Something old to go with something new! The Sony A7II benefits from in body stabilisation which means that old slr lenses which do not feature modern stabilisation in the lens still work really well. The adaptors are cheap and easily available. As there is no electronics involved all they do is position the lens the right distance from the sensor and convert whatever old mounting system to the system you need (e-mount in this case).
There are a lot of old lenses available which are often very well made primes with wide apertures. They are also very cheap compared to the modern day equivalent. In this case, a Sony FE 55mm f1.8 goes for over £600. The SMC Takumar 55mm f1.8 cost £35 + a £10 adapter. Sure it does not benefit from auto focus and will not be as sharp, but it does provide a nice soft look and feel to shots. Considering it was manufactured in the early 70s it is impressive.
For the money – I am very happy with my purchase. It is fun to play with and I would recommend it to anyone. It is also good to carry around when cruising round the streets as you are not too bothered about knocking it here and there. Here are some sample shots.
ps. all the cool kids are playing with vintage lenses these days anyway.
