The web is full of "The Best Manual Lenses To Use On Your Modern Camera" and they always recommend lenses that cost hundreds of pounds.
Page Last Edited : Friday, 5th of September 2025.
© Dave Rowlands. All Rights Reserved.
I have read so many "Manual Lens" recommendations from online "Photography" sites that have lenses in their lists that start at £200.00 and end up at over £1500.00, here are a few examples (I'll add more when I come across them):
1 .. ShutterBug
2 .. fStoppers
You never see an "Average Man's" lens selection, so I thought I'd start my own. I enjoy getting lenses that I lusted after when I was a younger version of myself, working for a living and trying to keep a family fed. But that's life. These articles are all full of praise for certain lenses from the past, some costing three or four thousand pounds. I'm not that into older lenses that would require a mortgage just to buy one, but then, when you can claim it on expenses, that's a different matter.
So, I thought I'd give my half-penny's worth of opinion on the best cheap lenses you can get to add to your photography experience. If you have looked at some of my other pages here you would have seen that I have a certain affinity for "Tamron Adaptall" lenses, and of course my Canon lenses (I was a fan of Canon In the early 70's, but went with Olympus in the mid 80's and strangley enough gave up photography for 10 years or more around 1990, it was nothing to do with Olympus but the costs of buying and processing the results at the time).
The odd one out is the "FotoDiox Pro FD-M43 Excell +1" focal reducer. Earlier versions of this adapter were given a terrible time on the internet, it was being compared to a device that cost more than 5 times the price it was being sold for, for instance it was being sold for £150.00 and the "superior one" was over £1000.00. It's an old forgotten story but I still think it was fuelled by the fact it was possible to create something cheaper. Now of course you can find many of these focal reducers at a price that most of us can afford, I bought and sold a few of them and never had poor results using them.
I have now drastically reduced my lens collection after having a stay in hospital for a collapsed lung in early September 2023, my favorite manual lenses are still the Tamron Adaptall system ones and the only Canon lenses I have now are the FL 50mm f1.8, a 50mm f1.8 FD version, and the beautiful 135mm f3.5 and 2x Teleconverter, I recently got a "Plastic Fantastic" 35-70mm f3.5-4.5 Zoom and the results surprised me.
The Canon 135mm f3.5 is a fantastic lens that cost me less than £30.00, and it came with the 2x teleconverter. So, what I will try to get across is that you don't need to spend hundreds of pounds to get into collecting older film era lenses for use in your modern-day, digital photography.
I no longer buy zoom lenses, at one time I was a firm believer in using them for years. I actually traveled from Burlington Ontario to New York to buy the latest Vivitar Zoom, that was over 55 years ago and I recently sold it for more than it cost me. It was a great lens, too heavy now to use on a daily basis and the results on a modern camera left a lot to be desired, the push pull zoom focusing gimick of the day leaves a lot to be desired when using focus peaking on a modern digital camera.
My only cameras now that accept interchangeable lenses are the brilliant Olympus OM-D E-M5 II and the superb Olympus OM-D E-M1 II, both four thirds cameras and a bit out of date now in 2024. The E-M5 II has a 16 MP sensor and the E-M1 II has a 20 MP one. They are both fantastic digital cameras and the E-M1 II allows you to add details of up to ten manual lenses that will be added to the Exif data when you take your photographs. All interchangeable lens cameras today should have that ability in my opinion.
I still have the Nikon Coolpix P600, I use it for taking quick shots of the bird feeder and images of things I sell on the net but it doesn't come with me in my camera bags anymore but I still think that in good light the P600 produces some stunning images.
