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

Explore the world of vintage lenses through repair notes, real test shots, and detailed archive threads packed with images.
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Tamron 135mm f4.5 TWIN-TELE (225mm) - some snaps
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Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2011 2:58 pm
Post subject: Tamron 135mm f4.5 TWIN-TELE (225mm) - some snaps
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Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2011 2:58 pm
Post subject: Tamron 135mm f4.5 TWIN-TELE (225mm) - some snaps
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A dinky little lens which wins hands down over the MOG 300/4 as a walkabout lens.

"Competent" with the 225mm extender....



Much better without at 135mm....



100% crop of a passing BIF - snap shot


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Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2011 3:04 pm
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Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2011 3:04 pm
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Looks good at 135. The seagull shot is very nice, you did well to capture that shot with a manual lens.


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Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2011 3:14 pm
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Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2011 3:14 pm
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iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
Looks good at 135. The seagull shot is very nice, you did well to capture that shot with a manual lens.

Easy with such a small lens, I'm amazed that the full shot held so much detail.



Note to self - must clean the sensor AGAIN Smile


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Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 6:34 am
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Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 6:34 am
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I have seen this lens a few times on ebay and wondered what it was like to use,looks like a very capable lens and the images are pleasing.


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Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 7:26 am
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Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 7:26 am
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mo wrote:
I have seen this lens a few times on ebay and wondered what it was like to use,looks like a very capable lens and the images are pleasing.

Yes, nice colour and contrast. Sharp enough and so tiny on a 5D you just don't notice it's there. Preset aperture right on the front of the lens and a big zebra focus grip make is easy to use too. I might well find myself taking this out more Smile


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Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 9:19 am
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Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 9:19 am
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This is a good lens in a small form factor, there is a Tamron made Soligor version of this lens also Wink

Nice shots Martin Very Happy

Looks like you have some dirt on the sensor?


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Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 9:30 am
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Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 9:30 am
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Nordentro wrote:
This is a good lens in a small form factor, there is a Tamron made Soligor version of this lens also Wink

Nice shots Martin Very Happy

Looks like you have some dirt on the sensor?


Thank you. It's a 5D. When is there NOT dirt on the sensor? Smile


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Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 2:49 pm
Post subject: Twin-Tele
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Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 2:49 pm
Post subject: Twin-Tele
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Hi all,

This is my first post on this forum, being a newbie and all that, so Hi to you all.

I was in my local town a couple of weekends ago, and walked into this second hand shop, just browsing. I noticed a camera case in a glass cabinet.

Intrigued, I asked the shop keeper if I could have a look. Tamron Twin-Tele with a weird mount, said thanks and went on my way.

As I needed to pass the shop on the way back to the car, I went back in. I thought it looks nice, do I buy it. So I did, it looked like it had a little age to it.

I bought this little lot for £11 (UK pounds) - £8 for the Twin-Tele and £3 for a Minolta tube. Upon inspection at home the Twin-Tele fitted into the Minolta tube, my eyes lit up. Still unsure what I had I looked on the web, Exakta fit Twin-Tele 135mm F4.5 and a Minolta e-adaptor and a set of Minolta extension tubes.








It is a very nice lens. Ordered a MD to PK fit adaptor (bottom RHS in top photo), which turned up yesterday, my first pictures,




A cut out of the above photo


the crop isn't very good as used microsoft paint to cut the image out, but the sharpness of this lens is just brilliant.

This must be the best £11 I have ever spent and if you haven't got one, seriously get one. I can see this lens not staying in a cupboard.

Last edited by zelda_n64 on Tue May 21, 2013 6:00 am; edited 3 times in total


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Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 3:08 pm
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Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 3:08 pm
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welcome zelda - the forum has an anti-spam protection that prevents images appearing in the first post. If you re do the images in another post then we will all be able to see them.


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Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 3:08 pm
Post subject: images
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Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 3:08 pm
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It would be nice if the images I posted showed up.



Last edited by zelda_n64 on Tue May 21, 2013 5:59 am; edited 1 time in total


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Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 3:09 pm
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Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 3:09 pm
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and congratulations on your find!!!!


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Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 3:13 pm
Post subject: Thanks bazza59
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Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 3:13 pm
Post subject: Thanks bazza59
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bazza59 wrote:
welcome zelda - the forum has an anti-spam protection that prevents images appearing in the first post. If you re do the images in another post then we will all be able to see them.


bazza59, thanks very much for the information and nice to meet/greet you.

I just have to delete my 2nd post (which it won't let me) now as I was testing why the images do not appear, guess there is a little learning to be had.


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Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 3:19 pm
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Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 3:19 pm
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You have a very clean example of this lens. Very nice !

