The Simple Joys of Shooting on an Old Manual Vintage Lens
A few months ago I took a trip using a vintage lens as my main setup.
I left behind my safe all-around combo of the X-T4 and the 18-55 for the X-Pro3 and the Super Takumar.
It was strange at first since the setup felt like a downgrade:
It was slower, less convenient, and less versatile in focal lengths.
But it was also more rewarding, a good change of pace, and honestly not as limiting as I thought it would be.
There are simple joys to shooting with an old manual vintage lens, ones that are harder to come by if you stick to your standard digital lenses.
Today, I’ll be sharing a few of those with you.
Let’s get started.
Carefully Composing
From being so accustomed to quick autofocus lenses, going back to a manual lens was a bit of a trip.
I’ve shared with you guys my initial experience with the Super Takumar 50mm f1.4 in Tokyo, and I’ve used it a few times since.
And each time, I’m reminded of how much more I have to carefully compose my photographs.
It’s not like the VI, where I can simply lift, point, and shoot.
Rather, I’m constantly a little worried that things might be out of focus.
This sends me down a rabbithole of checking other settings and framings to make sure they’re right before pressing the shutter.
It takes more effort, but I’ve come to realize this isn’t a bad thing.
Of course I’d prefer to snap and go and have everything be “right”.
But there are perks to slowing down and taking your time with photography.
It’s more intentional and you have to be patient, instead of always being in a rush.
And even lining up and nailing a simple random shot of a flower can be quite satisfying.
Of course I’ll miss shots that require me to be faster, but I’ve sort of accepted that as a trade-off of manual lenses.
Because rushing shots will only lead to missed focuses or missed frames.
And if rushing on a manual lens will turn out to be a dead shot anyways, as opposed to a digital lens where you’d still have a chance to catch it, you’re less likely to fire the shutter.
Having to take your time and carefully compose your shots leads to less shutter clicks.
It’s not better or worse, but a different pace to photography that I’ve lately found myself enjoying.
Feels Like Film
I haven’t shot film in over two years…and I honestly don’t plan to anytime soon.
Digital is simply way more convenient and film is too expensive now.
And although there are times when I think, “maybe I’ll just try it again for fun…”, it doesn’t end up happening.
The Fujifilm X-Pro3 may honestly be a big reason why.
With a digital lens it feels like a weird slow viewfinder-only point and shoot, but with a manual lens, things seem to click.
This camera, when paired with a vintage lens actually feels quite close to film.
I’m changing the focus completely manually, all the settings like aperture, shutter, and iso are also manual.
And I’m primarily using the viewfinder to compose my shots.
The main difference is that the viewfinder is up to date and everything is stored on an SD card.
And I guess you could turn your screen off on another camera and pretend it’s the same thing - whatever floats your boat.
By in my experience, this is enough to scratch the itch.
I can feel like I’m shooting film and not worry about getting annoying light leaks or weird exposures.
I know there are people who enjoy that part of it, but in my case, I prefer a bit of consistency, especially if I know I nailed the shot.
Unplanned errors tend to be more annoying than they are happy accidents…
Moreover, I’ve been reminded of just how much a lens affects the images.
Many of my shots on the Takumar have a different visual appeal - that’s because of the lens, not the edit, focal length, or aperture.
The images look less clinical, less perfect, and even a little hazy.
It’s nostalgic, reminiscent of a past time, and I actually really like it.
I think it looks good in a way that’s difficult to describe with just words.
It makes sense why so many Fujiphiles are obsessed with the “characteristics” of certain older Fuji lenses.
Because their looks just aren’t things that can be replicated in a photo editor.
In retrospect, some of these shots are way too warm, but whatever.
Nothing that can’t be fixed.
But the point is, if you’ve been wanting a bit of a film-like experience or look, but don’t actually want to shoot film, try adapting a vintage lens and turn your screen off.
It won’t be exact, but it’ll be quite close to shooting film, and you won’t have to deal with all the hassles.
That’s what’s scratched my itch, and it might scratch yours.
A Shift From Normality
If you’ve ever felt stuck in your photography, or even just bored of doing the same things over and over again, shooting with a vintage lens can be a great way to mix things up.
Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of travel and street photography.
In the latter half of last year, I spent roughly 6 weeks traveling and taking photos.
That’s a lot, even for me.
And even now I’m still sorting through, editing the photos, and crafting the videos to share with you all.
Because of this, I haven’t been in a mood to go out and take more pictures.
Besides the occasional snap here and there, I feel more of a need to clear this never ending backlog of shots, rather than accumulate more.
So it’s a bit hard to always feel enthusiastic about photography.
And I wouldn’t say I’m tired of it or burned out persay, but rather that I’ve done a lot of it already.
It’s like eating the same meal over and over.
The first day it was really good but the next day you don’t really want it again because you just had it.
In these instances, a vintage lens which makes photography just different or uncomfortable enough, can help get things going again.
Sometimes it’s not that we need to completely reinvent ourselves, rather just a small change here or there can make a big difference.
Let’s be honest:
It’s harder and takes more effort to shoot with a manual focus lens.
It’s not an insane step up, but it is just enough to lead to a missed focus photo here or a missed shot there.
Little things which would be easy on another camera become a little harder, and I get annoyed.
That annoyance pushes me to try a bit more the next time I see something and from there, I’m off to the races.
I’ve found that anything you can do to shift things ever so slightly from the norm can make a big difference in motivation.
It’s often we want a consistent routine with everything standardized to keep things automated without having to worry about it.
But that automation can also lead to stagnation and boredom.
However, leaving room for small variances here and there in your creative process allows you to more or less do the same thing, but it’ll feel very different.
In my case, I found it fun to pull the Super Takumar out, despite not feeling like taking photos.
So if you’re a bit bored, try using a manual or vintage lens every now and then.
The shift from normality may be enough to get you going.
As I’ve spent more and more time with the Super Takumar, I’ve really begun to enjoy it.
It was uncomfortable at first, but as time passed, it got easier.
I found myself composing shots more carefully and getting accustomed to a slower pace of photography.
And sticking it on the X-Pro3, or really just something viewfinder only, made the experience feel like film.
It’s helped me scratch that itch without actually needing to get a roll developed.
Furthermore, this vintage lens has allowed me to shake things up.
After a few months of intense day to day photography on cameras like the VI and the X-T4, I needed a bit of a break.
But I still managed to enjoy photography with the Takumar because it was different enough to feel different.
And that’s important for longevity in the craft.
So, those were a few simple joys of shooting on an old manual vintage lens.
If you’ve never adapted a vintage or manual lens to your setup I’d recommend trying one out.
You don’t need the best quality one, since that isn’t the point.
Rather, pick one that seems fun and just experiment.
So, I hope you found this fun or interesting - if you did, do share this with a friend who would also relate.
And if you’re looking to build a solid foundation in photography, check out Photography Essentials - it’s free.
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Thanks as always, have a great day.