So, let's see what manual, cheap (under £30.00) lenses I have left and own today, I'll probably add or remove from the list as time goes by:
Tamron 200mm f3.5 BBAR MultiC Adaptall 2 (CT-200)
Tamron 300mm f5.6 Adaptall 1 (CT-300)
Tamron 28mm f2.8 (CW-28) Adaptall
Tamron 28mm F2.5 (02B)
Tamron 35-70mm f3.5 (17A)
Tamron 28-70mm f3.5-4.5 (59A)
Tamron Adaptall 2 135mm f2.5 BBR MC (03B)
Tamron 35-135mm f3.5-4.5 (40A)
Canon 135mm f3.5 SC FD Mount
Canon Extender FD 2x (B) FD Mount
Canon FL 50mm f1.8
Canon FD 50mm f1.8
Canon FD 35-70mm f3.5-4.5 Zoom.
I have bought quite a few Tamron Adaptall to Canon FD adapters, I now have more of my Tamron lenses ready to use with a Canon FD mount already on them and a few spare. It's so much easier to have your lenses with a single mount when using the highly adaptable M43 system of cameras. I can mount my Focal Reducer, which accepts some Canon FD lenses, onto my M43 body and swap lenses, which I find much easier than changing the Adaptall mount to match the lens. This is one of the reasons I sold on the brilliant 2x Tamron Telexetender, it became such a chore to add a new lens using the Adaptall mount, and anyway, they all have the same way of mounting as my Canon FD lenses. Other lenses are:
AVE HiR 6mm f1.2 CCTV C Mount Lens
FotoDioX Pro Canon FD - M43 EXCELL + 1, 0.72x Focal Reducing Adapter
Tokina SZ-X 630 60-300mm f4-5.6 FD Mount Zoom.
I have two Tamron 28mm F2.5 (02B) lenses because the first one I bought came without caps or case, and the second one which is in pristine condition came with the original case, both end caps but missing the strap that belonged on the case, otherwise, it's immaculate and takes amazingly sharp images even on my OM-D E-M1 II, I use the serial numbers to differentiate between the two as the E-M1 II allows up to ten lenses that can be selected and added to the EXIF data. If there were one lens I could keep permanently on my camera, then the Tamron 28mm F2.5 (02B) would be one of them.
My lens list has reduced quite a lot but I still enjoy buying, trying, and re-selling on the internet, the only long zoom lens I now have is the Tokina SZ-630, except of course the AF M43 ones I have. It's a brilliant lens for its age, and I probably got it unused when I bought it a few years ago and will probably never sell it.
I've bought and sold lenses that in their day I could have never afforded, but now I see how advertising got you interested in a product, where you wished you had it. I still remember the adverts for the 400mm Spiratone "Girl Watcher" lens (I was living in Canada at the time).
The trouble in those days was you only saw the results of your expensive purchase when you received the prints back from the film developer, which could have taken more than a few days (unless you did your own, which I did, but only B\W).
I will if time permits create a page for each of the lenses I have, including the AF ones from Lumix for example, and my one and only Olympus lens. As I go along, I'll add links to the pages in the lens names as I create them.
I have never paid more than £30.00 for an old lens, except for the Tamron 500mm f8 mirror which cost me £45.00, I sold it on for nearly twice that after using it for a few years. Older lenses are fantastic, but I think those who have never used a manual film camera would find them awkward, especially as they require manual focusing. How times have changed where we rely on electronics to do everything for us.
It's strange that I have shown some of the lenses but no images taken with them. So, here goes:
Top shot taken with my rather old Canon 50mm f1.8 FD Silver Nose lens, the bottom one is a 100% crop which isn't too bad really. Taken using my OM-D E-M1 II at 1/500 th second shutter speed, f5.6 and an ISO of 200. These older Canon lenses seem to have a quality of their own when used with modern electronic cameras. I don't have this lens anymore as I sold it on.
The above were taken indoors in poor light with the Canon 135mm f3.5 SC which is a beautiful lens to use, this is the lens I was lucky to get with the Canon 2x Extender for less than £30.00.
