens Both give me plenty of blur. A bit soft wide open but it’s workable.

I would love to know which (digital) camera you would keep if you could only use one? Would raise the question of aps-c vs full frame.

Minolta 45mm f2.0 probably. Or the Hexanon 40mm f1.8. Both are good general choices, I lean more to the Minolta unless I'm shooting with a Konica body of course.

Are those on full frame sensor camera?..

Nice choice. If I could only have one lens but could cheat and have two or three cameras the lens I would consider would be the olympus 35mm 2.0 and then use it on full frame, crop sensor and micro 4/3 cameras.

@antonio-andreimihail

2 ай бұрын

Also You can cheat having a Zeiss Ikon Contaflex. Half of the lens is the shutter itself. So... a "half" of lens, actually a single glass is 50 or 45mm and another half you could choose between 35mm, 75mm, 105mm (suddenly f/4) or another one. And you will have a lens and 1/2

One lens, hard decision. I would probably choose Minolta MC 58mm 1.2. I can use it for a bit dreamy, characterful and very fine wide open images, and stopped down a bit it is very sharp with smooth bokeh.

Canon 40mm f2.8, for street photography.

That was a very good video. If I did the same with cameras I'd choose my Canon 5d mk1 ( I have three as I'm paranoid they will all go or die off). Will you be doing the same with cameras or have you done that already ?

For colour and character, as well as sharpness stopped down a bit I'd vote for any Olympus 50mm. I do like Pentax SMC lenses but have grown to appreciate the overall look of Olympus (all on a Sony A7 FF body).

If I could chose only one, it would have to be my Sigma Art 24mm 1.4. However, since this is a vintage lens discussion of course, I have a handful and my favorite remains the 135mm 2.8 Nikon Series E (not the Nikkor!) I fell in love with this vintage glass, and I've since tested two copies against two Nikkor versions (which should theoretically be better glass, with more elements, but they're not!) Few know, if anyone, yet. A lot of folks know the 100mm 2.8 Series E because there is no direct Nikkor version (only the FAR superior 105 f2.5; however, it's designed so good, it's lost the vintage charm; if you know, you know.) but the 135mm is just like the 100mm, only in that it's also sharp wide open (the 100mm doesn't reach max sharpness until f4) w/ more reach. The 135 2.8 Nikkor version, which everyone loves, is VERY flat and muggy, directly compared to the 135mm 2.8 E version. It's bright, contrasty w/massive 3D pop. The "budget" glass of yesteryear, destroys it's higher priced Nikkor counterpart. Without comparing them side by side, one would never know. When you do though, as I have, many times, there's no compassion. This makes the 135 2.8 Nikon Series E one of Nikon's most hidden gems of all time, if not THE most hidden gem. All the other Series E prime lenses are decent too w/ their single coatings; they all retain that "vintage charm" that cannot be explained. The 135mm followed by the 100mm are the best of the 5 primes. The 28 is a bit soft stopped down, but then again, why shoot a 28 stopped down anyway? The 35 and the 50 are decent all round lenses too, but not the 100/135 level. I have all 5 and love their charm. The 135 is the clear winner (unless stopping down to f4, then the 100 and the 135 are exact equals, in different focal length.)

I wouldn't use only one lens any more than I would play a round of golf with only a putter. Like all those clubs in the bag, I have lenses in my camera bag for the task at hand.

Pancolar zebra version is radioactive, but just until around Serial number 856000. These can be very rare. You can tell by the yellowed glass and the body is shorter than the more recent zebra version. Id like to see a video comparing the Zebra radioactive, the "standard" zebra and the MC version of the Pancolar. For a "one lens for all" id take a 50-58 f1.4. For me it would be the fujinon 50 1.4 pre ebc radioactive version or the mamiya 55 1.4 sx. I tested a lot of 1.4 lenses but these were the ones i liked the most

@zenography7923

2 ай бұрын

Thanks for the info!

For me, Minolta 45mm F2, jupiter 8, jupiter 11 for me. After that narrowing it down to one would probably be the Minolta but it's a tough choice. I had horrible GAS my first year or two as I got into the hobby seriously. These days I'm just hunting for bargains to fix up and flip to fuel my hobby and actually slimming down my collection a lil getting what I want in the formats I want. I am planning to sell off a load of my various 50mm's and just get me a couple more minolta 45mm's because I generally have 2-3 film bodies loaded with different film and I hate jumping the lens from camera to camera. But 9 times out of 10 I either grab that lens before I leave, Or if it's the only one in my bag I don't care.

