This vintage lens produces cinematic videos and stills, and you can get it for under $50
Jun 20, 2017
Dunja Đuđić
Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, concerts, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.
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Although new lenses are announced regularly, we must admit there’s a lot of magic in vintage lenses, and many photographers even prefer them. Filmmaker and photographer Mathieu Stern is one of them. He has found another vintage lens that gives great results, yet has a low price.
It’s Konica Hexanon 40mm f/1.8. On eBay, you can find it for under $50. And it can go even cheaper on flea markets – Mathieu got his for the incredible $5. But don’t let the price fool you – with this lens, apparently, you get far more from what you pay for.
There are various explanations of what makes the image cinematic. And this is how Mathieu defines a cinematic lens:
A photographic lens that let you control the depth of field and bokeh to emulate the film look and isolate your main subject from the background.
– an aperture between f/3.5 and f/1.2
– a focal length between 21mm and 90 mm
In the video, you can see how the lens performs for shooting video, and it’s equally good at shooting stills:
Mathieu used a Konica – NEX adapter to attach the lens to his Sony camera. His adapter cost around $20, but you can find it for $10. So, if you find this lens, you can upgrade it to fit your camera for a couple of more bucks, and shoot away. And judging from Mathieu’s video, this lens is worth buying even if you find it in an old, dirty box on some flea market.
[THE BEST CHEAP CINEMATIC LENSES – Konica Hexanon 40mm f/1.8 | Mathieu Stern]
Dunja Đuđić
Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, concerts, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.
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21 responses to “This vintage lens produces cinematic videos and stills, and you can get it for under $50”
I love my Olympus Zuiko 28mm 2.8 lens and also SMC takumar 35mm 3.5 ? in fact all my zuiko and takumars are bloody brilliant ?
“cinematic”
“Konica Hexanon 40mm f/1.8. On eBay, you can find it for under $50” for those who hate #clickbait Stop Clickbait
It’s not really clickbait if they tell you everything that was advertised in the title?
Clickbait titles are titles meant to spark interest, so the persons clicks the link. Yes they tell everything, but it still is clickbait. Saying “this vintage lens produces..” is vague but enough to get people interested. If they would have said “Konica lens produces..” it would have been perfect for me.
Also, you can pretty much read the lens information on the cover image of the article before clicking.
The lens may be a bargain but do a blind taste test and no one will say it gives a filmy look. For one, it’s sitting on a digital body and two, lenses don’t instantly make pix cinematic.
Helios 85mm f1.5 – great one, a little bit soft, but still great lens
Helios 44-2
bokeh is awful. Nay, I’ll pass with this lens..
Helios-44 and jupiter-0
Canon FD 50/1.4 SSC but I guess all versions with f/1.4 are as great.
I just adapted the Konica 40mm AR f1.8 to my Nikon D500. While I love that it’s so lightweight and easy carry around, the copy I’ve got is pretty soft under f4 and the chromatic aberrations are attrocious. Some I can’t take care of just in Lightroom. I’ve got some great images from it though. Definitely worth the 5 bucks I paid for it and the Konica FS-1 together at goodwill.
Old lens do have a distinct look that cannot be duplicated and that is what makes them appealing; if the lens is not appalling. I had this lens and it was portable, lightweight, and great with video, however, I did not think it was extremely sharp as others have stated and I would not use it for stills but it did have a great distinct look for video.
My favorites right now are my Zeiss Ultron 50mm f/1.8, Kiron 105mm f/2.8 macro, and Yashinon DS-M 50mm f/1.4. I’ve just gotten a Meyer Görlitz Trioplan 7.3cm f/3.5 that’s quickly becoming a favorite as well.
Zenitar ME1 50mm f1.7
Cinematic lens? Wtf? A lens that lets you control the DOF… So any Fing lens with a aperture then?
Sorry, but I’m not a fan of condom looking bokeh balls
If you want to go cheap and razor sharp, get a Nikon AiS 50mm/2.0
Nobody wants them, they’re built like a tank and very, very sharp.
Personally I go with OM Zuikos. Granted, they are not that cheap (the 1.4/50 actually is quite affordable), but they give great results. Pentax SMC lenses too (again the 1.4/50 is great).
The trick is to just buy the one or other inexpensive adapter and play around. Some of these old bayonets can be adapted to digital Canon bodies too, not only on mirrorless bodies.
Forget the crappy lens on digital, just shoot film.