Why Filmmakers Today Are Turning to Vintage Lenses

What is it about them that captivates so many modern filmmakers?

Let’s discuss!

In an era dominated by ever improving camera technology, where cinema cameras boast resolutions as high as 12K, and lenses are engineered with absolute surgical precision, it might seem counterintuitive that many filmmakers and cinematographers today find themselves gravitating back toward vintage lenses.

These relics of the past, some dating back to the mid and even early 20th century, are being dusted off and mounted onto the latest digital cameras. This trend has been growing for some time, and there is now a huge demand out there for vintage glass. So much so, certain rare examples are even fetching 5 figure sums in the market today. Quite extraordinary really, for pieces of kit manufactured multiple decades ago. Nobody could have foreseen how popular they would become, so far down the line.

For many filmmakers today, there is a clear pursuit of, and desire to replicate, vintage film aesthetics. This is a deliberate choice to evoke the character of older cinematic styles. As I have discussed in a previous post about anamorphic lenses, as well as in another post about ‘The Film Look’, filmmaking is indeed an art form, and a lens is a filmmaker or cinematographer’s paintbrush.

This growing trend actually appears to reflect a broader shift in the modern arts more generally, away from digital means, and back to “the good old” analog ways. There’s something deeper going on there I feel, but that’s a conversation for another time and place.

Back to the world of filmmaking and cinematography today, and many filmmakers, videographers, and stills photographers too, find themselves striving to create character and stylisation in their work. The lump of glass bolted to the front of your camera is one of the best ways to achieve that.

THE VINTAGE LOOK: IMPERFECTION AS A VIRTUE

One of the primary reasons filmmakers seek out vintage lenses is the unique character they can bring to an image. In the era of ever improving camera technology, the impact lens choice has on an image often gets overlooked. It’s important to remember that the light being captured (ultimately the image itself) literally has to pass through the glass elements before it even reaches the camera sensor or film stock. Therefore, lens choice has a hugely significant part to play in the resulting image.

Unlike modern lenses, which are designed to minimise technical ‘imperfections’ like chromatic aberration and distortion, vintage lenses, to varying degrees, are riddled with them and this is what image makers are now embracing.

For example, older lenses might exhibit:

Soft focus at wide apertures: This can be used to create a dreamy, ethereal quality to the images.
Distinctive lens flares: Modern lenses are designed to minimise flaring whereas vintage lenses, with their less efficient and/or worn out lens coatings, can create visually interesting flares. They are often more organic and unpredictable, compared to the meticulously controlled (and subjectively uglier) flares created by modern lens designs and coatings.
Subtle color shifts: Vintage lenses are often unique from example to example. They can introduce warm, amber tones or cooler, blue tints that add a nostalgic, ‘vintage’ look to the image.

These quirks give cinematography a unique aesthetic that looks interesting to audiences that are increasingly accustomed to the clinical perfection of digital imagery. Not to mention the absolute dominance of mobile phone photos and videos online. This is a relatively new phenomenon not unlike music fans, the audiophiles of today, returning to the use of vinyl records, valuing the warmth, depth, and imperfections that digital formats often strip away.

BREAKING FREE FROM UNIFORMITY

Modern lenses are absolutely remarkable and there is no denying that. For many video production projects, optical perfection is absolutely what you need, and what you want. This is where modern lenses come in to their own. Lenses, at the end of the day, are tools like any other. You wouldn’t pick a screwdriver to hammer a nail.

Modern lenses are technically superb. They produce images that are uniformly sharp and detailed right across the frame, from edge to edge. You may struggle to get them to flare, even if you want them to. There’s little if any optical distortion to be seen, likewise highlight blooming. Out of focus areas (bokeh) are organised, and not particularly noteworthy from a visual perspective. In many applications, this is exactly what you want. Contemporary, sharp, clean and clinical. But other times, these behavioural characteristics of modern lenses could be considered lacking in character.

Vintage lenses on the other hand each have their own personality. A Helios 44M, for example, is renowned for its swirly background bokeh, and an old Canon FD lens might offer softer contrast with subtle highlight blooming. The massive diversity of vintage lenses that are available today is what makes them special. It allows filmmakers to choose the tools that align with their creative vision.

It’s all very much subjective of course, and this is the beauty of a subject like lens choice. It is a choice. What’s right for me, may not be right for you. That’s not only fine, it’s fantastic!

Rowe Films’ example of the Helios 44M: A lens designed and manufactured by the Soviet Union in the 60’s and 70’s has become a classic example of vintage glass used in modern filmmaking. A rehoused example of this very lens was actually used in Matt Reeves’ blockbuster The Batman (2022).

ACCESSIBILITY

Whilst the rarest of examples are now fetching quite frankly silly money, vintage lens use is actually an extremely cost effective way of introducing character and a unique quality to filmmaking.

Due to the fact that many of the popular models were manufactured in significant numbers over many years if not decades, there is more than enough supply to go around. One look on eBay for ‘vintage lens’ and you will find a sea of comparatively cheap lens choices.

