Have you ever cursed your camera for missing that special moment in the streets? Do you ever struggle to get the subject quickly in focus before the fleeting moment is lost forever in the aether? Well, then why not try manual focus? Shooting with a manual lens centres your attention on the precise image you want to produce.
In this article, our photography tutor Robert Irving explains why you should consider manual focus and shares what to look for when buying a second-hand lens.
Auto-focus technology
Pioneered by Leica, auto-focus technology was first developed in the early 1960s from where it was typically employed within simpler point-and-shoot type cameras. By the early 1970s, the technology had jumped into the first SLR (single-lens reflex) cameras, notably the Polaroid SX-70, and by 1981 it could be found in the first 35mm SLRs (the Pentax ME-F).
The 1980s saw Minolta and Nikon develop their own systems too. However, both the motor and auto-focus mechanism was housed within the camera body which bulked it out, especially when compared to Canon’s (EOS) concept of integrating the motor within the lens.
This technology was adopted by the rest of the market throughout the 1990s and is still used today. Its functionality is impeccable. I challenge anyone to out-focus manually a (decent) auto-focus lens. In many respects, I see auto-focus as a truly useful technological advancement, especially when considering the plethora of "bells and whistles", which have also hit the market over the last few decades.
Top view of the Pentax ME-F showing the audio focus switch and electro focus selector to the left of the prism hump. Image credit: Retro Film Camera.
Why should you consider "manual focus"?
Other than when shooting video, where most DSLRs can’t, or certainly won’t, reliably function in auto-focus, why would anyone bother with manual focus?
I’m a big fan of retro manual focus lenses, mainly because they’re so very satisfying to use and they slow down the picture-taking process. As the photographer, you have a greater degree of involvement than with modern "auto" equivalents, being constantly reminded, through this involvement, of the basic functionality of photography.
Anyone serious, even new to photography, should really give them a go. You see, it’s not just the focus which you take control of, it's the physical act of changing/setting the apertures as there are no "mechanical/electrical" connections between lens and camera.
But over and above this increased involvement is both the build and image quality that they can achieve. This is because the "good ones" (which we’ll consider shortly) have metal barrels containing carefully ground, well designed, all-glass lens elements (cheaper contemporary lenses often use plastic for both).
In my experience, the best lenses out there are the "primes" (fixed focal length i.e. not zoom lenses) in the 28mm through to 135mm range. They’re the easiest to make well to an affordable price point. Among the best I’ve found is the standard ca 50mm’s as they tend to be very fast with maximum apertures of between f1.4 and f2. From a technological point of view, they are the easiest to make.
Additionally, you can just about make any retro 35mm manual focus lens (regardless of manufacturer) to any contemporary DSLR using simple and affordable mounts (search eBay, quoting the camera you wish to mount and the "lens mount" of the lens in question, for example, EOS to M42).
But beyond the joys of the increased demands on the photographer are the actual images that they capture. The very best lenses of today are in some respect just a bit too perfect in their 2D rendition of a given scene, whereas many of the retro options seem to produce images as though they were actually taken in the 1970s or ‘80s (i.e. not perfectly). This is seen in the way they capture contrast, colour and especially bokeh, which can be ever so charming.
Prime lens. Image credit: Techradar.
Keeping the cost down
They can be super cheap too, sometimes a fifth of the price of its auto-focus equivalent. Last week I picked up a Helios 58mm f2 in a bargain box at the local camera shop for a lot less!
The best place to find these lenses is still attached to a 35mm SLR camera in the charity shop, where they typically sell for very cheap. Ebay’s good, but they do tend to go for slightly more (but still for amazing value).
As far as what to actually buy, there are plenty of online reviews for more lenses than you may care to imagine. But you can’t go wrong with any 50mm from the likes of Helios, Yashica, Nikon, Pentax, Pentacon or Olympus.
Canon, Chinon, Ricoh, Petri, Minolta Rokkor, Fujinon, Rollei Carl Zeiss Planar and Olympus lenses. Image credit: Yu-Lin Chan.
What to look for in a second-hand lens
In my experience, the lenses from the 1970s and 1980s were built like tanks yet owned by amateurs who barely used them. So, looked after, they should quite literally last a lifetime. However, there are a few things to watch out for which I've listed below.
- Fungus in the lens. Initially, it looks like subtle spider-webbing. In its early stages, it doesn’t affect the image but if it takes hold it will do so dramatically whilst risking spreading to your other optics. The best way to store lenses is in clear plastic zip-bags, without their end-caps, in low humidity and daylight, as the fungus is killed by ultraviolet.
- Dust. Most lenses contain a degree of dust which isn’t an issue but it tends to lower its price in the market place.
- Scratches on the front/rear elements. Again, surprisingly not a huge issue, though marks on the rear element can show in an image more readily than marks on the front.
- Focus smoothness. Avoid lenses where this is so stiff that it takes effort to rotate the focus ring as you’ll keep "missing" the focus point.
- Aperture. Check that when rotating the aperture ring it achieves both maximum and minimum aperture.
But all things considered, if the price was right, I wouldn't be too bothered about any of the above, except for rampant fungus (though a touch wouldn’t bother me).
Nikon Nikkor 50mm F1.4 AI vintage manual focus prime lens. Image credit: Tha_Canon_Guy's Reviews.
Have you any experience of using or finding retro manual focus lenses? I'd love to hear how you've got on.
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