Just before lockdown my local 2nd hand camera shop was getting rid of a whole load of stuff after a clear out. I picked up 2x Zuiko 50mm 1.8 and 1 each of Zuiko 200mm F4, Zuiko 135 mm F 3.5 and a Zuiko 28mm F3.5 all for £5 each! Felt like Christmas had come early!

It doesn't need to be an expensive hobby I totally agree. Just bloody addictive with all the quality vintage lenses and camera bodies.

With the current film resurgence, mirrorless demand and rampantly increasing inflation, it's nice to know that certain vintage lenses are still affordable today.

Love your channel! I’m glad you showcased the Miranda (Cosina) 50mm f/2. I learned photography with that lens. My dad bought me a Miranda MS1 in 1986 or 1987 as my first “real” camera. I bought the lens for nostalgic reasons awhile back and I concur, it is a fantastic lens! Thank you.

I especially appreciate your classic use of adjectives to describe the range and values a lens has in creating images.

The Pentacon 135mm f2.8 Automatic lens reviewed here is a rebranded Meyer Optik 'Orestor'. It was also offered in a fully Manual Pre-Set version. The Pre Set version has many more aperture blades than the Automatic version, and will not display hexagons in the out of focus blur, which some photographers dislike.

Definitely enjoyed this episode…re my best great deal: I bought a Canon nFD 35-105MM F3.5 MF Lens with front and rear caps, Lens hood and hard leather lens case for $49.00 last September at a local camera shop. I think I got a great deal for this par focal lens. It’s in great condition, no oil on the blades, no haze, no fungus, lens coatings are in great shape as well as the lens body.

Love the channel, the whole reason I got into vintage lenses is getting incredible images for next to nothing. These are some great recommendations for people starting out (ok maybe I’ll have a look at these too…).

Great video--lovely lenses! Thanks!

Your videos are addictive Nigel 😂! Just bought a mint Miranda 50mm f2 for £26. Also have a Pentacon Auto 50mm 1.8 & Canon NFD 50mm 1.8 on the way to add to my Pentax M 50mm f2 & Olympus 50mm f1.4. Need to stop buying 50 mills for now!

Brilliant channel dear chap.

Just ordered myself that Industar, it will be my first rangefinder lens. I have a few lil cheap lenses I got for 10$ or less that are always in my kit bag because I love them I think some people get so caught up in names and ignore performance. I have a cheap 2.8 135 that was sold as K-mart's store brand and is likely a sankor and I adore it, soft in how it falls off from focus, sharp as could be on focus, mild aberration when really pushed just really a nice lens. I payed 5$ for it because it had sat for sale for MONTHS and no one wanted it at 10$.

A pleasant surprise to see you open with the Miranda 50mm f2. I bought one for about the same as you a couple of weeks back and I love it. Its not been off my Fuji XT3 since I got it. 😎 in particular I enjoy shooting it at f2. 📷😎📷🙂

amazing value those lenses. thanks for the helpful video

Great video! I have an Industar 61, but haven't had a chance to shoot with it yet.

Check out the Industar 61 L/Z.. This one is the L/C version - for general purpose. The L/Z focuses up to 20-25 cm and is really nice for close up's. It's also got this interesting starry aperture - for some special effects blur :-)

I just got the Miranda 70-210 for a tenner. Nicely made lens which is for Olympus. Seems good optics and handy zoom range. I have an adapter to use it on my Sony bodies. You don't really lose money on the old lenses so give them a try.

Nigel, I agree with you I'm currently looking at buying a vintage lens, but I haven't a clue which will fit my Canon 200D, apart from the helios, as some adapters need a piece of glass in them for some lenses to work. Nigel we need a book on this subject and I think you're the man to write said book. Regards Rob.

I really enjoyed this episode, Nigel, thank you! Generally, my experience is that if I'm looking for a specific lens, I must be prepared to pay the market price. Searching wide, bargains on almost anything can be found. Kit-zooms, typically 35-70 mm f4, even from the major manufacturers, are not popular, and therefore cheap. Chinon lenses are often very cheap. I rarely find russian lenses, but that Industar on an original Leica must be something for the aficionados!

