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Sharp Low Contrast 135mm lens - your Recommendations please
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 21, 2018 9:28 am    Post subject: Sharp Low Contrast 135mm lens - your Recommendations please Reply with quote
I realise that perceived sharpness and contrast are intimately linked, but I am looking for a sharp but low contrast 135mm lens.
I will value your suggestions based upon your experience.
PS - doesn't have to be 135mm but those are the most common and the cheapest - 120-150mm are OK too
Thank you in advance
Tom


PostPosted: Wed Feb 21, 2018 9:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Something uncoated like a prewar Zeiss Sonnar 4/135 in Contax RF mount.


PostPosted: Wed Feb 21, 2018 10:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Enna Ennalyt 2.8/135mm perhaps. Even ISCO 3.5/135 and Schneider Xenar 3.5/135mm.


PostPosted: Wed Feb 21, 2018 10:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
The Xenar 3.5/135 I have couldn't be described as low contrast.


PostPosted: Wed Feb 21, 2018 10:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I think you can get easily get a low contrast photo from a high contrast lens with proper camera setting or do it in post? If you need a lens which flare easily, get an pre-war un-coated lens.


PostPosted: Wed Feb 21, 2018 11:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
The Xenar 3.5/135 I have couldn't be described as low contrast.

Tried two different samples and compared to 3.5/135 Jena Sonnar for instance. Or Pentax-M SMC lenses.


PostPosted: Wed Feb 21, 2018 11:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
Something uncoated like a prewar Zeiss Sonnar 4/135 in Contax RF mount.
Indeed an option; my first thought was an early Jupiter-11 (Sonnar-copy)


PostPosted: Wed Feb 21, 2018 2:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
The Xenar should be every bit as contrasty as the Sonnar as it's the same lens design.


PostPosted: Wed Feb 21, 2018 2:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
The Xenar should be every bit as contrasty as the Sonnar as it's the same lens design.

nah, where did you find that?


PostPosted: Wed Feb 21, 2018 2:49 pm    Post subject: Re: Sharp Low Contrast 135mm lens - your Recommendations ple Reply with quote
Oldhand wrote:
I realise that perceived sharpness and contrast are intimately linked, but I am looking for a sharp but low contrast 135mm lens.


When i need a "low contrast" MF 135mm lens, it's usually for portraits. For this purpose i often use the Canon nFD 2/135mm, sometimes also the Nikkor AiS 2/135mm, wide open of course. My sample of the Canon is easier to focus than the Nikkor, and that's the main reason why i usually take the Canon.

Stephan


PostPosted: Wed Feb 21, 2018 2:49 pm    Post subject: Re: Sharp Low Contrast 135mm lens - your Recommendations ple Reply with quote
Oldhand wrote:
I realise that perceived sharpness and contrast are intimately linked, but I am looking for a sharp but low contrast 135mm lens.
I will value your suggestions based upon your experience.
PS - doesn't have to be 135mm but those are the most common and the cheapest - 120-150mm are OK too
Thank you in advance
Tom


I'm not being sarcastic, but you could always look for something that is scratched up, or has a scuff on the front element. I think contrast goes before any inherent sharpness. Happy to be corrected on that assumption.

Not a very exacting approach, but easy on the pocket.


PostPosted: Wed Feb 21, 2018 3:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Tele-Xenar 135/3.5 is different to Sonnar 135/3.5. The glass used on the 4-element Sonnar is much more than the 5-element Tele-Xenar.

Last edited by calvin83 on Wed Feb 21, 2018 3:52 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Wed Feb 21, 2018 3:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
How about Jupiter-37A? Definitely not the lens with the most contrast, but sharp as a Sonnar clone should be, and really cheap as well.


PostPosted: Wed Feb 21, 2018 9:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
4/135 sonnar will do .. and if you want something even more low contrast 4/135 Triotar Smile


PostPosted: Wed Feb 21, 2018 10:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thank you everyone for your feedback - it is appreciated.
I will let you know what I decide upon.
Tom


PostPosted: Thu Feb 22, 2018 1:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Triotar gets my vote.


PostPosted: Thu Feb 22, 2018 10:54 am    Post subject: Re: Sharp Low Contrast 135mm lens - your Recommendations ple Reply with quote
Sciolist wrote:

I'm not being sarcastic, but you could always look for something that is scratched up, or has a scuff on the front element. I think contrast goes before any inherent sharpness. Happy to be corrected on that assumption.

Not a very exacting approach, but easy on the pocket.


A scratch or two doesn't change a lot ... i have a nFD 1.8/85mm where the central 5x5mm on the front lens are badly scratched. At f1.8 - f2.8 i can't see any difference, at f4 or f5.6 there is a slight reduction of the contrast, and from f8 on contrast ist visibly lowered.

A reversible method (apart from using soft filters) would be smearing a bit of Vaseline on the front lens. Works pretty well after a few trials ...

Stephan


PostPosted: Thu Feb 22, 2018 12:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Hi.Not sure if you purpose is for portrait mainly but my Stenheil Munchen Tele Quinar VL 135mm 2.8 has both qualities, sharp but not overly contrasty and very kind to older skin.

It`s one of the few lenses my good lady will let me point at her these days lol. The Meyer Orestor 100m 2.8 is also very good at this if you want a shorter FL and neither the Volna 3 (80mm 2.Cool or Biometar(120mm 2.Cool Medium Format lenses are overly contrasty on 35mm.


PostPosted: Thu Feb 22, 2018 1:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Sonnar 4/135 and Xenar 4/135 are the same design, that was what I was talking about.


PostPosted: Thu Feb 22, 2018 2:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
According to data from my old book, the F4 Tele-Xenar in DKL have similar design with the F3.5 version in other mount, both of them are 5e/4g design. Moreover, I can confirm the rear element(s) of the Tele-Xenar is much smaller than the Sonnar.


PostPosted: Thu Feb 22, 2018 5:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
That's the later DKL version, the earlier f4 version for cameras such as the Diax is identical to the contemporary f4 Sonnar design.


PostPosted: Thu Feb 22, 2018 5:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
That is interesting. Let me check if I can find more info on this.


PostPosted: Thu Feb 22, 2018 7:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
The Mamiya TL/DTL 135/2,8

Very, very good sharpness and low to medium contrast (low at F/2,8 - 3,4).

And especial touch is for me, the IQ of the Voigtlander Skopar F. 3,5/105 mm. Very low contrast and nice sharpness
(very prone to flare)


PostPosted: Thu Feb 22, 2018 10:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Takumar 135 2.5 (made in Taiwan, K mount) fits the criteria + cheap



Couldn't find a raw image but this is after adding contrast resized
DSC03514.jpg by drbadr12, on Flickr


PostPosted: Fri Feb 23, 2018 5:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thank you all once again for those additional suggestions.
I will look closely at them and check out the results as posted as well as Flickr etc to see which might best suit.
I appreciate your thoughts
Tom
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