Lens Reviews

An archived listing of images and reviews of vintage and legacy camera lenses, a look at what's missing from your camera bag, by ImagingPixel.

Features

• A Trio Of 40mm AF / MF Pancake Primes - Legacy / Vintage Lens Reviews: The Konica Hexanon AR 40mm F1.8, SMC Pentax-M 40mm F2.8, and Canon EF 40mm F2.8 STM pancake primes.
• Three Manual Focus Primes For Digital SLR Cameras - Legacy Lens Review: A look back at the Yashica ML 28mm F2.8, Minolta MD 45mm F2, and Zuiko OM 50mm F3.5 Macro as primes for digital SLRs.
• Three Olympus Pen F/FT Manual Focus Primes - Legacy Lens Review: A look back at Olympus Pen F/FT's 38mm F1.8, 100mm F3.5, and 150mm F4 MF lenses on a Micro 4/3 digital camera.

Canon

• Canon EF-S 18-55mm 1:3.5~5.6 II Retro Review - A look back at the Canon EF-S 18-55mm 1:3.5~5.6 II, a lens made available only with Canon digital SLR camera kits.

• Canon EF 35-70mm 1:3.5~4.5 A Retro Review - A look back at the Canon EF 35-70mm 1:3.5~4.5 A, a standard autofocus-only zoom lens for Canon EF-mount cameras.
• Canon EF 40mm 1:2.8 STM Retro Review - A look back at the 2012 Canon EF 40mm 1.2:8 STM, Canon's pancake prime, as mounted on a 2003 Canon EOS 300D.

Hanimex

• Hanimex 135mm 1:2.8 MC Macro Retro Review - A look back at the legacy Hanimex 135mm 1:2.8 MC Macro, an underrated and undervalued medium telephoto lens with a twin focus ring.

Industar

• Industar 69 28mm 1:2.8 M39 LTM Retro Review - Adapting a legacy half-frame M39 LTM lens, the Industar 69 28mm 1:2.8 lens to a 2x crop sensor mirrorless digital camera.
• Industar 69 28mm 1:2.8 + An Olympus Attachment Lens - A look back at the legacy Industar 69 28mm 1:2.8 M39 LTM, a half-frame lens, mounted with an Olympus Attachment Lens F=130cm.

Lumix

• Lumix G 14mm 1:2.5 Asph. Retro Review - A look back at the world's lightest Lumix G 14mm 1:2.5 Asph., a vintage wide-angle lens for Micro 4/3 digital cameras.

Meyer-Optik

• Meyer Optik Gorlitz Oreston 50mm 1:1.8 Retro Review - A look back at the legacy Meyer Optik Gorlitz Oreston 50mm 1:1.8, acknowledged for its optical performance and unique character.

Minolta

• Minolta AF 50mm 1:2.8 Micro (RS) Retro Review - A look back at the 1993 vintage A-mount Minolta AF 50mm 1:2.8 Macro (Re-Styled), with close-ups shot on the Sony DSLR-A350.

• Minolta MC Celtic 135mm 1:2.8 Retro Review - Stellar images with the legacy Minolta MC Celtic 135mm 1:3.5, a lower-cost alternative lens choice from Minolta.
• Minolta MD Zoom 28-85mm F3.5~4.5 Retro Review - A look back at the legacy Minolta MD Zoom 28-85mm F3.5~4.5, a super quality standard zoom lens worth the keep.

Nikon

• Nikon AF-Nikkor 28-80mm 1:3.5~5.6 D Retro Review - A look back at a very affordable vintage standard zoom lens from Nikon DSLRs, the 1995 Nikon AF Nikkor 28-80mm.
• Nikon AF-Nikkor 35-70mm 1:3.3~4.5N Retro Review - A look back at the vintage Nikon AF-Nikkor 35-70mm 1:3.3~4.5N, the standard zoom kit lens for Nikon digital SLR cameras.
• Nikon AF-Nikkor 50mm 1.4 D Lens Review - A look back at the Nikon AF-Nikkor 50mm 1.4D, a favorite and highly recommended ultra-fast standard prime.
• Nikon Ai Micro-Nikkor 55mm 1:3.5 Lens Review - Legacy Lens Review: The Nikon Ai Micro-Nikkor 55mm 1:3.5 has an excellent reputation for image quality, sharpness, and flat-field qualities.
• Nikon Nikkor Ai-S 85mm 1:2 Lens Review - Legacy Lens Review: A look back at the compact and extremely well-made Nikon Ai-S Nikkor 85mm F2, an excellent first-choice telephoto lens.
• Nikon Series E 35mm 1:2.5, On A Body Change - Legacy Lens Review: Image making with a body switch, a Nikon Series E 35mm 1:2.5 mounted on a Canon EOS digital SLR camera.

