So I'm reading a lot about vintage lenses.

B

Brandon

I've seen it mentioned on here a lot that people are buying vintage lenses to cut costs on the unbelievably expensive current day lenses. So I have a question, if I wanted to buy them and put them on my Canon T3i, do I need an adapter of some kind or do they just fit? If so, which do I need? Thanks for the advice!
 
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Brandon said:
if I wanted to buy them and put them on my Canon T3i, do I need an adapter of some kind or do they just fit? If so, which do I need? Thanks for the advice!
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You will almost certainly need an adapter. DSLR's have all different kinds of lens mounts -- manufacturing standards on how lenses fit to the camera. The Canon rebels have an "EF" mount, which is compatible with the more expensive EF-lenses made for Canon.

If you want a different brand of lens, it will more than likely have a different type of lens mount. I got a couple of primes on ebay (for really cheap, I might add), but since they were "MD" mounts I needed an MD to EF adapter for my T3i (these are widely available on ebay or amazon). Once you get an adapter, you're golden.

Good luck!
 
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I have been buying m42 mount lenses..theye are the most comon and the most easy to adapt..but the prices on these lenses are going up! esp for a 28mm lense, typicaly, is going for $65 for a good lens. But you got to do your research on the brand names because its waaay confusing!
I have a t3i and i have a Helios 58mm and a 50mm milticoated Takumar..both lenses are increadable!!!!
But i got suckered by buying a Hannamar 130mm...what a pos!...its really loose in construction and the appature came brokenstuck..wasent even worth sending back because of inflated shipping!
 
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M42 to EOS adapters are dirt cheap, like $7 cheap. I have 8 vintage lenses I just bought an adapter fpr each one and a canon back cover so I never have to swap.

Do your research on a lens before you buy. The "good" lenses have pretty much all been identified by this point.
 
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Your original premise is a bit false.

Good lenses have ALWAYS been expensive. Vintage lenses that are now selling cheap are consumer grade lenses that were not terribly expensive when new.
 
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wheatgrinder said:
Your original premise is a bit false.

Good lenses have ALWAYS been expensive. Vintage lenses that are now selling cheap are consumer grade lenses that were not terribly expensive when new.
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To a degree yes, but it was a different era as far as build quality. Old Takumars (even the 50mm 1.4 and 55mm 1.8 which were "kit" lenses) and Nikons, etc... are built like tanks, all metal, tough as nails. I could bludgeon someone to death with my 135mm 2.5.

A "consumer grade" lens then meant maybe it had less optical elements or less than the most advanced coating (for the time). Now it means it's a cheap plastic hunk of crap that if you drop it will shatter into 1000 pieces.
 
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Also, for whatever it's worth, be aware that vintage lenses and other equipment that have been "identified" as desirable and useful are likely to only climb in price. For one thing, even if there are a bunch of them out there in the world, their numbers are finite. Not only are you competing with a gazillion other filmmakers to collect them, but also, perhaps in some cases, with a gazillion-zillion still photographers and GWC's looking to pick them up. If you snooze, you lose. Within reason, of course. Not meant to encourage reckless spending.

As an example, as a neonate photography hobbyist (and I like to think artist), I've been learning about the Strobist Movement. It provides an interesting example of how new demand for vintage equipment drives the prices of such finite vintage equipment ever higher.

Best of luck with your T3i! It looks like a pretty awesome camera. :)
 
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