I got an Albinar 135mm f2.8 Pentax mount plus a 2x teleconverter for $25. The lens is excellent.

​ @Zenography I've got one of the Miranda (Cosina) 50 2.0's, unfortunately my copy's aperture is frozen (it came in a lot box) but the optics are clean and it's quite sharp wide open so I use it that way.

My favorite lens for a tenner is a lowly Minolta 55/1.9 found in a junk shop attached to a very clean but inoperative Srt. I’ve gotten some of my favorite pictures with that lens. I just got a Yashica lens that I’m excited about in a charity shop, but I haven’t used it much yet. The Yashica TL Electro camera it was attached to is a new one on me, in many years of buying and selling, I have never seen a single camera that combines so many faults.

Hey buddy. I picked up a Miranda 70- 210 for a. Tenner back in the mid to late eighties, in a Dundee second had shot. I used it on my first every Slr, a Zenit SP. I couldnt beleive how sharp it was. Gonna look for another.

I bought a FED 3 camera with an Industar 61 lens on ebay back in 2002 when I was still shooting with film. I was living in Tokyo at the time and this camera/lens delivered some of my favorite shots, even compared to some of my more sophisticated SLR equipment. All my film cameras and lenses then went into storage when I first transitioned to digital (a Fujifilm S-100fs bridge camera). However, I then began adapting my old lenses, first to a Sony A3000 and more recently to a Fujifilm X-T series camera. True to form, my old Industar 61 is still delivering the goods, i.e. it continues to be one of my favorite lenses.

my best find was a Konica Autoreflex fitted with the Hexanon AR 57mm F1.2 for $20 at a thrift store. I've found a few Spotmatics with the Takumar 50mm f1.4 throughout the years as well, but none with the 8 element version unfortunately.

HI WATCHED A NUMBER OF YOUR VIDS AND YOU COME OUT WITH SOME REAL INTERESTING STUFF. If I want to shoot at 50mm does the vintage lens need to be around 35mm. Also, where are the better suppliers of the adapters from?

I enjoyed every minute of this video Nigel. Industar 50-2 should be included. I recently got a Zenit 11, a Helios 44m4 and a Jupiter 37a, mint condition for £15! I don't think they knew the value; the Jupiter is about £80 now for one in a similar condition. I've had various lens for cheap over the years, all M42. Super Travinar 28mm f2.8 £20 Dollands 135mm f3.5 £10 A couple of Takumar lenses but they're outside of the price range discussed in this video.

A few weeks ago I acquired a Zenit 11 camera with a Helios 44M 4, a Helios 28mm 2.8 and a Helios 135mm 2.8 with a flash and a bag for £50 plus £5 postage.

Nigel. i would love, if you made a video showing and demonstrating and explaning, what you mean, when you talk about a lens having a spot of harshness in some aperture/ distance settings. i think i understand it a little, but i would be a lot of help to me, getting more out of you reviewing lenses.. btw, thanks for these videos

Hello Zen I’ve been watching you videos for some time now, and just bit the bullet and purchased a fed 2, I’m a little confused with lenses though. Will Leica lenses fit straight on or do I need an adaptor Kind regards Dave

Best bargain I ever got was a mint condition Zuiko OM mount 21mm f3.5. I found it along with two Zuiko 50mm f1.8 and a 100mm f2.8 for $12 US at a thrift shop along with a non-working OM1 body

Thank you Sir..2 months ago I had just the 2 kit lenses with a Canon T3i. Rounding 30 now with 15 more on the way. Goodwill online is dangerous..Have you ever highlighted the Samyang- Korean made Auto Sears line? It is a Killer kit.! $10 - $30 for most with camera and goodies attached. The zooms go for $10 each all day. Same for Petri. My new favorite forgotten brand The Auto Sears MC 50 1.7 and 28mm 2.8 rivals Minolta and Vivitar equivalents for 1/4 the price. Great learner kit! The 135mm 2.8 and 80-200mm macro/close focus are very nice for pennies. Love your channel my friend. Learning more and more daily. Thank you for the wisdom...you are invaluable for the budding vintage collector. Nigel you are a resource to the photography community for sure. Thank you Sir.

