Hunting down some older glass.
Not obsessed, because then I would get sad about the 300+ lenses I have owned over the years.
So far;
An old Helios 58 f2 44-2 I found on a gifted Praktika in my junk box. It has oil on the blades, but works. This has an M43 mount making it a near useless 120mm equiv, but I may get an L-Mount. Having said that, it is one of the few that breaks the 50mm habit.
A Minolta 45 f2 that appeared in the same box, no camera, no idea what its story is. It looks to be a bit of a favourite for video, so a lucky find. L-mount coming.
A minty late model Pentax PK SMC 50 f1.4, which is newer than the more favoured ones, but very nice. This came from my father-in-laws left overs box last night (never hurts to ask). I think I am leaning away from full blown “retro” lenses, but I am still open to lenses with some character so I have high hopes for this one. L-Mount coming, M43 mount at hand.
A TTArtisan 35 f1.4 on the way (new for $100au). This is L-Mount 50mm equivalent in APS-C only. New-old lenses look fun. If I was buying this for stills, I would likely be sweating on build consistency, but for video, I could hardly care less. It will be what it is.
A lovely colour palette and very well behaved stopped down, the 25 F lens is a go-to. The 43mm filter thread means adapter rings are needed, but when sourced, it is all good.
My F series half frame Olympus 25mm f2.8, which is a favourite and perfect for the M43 cameras. This was saved from a throw out box at the camera shop I worked at and lucky I was to see it. Wide open it has a sharp but hazy look (almost like Cine-D profile), but one stop down it tidies up well. Old school colours and contrast and unique Bokeh with some easily found out of control flare mean it is probably closest to the Helios in performance.
The very cool Bokeh the 25mm displays, and the amazing sharpness and colour for a 50+ year old lens. The background is a black rubber mat with large white flecks.
Some funky flare and CA wide open. It behaves quite predictably, pretty much giving retro lovers all the goods wide open, then cleaning up well stopped down. Interesting little flare “cross” lower right.
Lenses I wish I still had (sob);
Any of my massive FD kit including several “L” zooms, SSC primes (pre-L pro glass) with a call out to the 50 and 100mm Macros, 20mm f2.8, 135 f2, 200 f2.8, 24 f2.8 SSC, 35 f2. I ran FD Canon for over 20 years often grabbing older SSC versions when I could (the 24 f2.8 SSC was da bomb!), owning at one point or other most of their range, even an ancient 135 Flouride.
Any of my extensive OM kit, the 90 and 50 f2 Macros, 21 and 28 f2, 35-70 f3.5 and 180 f2.8 in particular. I only had Olympus for a relatively short time, shedding it when I went into EOS mainly because the OM4ti cameras I had were getting twitchy, but it spoilt me for other brands, hence my happy adoption of M43.
Some favourites from my similarly huge EF range, the 135 f2L (perfect), 28 f1.8, 200 f2.8L (characterful), 70-200 f4L (non-I.S. and both I owned were top performers), any of the macro’s especially the first model 100mm (Bokeh king*), many primes (L or not) like the 85 f1.8, 400 f5.6L and 35 f1.4L mk1, 24 Tilt/shift L, Voightlander 40 f2, 17-40 f4L etc. My revolving door of EOS gear often involving multiple purchases of the same lens was expensive and extensive.
My Bronica 75mm, which was special.
Some Pentax 67 glass, the 90mm in particular.
The odd Nikon lens that passed on through, as well as some Pentax, Minolta and several screw mounts including another mint Helios on a similarly near mint Zenit XP.
And finally, the very, very sweet Contax glass I bought as a set from a friend with the 85 f2.8 and 50 f1.4 as standouts. The 85 in particular made a very good 170mm on M43 and was suitably tiny. It was as sharp as my 75mm Oly which means it was top 5 all time for me and the mount adapter was a perfect fit. At the time there were no MF peaking M43 cameras, so I found it hard to use well, but of all the lenses I have sold, it is the most missed.
*
No time to lament, because I will be aiming for consistently good quality primarily (Lumix S series), leaving the retro look to the young re-discoverers. I have enough to have fun with and may yet find some secret sauce.
The 20-60 is decent (soft edges at the wide end are dissapointing), but I have forgotten how limiting a slow zoom is, even with a dual ISO full frame sensor, so the faster glass will be employed most of the time. The 50mm is pending and the 35 f1.8 is likely or possibly the 24 (also used as a 35 in APS-C), but not much else as the zoom handles wide well enough for video, I am spoilt for M43 choice and use wides sparingly.
*This lens and the EF 35 f2 were actually called out specifically in the first Bokeh article printed in English (Photo Techniques May/June 1997).