Testing my 135mm lenses, fourteen of them !

Lloydy · Expire: 2022-01-01

I like 135's, it's a focal length I use a lot, I like the way it can isolate a detail. Which is why I now have fourteen of them.

I set the Benbo tripod up in the shade of a tree in the Churchyard and shot three pictures with each lens, focused on the gravestone in the center. It's a quick and dirty test, the gravestone doesn't move and there are other stones in front and behind. In the distance there are trees and buildings to judge sharpness and bokeh, on the right there are two power cables that are only visible from some lenses when closed down.
Three shots, wide open - whatever that is for the lens, f8, and closed right down. Which is f22 for all the lenses except the Super Paragon - Cimko which is f16. I didn't re take any shots. ( Except when I kicked the tripod ) None have been PP at all, just resized. ISO 500, Sony A6000.

I've looked through the pictures and there is nothing that really disappoints me, but the usual suspects shine as expected - the Rokkors, Canon, Takumars, Olympus and the Pentacon. The Yashica is OK, the Jupiter way better than I expected. The big surprise is the Tokina, especially for such an old lens. The Super Paragon / Cimko was one of the first MF lenses I got, it impressed me back then and although I now have better lenses, it doesn't disappoint me. Which leaves the Soligor, Vivitar and the Helios / Cimko. Are they bad? no, not at all. There are just better lenses.

Oldhand · Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2014 10:07 pm Post subject:

Thank you Lloyd for all your time and effort here.
There are no bad ones are there, just degrees of good.
I rather like the Vivitar Komine results both wide open and at f8 - certainly gels with my experience of that lens.
Embarassed

I have noticed also that I have collected a few 135mm lenses myself over the years Very Happy

Happy snaps
OH

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

philslizzy · Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 4748 Location: Cheshire, England

There's not much to choose from between these lenses.

I'm trying to reduce my collection of 135's Apart from an old Nikkor f3.5 I really only need one good one for my Minoltas and Pentaxes an M42 is perfect and I have several of those: Jupiter 11, Jupiter 37A, CZJ Sonnar, and another which I can't remember plus my Rokkor 3.5 not as many as Dave but it feels like it.

woodrim · Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston

Do you have any idea why some exposed better than others wide open?

1kgcoffee · Joined: 16 May 2014 Posts: 52

I was testing the rokkor yesterday (qd version.) There is some CA wide open but it is probably my favourite of the 135s so far with a combination of sharpness and contrast and colour. Surprisingly better than the hexanon 135. Feels good in the hands too.

[img width="1024" height="768"]http://i.imgur.com/s8plsY7.jpg[/img]

[img width="1024" height="768"]http://i.imgur.com/uvvegog.jpg[/img]

[img width="1024" height="768"]http://i.imgur.com/VCIXZ6E.jpg[/img]

[img width="1024" height="768"]http://i.imgur.com/dq3Zd5b.jpg[/img]

CBokeh · Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2014 11:57 pm Post subject:

Lloydy · Expire: 2022-01-01

pdccameras · Expire: 2014-08-11

Great test, LLoyd!. I have always been partial to the SMC Takumars, but in this test - I think the Jupiter 11 is my favorite. I certainly think it has the best wide-open performance. The Tak may have an edge in the color department - but that is easy to adjust in post.

Best, and many thanks!

Paul

CBokeh · Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2014 4:41 am Post subject:

TrueLoveOne · Expire: 2013-12-24

Great job! No real losers nor winners here, like said before! I think all lens enthusiasts have collected loads of 135s, i have never counted mine..... Wink

memetph · Joined: 01 Dec 2013 Posts: 942 Location: Poland

carliniphoto · Joined: 27 May 2013 Posts: 52 Location: Bremen, Germany

Nice collection.. No Zeiss Jena Sonnar 135??

invisible · Joined: 06 Jun 2013 Posts: 343

All of them look basically equally sharp from here, which comes as a bit of a surprise. Also interesting � at least to me � is how well most of them perform at f/22. The bokeh is where each one of them shows their character. I'm drawn towards the two presets, the non-preset Takumar and the Vivitar.

Thank you very much for taking the time to do this and sharing.

vroger · Expire: 2016-10-21

For us nobs. Do you mind updating the thread to have each Len's full information? so we can go look up information on each. etc.

In some cases there are more than one model / build also.

Thanks

Lloydy · Expire: 2022-01-01

vroger · Expire: 2016-10-21

texsport · Joined: 12 Feb 2013 Posts: 53

Very enlightening exercise - thank you!

For isolating detail, I'd suggest my favorite 135mm - Nikon 135/2 DC.

Texsport

killwilly · Joined: 16 May 2011 Posts: 111 Location: United Kingdom

Great test and it was nice to see the Helios 135 on the list, this is one of my favourite lenses.

This is not a great subject, but does show what the Helios can do.

Lloydy · Expire: 2022-01-01

Langstrum · Joined: 16 Feb 2014 Posts: 351

Igor · Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 10:46 pm Post subject:

great comparison, thanks much for sharing !

kenetik · Joined: 02 Mar 2014 Posts: 524

Great test Lloydy. I too have many 135s. They all do pretty well, it's like 50s, there aren't many bad ones. In your test I was drawn to the Jupiter as well.

Some nice ones I've tried that you don't have included: Zeiss Contax Sonnar 135/2.8, Konica Hexanon 135 3.2 and Vivitar 135 2.3. I picked up one of the 35mm Mamiya 135s recently for a few bucks and the samples I have seen look really nice. The only adapter out there for Nex/A7 is 40 bucks though, so I will probably just sell the lens.

OPAL · Joined: 11 Dec 2012 Posts: 354

Most of the 135er are copied SONNAR type lenses. The optical qualities are subject of the mechanical and assembling care! Otherwise, the 135mm telephoto lenses are more or less, all not bad!