Vintage Lenses on Digital SLRs

There are two very important things that affect the outcome of how a photo is captured. One is the film and the other is the lens. Most avid photographers already argue, ad nauseam, about the pros and cons of the digital sensors over film. However, few ever consider the lens.

Frankly, both the film and sensor are designed to do one thing and that is to capture, as accurately as possible, the image delivered the by lens.

Other than auto focus motors and more durable coatings, lens technology has remained largely unchanged for decades.

Vintage lenses provide the advantage of quality builds (metal vs. cheap plastic), and render looks many of us are already familiar with, and at pennies on the dollar vs. modern equivalents, a wise choice in today's economy.

Last, but certainly not the least, is thanks to smart digital post processing tools, printers, and cleaner sensors. The shortcomings of many lenses, once considered junk by unforgiving film standards, can now be corrected.

The lenses (in order of testing):

Canon 35mm f2.8
Tilt Shift

Olympus G.Zuiko 28mm f3.5 wide

Carl Zeiss 135 Triotar

Vivitar 90-230 f3.5

Tokina AT-X 28-85
the 99 cent lens

Sears
80-200 f4
The real name behind this lens

Finny Pin-Hole lens

Tiffen HCE Vari-Close-Up