It would be nice if somebody could explain what this "vintage look" is. Faded, blurry, men in hats?
For me, its lenses that create low-contrast images where the tonal gradation rolls off gently into the highlights and shadows, and the midtones dominate. These are invariably older lenses, designed in the 70s and earlier.
This is in opposition to modern lenses, which produce a high-contrast look: tonal transitions are abrupt, so highlights are bright and shadows are black. I find the images harsh and "clinical", often lacking the emotion of older lenses.
This emotional effect helps me to create photographs that evoke a feeling and aids story-telling.
It's been suggested that the preference for high-contrast lenses came from Japan, and began to dominate with the decline of the European and American camera industries. Undoubtedly, technological advances such as computers and better lens coatings played their role too.
The low tonality of old is essentially a flaw - it's merely flare. However, virtuoso lens designers such as Mandler at Leica could tame aberrations and make them work with image-making rather than against it.
Of course, being old does not make a lens good! So, although it may be self-evident, I expect a lens to be sharp. A classic lens for me therefore has the twin qualities of low contrast and high resolution.
The writer and photographer Sean Reid coined a name for these classic optics many years ago, calling them "sunny day lenses". Here's an article where he describes these lenses in more detail: the entire article is worth reading, but if you want to stay with our topic, scroll two-thirds down the page to the "Sunny day lenses" heading.
https://luminous-landscape.com/fast-lenses-for-the-epson-r-d1/
By the way, I couldn't care less about bokeh, provided it's not excessively weird or intrusive. Some older lens designs have "interesting" bokeh. For me, that's an "Oh, that's, err... interesting!" reaction – but some people love "swirly" circular bokeh!
Watching the Watcher by Life in Shadows, on Flickr
The Fine Art of Choosing Leeks by Life in Shadows, on Flickr
Scene from Lunch Time in the Market by Life in Shadows, on Flickr
