This article looks at whether vintage lenses have a place in a modern world and whether this combination is nostalgic bliss or vintage mayhem.
The purpose of a modern camera / fully auto lens combo is to clearly produce the best results with the least amount of effort. Modern cameras therefore are stacked with technology such as automatic focusing, fast fast burst mode, the ability to shoot using PASM, optimised lens characteristics etc etc. Why then would anybody want to revert to focusing manually because they shoot with old manual lenses? In a word – character!
Shooting with old lenses opens a pandora’s box of effects, colours, emotions even. And in truth, you aren’t giving up that much if you fit your old lenses to your modern camera. Everything in the camera still works just fine. Dial options PSM work just the same. Exposure compensation works just the same. Burst mode works just the same. Video works just the same albeit that your subject needs to be fairly still although in a well lit room or even outdoors, you’ll probably be shooting at f16 / f22 so you have some latitude. The only thing then that you are giving up is autofocus and even then you can make your life easier by using zone focus. Modern cameras then are a great way then to shoot and experiment with vintage lenses.
So, what makes a lens a Vintage Lens?
In truth, a lens becomes “vintage” for reasons that go far beyond age. Age is part of it, but the real magic comes from design choices, materials, and imperfections that modern optics have largely eliminated. While there is an age component, it’s not as clean‑cut as people often assume. This implies then that in in practice, “vintage” is a cultural category, not a strict chronological one. Still, photographers tend to converge around a few practical boundaries so lets look at these next.
The three age thresholds people generally use to define lens age
1. 20–30 years old → “Old” or “Legacy,” not quite vintage
Lenses from the early 2000s or late 1990s (e.g., Canon EF, Nikon AF‑D, Minolta AF) are usually called:
- legacy
- older autofocus
- early digital-era glass
They’re too modern in design and coatings to feel vintage.
2. 40–50 years old → The start of “vintage”
This is where most photographers begin to use the word vintage comfortably.
Typical examples:
- 1970s–1980s manual-focus SLR lenses
- Pentax-M, Canon FD, Minolta Rokkor, Nikon AI
- Soviet lenses like Helios 44-2, Jupiter-9, Mir-1
These lenses have:
- single coatings
- simpler optical formulas
- mechanical helicoids
- rendering quirks
This is the era where “vintage character” becomes obvious.
3. 60+ years old → “Classic” or “True vintage”
This includes:
- 1950s–1960s rangefinder lenses
- Early Zeiss, Leica, Voigtländer
- Pre-set aperture lenses
- Radioactive thorium-era glass
- Swirly, glowy, low-contrast rendering
These are the lenses people buy specifically for their look, not their technical performance.
To put this in perspective, here are some typical lenses that you might be tempted to buy and where these sit on the “old – classic” timeline:
- Zeiss Pancolar 50mm f1.8 (1964 – 1990) | Classic though to Old
- Helios 44-2 58mm f2 (1950’s – 1980’s) | Classic through to Vintage
- Jupiter 8 50mm f2 (1946 – 1985) | Classic through to Vintage
- Pentax SMC 55mm f1.8 (1975 – 1978) | Vintage
What gives a lens that vintage character
1. Optical formulas from a different era
Older lenses often use:
- Simpler designs (e.g., 4–6 elements instead of 12–20 today)
- Classic formulas like Tessar, Sonnar, Biotar, Heliar
- Less correction for aberrations
This leads to:
- Swirly bokeh
- Glow at wide apertures
- Field curvature
- Lower contrast
- Distinct rendering that feels organic rather than clinical
2. Coatings (or lack of them)
Vintage lenses typically have:
- Single coatings or none at all
- Lower contrast and more flare
- Colour shifts that feel warm or muted
Modern multi-coatings aim for neutrality; vintage coatings give personality.
3. Glass types no longer used
Some older lenses used:
- Thorium glass (radioactive, but gives beautiful clarity and warmth)
- High-lead glass
- Glass recipes that are now banned or impractical
These materials subtly shape the rendering.
