One of the things I really enjoy about photography is that you don’t always need the latest and most expensive equipment to take interesting photographs.
From time to time, I like to dig out some of my old vintage lenses and use them on my modern mirrorless cameras. It gives me the chance to slow down, experiment and get a different look from my photographs.
Modern lenses are fantastic, especially when I’m photographing surfing and need fast autofocus, but vintage lenses have something different about them. They can have their own character, and using one can make photography feel a little more hands-on.
In this guide, I’ll explain how I adapt old film-camera lenses to my modern mirrorless cameras and what I’ve learned from using them.
Why Do I Use Vintage Lenses?
I wouldn’t say vintage lenses are necessarily better than modern lenses.
In many situations, modern lenses are considerably better. They’re generally sharper, have better autofocus and are designed specifically for today’s digital cameras.
So why do I bother with old lenses?
For me, it’s about character and the experience of using them.
Some older lenses produce a look that I simply don’t get from my modern lenses.
Depending on the lens, I can get:
- Softer images
- Different colours
- Interesting flare
- Distinctive bokeh
- Lower contrast
- Vignetting
- A more vintage-looking image
Sometimes these characteristics can actually make a photograph more interesting.
The First Thing I Do – Identify the Lens Mount
Before I can use an old lens on my mirrorless camera, I need to know exactly what lens mount it uses.
This is really important.
Just because a lens was made by a particular manufacturer doesn’t necessarily mean all lenses from that manufacturer use the same mount.
Some of the older mounts you might come across include:
- Canon FD
- Canon EF
- Nikon F
- Minolta MD
- Minolta MC
- Pentax K
- M42
- Olympus OM
- Contax/Yashica
- Leica M
There are plenty of others as well.
I always check the exact mount of the lens before buying an adapter.
Using Vintage Lenses on My Sony Cameras
I use Sony mirrorless cameras, and one of the things I like about the Sony E-mount system is how many different vintage lenses can be adapted to it.
The basic setup is very simple:
Vintage lens → Lens adapter → Sony E-mount camera
The adapter provides the physical connection between the old lens and the modern camera while positioning the lens at the correct distance from the sensor.
This means I can take a lens that was designed for a film camera many years ago and use it on one of my modern Sony cameras.
The Adapters I Use
Once I know what mount the lens uses, I need an adapter that matches both the lens and my Sony E-mount camera.
Personally, I normally buy my adapters from K&F Concept.
I’ve found their adapters to be a good option for the vintage lenses I’ve used, and I like the fact that there are adapters available for a wide range of older lens mounts.
For example, depending on the lens, I might use an adapter such as:
Minolta MD → Sony E-mount
M42 → Sony E-mount
Canon FD → Sony E-mount
The important thing is to make sure you’re buying the correct adapter for the exact lens mount.
I wouldn’t automatically buy the cheapest adapter available. A poorly made adapter can introduce movement between the lens and camera, which makes manual focusing frustrating.
When I buy an adapter, I look for one that:
- Fits the lens mount correctly
- Locks securely onto the camera
- Holds the lens at the correct distance
- Has little or no wobble
- Doesn’t allow light leaks
- Feels solid when attached
For me, K&F Concept is normally my first choice when I need a vintage lens adapter.
Most Vintage Lenses Are Manual Focus
This is probably the biggest change if you’re used to modern autofocus lenses.
When I put one of my vintage lenses on my Sony camera, I normally have to focus manually.
At first this can feel strange.
Modern cameras make focusing so easy that it’s easy to forget how much work photographers used to do themselves.
With a vintage lens, I turn the focus ring myself and decide exactly where I want the focus.
Fortunately, mirrorless cameras make this much easier than it used to be.
Focus Peaking Makes Life Much Easier
One of the features I find particularly useful when using vintage lenses is focus peaking.
The camera highlights areas that it thinks are in focus.
This gives me a quick visual indication of where the focus is.
I can also use focus magnification to zoom into part of the image and make sure I’ve got the focus exactly where I want it.
If you’ve never used a vintage lens before, these two features are definitely worth learning.
Aperture Is Usually Controlled on the Lens
Another difference is the aperture.
With a modern electronic lens, I can normally control the aperture from the camera.
With many vintage lenses, the aperture is controlled using a physical ring on the lens.
For example:
f/1.8 → f/2.8 → f/4 → f/5.6 → f/8 → f/11 → f/16
I simply turn the aperture ring to the setting I want.
This also gives me a much better feel for what I’m actually doing.
I Usually Start With Aperture Priority
When I’m experimenting with an old lens, I often find Aperture Priority the easiest way to work.
I choose the aperture on the lens and let the camera work out an appropriate shutter speed.
For example, I might choose:
f/2
and allow the camera to choose the shutter speed.
This means I can concentrate on:
- Focus
- Composition
- Depth of field
- The subject
without having to change everything manually.
You Can Use Full Manual Mode Too
If I want complete control, I can switch to Manual Mode.
Then I control:
- Aperture
- Shutter speed
- ISO
This is particularly useful when I want a consistent exposure across a series of photographs.
It can also be useful for:
- Night photography
- Landscapes
- Long exposures
- Creative photography
- Studio work
What Happens to the Focal Length?
Something worth understanding is that adapting a lens doesn’t change its actual focal length.
A 50mm lens is still a 50mm lens.
However, because I use an APS-C Sony camera, the field of view is narrower than it would be on a full-frame camera.
Sony APS-C cameras have approximately a 1.5× crop factor.
So a 50mm lens gives roughly the same field of view as a 75mm lens would on full frame.
This can actually make some vintage lenses very useful.
