Tim VanGilder 8/3/26 Tim VanGilder 8/3/26

SHOOTING VINTAGE: THE LENSES, THE LOOK, AND THE HUNT

This isn't really about being practical. It's about the whole experience.

There's something that happens with a vintage lens that modern glass doesn't do. It's hard to describe without sounding like you're overselling it, but the end result is just different. A little dreamy and a little imperfect. The kind of look you'd otherwise spend a lot of time trying to recreate in post.

I've been slowly building a small collection, and at this point it's as much a part of how I shoot as anything else.

THE LENSES

My most-used is the Vivitar Series 1 28-105mm: a zoom with character. It doesn't behave the way a modern lens does and that's exactly why I reach for it. The Series E 36-72mm sits on the other end of that spectrum: more controlled, still vintage in feel but a little more predictable. Both use the “push-pull” method of zooming in/out which can be very tricky to do while manually focusing at the same time.

Then there are the primes. The Nikkor H.C 50mm f/2 is from the 1960s and it looks like it. The Olympus OM-System Zuiko Auto-S 50mm f/1.8 is newer to the collection and quickly becoming a favorite. It’s got a smoothness to how it renders that I keep coming back to. And the holy grail Nikkor-P Auto 105mm f/2.5/ That one took a while to find. It has a reputation for a reason, and getting one in hand was quite satisfying.

THE HUNT

Most of these came from eBay, which sounds unglamorous but is actually where the good stuff lives if you know what you're looking for. Three of the four came from Japan. Japanese collectors take exceptionally good care of their gear. Glass condition, aperture blades, focus smoothness - all of it tends to be better than what you find domestically. There's a level of care in how these lenses are stored and described that you notice immediately when they arrive.

WHY IT MATTERS

This isn't really about being practical. It's about the whole experience. The way the lens feels in your hand, the way it renders light, and the slower calculated pace I work at when using these. The finished image carries some of that.

Tim VanGilder is a commercial photographer based in Mission Viejo, California.