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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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I just won a Sigmatel 135/1.8 fast telephoto
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Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 4:37 am
Post subject: I just won a Sigmatel 135/1.8 fast telephoto
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Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 4:37 am
Post subject: I just won a Sigmatel 135/1.8 fast telephoto
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I was surprised to get this fast 135mm F/1.8 telephoto (Click here to see on Ebay) for a decent price, as I thought it would fetch a much higher price (it's offered for sale here for $525). This lens was manufactured by Sigma and used the short-lived YS interchangeable mount developped by Sigma to compete with the Tamron Adaptall system. It comes with the M42 mount and a cheap M42 doubler.

This lens was also sold under the Spiratone, Soligor and Porst brands. It is a scaled up copy of a 135mm Zeiss Sonnar. A very interesting lens. Here is the optical diagram from Pete Ganzel's pBase page:



Compare with the Jupiter-11 Sonnar clone:


Picture linked from Krasnogorsky Zavod's website

And here's the lens:


Picture linked from: http://homepage3.nifty.com/3rdpartylens-om/sigmatel135.htm

Cheers!

Abbazz

Last edited by Abbazz on Wed Mar 19, 2008 12:15 am; edited 3 times in total


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Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 5:27 am
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Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 5:27 am
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Congratulations ! I've always wanted one of those. They are rather rare.


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Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 5:30 am
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Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 5:30 am
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Congratulations. Attila has the Spiratone branded version and has shown some nice shots. It's a lens on my wish list.


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Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 8:05 am
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Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 8:05 am
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Wow! Nice lens for a nice price! Congrats!


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Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 6:31 pm
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Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 6:31 pm
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Niiiiiice. Cool


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Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 6:53 pm
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Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 6:53 pm
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Congrats Abbazz! Nice price


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Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 7:30 pm
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Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 7:30 pm
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So, the widest part of the lens is basically solid glass? Must weigh a ton.


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Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 7:46 pm
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Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 7:46 pm
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What a great piece of glass - congratulations, Abbazz! I'm a bit jealous Wink


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Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 12:06 am
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Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 12:06 am
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ChrisLilley wrote:
So, the widest part of the lens is basically solid glass? Must weigh a ton.


830g. That's a massive lens, could prove useful in dark places Wink

There's a photograph of the middle triple compound group on Pete Ganzel's page: http://www.pbase.com/pganzel/image/71179359

Cheers!

Abbazz


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Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 9:36 am
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Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 9:36 am
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That's definitely a lens to look for. Congratulations! And such a good price!


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Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2008 2:04 pm
Post subject: 1.8/135mm
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Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2008 2:04 pm
Post subject: 1.8/135mm
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just bought one in a junk shop.
Pentax K-mount, like new, for € 5.00 including case.
It's the Porst MC variety.

Bart. Laughing


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Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2008 2:36 pm
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Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2008 2:36 pm
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Clear winner in bargain! Congrats and welcome to see you here! I paied for mine 150 EUR or more Smile


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Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2008 8:11 pm
Post subject: Re: 1.8/135mm
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Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2008 8:11 pm
Post subject: Re: 1.8/135mm
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bartpeeren wrote:
just bought one in a junk shop.
Pentax K-mount, like new, for € 5.00 including case.
It's the Porst MC variety.

Bart. Laughing


Bargain of the year! Shocked


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Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2008 11:02 pm
Post subject: Re: 1.8/135mm
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Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2008 11:02 pm
Post subject: Re: 1.8/135mm
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bartpeeren wrote:
Pentax K-mount, like new, for € 5.00 including case.


Congrats, what a find! This F/1.8 135mm Sonnar copy was even cheaper than an East German or Russian F/3.5-4 Sonnar clone Laughing

Cheers!

Abbazz


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Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2008 8:50 am
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Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2008 8:50 am
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Do you have any shots you've taken with this lens you wouldn't mind sharing Abazz?

Thanks,


Kelly.


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Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2008 1:21 pm
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Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2008 1:21 pm
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thePiRaTE!! wrote:
Do you have any shots you've taken with this lens you wouldn't mind sharing Abazz?


Kelly,

While I try to locate some pictures taken with this lens, here's a link to the wonderful "prom night" pictures posted by Attila in the Gallery (he owns the Spiratone version of this lens):
http://forum.mflenses.com/viewtopic.php?t=4679&start=0&sid=1598c171c4bb1905981e33beedc43551

Cheers!

Abbazz


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Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2008 1:59 pm
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Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2008 1:59 pm
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OK, here are some pictures taken here in Brunei two days ago with the Sigmatel 135/1.8:

1. Wide open


2. Wide open?


3. F/5.6


Cheers!

Abbazz


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Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2008 2:09 pm
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Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2008 2:09 pm
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Impressive !


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Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2008 2:11 pm
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Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2008 2:11 pm
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Very nice Abbaz, i am still hunting for your other recommendation vogitalander 125/1.8...
The bokeh seems so beautiful, colors a tad less on saturation.
A very good lense it seems..
#3 is rocking shot.... !!


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Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2008 3:35 pm
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Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2008 3:35 pm
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Bokeh is like an illustration, thanks for sharing.

Dakoo, I think you mean 125/2.5? And speaking of the Lanthar Abazz, do you find the faster Sigmatel showing you an interesting character vs the Voigt? The pics certainly look different bokeh wise, I guess I'd wonder how much you bother to carry the 1.8 around having a Lanthar?

I love the Lanthar, but I'm always game for fresh new bokeh Smile


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Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 1:12 am
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Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 1:12 am
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Thanks guys for the compliments.

thePiRaTE!! wrote:
do you find the faster Sigmatel showing you an interesting character vs the Voigt? The pics certainly look different bokeh wise, I guess I'd wonder how much you bother to carry the 1.8 around having a Lanthar?


This is an interesting comparison. Both lens have approximately the same bulk and weight. The Apo Lantar 125/2.5 is indubitably the better lens. Wide open, the Sigmatel 135/1.8 has many aberrations and is notably soft and low contrast. It also has a greenish cast. But I like the bokeh, which is a typical Sonnar bokeh, creamy and easy to the eye. So I keep the lens -- and going to F/1.8 with a 135mm can be useful at times.

When I need a top notch all-rounder, I take the Apo Lanthar. For low light events or creative bokeh sessions, I take the Sigmatel. When traveling light, then that's the Olympus 135/3.5 or the Tamron 135/2.5 that goes...

Cheers,

Abbazz


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Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 8:00 am
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Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 8:00 am
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"The bokeh seems so beautiful, colors a tad less on saturation" -dakoo

I recently used one of these, and in raw mode I added saturation. The result was more realistic, not garish blocking. It "worked", so maybe here, too.

I hope to compare to CZ Planar T* 135/2 soon. I did compare 3 of the 135/1.8's which might have proved that painting the triplet black does help contrast, or maybe I just under-exposed due to different real ap hole sizes at same nominal setting i.e. @f1.8.


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Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 8:09 am
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Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 8:09 am
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Don't compare a brand new Corvette with a cheap old used car , they are not in same language in any aspects.


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Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 9:36 am
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Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 9:36 am
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Congrats, a nice lens!.
As usual, we await for your samples Smile
Thanks!

Jes.


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Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 12:56 pm
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Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 12:56 pm
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Abbazz wrote:
thePiRaTE!! wrote:
Do you have any shots you've taken with this lens you wouldn't mind sharing Abazz?


Kelly, While I try to locate some pictures taken with this lens,



Here are a few I too with mine:

http://forum.mflenses.com/viewtopic,p,89713.html#89713
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