A cheap old 50mm lens can become a really nice portrait lens on an APS-C camera.
One of My Favourite Things About Vintage Lenses – Bokeh
Another reason I enjoy experimenting with old lenses is seeing how they render out-of-focus areas.
Different lenses can produce very different bokeh.
Some give you:
- Smooth backgrounds
- Circular highlights
- Swirly backgrounds
- Interesting shapes
- Busy or unusual-looking backgrounds
I particularly like experimenting with vintage lenses when there are lights or other bright objects in the background.
Open the aperture and see what happens.
That’s part of the fun.
Don’t Be Afraid of Lens Flare
Modern lenses often have coatings designed to reduce flare.
Older lenses don’t always control it as well.
Normally, we’d consider this a disadvantage.
But sometimes I deliberately use it.
Pointing a vintage lens towards the sun can produce some really interesting effects.
Instead of trying to eliminate every imperfection, I sometimes use it as part of the photograph.
Checking an Old Lens Before I Use It
Because some of my vintage lenses are decades old, I always check them before putting them on my camera.
I look for:
Fungus
Fungus can appear as web-like patterns inside the lens.
A heavily affected lens is something I’d avoid.
Haze
A hazy lens can reduce contrast and make images look washed out.
Scratches
Small marks aren’t necessarily a disaster, but deep scratches can affect image quality.
Aperture Blades
I check that the aperture moves correctly.
Focus Ring
The focus ring should move smoothly rather than being completely stuck.
Mount
I check that the mounting surfaces aren’t damaged.
Don’t Forget to Check the Adapter
The lens isn’t the only thing I check.
The adapter is just as important.
Before attaching it to my camera, I make sure:
- The lens locks properly
- The adapter locks onto the camera
- There isn’t excessive movement
- Nothing is loose
- The adapter isn’t damaged
I don’t want an expensive camera and lens combination held together by a badly made adapter.
This is another reason I tend to stick with K&F Concept adapters when adapting my vintage lenses.
Vintage Lenses for Surf Photography
As a surf photographer, I’m normally going to choose a modern autofocus lens when I’m photographing fast-moving surfers.
When I’m shooting action, autofocus is a huge advantage.
For example, tracking a surfer as they move across a wave is much easier with a modern autofocus telephoto lens.
But that doesn’t mean vintage lenses are useless for surf photography.
I can use them for more creative photographs such as:
- Empty waves
- Beach landscapes
- Surfers standing on the beach
- Surfboards
- Details around the beach
- Sunsets
- Sunrise
- Environmental portraits
- Creative surf images
Sometimes slowing down and manually focusing makes me look at the scene differently.
Vintage Lenses Make Me Slow Down
This is probably the biggest reason I enjoy using them.
With my modern camera and autofocus lenses, I can concentrate on capturing the moment.
With a vintage lens, I have to think more.
I have to:
Focus → check the composition → choose the aperture → check the exposure → take the photograph.
That slower process can actually be enjoyable.
It reminds me that photography isn’t just about having the latest equipment.
A 50mm Is a Great Place to Start
If you’re thinking about trying vintage lenses for the first time, I’d recommend starting with an inexpensive 50mm or 55mm lens.
There are loads of them around because they were extremely common on film cameras.
You might find:
- 50mm f/1.4
- 50mm f/1.7
- 50mm f/1.8
- 55mm f/1.8
- 58mm f/2
on the second-hand market.
Just remember to check the condition and make sure you can get the correct adapter.
Other Focal Lengths Worth Trying
Once I’ve experimented with a 50mm, there are plenty of other options.
28mm
Good for:
- Landscapes
- Architecture
- Street photography
- Beach scenes
35mm
A useful all-round focal length.
85mm
Great for:
- Portraits
- Details
- Background compression
135mm
Useful for:
- Portraits
- Details
- Beach photography
- Creative compositions
There are plenty of older lenses available at all of these focal lengths.
Do Vintage Lenses Take Better Photos?
Not necessarily.
This is something I think is important to make clear.
If I want the sharpest possible photograph, I’d generally choose one of my modern lenses.
Vintage lenses can have optical limitations that modern lenses have largely solved.
But photography isn’t always about getting the technically perfect image.
Sometimes I actually want the imperfections.
The softness, flare, lower contrast or unusual bokeh can become part of the photograph.
My Advice
If you have an old film camera or some lenses sitting in a cupboard, don’t automatically assume they’re useless.
Check what lenses you have.
Find out what mount they use.
Then see whether an adapter is available for your mirrorless camera.
You might already own a lens that gives you a completely different photographic experience.
I wouldn’t replace my modern lenses with vintage ones.
Instead, I see vintage lenses as another tool in my camera bag.
My modern lenses are what I rely on when I need speed, autofocus and reliability.
My vintage lenses are what I reach for when I want to slow down, experiment and try something different.
And that’s really why I enjoy using them from time to time.
My Vintage Lens Checklist
Before I head out with an adapted vintage lens, I check:
☐ Do I know the exact lens mount?
☐ Do I have the correct adapter?
☐ Is the lens free from serious fungus?
☐ Is there excessive haze?
☐ Does the focus ring work?
☐ Does the aperture work correctly?
☐ Does the adapter lock securely?
☐ Is focus peaking enabled?
☐ Is focus magnification available?
☐ Is the camera set to allow shooting without an electronic lens?
☐ Do I want Aperture Priority or Manual Mode?
Most importantly:
Experiment and have fun.
You don’t need the newest lens to create an interesting photograph. Sometimes an old piece of glass can give you exactly the look you’re looking for.
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