Vintage Lens Review: Soligor 28mm (F2.8) First/Second Impressions

Taken with the Soligor 28mm F2.8 Lens on the Canon R6 | Seattle, WA 01/22 / This one’s got a bit of that sci-fi noir feel, doesn’t it? The black and white contrast cranks up the tension between those rounded curves and sharp lines, like two structures trying to outdo each other. The upward perspective stretches them even further — almost like they’re racing to the sky. You can almost feel the cold steel and concrete through the frame. If a shot could have a pulse, this would be it.

[ReadMe: Section 1 is brief and also covered in this Youtube video , section 2 is a more in depth write-up about my second impression after using the lens for street photography in Seattle WA]

If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment or direct message me on IG @elijahrha or @foxfotoco , I’ll happily respond to anyone on either!

Section 1: First Impression | Bend, Oregon

I first inherited this 28mm wide angle lens from my grandfather back in the summer of 2021. Since then, it has sat in a padded, dust proof case collecting…well, not dust.

Point being, I have never used it. There’s nothing wrong with the lens, besides how it is “stuck” wide open at F2.8 (more on this later), but I just never shoot at 28mm. My widest lens I typically shoot with is a 35mm Super Takumar F3.5 for vintage stuff, and a modern Canon RF 35mm F1.8 for not vintage stuff. I do suppose I also have a Canon RF 24–105mm F4 lens, but that is used primarily for video work (and always at 35mm). In fact, I rarely even touch the 35mm range when I’m focusing on photography. 50mm, 85mm, 105mm, and 200mm being my consistent favorites.

So there was nothing inherently bad about the inherited lens, in fact the glass was very clean…