Olympus

• Zuiko OM Auto-W 21mm 1:3.5 Lens Review - Legacy Lens Review: A look at, in analog and digital, images with the ultra-wide-angle Olympus OM-System Zuiko Auto-W 21mm F3.5.
• S.Zuiko OM MC 35-70mm 1:4 Lens Review - Legacy Lens Review: A look back at the Olympus OM S.Zuiko Auto-Zoom 75-150mm F4, a standard zoom, on a mirrorless Micro 4/3 digital camera.
• Zuiko OM Auto-Zoom 75-150mm 1:4 Lens Review - Legacy Lens Review: A look back at the Zuiko OM Auto-Zoom 75-150mm F4, an excellent two-touch parfocal telephoto zoom lens.

Pentax

• SMC-Pentax-DA 18-55mm 1:3.5~56 AL Lens Review - Legacy Lens Review: Image making with the AF SMC-Pentax-DA 13.5~56 18-55mm AL (2008), the kit lens for APS-C Pentax DSLR cameras.

• SMC Pentax-A 35-70mm 1:4 Lens Review - Legacy Lens Review: A look at the manual focus SMC Pentax-A Zoom 35-70mm 1:4, the only 35-70mm Pentax lens with a fixed aperture.
• SMC Pentax-A 28mm 1:2.8 Lens Review - Legacy Lens Review: Going for the perfect start, a vintage 28mm wide-angle manual focus prime from Pentax, on the 10MP CCD Pentax K-m.
• SMC Pentax-A 50mm 1:2 Lens Review - Legacy Lens Review: A look at the compact, lightweight, and handy thrifty-ifty SMC Pentax-A prime with images shot on a 10MP CCD Pentax K-m.

• SMC Pentax 50mm 1:1.4 Lens Review - Legacy Lens Review: A look back at the SMC Pentax 50mm 1:1.4, from the first iteration of Pentax K-mount series lenses.

• Takumar-A 28mm 1:2.8 Lens Review - Legacy Lens Review: A look back at the non-SMC wide-angle prime from Pentax, sharp and sure images on the 10MP CCD Pentax K-m.

Pentacon

• Pentacon Auto MC 50mm 1:1.8 Lens Review - Legacy Lens Review: First impression images with the Pentacon Auto MC 50mm 1:1.8, for its colors and close-ups, and the 'soap-bubble' bokeh.

Sigma

• Sigma Asph. IF Zoom 28-105mm 1:3.8~5.6 UC-III - Vintage Lens Review: A look back at the 1999 Sigma Asph. IF Zoom 28-105mm 1:3.8~5.6 UC-III, mounted on a 10MP CCD Pentax K-m.
• Sigma Mini-Wide 28mm 1:2.8 Lens Review - Legacy Lens Review: The Sigma-Mini Wide 28mm F2.8 prime, a retrofocus close-focus wide-angle lens acknowledged for its sharpness.
• Sigma Zoom-Gamma 21-35mm F3.5~4 Lens Review - Legacy Lens Review: A look back at the Sigma Zoom-Gamma 21-35mm F3.5~4, image making with the world's first wide-angle zoom lens.

Tamron

• Tamron SP 90mm 1:2.5 Adaptall-2 Macro, A Cult Classic - Legacy Lens Review: A look back at a cult classic, the Tamron SP 90mm 1:2.5 Adaptall-2 Macro, with images shot on a 10MP CCD Nikon D200.
• Tamron SP 90mm 1:2.5 Adaptall-2 Macro, Sharp And Sure - Legacy Lens Review: Image making with the vintage Tamron Adaptall-2 SP 90mm 52BB 1:2.5 Macro, acknowledged as extremely sharp and easy to handle.
• Tamron Adaptall-2 SP 28-80mm F3.5-4.2 Lens Review - Legacy Lens Review: A look back at the Tamron Adaptall-2 SP 28-80mm f/3.5-4.2 (27A) zoom lens, par excellence on a mirrorless digital camera.
• Tamron Adaptall-2 70-210mm 1:4~5.6 Lens Review - Legacy Lens Review: A look back at the Tamron Adaptall-2 70-210mm 1:4~5.6, a close-focus friend on a Micro 4/3 mirrorless digital ILC.

Zonlai

• Zonlai Discover Manual Focus 25mm 1:1.8 Lens Review - Camera Lens Review: A look at the manual focus Zonlai Discover 28mm 1:1.8, a nifty-fifty equivalent on a Micro 4/3 digital camera.

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