"Why do you still use M lenses?!"

eddie1960 · 02-28-2011, 06:01 PM

Originally posted by ducdao

They used to be cheap and no longer that cheap anymore

Just looking at the recent going prices for the Takumar drives me crazy...

m's are still pretty cheap, Taks and all m42 have skyrocketed (thanks Canon users for that)
K's are more than Ms due to what is mostly a better build and perceived better iq (debatable)
A's of course are more because they integrate better. if an a and an M share everything except the A function the A is 2-3 times the price. I can press the green button thanks

eddie1960 · 02-28-2011, 06:07 PM

Originally posted by hoojammyflip

cheap/expensive is irrelevant as decent lenses dont lose value

no photo can ever be taken again, thanks to the nature of time, so price ought to be irrelevant, particularly given my first point

i think the moderate speed M primes offer a great mix of image quality (irrespective of price), manual focus feel and compactness

just my 2c

Pretty much at this point in my top 2 or 3 lenses is the M 28 f3.5. Sharp as hell, smooth focus, good build and nice colour rendering. and generally cheaper than the lesser f2.8 because people value the speed more. mine was all of about $15 (or less) no shipping as i bought local
the following has cost me less than $300

Lentar m42 21 f3.8
SMCM 28 f3.5
SMCM 50 f1.7 (x2)
SMC 55 f2.0
Super Tak 55 M42 f1.8
SMCM 100 f2.8
SMC 135 f3.5
SMC 200 f4.0

My sigma 24-70 f2.8 cost more than all those combined and i got a good deal on it used. So for me until my eyesight fails to much to compensate for I'll stick to the old primes. If I come into a bit of cash i'll focus on FA limiteds as I still shoot film too.

freewheeler · 03-01-2011, 10:54 AM

M lenses are very sexy.
And cheap.
And good, optically aswell as mechanically.
And featherlight and compact.
Lenses that are a joy to work with and fit in any pocket never stay at home
and therefor are more likely to produce more beautifull pictures than ugly and bulky ones.

VaSA · 03-01-2011, 11:40 AM

The short answer to the OP's question - because they kick ass!!!

A bit off-topic: Isn't it widely believed that manual focus lenses usually perform better than their auto-focus counterparts, since the alignment of elements is much easier in manual focus lenses?

Jonathan Mac · 03-05-2011, 02:57 AM

Originally posted by VaSA

The short answer to the OP's question - because they kick ass!!!

A bit off-topic: Isn't it widely believed that manual focus lenses usually perform better than their auto-focus counterparts, since the alignment of elements is much easier in manual focus lenses?

I think usually MF lenses move all the lens elements to focus, so retain all their optical properties. AF lenses usually move only one element (so that they move less weight & are therefore faster) so the distance between elements can change depending on focus. This means they have to be more carefully designed & put together to keep the IQ up.

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02-28-2011, 06:01 PM	#61
eddie1960 Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 13,666	Originally posted by ducdao They used to be cheap and no longer that cheap anymore Just looking at the recent going prices for the Takumar drives me crazy... m's are still pretty cheap, Taks and all m42 have skyrocketed (thanks Canon users for that) K's are more than Ms due to what is mostly a better build and perceived better iq (debatable) A's of course are more because they integrate better. if an a and an M share everything except the A function the A is 2-3 times the price. I can press the green button thanks

02-28-2011, 06:07 PM	#62
eddie1960 Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 13,666	Originally posted by hoojammyflip cheap/expensive is irrelevant as decent lenses dont lose value no photo can ever be taken again, thanks to the nature of time, so price ought to be irrelevant, particularly given my first point i think the moderate speed M primes offer a great mix of image quality (irrespective of price), manual focus feel and compactness just my 2c Pretty much at this point in my top 2 or 3 lenses is the M 28 f3.5. Sharp as hell, smooth focus, good build and nice colour rendering. and generally cheaper than the lesser f2.8 because people value the speed more. mine was all of about $15 (or less) no shipping as i bought local the following has cost me less than $300 Lentar m42 21 f3.8 SMCM 28 f3.5 SMCM 50 f1.7 (x2) SMC 55 f2.0 Super Tak 55 M42 f1.8 SMCM 100 f2.8 SMC 135 f3.5 SMC 200 f4.0 My sigma 24-70 f2.8 cost more than all those combined and i got a good deal on it used. So for me until my eyesight fails to much to compensate for I'll stick to the old primes. If I come into a bit of cash i'll focus on FA limiteds as I still shoot film too.

03-01-2011, 10:54 AM	#63
freewheeler Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: amsterdam Posts: 130	M lenses are very sexy. And cheap. And good, optically aswell as mechanically. And featherlight and compact. Lenses that are a joy to work with and fit in any pocket never stay at home and therefor are more likely to produce more beautifull pictures than ugly and bulky ones.

03-01-2011, 11:40 AM	#64
VaSA Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 173	The short answer to the OP's question - because they kick ass!!! A bit off-topic: Isn't it widely believed that manual focus lenses usually perform better than their auto-focus counterparts, since the alignment of elements is much easier in manual focus lenses?

03-05-2011, 02:57 AM	#65
Jonathan Mac Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Madrid, Spain Posts: 10,897	Originally posted by VaSA The short answer to the OP's question - because they kick ass!!! A bit off-topic: Isn't it widely believed that manual focus lenses usually perform better than their auto-focus counterparts, since the alignment of elements is much easier in manual focus lenses? I think usually MF lenses move all the lens elements to focus, so retain all their optical properties. AF lenses usually move only one element (so that they move less weight & are therefore faster) so the distance between elements can change depending on focus. This means they have to be more carefully designed & put together to keep the IQ up.