4. Mechanical craftsmanship
Vintage lenses often feature:
- Brass helicoids
- Long, buttery focus throws
- Engraved markings
- Solid metal construction
They feel like instruments, not consumer products.
5. Imperfections that become “character”
Things modern designers try to eliminate:
- Spherical aberration
- Chromatic aberration
- Vignetting
- Soft corners
- Glow
In vintage lenses, these flaws become features—especially for portraiture and creative work.
6. The era’s aesthetic philosophy
Modern lenses aim for:
- Sharpness
- Neutrality
- Correction
Vintage lenses aimed for:
- Pleasing rendering
- Artistic softness
- A signature look
They were designed for film, not sensors, which also affects the feel.
7. The patina of time
Even two copies of the same vintage lens can differ because of:
- Balsam separation
- Dust
- Fungal etching
- Yellowing
- Wear on coatings
This makes each lens a bit unique—something modern lenses don’t offer.
8. Build & Mechanics
Vintage
- All‑metal construction
- Manual focus only
- Mechanical aperture rings
- Smooth helicoids but often need servicing
Modern
- Metal/plastic hybrid for weight reduction
- Autofocus motors, stabilisation, electronic aperture
- Weather‑sealing and advanced coatings
9. Usability & Technology
Vintage
- Fully manual workflow
- Slower, more deliberate shooting
- Requires adapters for digital cameras
- No EXIF data
Modern
- Fast autofocus, eye‑AF, tracking
- Electronic communication with camera
- Optimised for digital sensors
- Full EXIF metadata
10. Creative Intent
Vintage
- Chosen for artistic character and mood
- Ideal for portraits, street, experimental work
- Embraces imperfections
Modern
- Chosen for accuracy, speed, and reliability
- Ideal for commercial, sports, wildlife, and technical work
- Prioritises precision
11. Cost & Availability
Vintage
- Often inexpensive, though rare models can be collectible
- Huge variety on the used market
Modern
- Higher cost due to advanced optics and electronics
- Consistent availability and warranty support
Old lenses are numerous. There are literally millions still available on the market today. Visit Ebay for example and you can buy practically any lens ever made. Some can be expensive, but many are incredibly cheap, under £10 in many cases with most, even sought after lenses, coming in at under £100. Here are some of my legacy and vintage lenses that I own, some from cameras I have owned for years and some that are more recent purchases:
- Pentax 50mm SMC M f2
- Pentax 55mm SMC Tukamar f1.8 K
- Leica Ektar 35-70mm f3.5
- Vivitar 35-70mm f2.8
- Konica Hexanon AR 40mm f1.8
- Helios 44-2 58mm f2
- Carl Zeiss Jena 55mm f2.8-3.8
- Helios 44M 58mm f2
- Canon 28mm f3.5
- Meyer Optic Gorlitz 135mm f2.8
- Fujinon 55mm f2.2 ( I have two of these)
All this being said, not all lenses are created equal. I spent hours researching affordable lenses using Youtube, Google, Ai etc and the lenses I then purchased, best fit my style of photography.
My Personal Journey
Now, if you check the list above you’ll see that while I do own a couple of good vintage zooms, I tend to prefer prime lenses. This is because I often target lenses with problems, for example sticky or oily aperture blades, lumpy focusing rings, lens fungus etc as these are typically things that I can fix. These types of problems also tend to keep the price of the lens down to beer money.
For example, I recently purchased two Fujinon 55mm f2.2 lenses and I’ve created one pristine version from the various parts. Each lens cost around £5 even though it’s a well regarded lens so not much to lose if it all went wrong! It didn’t and the Fujinon is now one of my favourite lenses. From the remaining parts, I’ve created a Frankenstein lens which is always wide open at f2.2 and has the front lens set reversed to create really interesting smudged edge effects. Here are some example images.
The Pentax 55mm f1.8, a legacy of my early days of film, had a sticky aperture – I couldn’t push it past f2.8. This was an easy fix and the aperture now works perfectly at all positions. In fact, this is a wonderful lens with great contrast and lovely bokeh wide open.
