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11-14-2013, 07:57 PM   #4066
Jon
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Anyone have experience with the (M) 85, 100, or 135 lenses? I'm interested in a shorter tele for portrait work. I've been clicking through reviews and eBay for a couple weeks now, but thought I'd toss it out there to my fellow m-lens lovers.
Thanks in advance.


m 200/4

11-14-2013, 11:04 PM   #4067
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QuoteOriginally posted by Jon Quote
Anyone have experience with the (M) 85, 100, or 135 lenses? I'm interested in a shorter tele for portrait work. I've been clicking through reviews and eBay for a couple weeks now, but thought I'd toss it out there to my fellow m-lens lovers.
Thanks in advance.


m 200/4
If you want to see an example from the M100/f4 macro, look at the dime on the page before this. It is brutally sharp and will show every wrinkle. A softer lens is the M135mm but you need to stand back more. I don't know the 85mm.
11-15-2013, 01:13 AM   #4068
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QuoteOriginally posted by Jon Quote
Anyone have experience with the (M) 85, 100, or 135 lenses? I'm interested in a shorter tele for portrait work. I've been clicking through reviews and eBay for a couple weeks now, but thought I'd toss it out there to my fellow m-lens lovers.
Thanks in advance.


m 200/4
I bought the M100 as part of a job lot and loved it, it went with me everywhere for quite a while. I then saw a bargain priced M85 so picked that up too, and it blew me away. As to 135mm lenses I prefer the K135/2.5. These days I feel bad about the M100 as it is a lovely lens but it makes more sense to carry the 85 and the 135 than the 85 and 100 or 100 and 135... Either the 85 or the 100 will really make you smile.

Note, however, that I mainly use both these lenses on my 35mm film cameras. I have used them on my digital but (a) I don't use the digital very much and (b) when I do I use my 50-135mm to cover these focal lengths.

Cheers, Kris.
11-15-2013, 04:44 AM   #4069
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Thanks Kris and Arnold. The faster aperture of the 85 might push it over the macro 100 for me. So long as the price is right. It seems people on ebay are becoming more aware of old pentax glass. And Kris, I also still shoot the wet stuff. I am just really bad about developing it. Envious of your LX. I use an MX, but most my shots on here are with the k30.
Thanks again guys.

11-15-2013, 06:08 AM   #4070
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The CA at F2 on the M85/2 can be pretty severe shooting outdoors for any high contrast edges in the image, eg black/white boundaries. I would avoid F2 if I was shooting a zebra for example! The CA is of an unusual blue variety. Much reduced at F2.8 and is fairly well behaved from F4. I suspect F2 was intended for controlled lighting indoors only. It is sharp at F2.8 and beyond, 'portrait' soft at F2. Lovely compact lens, its reach belies its small size. Colours seem more neutral than some Pentax lenses which makes sense for a lens intended for portrait use.

I used it for the Single in November 2012 challenge, see album here: southlander's Album: Single in November - PentaxForums.com
11-15-2013, 06:19 AM   #4071
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M135/3.5 The more I use this lens the more I like the way it renders. It can be a CA beast in out of focus highlights in some conditions (lots of green/purple in the bokeh), but after a while you learn to play to its strengths. Like the M85, very compact for its reach and way cheaper than the M85 and half the price of a M100/4 Macro, which by the way is a pretty good lens as well. Most versatile of the three with 1:2 FF macro magnification.
11-15-2013, 03:08 PM   #4072
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QuoteOriginally posted by Jon Quote
Thanks Kris and Arnold. The faster aperture of the 85 might push it over the macro 100 for me. So long as the price is right. It seems people on ebay are becoming more aware of old pentax glass. And Kris, I also still shoot the wet stuff. I am just really bad about developing it. Envious of your LX. I use an MX, but most my shots on here are with the k30.
Thanks again guys.
I should have been more precise, I was referring to the M100/2.8 not the f/4 macro. If you're intending to use it for digital the A version which is optically identical would be easier to use, although more expensive to buy.

K.