A modern cinema lens will often cost several thousands pounds and even into the tens of thousands, however vintage lenses can often be found for a fraction of that price. As of today, a range of adapters exist to convert and adapt different lens mounts, making it super easy to fit these old antiques onto modern cameras, bridging the gap between the analog and digital worlds.

THE DRAWBACKS

Using vintage lenses designed and manufactured many decades ago does have its drawbacks.

Manual Controls: Vintage lenses are completely manual, meaning they will not work with camera autofocus systems, and the aputure is adjusted manually too. Not a problem for camera operators that are used to operating this way. However, if one is used to shooting using autofucus, and isn’t well accustomed to focusing the cinema way, then this could be considered a drawback. For example, it’s quite common for stills photographers, and some videographers too, to operate pretty much exclusively using their camera’s autofocus system, so it may take a little bit of time and practice getting used to working manually.
Old Mechanics: The mechanisms within the lenses, such as the grease applied to the focus mechanism, can become worn out as the unit is used over years and decades. This can result in stiff focus rings, causing problems when pairing the lens up with follow-focus systems. However, with a little bit of study and practice, it is possible to strip them apart and reapply grease/lubricant to the mechanism. The good thing about the older tech is that they are completely mechanical with no electronics built into them like modern lenses. Therefore, it’s not too difficult to learn about how they work internally and get used to servicing them yourself.
Matching Lenses In A Set: It’s pretty standard procedure in the filmmaking world for cinematographers to use a set of lenses in the same range, with varying focal lengths. For ease and speed in post-production, it’s beneficial if all the lenses in the set match each other in terms of colour and contrast. Modern cinema lenses are judged based on how well the different lenses in a set match each other. With vintage lenses however, you will rarely find a set that match perfectly. In previous decades, there was not so much emphasis on such things, and lens technology didn’t have the ability to closely match colour and contrast in the way they can today. As a result, you often find yourself having to work a little bit harder in post-production, to get shots that were captured using different lenses in the set to match each other.

TIPS FOR GETTING INTO VINTAGE LENSES

If you’re considering adding vintage lenses to your kit, here are a few tips to get started:

Consider different lens characteristics: Each vintage lens has unique quirks. Read reviews of the different models, and be sure to watch sample footage to see how it performs.
Invest in good adapters: A sturdy, high quality adapter from the likes of Metabones ensures your vintage lens pairs well with your modern camera.
Test before a shoot: Vintage lenses can behave unpredictably, so test them under various lighting conditions.
Do your research: Not every lens available on the market today is equal, and whilst there are so many shining examples out there, there are dogs too. For example, lenses that have spent most of their time in more tropical climates may suffer from fungus on internal lens elements, which is a common problem and very difficult to put right. Likewise, there are other characteristics that come with the ageing of a lens, such as hazing. Lens elements can haze up over time, taking the resulting image across the line from characterful, to outright unusable. Most sellers will be honest about any issues effecting a lens, and items for sale are often rated on this basis, so do your research, and make sure you now what to look for.
Embrace the imperfections: If you find yourself wanting to fix every flaw in post-production, then you should probably ask yourself if a vintage lens is in fact right for you, or right for your project. Either embrace the imperfections and let the character shine through, or consider a contemporary alternative instead!

THE ROWE FILMS VIEW

Here at Rowe Films we have been using a range of vintage lenses for many years, from brands such as Canon, Helios, Mamiya and Leica. Of course we have plenty of modern day, technically superior modern glass in our toolbox, however our older vintage lenses get an awful lot of use.

Lens choice matters, and you pick which tools to use based on the needs of the project, the vision, and the feeling you want to evoke in an audience.

There’s no question that the power of nostalgia is playing its part here. I do believe as humans, especially as we get older, we have a tendency to look back and think: “things were better in my day”. Who knows, maybe they actually were. But to me, the resurgence of vintage lenses in modern filmmaking doesn’t stand alone as a weird anomaly. It appears to reflect a wider society looking back at times gone by and wondering if all this ‘advancement’, actually equals improvement.

Vintage lenses, with their various quirks and imperfections, ultimately remind us that cinema and filmmaking isn’t just about achieving technical or visual perfection. It’s about evoking emotion, creating atmosphere, and crafting a unique visual language.

EXAMPLES OF VINTAGE LENS USE IN ROWE FILMS’ WORK

FORCES THAT UNITE: A short film produced for Panasonic, shot entirely on Canon FD vintage lenses manufactured in the 70’s and 80’s.

A quick test shot sequence produced when testing out the Helios vintage lens that we purchased some time back. The dreamy and soft nature of the image, and swirly bokeh created by vintage glass is quite apparent in this one.

In this Behind The Scenes Feature, I discuss our decision to use vintage lenses in a narrative short film project commissioned by Atomos Global and PANASONIC LUMIX. The vintage glass undoubtedly added to the sentimental and emotive feeling of the short film ‘HIM’.

VINTAGE LENSES: WHY DO MODERN FILMMAKERS USE THEM?