Vintage Lens Review | Soviet Industar 50mm F3.5
A concise first impressions, after some time in Prague and Debrecen
READ ME: Discover why I highly recommend these vintage lenses for your collection! This review series focuses not on technical specs, but on the lens’ unique character, quirks, and my personal experiences with each.
Logic behind purchase: I got it in a bundle with a Pentacon 29mm F2.8 and a Zeiss 20mm F4 three weeks ago at a vintage/retro store in Prague. I really wanted the Zeiss more than the Pentacon or this Industar. I essentially got that Zeiss lens for half of what I would pay in America and these were just a bonus.
Impressions: It’s adequate. I wouldn’t recommend it above any of my other vintage 50mms, but it’s a fun novelty for the size and styling.
I would note however that the decent sharpness, and flat color contrast makes it a bit more usable as a general purpose “documentary” style 50mm tool. It won’t win any awards, but maybe that’s its niche?
Perhaps an indie filmmaker would find more use from this style of lens than a photographer would. You could probably nail the 70s-90s aesthetic easily on some well color graded S-Log or C-Log profile footage with a lens like this. Bokeh is either non-existent or non-distracting. Vintage yet sterile.