And the above photos were taken through my front room window using the 2x extender, the shot above is a 100% crop, it goes to show that if a good lens is used with a teleconverter then you can have some decent results. This Canon 135mm f3.5 is quite a stunner, it's one of my lenses that won't be sold on. You'l probably notice I only have one zoom lens now, I used to have four or five of them but got put off by their weight and awkward push pull way of doing things.
The one I have kept though is the brilliant Tamron 35-70mm f3.5 (17A). I know it's only a 2x zoom with a fixed maximum aperture of f3.5 but this, well, the one I have is absolutely stunning. It takes a while to get used to the way it works, the macro position is to me weird in the way it works.
One of my favorite Zoom lenses. The copy I have is increadibly sharp with great contrast and colours.
The images above are of the Tamron 35-70mm f3.5 (17A) lens, I've probably put them up on another page but as I'm going on about it here I thought a couple of images of what I was writing about would help me concentrate on what I was trying to get across. This has to be one of the best zooms I have ever had the pleasure to use. I was actually stunned by the resulting images from this.
Taken from my usual at spot the front door.
I took it at f3.5 because I forgot to close the aperture ring on my OM-D E-M1 II adapter and I didn't realise until later that I'd taken these test shots at maximum aperture.
Still though the results are amazing for a lens of this age especially on a 20 MP sensor.
This is simply a 50% crop of the image and it looks pretty good to me,
pixel peeping at 100% means you would be looking at an image that was nearly poster sized while stood a few inches away.
This is a zoom lens from 1982 and it cost me less than £15.00.
Taken using my E-M5 II at 35mm and f5.6, shutter was 1/160th and ISO 200.
There is definitely a difference in quality that depends on which sensor is used.
The higher the resolution the more flaws you can find if you search hard enough.
And here is a straight 100% crop of the image above, from what I found out my lens was made in 1982 and one of the earliest versions.
t is said they improved them over three different versions, I may just try and hunt down the other two and see what the differences are.
It's a great lens and if you find one in good condition then grab it, especially if it's as cheap as mine.
My oldest lens is from my Canon Pelix days. This needs the rear baffle taking off before it can be used with my focal reducer.
It's still in great condition after all these years.
It's one of my favorite lenses it looks absolutely fabulous on my chrome E-M5 II.
Taken with my E-M5 II at f1.8, 1/640th shutter and ISO at 200. This lens can hold it's own against many of it's rivals of the day.
From what I can find out this lens is from 1966 which makes it nearly 60 years old in 2024 and it's in great shape.
And this is a 100% crop of the image above. Wow, just look. Even though it's on a 16MP sensor it's just, well, it blew me away when I first started taking it out with me.
It's a shame that some of these adapters costs more than the lenses themselves but then if folks realised what their lenses were worth things maybe a bit different.
I'm hard pressed to sell this lens on, I have another FD version which is plasticy and different but younger.
This is the Canon 50mm f1.8 FD Silver Nose lens I picked up for less than £10.00. It's in a bit of a mess really, there are bits inside that keep moving around, paint flakes from lens edges. It takes some cracking photos though and none of the bits will end up in your camera.
I don't know why but it feels so different to the FL version, I think it's sharper but it doesn't have the same personality.
I no longer have this as I sold it on and used the funds to get another Tamron 28mm f2.5, Tamron 28mm F2.5 (02B). The latest version is even better than my older one. Tamron certainly knew how to make some great lenses in the early days.
As usual, my first test shots happen at my front door. The old church in the center will soon disappear because of the trees.
I have a photograph somewhere that shows everything behind those trees before they got so big, if I find it I'll scan it and put it up here.
The landscape here changes on an hourly basis, you can sit out all day in the same spot and get different photographs.
And the 100% crop of the previous image, I don't think it's quite as good as the FL version but it seems to have a bit more character.
My oldest great grandson (9 years old in 2024) is fascinated by these older lenses when he's told how old they actually are. He managed to use my Tokina SZ-X 60-300mm f4-5.6 once I'd shown him how to focus it and stop it down to f5.6. He wanted to know how we managed to take photographs having to do all this manual stuff in the "Old Days".
