Originally posted by Codazzle Hi Forum,
So AFTER ALL THAT! my main question is, can I expect a huge boost in image quality just with a new piece of technology? Though I think I've asked a few questions
In my opinion there are really 3 points to consider when using legacy lenses over new lenses, and I will cover the non optical issues also.
Optical
- purely from a sharpness point of view, I expect little difference in fact some of the old takumar 50mm lenses are extremely sharp
- the older lenses are much more prone to flare, due to the coatings. newer coatings have really advanced a lot in the past 50 years
- newer lenses
should manage chromeric aberations (CA) much better due to computer designs and better optical glass
- the older lenses may have lower contrast due to the coatings, and can benifit more from use of a lens hood (again due to coatings)
- there is some possibility of reflections off the sensor causing bright low contrast areas in the middle of the frame (although I rasrely see this)
- Bokeh (out of focus rendering is different) I won't say better or worse because it is a subjective issue and is very lens design dependant
- edit note Forgot to mention slight issue on older lenses of vignetting due to more accute angle of incidence of the light hitting the sensor, although this really applies to uwa lenses only
Mechanical
- the old lenses are built like tanks, and can really take a beating, the newer lenses are perhaps a little more fragile
- focusing, usually is slow with the older lenses because they have very long focus throw
Ease of use
- with the old lenses you are in to focusig manualy, doing manual exposure and stopping down to shoot, takes more time and patience
- older non KA lenses do not permit P-TTL flash, so flash is not an easy option with the older lenses, on any body after the *istDS2 which was the last body to support TTL flash.
Having said all this, I have about 25-30 legacy lenses between all versions of screw mounts up to SMC-M lenses, and have a lot of fun using them. They are for my hobby when time is my own, but I fall back on much newer lenses when time is shared, i.e. my hobby with either family or vacation,.