11-15-2013, 04:02 PM   #4073
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I have all three and the 85mm is certainly my favourite of them. It's a superb lens that produces great shots and is a joy to use, though wide open it does have the faults mentioned above. The 100/2.8 is sharper wide open and has less colour fringing, but lacks in colour and contrast compared to the 85. The 135 is quite a lot longer and gets very little use due to the focal length. Stopped down past f/4.5 it's nice and sharp and very compact for it's focal length. I recently took it as my only long lens on a trip to NY and it performed very well.
11-16-2013, 03:10 AM   #4074
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QuoteOriginally posted by southlander Quote
M135/3.5 The more I use this lens the more I like the way it renders. It can be a CA beast in out of focus highlights in some conditions (lots of green/purple in the bokeh), but after a while you learn to play to its strengths. Like the M85, very compact for its reach and way cheaper than the M85 and half the price of a M100/4 Macro, which by the way is a pretty good lens as well. Most versatile of the three with 1:2 FF macro magnification.
The only time I have problems with the M135/3.5 is when shooting brightly lit contrasty subjects - on a K-7 it then purple/blue fringes badly. In gentle light my copy is superb, even wide open at f3.5. It can be ridiculously cheap on eBay, if you are patient.
11-16-2013, 04:59 AM   #4075
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Here are some of my latest photos using my SMC-M 50mm f/2:

My son this morning

Turned Away by -Occasionally Focused-

Male king parrot

Regal Dino by -Occasionally Focused-

Female king parrot (does that make her a queen parrot, I wonder) ;-)

Queen Parrot by -Occasionally Focused-

Rainbow lorikeet

Evening Close-up Lorikeet by -Occasionally Focused-

Underpass Noir

Out of the Light by -Occasionally Focused-

A red, red rose

Like a red red rose by -Occasionally Focused-

Some of these are from the PF 'Single in November' challenge, some are just because that challenge has led me to keep the M almost permanently on my K-30.
11-16-2013, 07:46 AM   #4076
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Bonjour "M" fans ... gotta question for y'all ... Bought a M 28/2.8 off the the French site "Le bon coin" and I am quite disappointed in the very used cosmetic state and even worse, in a nice scratch on the rear element ... this was not how the lens was described, which used terms of "optically perfect", etc.

My question : has anyone shot with a scratch like this ? ... I have never had one like this before and it's probably a "loosing battle" to get refunded, etc., because the 28 was quite cheap and I do not have the time for such a hassle ... any input would be appreciated because I cannot go outside to test due to dark, rainy weather here ... thanks in advance et salut, J (x-post)



11-16-2013, 10:33 AM   #4077
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QuoteOriginally posted by Jean Poitiers Quote
Bonjour "M" fans ... gotta question for y'all ... Bought a M 28/2.8 off the the French site "Le bon coin" and I am quite disappointed in the very used cosmetic state and even worse, in a nice scratch on the rear element ... this was not how the lens was described, which used terms of "optically perfect", etc.
I hear from lots of people that scratches on the front element matter little if at all, but scratches on the rear element may be another issue. I'd definitely try to get a refund if you paid a lot for it. If you got it cheap, then it may be a "lesson learned" sort of thing.
11-16-2013, 10:44 AM   #4078
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QuoteOriginally posted by jcdoss Quote
I hear from lots of people that scratches on the front element matter little if at all, but scratches on the rear element may be another issue. I'd definitely try to get a refund if you paid a lot for it. If you got it cheap, then it may be a "lesson learned" sort of thing.
Thanks, that's my general impression, too ... that rear element scratches are much more of an issue ... I was wondering if a "wide" angle 28 would not show this fault too bad ... I will try the refund route here, but with little hope for a decent solution ... win some, loose some ... Merci encore, J
11-16-2013, 11:41 AM   #4079
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QuoteOriginally posted by Jean Poitiers Quote
Bonjour "M" fans ... gotta question for y'all ... Bought a M 28/2.8 off the the French site "Le bon coin" and I am quite disappointed in the very used cosmetic state and even worse, in a nice scratch on the rear element ... this was not how the lens was described, which used terms of "optically perfect", etc.

My question : has anyone shot with a scratch like this ? ... I have never had one like this before and it's probably a "loosing battle" to get refunded, etc., because the 28 was quite cheap and I do not have the time for such a hassle ... any input would be appreciated because I cannot go outside to test due to dark, rainy weather here ... thanks in advance et salut, J (x-post)


I've heard the same about scratches and such on the rear element. What a pity - the 28 2.8 would be a nice lens. Good luck with the refund
11-16-2013, 03:17 PM   #4080
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QuoteOriginally posted by Tsuken Quote
Here are some of my latest photos using my SMC-M 50mm f/2:
Those are good. I am pleased that you have given the 50/2 a chance to prove itself. I think people underrate this lens because it is a common kit lens.
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