I bought a Panagor PMC 200mm f/3.5 P/K mount....what a surprise this is. Very nice condition, Sharp and very good colors as well. I paid 15,- euro ... it's amazing! If you want I'll send for testing. It is like New!!

I recently picked up a Vivitar 105mm 2.8 lens for $15 and several excellent Nikon E Series lenses that take a bad rap from the poor reception they got when released in the early 1980’s. What was trashed in 1985 is a treasure in 2023. Maybe you could do an episode on Nikon E series. Thanks for a great channel.

My best value lens was a Vivitar 58mm 2.8 macro (that goes all the way to 1:1). It's a great performer, especially stopped down, and I got it for £15! The adapter to get it to work on my digital camera cost more than the lens itself. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

Hi, regarding cheap lenses I bought a Photax 35mm f3.5 for peanuts. It was supposed to be m42 fit but it will not fit either my Sony m42 converter or my Olympus m43 one. The screw thread seems about right but the lens has a central section which protubes by 5mm or so and fouls the inside rim of the converter. In your experience could this be caused by the need for a different converter and if so what. I have no idea what the lens was originally designed to fit to. Cheers, thanks for any advice you may have in anticipation.

Hi, my name is Stefano, above all, sorry for my terrible English :-) This episode about the vintage lenses is very interesting! I've got some vintage lenses too, from Canon and Olympus, that I'm testing on my Sony Alpha 7r III, but I'd like to find a very wide vintage lens, less than a 24/25. Can you please suggest me something not too much expensive? Thank you in advance! P.S.: your perfect and clean English is fantastic for people like me who don't practice your language very well!

Very good video again Mr Nigel... one time I purchased a Yachica M/C 75-200 for £1.00...just spotted same lens but boxed on e-bay for £50.... It pays to shop around.....

If you would please - indicate which format cameras the lenses would fill the sensor. For example I have a Fuji GFX and I would like to know if the lens will cover the sensor with adapter.

Got a well run in, scuffed controls and dented filter ring but perfect thorium glass behind the dented cap of a perfectly functional super takuma 55 1.8 with a mildly dented spotmatic stuck on the back and a zoom something chucked in for a tenna . Looks like the m42 of the zoom was used to lay paving slabs and the aperture was not working, cleaned and reset the blades but the preset pin arrangement is proving to continuly defyant after it's umpteenth reassemblage , I've also had a fujica slr and 50 lens for the same money, I think the required adapter cost similar. You could have a little talk about the macro function on some lenses ,clicking a ring into a different position then it all goes into raitos , what's it all about? what do the numbers actually mean.

Enjoyed this episode... bought the first lens you mention with camera for £10 The lens Is fine not used it yet...the miranda camera was not working so went to the great camera graveyard in the sky after removing some parts.....

I guess my best buy so far is a Canon FD 135mm f3.5 lens that I bought for $30 U.S. It's in like new condition and I've gotten some pretty nice images with it on my Fuji X-T3. Love your vintage lens videos. Would you say eBay is the best place to find/buy vintage lenses? I'm kind of new to this. Do you have a video that explains some tips about what to look for when considering a vintage lens?

I once bought a Pentax-M 50mm 1.4 at a thrift shop for $10. It even came with a free black Pentax ME Super camera body which I'm trying to refurb.

I have to recommend Meyer Optik Domiplan 50mm 2.8. Amazing lens with lovely Bokeh (can swirl like Helios) which can be scored on ebay for under £20. In general the Meyer Optik M42 lenses are really nice for their price.

My best bargain yet was a pre-war design Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 2.8/50, the 40.5mm filter thread version with a red T on the beauty ring. It came with an Exa 1 camera, which sadly doesn't work. $35.

