Analogue glass is almost always fully manual: you set focus and aperture yourself. That is exactly the charm, but it also means the mechanics determine the quality. A smooth focus ring, an aperture that closes cleanly and quickly, and glass without fungus or scratches — those are the things that count. Light marks on the outside simply come with a vintage lens and say little about the image quality.
What to look out for when buying used
Pay particular attention to mount and compatibility: the medium format system of the Hasselblad 500C/M and the Hasselblad 500 ELX is not interchangeable with, say, the rangefinder mount of a Leica M6 .72mm Silver or the autofocus mount of a Contax G2, and large format optics from Schneider or Rodenstock require a matching shutter and camera. Those who prefer to work with prime glass on an SLR body would do best to look at popular models right now such as the Canon 28mm f/2.8 FD, ideal for wide-angle work, the Canon FD 50mm f/1.4, a fast standard lens, and the Canon FD 70-210mm f/4, a handy zoom for portraits and detail. Check that there is no fungus or haze in the lens and that the aperture blades are dry — oil on the blades is the most common ailment in old glass. With us, every lens is professionally inspected, so you know what you're bringing home.
Who is this for?
This section is for film photographers who want to equip their classic body again, as well as for digital shooters looking for the look of vintage glass with an adapter. Look in 35mm SLR fit for most SLR glass, in Rangefinder fit for compact rangefinder optics, and in Medium Format fit for larger work. Everything comes with a warranty of at least 12 months and a 14-day return period, so you can take your time trying out whether the lens suits your style.