The only lenses currently on my “must have” list are the Carl Zeiss DDR Pancolar 50mm f1.8 and the Jupiter 8 50mm f2 which will form part of my collection in due course.
As to cost, well, so far my spend on vintage and legacy lenses has been just £165 (excluding adapters) which as you’ll know from looking at your own collection of lenses, is peanuts.
Typical Usage
I don’t know about other photographers but my typical usage is pretty straightforward. For the most part I use a modern full-frame mirrorless camera, the Panasonic Lumix S5 with all of the lenses that I outlined above. I do this through the use of adapters which I’ll come on to in a moment. My preferred lens mount system is the M42 screw mount because many, many different lenses, both legacy and vintage, come with this type of mount. The exception is Leica lenses as these generally use an M39 threaded mount but again, adapters exist to mount these to the Lumix S5. In addition to M42 thread mount lenses, I also have adapters for Canon FD, Pentax K / M mount and Konica. The Panasonic Lumix S5 uses the modern Leica L mount configuration, this is also supported by Leica and Sigma, so there’s a fair bit of flexibility here. Other camera bodies such as Sony, Nikon and Canon will also be perfect for hosting Vintage lenses with an appropriate adapter.
Although as I have said above, I tend to mostly use my Lumix S5 with my legacy and vintage lenses, I do tend to flip between using this and my older digital cameras, including for example, the Olympus E-300 and E500, the Leica Digilux 3 and the Lumix L1. The only downside of using OM 4/3 mount cameras is that the focal length of the lens is doubled on these camera bodies and the effective aperture is smaller so less bokeh. Even so, old CCD and LiveMOS sensor cameras bring their own charm to the party so there’s really no downside to using old digital gear other than as mentioned. As for the Lumx S5, PASM works perfectly as does ISO, and pushing and pulling EV so it’s pretty much business as normal.
The only thing I lose when attaching a Vintage lens to my Lumix s5 is automatic focusing. My camera works just fine in any of the PASM modes that my camera provides. Typically I will shoot in P mode, setting the aperture as required to create the image I want. The Lumix S5 adjusts the shutter speed accordingly and of course, I can push or pull EV and set ISO as I would for any other camera / lens combo. Yes, I do lose the EXIF information from the lens, which is annoying, but it’s not the end of the world!
Since buying my Panasonic Lumix S5 back in mid-2025, I have yet to actually purchase a modern auto-focus lens for the camera. I am now so used to shooting with vintage lenses that I consider this normal usage!
Let’s Talk About Camera Mount Adapters?
With regards adapters, and as I mentioned, I tend to favour M42 threaded lenses because they are extremely common. The camera mount adapters are easy to find and they are relatively cheap. You can also buy them for a whole variety of camera bodies. I have adapters for all of my cameras, these being M43, OM-42, Fuji FX, Nikon F and of course, Leica L
Interestingly, adapters can cost as much , and sometimes even more than than the lenses do. A typical adapter costs from about £5, for the very cheapest, to around £40-50 for some of the major brands. I personally have had no problems with the cheap adapters I have used although mostly I buy in the mid pricing range, around £20. I guess that I have spent a similar amount on these to what I have spent on lenses.
Pros and Cons
This all sounds great, but what are the downsides to using vintage lenses? In truth, well to my mind at least, there are very few downsides. Some will argue that a manual focus length is always going to be slower because – wait for it – you have to focus it to nail the shot. Not so! Nothing is faster than a manual lens employing zone focusing.
The zone‑focusing technique is a simple, fast way to ensure sharp photos without relying on autofocus. It involves pre‑setting your lens to a chosen focus distance and aperture, then using the depth‑of‑field scale on the lens barrel to see which distances will fall acceptably sharp. Anything that enters that “zone” will be in focus, letting you shoot instantly without refocusing. It’s especially useful for street photography, action, or any situation where you want to react quickly and keep your attention on the scene rather than the camera. If you want to learn more about this approach, take a look at this article.