Thanks for the reviews/advice. Going on Ebay ! LOL

Another point to bear in mind re the pentacon 135.mm is that the lens hood retracted is so close to the filter thread Heard it said with filters look out for wide rimmed ones they less likely to jam... but just in case your lens could spend the night in the fridge to unjam (metalurgists will understand this one) evening all..... 👍

These are some serious bargains. I regularly check the vintage lenses on sale on a local used stuff announcements service. An offer for the Pentacon 135 2.8, in pristine condition, appeared in my city just yesterday for an equivalent of £36. I'll await a better bargain, I think, considering how cheap you managed to get it. I've recently come across a lens that cost only £14 and it was an Accura Diamatic 28 mm f/3.5. Sadly, the owner was unable to properly assess the lens' condition. It turned out that the aperture blades were oiled up and very sticky and upon disassembling the lens, it also became evident that the rear lens group had got separated. I'll keep the lens as a collectible, but taking photos with it isn't going to work. For a total of £72, I also got a pack of six zooms. For an average of £12 each, I managed to get a Tokina RMC 35-70 mm f/3.5, a Tokina RMC 80-200 mm f/, a Kiron 70-210 f/4.5, a Panagor PMC 80-205 mm f/4.5, a Sun MC 85-210 mm f/3.8 and a Kenlock MC 85-210 mm f/4.5. I'll need to get replacement caps for them as most of them are missing, but other than that, they're im a decent shape. I'll probably keep three of them and sell the rest off.

I'm surprised to see how smooth your Pentacon 135 focus ring is. I've had 2 of those lenses, and the focus ring was incredibly stiff. I do like the lens tho

NIgel, i hope you soon will find a good soligor lens, they are very well build and good sharpness, i got a soligor 135 2.8, its very wellbuild, lots of lovely glass and a joy to handle and use

Could you remind us again of the free software you use to edit your work? Thanks.

Hi I need your help I've been offered a Miranda 35mm lens . It's a Miranda bayonet mount . Apparently not the screw mount. What mount is it and can I get a mount too fit a Sony a7.. great videos I watch most of them ..

Hi I am a new sub to your channel and I am a rather new photographer and I have been messing around with vintage lenses at first due to the low cost but then found I really enjoy the interesting character they all have. I was struggling to find a 35mm lens in 42 thread that had a decent f value for some nice background blur.. I finally just broke down and spent 100 dollars on one of those really cheap Yongnuo f2 lens for my Canon digital camera. I found I really enjoy the 35mm focal range on my crop sensor camera but that really cheap plastic lens half the time misses focus and is just really cheap lol. Would you happen to have any ideas for a nice vintage 35mm lens for a decent price with a F value of around 2 or lower and that is made of metal and has very good color and sharpness :). I love my vintage 50s and 55s but I do not have much room where I shoot inside and the 35mm I find is just right .. Thanks for any suggestions :).

Sometimes it gets even better . Some years ago , I saw a Meyer Optik Gorlitz Oreston 50mmF1.8 for sale . Condition : as new optical & technical . Price : 6 euro. It sits from time to time on my X-pro2. Very very nice bokeh and rendition of colours & sharp.

My best value lens was a Topcor RE AUTO 58mm 1.4... £50.

Got one of those Pentacon 135mm f2. 8 winging it's way to me very fine lens indeed in fact I will go so far as to say... It looks similar to a modern day Noctilux or its replica by Dr Ding.... Like that Central London shot with St Paul's In the distance.... very fine shot indeed Nigel.... Oh my one wasn't £10 but way below £20 so I am happy.... you see these at all prices its scary ha ha ha....

The Miranda lens was made by Cosina. UK electrical chain Dixons acquired the Miranda name, selling rebranded Cosina K-mount cameras. Pretty much all Japanese 50mm f2 lenses were excellent optically by this time, and the Cosina/Miranda is no exception. The original Miranda company ceased production in the late 1970s. Classic Miranda cameras were well regarded and innovative but have an uncertain reputation for reliability.

my pentacon 50mm f1.8 did cost me 13€ with a fuji adaper but since i use an A7II i sold the adapter for 8€ so i only paid 5€ for one of my favorite lenses

Miranda is soligor brand. Keep up the good work.

Man , you gotta do a review on the Nikon 80-200 ai 4.5 lens. It’s insanely good.

I can’t think of a better way to increase the prices of vintages lens up 😉🤑

My best deal was a Cosina 28mm f/2.8 for 8 Euros plus shipping. An Industar 61 I bought for less 10 Euros. But that was years ago. I believe the price for this lens has risen in the meantime.

