My BEST EVER Vintage Lens Buy? Plus - VSGO Air Blower!

In this video, the presenter shares their excitement about a remarkable vintage lens find, the Hanemax 135mm F2.8 Tele Auto. They discuss its exceptional sharpness, beautiful color rendition, and pleasing blur quality, all for an affordable price of 15 pounds. The lens, despite being a third-party option, outperforms some main manufacturer lenses in terms of image quality. The video also briefly touches on the use of a VSGO Air Blower for cleaning delicate photography equipment.

Takeaways

• 🔍 **Vintage Lens Availability**: The video emphasizes the availability of fantastic vintage lenses in the market at low prices.
• 🛍️ **Impulse Purchase**: The Hanemax 135mm F2.8 Tele Auto lens was bought as a speculative purchase without prior knowledge of its quality.
• 🏅 **Exceptional Quality**: The lens is described as one of the nicest 135mm lenses the speaker has used, with excellent sharpness and color reproduction.
• 💰 **Value for Money**: At 15 pounds, the lens is considered an excellent buy due to its performance and build quality.
• 📸 **Build and Design**: The lens is all-metal, giving it a substantial and heavy feel, indicating high-quality manufacturing.
• 🎥 **Compatibility**: The lens has an M42 mount, making it compatible with a wide range of cameras, and was popular among budget-conscious photographers.
• 🌟 **Image Quality**: The lens delivers sharp images with well-defined edges and a narrow plane of focus due to its long focal length and wide aperture.
• 🎨 **Color Representation**: The lens is praised for its strong, full, and resonant colors, adding energy and life to the images.
• 🌈 **Blur Aesthetics**: The blur produced by the lens is described as beautiful and painterly, contributing positively to the aesthetic effect of the photographs.
• 🔧 **Cleaning Equipment**: The video also reviews the VSGO Air Blower, a tool for cleaning delicate photography equipment, which is praised for its modular construction and effectiveness.
• 👁️ **Lens Care**: The importance of cleaning vintage lenses is highlighted to maintain their performance and ensure the best image quality.
• 📺 **Channel Promotion**: The speaker promotes their channel as the place to find more information on vintage lenses and encourages viewers to return for future episodes.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video?

The main topic of the video is the reviewer's experience purchasing and using a vintage Hanemax 135mm F2.8 telephoto lens.

How did the reviewer acquire the Hanemax 135mm F2.8 lens?

The reviewer acquired the Hanemax 135mm F2.8 lens through a speculative purchase on eBay.

What is the reviewer's overall impression of the Hanemax 135mm F2.8 lens?

The reviewer is highly impressed with the lens, considering it one of the nicest 135mm lenses they have used, praising its sharpness, color rendition, and blur quality.

What is the material of the lens primarily made of?

The lens is primarily made of metal, giving it a solid and substantial feel.

How much did the reviewer pay for the Hanemax 135mm F2.8 lens?

The reviewer paid 15 pounds for the lens.

Which cameras did the reviewer use with the Hanemax 135mm F2.8 lens?

The reviewer used the lens with a Sony A7 and a Fujifilm XT3.

What are some potential issues with vintage lenses that the reviewer did not encounter with this lens?

The reviewer did not encounter issues such as fungus, dust, or poor color rendition that are often found in other vintage lenses.

How does the reviewer describe the sharpness of the images produced by the lens?

The reviewer describes the sharpness as extraordinary, with the lens producing very sharp images, even when wide open at F2.8.

What is the reviewer's opinion on the color representation of the lens?

The reviewer is very pleased with the color representation, describing the colors as strong, full, resonant, and full of energy.

How does the reviewer describe the blur effect produced by the lens?

The reviewer describes the blur effect as beautiful and painterly, with smooth and coherent bokeh that adds to the aesthetic of the images.

What additional piece of equipment does the reviewer mention for lens and camera maintenance?

The reviewer mentions using a Funkit series portable Palm Turbo Air Duster for cleaning delicate parts of their photography equipment.

Outlines

00:00

🔍 Discovering Hidden Gems: Vintage Lenses at Affordable Prices

The speaker introduces the topic by highlighting the availability of fantastic vintage lenses in the market at very low prices. They express their excitement about a recent purchase, a Hanemax 135mm F2.8 Tele Auto lens, which they found on eBay without high expectations but turned out to be an amazing find. The speaker praises the lens for its sharpness, beautiful color rendition, and lovely blur. They mention that the lens was a great buy at 15 pounds and share their intention to show the results of their拍摄 soon. The lens is described as all-metal, very substantial, and well-constructed, with a high-quality manufacturing indication from its past sticker. The speaker also discusses the historical context of the lens, comparing it to other options available at the time, such as the Olympus 135mm F3.5, and emphasizes the value for budget-conscious photographers.

05:02

📸 Impressive Image Quality: Sharpness and Color Performance

The speaker delves into the impressive image quality produced by the vintage lens. They describe the sharpness as extraordinary, comparing it favorably to an Olympus 135mm F3.5, and even claim it to be one of the sharpest 135mm lenses they've used. The speaker is particularly impressed by the lens's ability to produce very sharp images, even when shot wide open at F2.8. They also praise the lens for its strong, full, and resonant colors, which are vibrant and full of energy. The speaker notes that the lens renders colors faithfully and with a lively energy that brings them to life in the images. They emphasize that the lens does not produce muddy or dull colors, which can be a common issue with some vintage lenses when used wide open.

