USE A VINTAGE LENS

Jason Parnell-Brookes shows you how to give old, film-era lenses a new lease of life by shooting with them on your modern DSLR

- Jason Parnell-Brookes

1 HOUR

Whether you’ve got a drawer full of old and unloved lenses, or you just want to take some photos that have a bit of character, using legacy glass is a great way to get creative, and in this project we’ll show you how to go vintage.

Rummaging through the loft or the stands at a car boot sale can be a photographer’s dream – you can uncover all kinds of weird and wonderful optics that are simply begging to be given a new lease of life. Many vintage lenses possess character that’s often missing from modern options, from unique vignetting and bokeh effects to the way they render contrast and colour; older lenses can also be a great way to shoot at apertures like f/1.2, at a fraction of the cost of modern equivalents.