This is another of my favorite zoom lenses, it doesn't match the quality of the Tamron 35-70mm f3.5 (17A) but looks great on both of my cameras.
You can currently get it on eBay starting at £5.00 up to £30.00 as of November 2024, I paid £6.50 for mine a couple of years ago.
With the FotoDioX Focal Reducer it looks the part but suffers from vigenting if not stopped down to f4.0 or more.
My copy is in great condition and that large front lens attracts attention. I'm in two minds whether to sell this on but it has a nice feel to it when I use it and is so smooth to focus and it's not a push pull focus zoom which I got really fed up of using on my digital cameras.
As usual taken from my front door at 28mm f4.00. This lense actually suprised me, it feels cheap, it even looks cheap and it's all made of plastic.
I wondered about the actual lenses at the time but they were definatley real glass lenses.
It doesn't seem to have the "punch" that the 35-70mm lens has but I guess with some work the images could be vastly improved.
It's a nice lens and very easy to focus, the dual zoom and focus rings have always been a favorite of mine. This is one of those lenses you keep because you got it on a whim expecting nothing from it, but then, well.
Taken on my E-M1 II at f4.0, 1/400th second with ISO at 200.It was mid afternoon in September around 15:00 or 3 PM for us older folk and really it's very good for it's age.
The lens had a poor reputation because of the plastic used in most of it's manufacturing proccess but could create some stunning images.
All I did was zoom to the 70mm length and took another shot. It's not a bad lens, it's not a fantastic lens but it does have it's own personality.
When the light is good it shines and has vibrant colours, it's a lens that's worth adding to your collection even though it's a zoom. Is it one of those "Plastic Fantastic" lenses that slip through the net and become great?
This lense doesn't seem to do very well when attached to the focal reducer (FR), it fits ok, but something seems to be going on that messes up the resulting images.
This was taken at 70mm f4.00 so in reality it was just over 50 mm and at f2.8 according to the experts in the online forums.
My usual 100% crop doesn't look to bad realy, It's definitely a lens worth considering when looking for something different.
The 28-70mm focal range seems a bit strange these day but when added to your M43 system it's a great 56-140mm that can be used as a super walkabout lens, it's not heavy, looks good on the camera and can produce some great images in good light, but for £6.50 it's money well spent.
If you were to ask me which is my favorite lens and camera combination I would probably reply saying that it depends which side of the bed I fell out from earlier.The Canon 135mm is absolutely brilliant, couple it with the 2x Extender and on an M43 system you have a 270mm and 540mm lens combo, the Tamron Zoom above, well, a 70-140mm tele is great for all kinds of photography especially if you just want to do some street shooting from a distance. Set the aperture to f8, zone focus and you are set for the day.
I won't spend a ridiculous amount on a lens as some of these articles suggest, they seem to be about just a "Look what I have", collectors are paying high prices for stuff they don't even use and it's a shame. If I was offered £1000.00 for a lens, yep, I'd go for it, I can find another for a fiver that I would use on my camera gear to take actual photographs, and now we have AI (Artificial Intelligence) which will change the way your photography works, and according to "Collins DIctionary" artificial means:
1. Made by human work or art, not by nature; not natural.
2. Made in imitation of or as a substitute for something natural; simulated, as in artificial teeth.
Imagine taking a boring morning sunshine shot after waiting hours for the right moment, AI can fix it all for you, you don't even need to be there to take the photograph, you don't even need a camera, AI will take care of everything. I wonder who the copyright of the resulting image belongs to, everyone?
If someone was to ask me what kind of camera I would create where everything was possible it would be a 64 MP M43 Sensor with a 1-1000mm f2.8 zoom lens that could follow focus on anything it was told to. Sci-fi, it creates the gadgets we use today, remember Star Treck and the tablets they used.