10:04

🎨 Artistic Bokeh: The Aesthetic Appeal of Blur

The speaker discusses the lens's ability to produce beautiful blur, or bokeh, which adds an artistic touch to the images. They describe the blur as smooth, coherent, and painterly, with specular highlights creating beautiful bubbles in the background. The speaker notes that the lens's wide aperture allows for a narrow plane of focus, resulting in sharp subjects and pleasing background blur. They mention that the lens is suitable for various types of photography, such as portraits and nature shots, due to the dreamy and ethereal feel it imparts to the images. The speaker also addresses the absence of significant vignetting and chromatic aberration, which further enhances the image quality.

15:05

🧼 Proper Lens Care: Cleaning Techniques and Tools

The speaker emphasizes the importance of proper lens care and shares their method of cleaning vintage lenses. They describe their process of using a good quality air blower, specifically the Funkit series Portable Palm Turbo Air Duster, to clean delicate parts like sensors and lenses. The speaker explains the modular construction of the air blower, its ease of assembly, and the inclusion of a filter for cleaning sensitive photographic equipment without causing damage. They also discuss the necessity of cleaning old lenses to remove dust and grime and ensure optimal image quality.

20:06

🙏 Gratitude and Encouragement: A Call to Action for Future Episodes

In the concluding paragraph, the speaker expresses their gratitude to their subscribers and patrons for their ongoing support. They encourage viewers to engage with their content by ringing the bell, subscribing, and liking their videos, and invite them to tune in for future episodes of Xenography. The speaker reiterates their satisfaction with the vintage lens and their intention to keep and use it, reinforcing the value of exploring vintage lenses at affordable prices.

Keywords

💡Vintage lenses

Vintage lenses refer to camera lenses that were manufactured in the past and are now considered old or classic. In the video, these lenses are highlighted as still being available at low prices and capable of producing high-quality images. The host expresses excitement about discovering such lenses, like the Hanamex 135mm F2.8, which exemplify quality craftsmanship and optical excellence from a bygone era.

💡eBay

eBay is an online auction and shopping website where people and businesses buy and sell a wide variety of goods and services worldwide. The host mentions purchasing the featured vintage lens on eBay, emphasizing the platform's potential for finding valuable items like high-quality vintage lenses at affordable prices.

💡Tele Auto

Tele Auto refers to a feature in certain vintage lenses indicating telephoto capabilities with some level of automatic functionality, such as auto aperture control. In the video, the host describes the Hanamex 135mm F2.8 lens as 'Tele Auto,' highlighting its convenience and advanced features for a lens of its age.

💡M42 mount

The M42 mount is a screw thread mounting standard for attaching lenses to cameras, known for its universality among different brands. In the video, the host mentions that the Hanamex lens has an M42 mount, which made it compatible with a variety of cameras, appealing to budget photographers who required flexibility.

💡Sharpness

Sharpness in photography refers to the clarity of detail in an image. The host extensively discusses the sharpness of the Hanamex lens, noting that it produces exceptionally clear and detailed images, comparing favorably even against lenses from major manufacturers.

💡Blur

In the context of the video, blur refers to the out-of-focus areas of a photograph that can enhance the aesthetic appeal of the image. The host praises the Hanamex lens for its ability to produce a beautiful, painterly type of blur, especially when used for portraits or nature photography.

💡Color rendering

Color rendering describes how well a lens or camera can reproduce the colors of a scene. The host remarks on the vivid and energetic color output of the Hanamex lens, with strong reds, blues, greens, and yellows that bring life to images, demonstrating its superior optical quality.

💡Vignetting

Vignetting is a reduction of an image's brightness or saturation at the periphery compared to the image center. The video mentions that the Hanamex lens shows little to no vignetting, even when shot wide open at f/2.8, maintaining consistent image quality across the frame.

💡Chromatic aberration

Chromatic aberration is a common lens problem where colors are incorrectly rendered along the boundaries that separate dark and bright parts of the image, often seen as color fringes. The host notes that the Hanamex lens exhibits minimal chromatic aberration, enhancing its appeal by maintaining image fidelity.

💡Air blower

An air blower is a tool used to remove dust from camera sensors and lenses. In the video, the host discusses using a VSGO air blower to maintain the cleanliness of lenses like the Hanamex, emphasizing the importance of regular cleaning to preserve the functionality and image quality of vintage photography equipment.

Highlights

Fantastic vintage lenses are still available at low prices.

The Hanemax 135mm F2.8 Tele Auto is a remarkable lens.

This lens is one of the sharpest 135mm lenses the reviewer has ever shot with.

The lens produces lovely colors and blur, enhancing image quality.

The build quality of the lens is very solid, with heavy use of metal.

The lens was purchased as a speculative buy on eBay.

The lens is compatible with multiple camera systems due to its M42 mount.

The lens performs beautifully on both the Sony A7 and Fujifilm XT3 cameras.

The lens is a third-party option, offering better value for budget photographers.

The lens is very clean and appears to have been well-maintained.

The lens offers a narrow plane of focus due to its long length and wide aperture.

The lens has strong contrast, adding energy and presence to images.

The lens is suitable for portraits and nature shots, providing a dreamy and ethereal feel.

The blur produced by the lens is smooth, coherent, and pleasing to the eye.

The lens does not exhibit significant vignetting or chromatic aberration when shot wide open.

The lens is a great find for enthusiasts looking for high-quality vintage lenses without breaking the bank.

The reviewer plans to keep this lens for personal use due to its exceptional quality.

The VSGO Air Blower is a useful tool for cleaning delicate photography equipment.

The Air Blower is modular and easy to assemble, making it convenient for various cleaning tasks.