Digital 'Vintage' cameras?
Discussion
Does anyone know of any camera currently on the market or previously that was digital - and video capable - that uses perhaps an old style lens to give the 80's/90's look to the videos/pictures.
I really want something that can shoot in that style but without the hassle of using film.
Cheers,
Matt
I really want something that can shoot in that style but without the hassle of using film.
Cheers,
Matt
It's unlikely that a lens on its own will make the difference you're looking for - I swap lenses on my film camera with my buddy who shoots with digital, and the pictures come out completely differently between the two. Old lenses will have issues that might be considered "vintage" - degraded coatings, optical imperfections, and so on - but the key really is the film.
My advice - shoot the best picture you can, and then ruin it with software.
My advice - shoot the best picture you can, and then ruin it with software.
Most ILC mirrorless cameras will adapt to take a wide variety of old lenses. Conventional DSLRs fro Canon can use those of a few older mount systems (e.g. m42, QBM) if you're careful, those from Nikon are far less suitable for using alternative lenses (it's the physics of the mount).
The '80s/'90s look isn't really that "vintage", whilst lenses have improved from that time the effect you want could be achieved with post-processing of pretty much any modern digital file. You can buy presets for Lightroom specifically to achieve looks reminiscent of specific film stocks, e.g. those from VSCO.
Effects from the '80s/'90s that are harder to replicate in post-processing are the fads for soft-focus/star-burst <shudder>, and you can pick-up genuine screw-in filters of the era cheaply enough on eBay to use on a modern camera to get those effects.
The '80s/'90s look isn't really that "vintage", whilst lenses have improved from that time the effect you want could be achieved with post-processing of pretty much any modern digital file. You can buy presets for Lightroom specifically to achieve looks reminiscent of specific film stocks, e.g. those from VSCO.
Effects from the '80s/'90s that are harder to replicate in post-processing are the fads for soft-focus/star-burst <shudder>, and you can pick-up genuine screw-in filters of the era cheaply enough on eBay to use on a modern camera to get those effects.
Not sure what you mean by 80's 'look', but I think you'd find the sensor and internal processing had a lot more effect on the final images than the lens, if you're thinking of the early digital cameras. Film is another thing entirely, but again the stock would contribute more than the lens to the final look.
What you might be getting at is the use of old film lenses on digital cameras, mainly for movie and TV production, which can give a certain look and feel to the picture, which can be difficult to describe but can be a softness in the picture or internal reflections causing unique flare patterns or how the iris and lens construction makes the out of focus parts of the scene look.
Without hiring specific lenses like the ones made by Cooke, I don't think you're going to see much difference between a good 1980's Nikon/Canon lens and one made a couple of years ago. Google 'Cooke Look' if you don't know about them.
I think you're better off playing with plug-ins and filters in your PP software, as others have suggested.
What you might be getting at is the use of old film lenses on digital cameras, mainly for movie and TV production, which can give a certain look and feel to the picture, which can be difficult to describe but can be a softness in the picture or internal reflections causing unique flare patterns or how the iris and lens construction makes the out of focus parts of the scene look.
Without hiring specific lenses like the ones made by Cooke, I don't think you're going to see much difference between a good 1980's Nikon/Canon lens and one made a couple of years ago. Google 'Cooke Look' if you don't know about them.
I think you're better off playing with plug-ins and filters in your PP software, as others have suggested.
Edited by FurtiveFreddy on Monday 5th December 17:29
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