Manual lenses

[mathia]

Finally, I get a reply that is actually about the topic. I was really excited to find that I could us some of the older lenses. As a matter of fact, I have been looking on Ebay for a screw mount 135/2.8. I have found a couple and actually bid on one today, but the focus ring was said to be "a little stiff". Anyway, I checked one of the pawnshops here in Tyler this afternoon and there one was, along with a 50/1.9. I got both for $60. I have a friend who is a lab assistant at the local junior college and there are several football games outside the Graphic Arts building every evening. So, I cleaned up the 135 and went out to shoot one of the games. The images were outstanding. Just as sharp as can be. And by using the distance scale, it was a bit easier to focus. I was really pleased with the results. Hopefully, by this time next week, I will have my new split prism focus screen and I will be good to go on the manual focusing. Glad to know that someone out there is into the older glass as it really deserves another look, it's cheap, abundant, better than a lot of the auto lenses available today (at least the stuff I can afford), and it's really a blast getting back to my "photographic roots". Thanks for replying to this thread, lemme know how it's coming on your end. I can't wait to try out some of my older glass on one of my studio shoots!!!!!

[Jake_C]

Heh. I hear ya. Amazing how fast these things can get sidetracked, eh?

Funny you should mention the 135mm... I was just looking at an f2.0 today on eBay. Was damn tempted to pick it up and then I did the conversion for my Sigma (which is a very uncommon 1.7x). No way in hell I needed a manual focus lens that long! Now, the 18mm Pentax K-mount that I just found, on the other hand...

You'll find that it's bound to become an obsession. I actually had to have my wife take my debit card away from me for a few days while I chilled out I was getting so wrapped up in it! Now that I don't have any more room in my camera case (which is a full-size aluminium road-box, mind you), it takes a lot more to wow me with a new lens, at least enough to make me want to buy it!

Keep up the adventure, though! Would love to see some shots, too!

-Jake

[mathia]

I will send you some or give you a link once I get the new focus screen. I'd like them to be as crisp as possible. As a matter of fact, I just got in from shooting some night stuff.