Which 135mm to go with

[tinybynature]

Hello,

I am looking to add a 135mm lens to my kit.

I have seen the following, that keep showing up in discussions on the net:


Pentax SMC-Takumar 135mm f/2.5 (version 2 - 6 elements)

Jupiter 11 vs 11a

Jupiter 37 vs 37a

CZJ 135mm / 3.5 MC

can anyone share experiences, reasons for one over the other?

I am using a Canon 40d and Pentax K-01, with an M42 adapter in each.

[Arkku]

All are good lenses, if you cannot determine by looking at image characteristics (e.g., bokeh) in sample pictures, then I would just pick the one where you can find the best deal… And there are many other nice 135mm lenses out there, as well, e.g., Mamiya/Sekor 135mm f/2.8, EBC Fujinon-T 135mm f/3.5, and Tair-11A come to mind as belonging to the approx. same price bracket. I find the best way to find good prices is not to get set on obtaining a specific lens but look for many at the same time and grab the bargain when it comes along.

(That said, out of your list I'd personally pick the CZJ Sonnar—love the contrast, minimum focus distance, and small size.)

[Billou]

I agree with that, and the Sonnar can often (and surprisingly) be found for a good price.

I would also recommend the Re Auto Topcor 135/3.5. This is the one that made me sell my Tair-11a and my FD 135/2.5. Light and precise. Always gives me good pictures.

If you want a cheap one, you can get a Revuenon Special 135/2.8. You can find it for 5 or 10 euros, they re a bit soft wide open but gives excellent character, especially in black and white.

[Lloydy]

There are a lot of people who say that there no really bad 135's, I have 8 different ones and they are all very good - but some are better. From the ones on your list I've only got the Jupiter, which I like a lot although I haven't used it a great deal yet. I have a Takumar, the 3.5, which is excellent. My favorite is probably a Olympus Zuiko 3.5 which is a delight, its sharp and the colours are great, it's a nice lens. But probably my most used 135 is a cheap Super Paragon 135 / 2.8 made by Cimko. It's a bigger and heavier lens than the Zuiko - most are - but its still a nice size and is a great lens. There will be some bad 135's for sure, but I think the ones you've listed will all be fine lenses. Search Flickr and other picture host sites with the lens names and you'll soon find some examples.

[inombrable]

From your list i have the SMC takumar, the jupiter 11 and the CZJ but the zebra version, all of them great lenses i also have the Takumar 135 3.5 which is great too, like lloydy said most 135 mm are good, the only bad one i've tried is one Prinz Galaxy preset that was very soft.

From your list i would go with the sonnar as is a great lens, very sharp and excellent contrast (some of my best photos have been with that one) and you can find it for a better price than the takumar 2.5.

You can also consider two options that no one has mentioned yet, the Pentacon 135 2.8 which i use a lot and is great specially if you can get the preset version and the chinon 135 2.8 which you can find very very cheap.

[Aanything]

Difficult to choose, all the lenses mentioned are from Very Good to excellent.
If I had to choose one, I'd probably go for the sonnar, surely the best overall, but you can get jupiter 11's so cheap that it would be a pity not having one.

I'd leave the takumar 135/2.5 out mostly because all the 6/6 version i saw were really expensive, and, IMHO, it won't be better than a sonnar.

[inombrable]

[Attila]

[tinybynature]

I have seen the Tair 11/11a online quite a bit and have read some great reviews. I have read that most seem to like the Jupiter 37a better?

The Tair 11/a, is still quite pricey!

Is there a big difference between the Jupiter11 and the 11a? (same for the 37 / 37a).

What would be a reasonable price to pay for these lenses?

[kyonthinh]

People say 11a is better than 11, I am not sure, I have only Jupiter 11.

[martinsmith99]

I had and sold the Jupiter 37a. It was like the CZJ Sonnar, but not quite as good.

My 135s are currently:

CZJ later MC version - The sharpest of the bunch and very good bokeh and good close focus ability
Pentacon Preset - Round bokeh at all apertures acceptably sharp (best for portraits)
Tair11a - A cross between the 2 lenses above, but not quite as sharp as the CZJ and swirly bokeh wide open. Well saturated
SMC Takumar 3.5 - quite good, but overrated like most Taks IMO
Chinon - average and the lightest of the bunch

If I had to pick one? Well, one of the first 3 as they're the ones I use mostly.

[Aanything]

The sonnar 4/135 should be put In the list too.

Prices depend also on luck and patience: the last j11 I bought costed 40 eur including a working zenit E, an industar 50 and a no-brand Japanese 2.8/28.
Sonnar 3.5/135 can be had quite easily for under €100, even for 75.
Pentacons are common and variously priced, I think I sold mine here for around € 45, I paid it much less at a flea market little time before, but I saw some go for twice that price.

I'm talking about online auction prices. In other places everything can happen.

[std]

Definitely the 4/135 Sonnar - if you like the old aluminum lenses like me
Also 4/135 Triotar slightly larger but also very good and sharp - not that contrasty as the sonnar but gives very special look.

[tinybynature]

I am considering the following

Jupiter 11 - $40 USD

Jupiter 37A - $65 USD

CZJ Sonnar MC - $125 - $150 USD

All are advertised as clean and fully functional.

Do those all sound fairly reasonable?

[DR.JUAN]

There are a lot of M42 mount 135 mm lenses out there.

Nice performing and cheap.

Mamiya/sekor (DTL or SX) 2,8 and 3,5; SMC or ST Takumar 3,5; Schneider 3,5; Steinheil D or macro 2,8; super dynarex F/4; ricoh 2,8; soligor 2,8, etc.

Best four to me?

Sonnar, elmarit, minolta, mamiya SX (or rolleinar, the same lens).

[Aanything]

[inombrable]

In my opinion jupiter 37 and sonnar a bit expensive, you can get those for a bit less clean and functional (depending on where you are) also as Aanything said its a matter of patience and luck. I got my J11 alongside an helios 44 and a mir 1 (all silver version) with a working zenit camera for 60 USD in very good condition.

[tinybynature]

[enliten]

just a quick note on the 135 takumar,

there are two versions of the 2.5 lens

one says TAKUMAR BAYONET the other is SMC Takumar, which is supposedly a much better lens.

my "bayonet" version really is underwhelming.

[Aanything]

[caribou]

I got five 135mm.
The first one, that awaked my interest for 135 on µ4/3, a Konic Hexanon f/3.5, nice colors and contrast, small, rings very smooth, a REAL pleasure to use, sadly a lot of chromatic aberations.
A Jupiter-11, I love those old russian lens, good, but not very fast and a bit too long.
A Zuiko Pen 150mm f/4 (well, not a 135 but I bought it to be used "as" a 135), very nice pictures but only f/4.
A Leitz f/2.8 in Leica R mount... excellent, really, perfect pictures at f/2.8 and after. But soooo heavy and big... despite its great quality I really don't like go for shooting with big and heavy material.

Finally I sold all of them and find a Zuiko OM f/2.8 that I really enjoy to use, almost as light and small as the Konica but with better pictures quality (especially with chromatic aberations) and faster, not as good as the Leitz but more usefull.

[Attila]

+1 on Zuiko , think about Zeiss T* Sonnar 2.8 , not heavy and perhaps even better than Zuiko.

[iangreenhalgh1]

Konica Hexanon 3.2/135 is a stunning lens and pretty cheap, these were all wide open on my NEX-3:

[Aanything]

Great samples, Ian.
Too bad those hexanons don't fit my sony dslr: most of the results posted around in the forum look incredibly good.

[iangreenhalgh1]

Aah, sorry, I forgot you had a Sony.