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Explore the world of vintage lenses through repair notes, real test shots, and detailed archive threads packed with images.

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Favourite 135mm lens
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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 2:26 pm
Post subject: Favourite 135mm lens
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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 2:26 pm
Post subject: Favourite 135mm lens
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I am looking for a 135mm lens - what can you recommend?

My choices are:
1. Zeiss Sonnar 2.8/135mm
2. Tamron 2.8/135mm
3. Pentax Takumar 2.5/135mm
4. Pentax 2.8/135
5. Porst or Revuenon 2.8/135mm (there were several versions from different manufacters)
6. Nikon Nikkor 2.8/135mm
7. Tokina 2.8/135mm


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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 2:32 pm
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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 2:32 pm
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Is price an issue?
I only have 1 and 6. Amongst them, I recommend 1. But it costs about double than 6.
If price is an issue I recommend the Jupiter-37.
Quality wise is very close to the best and only costs about 30 Euros, sometimes less (I paid 7 Euros for my first copy).


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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 3:58 pm
Post subject: Re: Favourite 135mm lens
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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 3:58 pm
Post subject: Re: Favourite 135mm lens
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Georg wrote:
My choices are:...

Does that mean, Georg, that you can get each of these lenses for a decent price?
Then go for the Sonnar. You won't do anything wrong with a Zeiss Oberkochen lens.


Georg wrote:
I am looking for a 135mm lens - what can you recommend?

Personally, I have experience with these lenses:

- Nikkor-Q.C Auto 3.5/135 (very good performance, quite affordable)
- Olympus Zuiko Auto-T 3.5/135 (very good performance, quite affordable, very small)
- Jupiter 37-A 3.5/135 (good to very good performance, very affordable)
- TAIR-11 2.8/135 (very good performance, not easy to get cheaply)
- Carl Zeiss Jena Sonnar 4/135 1Q (good to very good performance, quite affordable)
- Jupiter-11 4/135 (good to very good performance, rather affordable)
- Revuenon-Spezial 2.8/135 (good to very good performance, very affordable, sometimes it goes for almost nothing!)
- Pentacon auto 2.8/135 (good performance, quite affordable)
- Weltblick 3.5/135 (good performance, very affordable, but rather rare)
- Enna Tele-Ennalyt 3.5/135 (good performance, quite affordable)
- Raynox Auto 2.8/135 (OK performance, not often to find)
- Tamron Tasei Kogaku 2.8/135 (OK performance, really rare)
- Panagor Auto Tele 2.8/135 (not really good, perhaps I had a bad copy)
- Opticam 2.8/135 (all in all mediocre, not often to find)
- Greens London 3.5/135 (good performace, but breaks easily!)


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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 4:04 pm
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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 4:04 pm
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I've only got recent experience with:

Nikkor QC 135 3.5 (good but low contrast)
Nikkor 135 2.8 (excellent sharp and contrasty)
Tair 11A 2.8 (Pretty sharp and very good bokeh)
Tamron 135 2.5 (Very good when stopped down a stop)


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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 4:04 pm
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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 4:04 pm
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Food for thought on this. I have two 135mm lenses. One is a Pentax SMC 135/3.5 and the other is a Leica 135/2.8. Initial testing show that both are pretty much equally sharp. It's winter here so they have not seen much use and with all the overcast days I have not really been able to aptly judge the color or contrast of the lenses. I can say that the Leica seems to capture the shade graduations in snow scenes very well. The Pentax was under $100 while the Leica only cost me $150.


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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 4:45 pm
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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 4:45 pm
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I really would not know from personal experience, but I'd recommend to look out for a Pentax Takumar 135m 3,5 From what I read it is a very sharp lens and it's build quality is as good as it gets - and it sells for as little as 10 to 20 Euro on ebay.
I bought one recently and paid more for it ( abt 35 Euro ) but it is in mint condition and complete with original caps and case. I find it's build quality amazing and a joy.


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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 4:51 pm
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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 4:51 pm
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here is a interesting review
http://oomz.net/135/

I compared it to contax 135 to takumar 135 3.5 here
http://forum.mflenses.com/leica-70-180mm-f2-8-vario-apo-elmarit-vs-takumar-135-3-5-t4980.html


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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 5:01 pm
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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 5:01 pm
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I have only one 135mm lens - it's Tair-11A. I like this lens for its good sharpness, colour rendition and bokeh. I don't like the design of the barrel, but it isn't very important. The lens wasn't expensive, I paid for it ~35€ (with case and filters, including shipping). The prices are rising, now Tair-11A costs 50~60€ in Poland - but it's still much cheaper than Zeiss Sonnar 3.5/135. Some prices are crazy here!
BTW I love beautiful, ancient design of Zeiss Triotar 13.5cm, old Sonnar 13.5 cm and Jupiter-11 (two versions: 1st thin and long; 2nd bulky).


