Owning a new camera lens can be exciting for capturing stunning high-quality still images and videos, but sometimes a new camera lens can be quite expensive and might break the bank. If you are looking for a cheaper solution to the Fujifilm camera lens, get the M42 vintage lenses might help save up some cash if you don’t want to spend on expensive lenses.
There are many professional portrait photographers and vintage lens collectors out there who get vintage lens because of their cheap price while able to capture stunning still images. Most of the M42 vintage lenses are manual focus and a good start for amateur photographers to learn the basics of photography.
The vintage lenses which dated since the 1950s – 1980s, are very popular among hobbyists and photographers because the lenses are much cheaper than modern lenses. The Russian and Japanese vintage lenses are perfect for wedding shoots and portrait shoots if you are looking for sharp, yet classic and nostalgic look still images.
Can We Use M42 Vintage Lens On Modern Camera?
The answer is yes! You can use the vintage lens on a modern camera. There are many vintage lens brands out there including Carl Zeiss, Helios, Pentax Takumar, Canon, Minolta, and many more. You can easily buy vintage lenses online on eBay for as low as $20. Some vintage lenses can fetch from $20 up to $300. Here I will guide you on how to find and buy from trusted vintage lens sellers on eBay.
It can also be fun to use the camera in fully manual where you have to adjust the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO to get the perfect exposure for still images. If you are not shooting with a film camera, getting a mirrorless camera and a vintage lens will do.
There are different types of mount adapter for modern cameras, all you have to do is find out what is your camera mount and mount of the vintage lens. For e.g, the Asahi Pentax Takumar lens is an M42 mount, so you have to find the M42 to Fuji X adapter. It’s that simple.
M42 to Fuji X Adapter
The M42 to Fuji X adapter can be used for M42 vintage lenses including Helios, Asahi Pentax, Carl Zeiss, Mamiya, Yashica, Pentacon Six, and many more. You can find out the M42 lenses list here. There are no issues mounting the M42 lens using the adapter on Fujifilm X Series cameras, but for other camera models, modifications might be needed to fit the lens.
Here I’m going to share how to use vintage lenses on your Fujifilm X-T30 or any modern cameras out there. The best way to know if the vintage lens suit your camera is by identifying the lens mount. Each lens has its own mount type, for example, a Pentax SMC Takumar uses the M42 mount, Minolta uses the MD mount, and so on for other lens brands.
The first thing you need to use vintage lenses on modern cameras is to find a mount adapter. Here I have the Asahi Pentax SMC Takumar 50mm lens mounted on the Fujifilm X-T30 with the M42 adapter. Lens mount adapters can be purchase online via eBay, Amazon, vintage camera bazaars, flea markets, or at the photography shops. You can find a wide range of lens adapter brands such as FotodioX, K&F, Fotasy, Ducame, and many more.
What Are The Results Of Using Vintage Lens on Modern Camera?
Since the vintage lens uses manual focus, getting back to basics like the old days taking photographs can be a lot more fun, and it tests the patience of the photographer. It is suitable for beginner photographers to learn the basics of photography skills. Fuji X shooters can match them with the vintage film simulation recipes for more nostalgic dreamy results. Beginners will get to learn how to control the aperture, depth of field, ISO, and shutter speed.
To get a good shot and sharp still images and videos with vintage lenses, set the Fuji X camera with focus peaking on. This way, you can use the manual focus easily and get sharp stills and videos.
M42 for Fuji X adapter cost around MYR90 which is quite reasonable and affordable. Have a Fujifilm X Series camera and would like to use a vintage lens with the M42 mount? The best is to get the high-quality, well-built aluminum lens adapter from the K&F M42 lens mounts for Fuji X.
I hope this article helps and will guide you on how to use M42 vintage lenses on your Fuji X-T30 or other mirrorless camera models. Happy shooting guys and stay safe!