This is the way us old timers started shooting decades ago. Love that you enjoy going vintage.

@GearFocus

Жыл бұрын

Josh here: I had an absolute blast shooting with this lens!

Love me some push pull!!!

2 quibbles: 1) As others have noted, Sears did not make lenses, but rebranded lenses from Mamiya, RICOH, Kiron, Cosina, and Tokina. This is likely a Kiron or Tokina. 2) Your inability to stop the lens down probably has to do with your adapter. My FD adapter has a ring that toggles between "Open" and "Lock" similar to m42 lenses that have auto and manual settings. Open will get you f4. Lock will stop down the lens.

@GearFocus

Жыл бұрын

Josh here, that is good to know on your first point and secondly that is a thought I had, I was bummed I wasn't able to change the aperture and I'm sure it's because of my cheap adapter haha thanks for sharing!

@kevindiossi

Жыл бұрын

@@GearFocus the Vello adaptor has the lock and open ring. When you mount the lens, make sure it’s set to Open. There is a pin that actuates the aperture lever that sucks out on the back of the lens. Once the lens is mounted, twist it to LOCK. This rotates the pin and actuated the aperture lever. Now the aperture ring on the lens works. If you’re not able to adjust the aperture at that point, your aperture mechanism is likely broken. Not uncommon on the old third party lenses. I actually have this exact lens and it works. Just make sure you put the lens on while it’s set in the open position.

I have that lens, and over the last year I am slowly falling in love with it.

Just ordered:)) I was looking for sth like this thanks

@GearFocus

Жыл бұрын

Hope you like it!

I had a similar adaptall lens and used it on a Canon DSLR. The purple blooming was out of control and highlight edges were a mess. It was so difficult to focus and zoom at the same time. I gave up on it, sold it for little and got a Canon kit zoom which actually worked great for what it was with few artifacts and IS and AF.

Merely badged as a ‘Sears’, but made by Vivatar, Kiron, Tamron etc... When starting my photojournalism career back in the early 80s, I had a few of these lenses, moving up to Canon’s FD system a few years later. Frankly these lenses were junk, but in hindsight, I am waxing nostalgic for those days. I might pick up one and use it on my Fujis, just for grins and giggles as well as a trip back in time.

@GearFocus

Жыл бұрын

Josh here: That is so interesting to know, thanks for filling me in on the manufacturers. The lens has been super fun to shoot for grins and giggles.

You may have attached the fd adapter incorrectly… It’s easy to do. There’s an order that you have to do things in for the aperture to move properly.

@GearFocus

Жыл бұрын

That is good to know, I'll make sure to mess around with it and see if I can get it working.

I've gone done the FD path with my Canon t2i. Heck I used these on a HVX200 with a spinning prehistoric tape on lens adaptor. The green look isn't for me but fun for some independent looks or greeny Sci fi shorts.

@ryanbish

Жыл бұрын

The Letus 35? I used that adapter on an HVX200 setup years ago before DSLRs shot video.

Still have one of these! Used to shoot on the ae1 back in my film days!

@GearFocus

Жыл бұрын

Such a great camera, love the AE1.

@makestuffmike

Жыл бұрын

@@GearFocus I still have mine! Maybe its the right time to have it serviced and put some film through it!

I actually have that lens. My Dad owned it and used it on his Yashica 35mm.

Honestly, for $25, this is a no brainer purchase.

@GearFocus

Жыл бұрын

That's our exact thoughts!

i have some similiar Lenses in myCollection and u need to "activate" the Aperture Ring with the Adapter there ist a little Pin at the Lock Switch when u mount the lens on the Adapter u can turn the Lock switch and the Pin activates the Aperture Ring this is why i don´t like the FD-Mount xD but i have 2 FD Lenses xD

@GearFocus

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for this, I'll have to give it a shot!

Because of lens like these I am getting the new Canon R8 😉

@GearFocus

Жыл бұрын

That is amazing!

I actually found this lens. But still need to buy an adapter 😅

@GearFocus

Жыл бұрын

Once you get the adapter, have fun shooting with it!

Except, Sears didn't "make" lenses. They were outsourced probably to Vivitar, Tokina, Sigma, etc.

@MyFriendlyPup

Жыл бұрын

Yes this is true. Also fascinating. Look up Sears Homes. 🤯

@DarinSimmons

Жыл бұрын

My version is from Tokina. As soon as it popped up I thought, " hey wait, don't I own that lens?"