I tend to flip between the 44-2 and the CZJ Flektogon 35mm… But the 44-2 was on my first ever Camera back in 1975 (a Zenit B) and was my first love… so, the old girl wins 😉

Leica elmarit 28mm 2.8 would be my lens. Small, super sharp, very versatile.

Have a zuiko 50mm f1.2 and love it. Quite a bit of glow wide open with pronounced vignetting but also quite sharp with everything improving noticeably at f2. Also have 28 f2.8, 28 f2, 35 f2, 50 f1.4, 100 f2.8 & 135 f2.8 for my om-1n, om-2n & om-4ti. Can anyone help with suggestions for alternative diopter correction lens for om-1 & 2 as I have never been able to find a -3 or -2 Olympus one?

For me, color is everything so Minolta it is. Which I have it, a nice PF Rokkor.

Before I watch this video I’m going to say for me it would be a 35mm f1.4. If you’re looking for a specific lens, I love the rendition, image fidelity if you like, of my Fujifilm 45mm GF f2.8 R WR (35mm FF equivalent) for the Fujifilm GFX medium format cameras.

A hard decision. Minolta AF 50mm 1.4 on my Sony APSC is my favorite. On an analogue camera, Minolta 58mm 1.4.

Of all the lenses i own it has to be the sigma 30mm 1.4. Its the older non art version. The one thats had quite a few duff reviews dues to its max aperture quality and af indecisevness! That said i have to say its my favourite and most productive lens. I love it

Nigel, I bought a Sony A6000, and now have a cheap Canon f1.8 35mm manual focus lens to go with it. I think it produces reasonably sharp images, if I can just get the focus right. The peaking facility doesn't really show in scenery shots. Any suggestions, please?

I've had a zebra version of that Zeiss 20mm Flektogon lying around for a while. It's nice cosmetic condition but has a number of mechanical problems that need fixed so I rarely used it. I always knew it was killer for close subjects. Recently I took it out to test and found an area where it excels beyond any other lens I ever tried. Black and white architecture shots. Colour wise it can be a little dull and prone to flares but there is no distortion and it has classic Zeiss sublime micro contrast or in layman's terms beautiful shading detail. I think it's much better than the 35mm Flektogon although my 35mm Flektogon may not be such a good copy being the zebra version.

Olympus 50mm f1.4 or for Fuji autofocus their original x-mount 35mm/f1.4. These 2 never disappoint!

Viltrox 75mm would be mine. Canon FD 85mm f/2 is second. Love vintage BUT some of these new lenses are too nice to leave alone. The TTArtisan 50mm tilt could also be a strong possibility.

Mine would be the Pentax SMC-M 85mm F2. I love that lens

@zenography7923

2 ай бұрын

I've heard it's a nice one!

Minolta Rokkor 58 1.2 for many of the same reasons you list with the Olympus 55 1.2 My second place may be the Canon FD 35 f2

Canon FD 35mm f2.8 Great environmental portraiture lens.

@zenography7923

2 ай бұрын

I'll look out for one, thanks for the tip.

Tokyo Kogaku Japan F. Auto-Topcor F/1.8 5.8com - Exacta mount. I use it on my film cameras and I use it on my Olympus EM1 MkII. Simply fabulous. I prefer it to my very good example of a Helios 44-2 and my Meyer-Optik Oreston 50mm F/1.8 and even my S_M_C Takumar 50mm F/1.4.

Interesting. I will probably have to do this same exercise myself. Though I know it will be super hard for me to get to only one lens. Maybe it would be my Nikkor 105/2.5 Ai or my Konica Hexanon AR 40/1.8 or even my Super-Multi-Coated Macro-Takumar 50/4... What about modifiers? Like extension tubes or helicoids, those aren't lenses...? LOL!

For the price NEW I went with the Voigtlander 40mm f1.2 because I prefer a bit wider. I didn’t want to buy someone else’s problems for a higher price.

Eqvivalent to a 28mm on my DP1, or 18-55mm lens on my NEX7.

Have you tried Minolta's 58mm f1.2?

@sclogse1

2 ай бұрын

The holy grail of the Minoltas. But I'd like to see pics with it used at 1.2 . I have the 50mm 1..2 on my Fuji X system, and having trouble finding the right thing to shoot at 1.2 .