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]
