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Konica Hexanon 135mm f3.5
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 17, 2012 3:10 am    Post subject: Konica Hexanon 135mm f3.5 Reply with quote
Got this new toy today. It's a beautiful beautiful lens. It came with the hood and leather case (not pictured).





And here are the pictures it takes. These are wide open. Love the colors.






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PostPosted: Sat Mar 17, 2012 9:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Runs to check mine is still there, i have the exact same lens and its a very sharp lens konicas have very nice colour rendition and are one of the gems that can still be had for not ££££
All of them are very nice


PostPosted: Sat Mar 17, 2012 9:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Well I have this too....lovely lens but my copy (like a quite a few of my lenses) is sharp but just not quite razor sharp.


PostPosted: Sat Mar 17, 2012 11:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
more information about this lens here

http://www.buhla.de/Foto/Konica/Objektive/e135_35.html

Wink


PostPosted: Sat Mar 17, 2012 11:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have this exact one, it's a great lens as your samples show. I also have the later AE 3.2/135 and Hexar 3.5/135 and I think this early one same as you have is the best of the three, although all three are close.


PostPosted: Sat Mar 17, 2012 11:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Congrats to your new gem! I am big Konica fan too, enjoy this great lens!


PostPosted: Sat Mar 17, 2012 1:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I'm not seeing the crispness I would have expected from this lens given the accolades Konica receives. Am I the only one?


PostPosted: Sat Mar 17, 2012 1:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
woodrim wrote:
I'm not seeing the crispness I would have expected from this lens given the accolades Konica receives. Am I the only one?


It has two possible reasons , not processed and light wasn't good.


PostPosted: Sat Mar 17, 2012 2:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
woodrim wrote:
I'm not seeing the crispness I would have expected from this lens given the accolades Konica receives. Am I the only one?


In general I think Hexanons tend to be overhyped a little. They are good lenses, but they are not above other 1st tier Japanese lenses like Canon FD, Minolta MD, Nikon, or Pentax.

As for the crispness, these are wide open shots with very minimal processing. I'm sure some of these would have more bite if I stopped down a bit. Also the shutter speeds are around 1/125 on the 2x crop body. Stabilization probably eats some crispness.

The sharpness is very good, but not mind-blowing. Where it shines is in contrast and colors. My Pentacon or Minolta MD (4 lens version) 135/f2.8 are probably a tad sharper at f3.5. However, Pentacon is a big and utilitarian lens. This one is much more beautifully made. I know which one I would use more Wink.


PostPosted: Sat Mar 17, 2012 4:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
The newer "AE" f3.2 version is, supposedly, sharper. Your version is quite lovely, nonetheless; the colors are natural, and the recession of the out of focus region is pleasing to me. And, btw, I wouldn't say that Konica is overhyped at all. The build of that lens is outstanding. Even the smaller touches that you mention; the leather case, the 55mm hood, etc., say quite loudly that this is QUALITY through and through. There isn't a poor performing Hexanon lens. Obviously, I'm a fan, so my opinion is biased. Wink


PostPosted: Sat Mar 17, 2012 4:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
aspen wrote:
The newer "AE" f3.2 version is, supposedly, sharper. Your version is quite lovely, nonetheless; the colors are natural, and the recession of the out of focus region is pleasing to me. And, btw, I wouldn't say that Konica is overhyped at all. The build of that lens is outstanding. Even the smaller touches that you mention; the leather case, the 55mm hood, etc., say quite loudly that this is QUALITY through and through. There isn't a poor performing Hexanon lens. Obviously, I'm a fan, so my opinion is biased. Wink


No, no, I agree with you, Konicas are beautiful quality lenses: superbly made, IQ is there, colors are lovely and overall rendering is very pleasing. I love them and this one, in particular. But one often reads that they are "sharpest lenses ever made" or near it (for example regarding 50mm/1.7 or the 40mm pancake), and this is just over the top.


PostPosted: Fri Feb 17, 2017 11:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Hi Fermy,
I have a fuji X-E2, would this be a good marriage? I like your shots , they look very sharp to me and the color is fantastic. How are you processing?
Thanks for any help


PostPosted: Sat Feb 18, 2017 8:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Konica lenses are definitely amongst the best value for "classic era" Japanese lenses. I have a bunch. I've been buying the 57 1.4 when the are offered on e-bay for low prices just as speculation. But I use many different Konicas. I lucked into a 57 1.2 that the auction was poorly labelled as part of a camera plus lenses thing. I have the 135 3.5 the 135 3.2 and the 135 2.5. I have never done a direct comparison. Might be kinda fun.


PostPosted: Sat Feb 18, 2017 8:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Whoo Turtle Like 1


PostPosted: Sun Feb 19, 2017 5:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have the AE 135/3.5, it's nice, but I'd rather have my Topcor R 135/3.5.


PostPosted: Tue Feb 21, 2017 12:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
aspen wrote:
The newer "AE" f3.2 version is, supposedly, sharper. Your version is quite lovely, nonetheless; the colors are natural, and the recession of the out of focus region is pleasing to me. And, btw, I wouldn't say that Konica is overhyped at all. The build of that lens is outstanding. Even the smaller touches that you mention; the leather case, the 55mm hood, etc., say quite loudly that this is QUALITY through and through. There isn't a poor performing Hexanon lens. Obviously, I'm a fan, so my opinion is biased. Wink

I completely agree about the leather cases Wink ... and i would agree that many of the "simple" Konica primes are as good as their CaNikon counterparts from the same time (!) - e. g. 1.4/57mm, 1.7/50mm, 1.4/50mm, 3.5/135mm, 3.2/135mm, 2.5/135mm, 4/200mm, 4/300mm and 4.5/400mm.

The 2.8/24mm (Var I), the 1.8/28mm UC and the 2.8/35mm (metal grip), however, were quite disppointing. And the 4/21mm (metal grip) is quite OK at f4, but it never gets much sharper, even at f11. Most Hexanon zooms seem to suffer from a less-than-optimal quality control. I have tested several Konica zooms such as the 3.5/35-70, the 4/35-70, the 3.5-4.5/35-70mm, the 3.5/80-200mm, the 4/80-200 UC and the "normal" 4/80-200 as well as the 4/65-135 and the 4.5/75-150. All of them were looking "like new", but most of them were so bad* that i bought a second or even third sample to counter-check their performance. Usually the second sample was quite different in its behaviour, but not much better ... !

I like the Konica prime lenses and cameras for their sturdy construction and their low price - but the fact that they are so much cheaper than the corresponding CaNikon MF lenses tell me something as well Wink

Stephan

*compared to similar Canon / Minolta / Nikon zooms


PostPosted: Tue Feb 21, 2017 5:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Stephan, I am a bit puzzled by what you're saying. Considering your first sentence:
("... Konica primes are as good as their CaNikon counterparts from the same time (!) - e. g. 1.4/57mm, 1.7/50mm, 1.4/50mm, 3.5/135mm, 3.2/135mm, 2.5/135mm, 4/200mm, 4/300mm and 4.5/400mm."),
could you elaborate on the last one:
("...the fact that they are so much cheaper than the corresponding CaNikon MF lenses tell me something as well Wink"?
What does it tell you exactly?
jj
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