Have you ever shot anything by Petri? Their 50 f1.7 and 35mm f/2.8 are decent. The one problem is if you encounter their short-lived proprietary FT mount as adaptors for that are a bit spendy on ebay (being custom made). They are very plasticky, however, and the plastic aperture ring is often brittle and fails.

Ni and thanks for the great videos on vintage lenses. Although I shoot olympus 4/3 you have inspired me to explore vintage lenses on a full frame and in that regard I have purchased a Sony a7 (1). However, when I fit my CSj lens through an adapter I find that the camera will not allow the magnify function and instead returns a message that a lens is not fitted. Peaking though works fine but I need both to focus properly. Any thoughts?

In the USA, it is hard to find that miranda in f2. Lots of f1.9 and f1.8 Has anyone tried those?

I look periodically for the Industar 61, and it tends to go for about £40-60 on eBay. Unless you buy from Ukraine, where you can half that. If I ever see on for a tenner, I WILL be snapping it up. I must admit I haven't properly watched for it, just occasionally, so I may well have missed the bargains. I got a Tessar 50 2.8 for £10, and once got a cheap EF mount 35mm for £9, so they are so far my cheapest lenses. And both pretty good too.

I have 7 old mirandas... I have 3d printed mount to nex adapter...

Your A7 could potentially hold a world record for the largest cumulative number of lenses attached to it during its lifetime.

I purchased a "Beroflex 1:2.8 50mm" for 5 € on a flea market. Beroflex is a company, who sold East-German lenses in West-Germany. I suppose my lens is based on the Tessar Lense. It's rather sharp and has a nice bokeh. The lens is nice made. What do you expect more for 5 €?

my absolute best, and extremely outstanding lens buyings are from death estate, when the family and widow, not being photography interested, sell out of cameras, lenses and tools... i got 2 times extremely lucky,,, a minolta pf 200 f 4.5 and another time helios 44-7, both i perfect condition and i guess hardly ever used... the minolta even got the ,,passed,, mark on it, from lens control, but this is over a period of 10 + years

I'm kind of wondering if the Miranda lens is just a rebranded Rikenon 50mm F2. The construction is incredibly similar, as is the image quality, and both of them are K mount, which makes me mighty suspicious.

when i check a lens for purple and green fringing, i shoot a photo of dark branches on a tree againt a very light sky

$5 Mamiya/Sekor 55mm f1.8

Have you had any success with CCTV lenses?? They are available super cheap, and may be a good place to start.

how about m42 to eos ef

Dear vintage lens fan, please consider this: Most vintage lens owners will dump their lenses rather than putting them up for auction if the bring only around 10$ or 10€ or thereabouts. Actually, I do think about dumping my zooms. Or, should I do a cool video how they explode?

Telesar 135 3.5 in t mount for $7.50. the adapter cost me more than the lens.

Your Miranda lens was made by Soligor.

Ten pounds for a lens?? A giveaway. There are no better bargains in these high inflation days. A ten pound lens this week will still be worth ten pounds in a years time, whereas ten pounds cash will have devalued. There is no better investment, un my book, than something which you can use for a few years then sell on at little to no loss of value. There are so many cheap lens manufacturers to choose from, too. Optomax, Hanimex, Kiron, the mighty Chinons, Cosina, Photax, lots and lots, and all are great value. A question for you, Nigel. You talk about old lenses vignetting, is that also true when used on crop sensors? Does the large image circle coverage not ignore the corners/edges and just sample a small centre image circle? Maybe a question for the upcoming Q&A episode? Off to browse Ebay now, looking for a bargain. Regards George

Best buy a Vivitar 70-205 mm zoom lens for unbelievable £1.0 GBP Incredible... nobody else wanted it......!!!

Be careful, Boys and Girls. Miranda-NEX-Adapter tend to be expensive.

Ten quid? In 1977..?

Again, there is no "effective minimum focus distance". It will focus at the same minimum distance on all cameras. Crop does not affect this. Stop misinforming people :D