First Lens Guide
Your First Lens
There are countless vintage lenses, so it's no wonder the first one is the hardest to pick. Here we've hand-selected only the hard-to-go-wrong, affordable, fun-to-shoot classics. If used lenses worry you, there are new manual lenses too.
* All of these are manual focus and manual aperture. On mirrorless, magnified view and focus peaking make focusing easier than you'd expect.
Start with these classics (used vintage lenses)
Cheap to find, with real character in the rendering — great as a first lens, or a second after the Helios.
Helios
44-2 58mm F2
The face of getting into vintage lenses, famous for its swirly bokeh. Cheap, with a clearly distinctive look.
Super-Takumar
55mm F1.8
A versatile, easy-to-use lens with honest rendering. Many survive in good condition — the royal road to a first lens.
Minolta
MD Rokkor 50mm F1.7
Minolta's hidden gem. Dirt cheap yet crisp, and focuses to about 0.45m. Subtle character — a first lens to simply enjoy great vintage rendering.
If used lenses worry you (new manual lenses)
For anyone anxious about sample variation, fungus, or haze. New, warrantied MF lenses in every mirrorless mount — from affordable to premium.
TTArtisan
35mm F1.4
The go-to new large-aperture manual lens. Available for Fuji X / Sony E / Nikon Z and more — ideal as a first lens.
7Artisans
55mm F1.4
Soft, atmospheric rendering suited to portraits and everyday snaps. A bargain for this look, brand new.
Voigtländer
NOKTON 35mm F1.2
A premium MF lens made by Cosina. Available for Fuji X / Sony E / Nikon Z; the metal feel and gorgeous F1.2 bokeh make it a lens for life. Go for it if the budget allows.
Found a lens you like?
Check whether it fits your camera and which adapter you need with the compatibility checker.