This was actually Tamrons (Taisei Kogaku in those days) first SLR lens sold under the Tamron brand, from about 1958

It also has Tamrons first interchangable lens mount adapter, the ancestor of the familiar T or T2 mount.

This was sold under various names, as the Tamron Twin Tele, Converto Tamron, and possibly Duo Tamron. They were also sold under importers brands, like Spectra, and If I recall correctly also Soligor.

The full kit was sold with a case, matched teleconverter, lens mount, and hood (which is an odd size, 38mm).

A very useful, high quality lens even today.


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Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 3:43 pm
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Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 3:43 pm
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luisalegria, thank you !!

The only things the lens didn't come with was instructions, M42 adaptor and a bottom cover for the lens. Everything else is present.

I must admit I was gobsmacked when I found out the rough age of the lens, the optics and body are in excellent condition for a lens older than myself.


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Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 3:59 pm
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Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 3:59 pm
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Just a quick photo showing it attached to my Pentax K-x, (this photo was taken on an mobile phone).




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Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 4:45 pm
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Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 4:45 pm
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The kits were sold with just one adapter in each; I think there were just three of them - M42, Exakta and Miranda screw mount (M44).

Only one other lens that I know of used these adapters - the Tamron 135/3.5 which is from a couple of years later and much less common.


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Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 5:05 pm
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Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 5:05 pm
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Changed the Exakta spelling, so now it is correct.

I will keep my eye out for one of those 135/3.5.

And I have also just noticed that there is some more sections about this lens and I could have possibly put my posts in a better place.

Note: I did not use the TC for my flower picture Crying or Very sad


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Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 5:56 pm
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Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 5:56 pm
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zelda_n64 wrote:
luisalegria, thank you !!

The only things the lens didn't come with was instructions, M42 adaptor and a bottom cover for the lens. Everything else is present.

I must admit I was gobsmacked when I found out the rough age of the lens, the optics and body are in excellent condition for a lens older than myself.

I am told that you also have the very early version of the lens, because (like my copy) the distance scale is only in feet, whereas the later versions were meters and feet. Another set of samples from my lens HERE and HERE.


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Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 6:00 pm
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Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 6:00 pm
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martyn_bannister wrote:
zelda_n64 wrote:
luisalegria, thank you !!

The only things the lens didn't come with was instructions, M42 adaptor and a bottom cover for the lens. Everything else is present.

I must admit I was gobsmacked when I found out the rough age of the lens, the optics and body are in excellent condition for a lens older than myself.

I am told that you also have the very early version of the lens, because (like my copy) the distance scale is only in feet, whereas the later versions were meters and feet. Another set of samples from my lens HERE and HERE.


Martyn,

You certainly have taken some cracking shots with yours, I cannot wait to get out and about snapping (composing) some shots with this lens.

The e adaptor photo is here:

http://forum.mflenses.com/viewtopic,p,1161843.html#1161843

This is apparently quite rare, so for £11 the lot this must have been a good buy.

Carry on with the great photos.


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Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 6:04 pm
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Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 6:04 pm
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Hi zelda, yes I reckon you got a great bargain. Every time I shoot this lens I cannot believe that is is "only" an f4.5. Always gives me good pictures Smile


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Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 4:26 pm
Post subject: With 225 adapter
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Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 4:26 pm
Post subject: With 225 adapter
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Just a quick post showing a photo taken with the Twin-Tele and 225 TC.

It was overcast and a little windy, but it managed well considering, these are straight off the memory card, no tinckering.



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Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 8:18 pm
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Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 8:18 pm
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That's impressive, and it's a cool looking lens as well.

So where's this wonderful shop with all the bargains ? Wink


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Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 8:45 am
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Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 8:45 am
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Lloydy,

That would be telling, but it was in a side street of a well known and popular seaside destination on the west shore of the UK.


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Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2013 3:52 pm
Post subject: Re: Twin-Tele
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Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2013 3:52 pm
Post subject: Re: Twin-Tele
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I bought this little lot for £11 (UK pounds) - £8 for the Twin-Tele and £3 for a Minolta tube. Upon inspection at home the Twin-Tele fitted into the Minolta tube, my eyes lit up. Still unsure what I had I looked on the web, Exakta fit Twin-Tele 135mm F4.5 and a Minolta e-adaptor and a set of Minolta extension tubes.





WHAT.......... Have you noticed the build number????
If nobody has been painting on the rim of that lens, it must be the oldest existing Tamron in the world!

I don't have one of these Twin-Tele's, but I have a "Tamron f=135mm 1:4.5". Exactly the same lens, exept that this one is'nt a part of a set with a converter.
If it was part of a set it would haave had 2 aperture scales on the aperture ring.
This makes mine very interesting because according to Tamron they never made it as a "135 only" ;o)

Exept for that, it is a VERY small lens.
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