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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 5:10 pm
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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 5:10 pm
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I have:
1.Nikkor 135/2 AIS
2 Nikkor 135/2.8 AIS
3 Vivitar Ser 1 135/2.8CF
4 Tair 11 135/2.8
5 Jupiter 37 135/3.5
and the Panagor 135/2.8 coming.
I am not sure there is a bad one among them, it's a focal length rather like the macros - many manufacturers have made good ones. Obviously the one I rank at the top is the pricey one - the fast nikkor - but I find I use the others almost as often for their different characters. Most recently I have enjoyed he Tair, which is a real sleeper.


patrickh


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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 5:18 pm
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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 5:18 pm
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I like the tak 135 3.5, it's a cheap funny little lens with many talent



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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 6:10 pm
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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 6:10 pm
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Thanks very much for your advice!
Still difficult to choose.

For the Tamron I have mistakenly put 2.8/135, it should be 2.5/135mm.
But as I have seen, it is not among your favourites...

I will see what I can get for less than 100€...


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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 6:20 pm
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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 6:20 pm
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I own Jupiter 37, Zeiss electric and I am looking for Tair.

But my fave is Tamron BBAR Multi C 2,8. Not as sharp as the others (well almost), but the colours and the almost 3D magic IQ is just one of a kind.

2 pic here:
http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=74671817%40N00&q=tamron&m=text


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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 6:20 pm
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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 6:20 pm
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Dont remember how many 135mm-s i have. Few goods are,
Takumar 135mm f3.5 Preset: http://flickr.com/photos/asbalyan/sets/72157600043496621/

T-Mount Aetna tele Rokunar 135mm f2.5: http://flickr.com/photos/asbalyan/sets/72157600043084686/

Pentacon 135mm f2.8 preset: http://flickr.com/photos/asbalyan/sets/72157602830148681/

Takumar 135mm f3.5: http://flickr.com/photos/asbalyan/sets/72157600043486099/

T-Mount Spiratone 135mm f2.8 TC Preset: http://flickr.com/photos/asbalyan/sets/72157600316588003/

There are few more, never tested (usually got as a part of lot).


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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 7:06 pm
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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 7:06 pm
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Georg wrote:
Thanks very much for your advice!
Still difficult to choose.

For the Tamron I have mistakenly put 2.8/135, it should be 2.5/135mm.
But as I have seen, it is not among your favourites...

I will see what I can get for less than 100€...


Don't rule out the Tamron _ it's a good lens, wide open it's 'portrait lens' soft but sharpens up very quickly.

For 100 euro's you can pick up 2 or 3 very good 135's like the rest of this mad bunch Wink


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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 7:52 pm
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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 7:52 pm
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Every 'tog should have at least 6 135s.

Especially for on here..... Laughing


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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 8:42 pm
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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 8:42 pm
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bob955i wrote:
Every 'tog should have at least 6 135s.

Especially for on here..... Laughing


Bob, can you explain the etymology if " 'tog ", please?
It's interesting to read such colloquial terms...


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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 8:49 pm
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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 8:49 pm
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I think it is as in Photog but just "tog" an abbreviation of an abbreviation . Wow and I thought American english was lazy Laughing


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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 9:35 pm
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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 9:35 pm
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Ah, OK! Now, that is really lazy talk. Laughing


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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 11:12 pm
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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 11:12 pm
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Togs is also "clothing" in slang. Very Happy Very Happy

I dont think 6 135's is enough.


patrickh


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Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 12:38 am
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Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 12:38 am
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you know it may be lazy but I like the way it sounds Cool [/i]


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Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 3:20 am
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Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 3:20 am
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I've always been fond of the Vivitar 135/2.8 close focus lens made by Komine...Just took some photos with it to show how nice & sharp it is...


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Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 3:31 am
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Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 3:31 am
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Wow!! Very detailed!


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Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 4:06 am
Post subject: You can add this to the list
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Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 4:06 am
Post subject: You can add this to the list
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My favourite 135mm - a cosina f2.8. There are at least a couple of these manual cosinons about, The printing around the lens rim reads: Cosinon auto MC F=2.8 f=135mm No.785946.
I've had two cosina 135mm's and the other wasn't anything to write home about. Here's a pic of the good lens.



And this is what the lens can do do wide open Very Happy



Hope you like it, the other 135mm I can recommend is the manual focus chinon from the same 1970's era.


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Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 5:42 am
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Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 5:42 am
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Scott

I have that lens and feel the same way - it's deadly sharp with excellent colour rendition. Right now I am still developing my affections for the Tair Embarassed


patrickh


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Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 7:08 am
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Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 7:08 am
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Richard_D wrote:
Georg wrote:
For the Tamron I have mistakenly put 2.8/135, it should be 2.5/135mm.
But as I have seen, it is not among your favourites...

Don't rule out the Tamron _ it's a good lens, wide open it's 'portrait lens' soft but sharpens up very quickly.


It's just like 50mm or 85mm lenses: there are so many good 135mm lenses. I second (third?) the Tamron 135/2.5. A very nice lens, sharp, compact, with nice colors. And it's an Adaptall lens, you can use it on any present or future camera! Laughing

Cheers!

Abbazz
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