@GearFocus

Жыл бұрын

Josh here: that is very interesting did not know that, thanks for the info!

@lprince9

Жыл бұрын

@@GearFocus You are welcome. I worked for 2 camera shops in my early days and really liked the jobs. I was actually manager for both shops and learned a lot from the reps that would come through. The old Vivitar Series 1 lenses were really good lenses. I had a 90mm - 180mm macro zoom and the 70 - 200 Series 1 zoom and they were both great lenses.

Let me guess, Sony E-mount? 😊

@GearFocus

Жыл бұрын

Most definitely!

What's name of this lens?

@GearFocus

Жыл бұрын

It's an FD 80-200 Lens.

Canon FD does NOT work on EF or Nikon Mount

@GearFocus

Жыл бұрын

That is a huge bummer, thank you for letting us know!

@julianschneider.berlin

Жыл бұрын

@@GearFocus but it works terrifically on E-Mount. With the right adapter you should be able to change the Iris too. Or maybe your particular lense is defective in that regard. The mechanism is quite intricate.

@GearFocus

Жыл бұрын

FD DOES actually work on EF Mount. We have the adapter.

@julianschneider.berlin

Жыл бұрын

@@GearFocus the flange distance is smaller than the EFs so you cannot focus properly. Otherwise you need an adapter with a special lense inside which generally degrades the image quality a lot.

@GearFocus

Жыл бұрын

@@julianschneider.berlin The image degrading is not that bad actually, but just wanted to be clear it does exist. Definitely not trying to argue on social media. LOL

Are you sure about the "made by Sears" comment? More likely rebranded by Sears, wouldn't you think?

@GearFocus

Жыл бұрын

Josh here: So after reading some comments that seems to be the consensus. Did not know that and happy to learn something new!

I grew up on film. God, this video makes it sound like he's totally helpless.

@GearFocus

Жыл бұрын

Josh here: I had a great time shooting with this lens and loved being able to continue to use glass from the film era, no complaints here!

@rsmith02

Жыл бұрын

It's way harder to use with digital viewfinders and the serious image quality issues with digital sensors. I used my Tamron adaptall happily on Minolta MD but struggled with it on a Canon DSLR and eventually gave up.

The video is a great commentary on YT. It's total bullshit. There were many resellers whose branded lenses were made by companies in Japan and Korea, then sold both directly by the maker and to retail outlets, rebranded as their own. While not an absolute rule, you can usually assume that store rebranded lenses like this one shown here, were the poorest quality. Sears, Montgomery Wards, JC Pennys and other such stores knew their customers. They knew that no one who knew anything about photography, or wanted anything more than family vacation snapshots, would buy their store branded lenses, so they gave no consideration to quality and bought the cheapest thing available, allowing them to sell at the lowest prices. Many of the lens brands which later acquired a reputation for high quality, like Tokina and Kiron, started up by selling this trash, and I suspect that they would like to forget that part of their company history. This one isn't worth $25. The only concession I'll give for the use of this junk is that the oncoming of digital, which produced its own class of trash lenses, sparked development of photo processing software which can correct for those massive amounts of image aberration and terrible resolution, which retroactively solves some of the problems of using these lenses.

@GearFocus

8 ай бұрын

Hey Randall, thanks for dropping by and sharing your insights! We appreciate your historical take on the shady past of some rebranded lenses - it's like the secret double lives of lenses. Who knew they had such scandalous origins? We totally get it - those Sears and JC Penney lenses might have been the unsung heroes of budget photography, providing the perfect excuse for folks to rock some seriously retro vibes. It's like the thrift store of optical experiences - you never know what you're gonna get, but hey, at least it's an adventure! But fear not, brave commenter, for our $25 lens may just be the underdog of the photography world - the diamond in the rough, the Cinderella slipper of lenses, if you will. It's like finding a hidden treasure in your grandma's attic, except it won't be haunted by ghosts of photographic pasts. And hey, we're all for progress! If the digital age can turn trash into treasure through the magic of photo processing software, we're all about it. It's like the lens version of a makeover montage - from zero to hero in just a few clicks. So, while our video may have sparked a debate on the dubious origins of certain lenses, let's embrace the quirks, the flaws, and the $25 wonders that add character to our photographic journeys. After all, every lens has a story to tell, even if it's been rebranded more times than a pop star's stage name. Cheers to the wild world of lenses - where quality might be questionable, but the entertainment is top-notch! 📷✨