[Sandy Hancock]

My month with the SMC Pentax-FA 1:2.8 135mm has been a pleasure.

Physically, it is relatively tiny, it has a nifty built-in hood, and it handles nicely. The focus ring is typically under-damped like most consumer grade autofocus lenses, but it is smooth and pleasantly tactile. It is internal focus too, which is another plus, but the ring turns during autofocus, so it is important to grip the barrel close to the camera body. The only downside (and that is arguable, and essentially unimportant) - it is no beauty.

Optically, it is a beauty. It's acceptably sharp wide open and surgically so stopped down. Distortion is negligible. Bokeh is sumptuous. It is the closest focussing 135mm lens I have encountered. Many reviews complain about heavy purple and green fringing - it certainly exists, but was rarely problematic, and relatively easy to clean up with a few clicks in Lightroom.

I was intending to take comparison shots with the DA*50-135, but the death of my father on 1st December took priority over complicating the challenge. In fact I'm quite proud of getting through the month at all - with fewer missed days (one?) than usual.

So in a nutshell, it is a really nice lens - remarkably compact and very capable. It won't replace my DA*50-135 as an APS-C event lens, but I look forward to using it as a portrait lens on full frame. A keeper for sure.

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Last edited by Sandy Hancock; 01-01-2016 at 01:51 AM.

[UncleVanya]

That's only four lenses! What kind of LBAist are you!? sheesh.

Emmm... that's 4 at that focal length.
I also have the DA 70, and FA 77, the DA 15, the F 100 Macro, the DA 200, the FA 300, the DA 12-24, the DA 18-135, the DA 50-135, the DA 60-250, the DA 55-300, and several M and A series lenses, oh and the DA HD 1.4x TC...

I'm sure I forgot a few...

[ripper2860]

Emmm... that's 4 at that focal length.
I also have the DA 70, and FA 77, the DA 15, the F 100 Macro, the DA 200, the FA 300, the DA 12-24, the DA 18-135, the DA 50-135, the DA 60-250, the DA 55-300, and several M and A series lenses, oh and the DA HD 1.4x TC...

I'm sure I forgot a few...

Light-weight!! While you have certainly established a quality lens collection, I'm going for sheer quantity ...

Pentax-DA 15/4 Limited
Pentax-DA 21/3.2 Limited
Sigma EX DG 28/1.8
Kiron 28/2
Pentax-A 28/2.8
Pentax SMC (K Series) 28/3.5
Pentax/Asahi Auto-Takumar 35/2.3
Pentax-DA 35/2.4
Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon 35/2.8
Pentax-DA 35/2.8 Macro Limited
Kaligar 35/3.5
Pentax/Asahi Super-Takumar 35/3.5
Mir 1B 37/2.8
Pentax-DA 40/2.8 Limited
Pentax-A 50/1.4
Pentax/Asahi Super-Takumar 50/1.4 (8-element)
Pentax-M 50/1.7
Pentax-DA 50/1.8
AUS Jena Pancolar 50/1.8
Carl Zeiss Jena Pancolar 50/1.8
Carl Zeiss Jena DDR Tessar 50/2.8
Sigma EX DG Macro 50/2.8
Carl Zeiss Jena DDR Tessar 50/3.5
Pentax/Asahi Macro-Takumar 50/4
Sears Auto 55/1.4
Pentax SMC (K Series) 55/1.8
Pentax/Asahi Auto-Takumar 55/2
Helios 44 58/2
Helios 44-2 58/2
Helios 44-K4 58/2
Pentax-DA 70/2.4 Limited
Jupiter 9 85/2
Pentax-M Macro 100/4
Pentax/Asahi Super-Takumar 105/2.8
Sigma EX DG Macro 105/2.8
Pentax SMC (K Series) 135/2.5
Pentax/Asahi Takumar 135/3.5
Pentax/Asahi Super-Takumar 150/4
Pentax/Asahi Takumar 200/3.5
Pentax SMC (K Series) 200/4
Spiratone MiniTel 500/8
Pentax-DA 10-17/3.5-4.5
Sigma EX DG 10-20/3.5
Tamron SP 17-50/2.8 XR Di II LD IF
Sigma DC 17-70/2.8-4.5
Pentax-DA WR 18-135/3.5-5.6
Vivitar Series 1 28-90/2.8-3.5
Pentax-A 35-105/3.5
Pentax-HD WR 55-300/4.5-8

And assorted tele-converters, tripods. monopods, bags, an ME Super, K110D, K-3, K500, Q, and now a Sony Alpha 6000 with NEX-M42 and NEX-PK adapter.

(I believe I've convinced the wife it's cheaper than smoking, prostitutes, gambling, drugs and far better than a 401K. I have left her an inventory spreadsheet with the values and instructed her to sell upon my death -- so it's all for her and the kids, really. ;-) I'm not 100% sure she buys it, but at least she tolerates my 'obsession' -- for now!!)

[joip]

My first month completing the SI. Some days were a joy, some a frustration & others an absolutely painful panic (I've got to take a picture of something I can post)! My choice was the 40mm L. First realization - the 40mm isn't so much a landscape lens. Gulp - there went my plan for snow covered mountain vistas and wide open plains... The lens is light & doesn't perform at it's best in auto focus. Often I manually focused which is a bit different with this lens due to its short barrel. It was doable though, no problem. I'm not experienced enough to talk about fringing or flare Mostly I concentrated on experimenting with shutter speed & DOF. I shoot through the view finder because I don't like the glare of the screen so I learned to look at my shots & readjust accordingly. Sometimes it felt like it wasn't wide enough & other times it felt like it wasn't macro-ish enough. The color rendition is pretty fantastic. Not something I would use as an every day walk around. Not in the winter anyway but my garden in the summer might begin an entire new relationship with this lens. The forum itself was fun. I felt intimidated at first but everyone is friendly & supportive. I'm not sure what lens I'll be using tomorrow but I'll be here. Thanks to all for your patience - (I can now upload from Flickr). But most of all thanks for sharing your shots, yourselves & your tremendous amount of never ending knowledge. Happy New Years to all!

[robgski]

The 40mm XS is an absolute joy for me. Sharp, versatile I could not ask for anything more in a prime. Everyone should own one and have it it their camera bag at all times. It's small size makes it damn near forgettable, but the images it produces means it won't be forgotten.
It speaks for itself:
[IMG][/IMG]

[dakight]

What can I say about the 15 Limited? It's certainly more capable than I am and I found myself struggling at times because it forced me to consider subjects that are not my normal fare and it made me look at things in a different way. The focal length is very forgiving with a super deep field and stopped down even moderately it becomes essentially a point and shoot lens with everything from a couple of feet out in focus. It is sharp and renders colors nicely. I did find some flare and coma in certain situations but overall it is optically probably the best lens I have. I still have a lot to learn with this lens and I will revisit it in the near future. Up next... the Tamron 90mm Macro.

[mattt]

it forced me to consider subjects that are not my normal fare and it made me look at things in a different way.

That sort of growth is hard to come by - some even pay good money to try to gain it - congratulations!

[todd]

Emmm... that's 4 at that focal length.

Well none are the same exact focal length, and there are countless ways to justify keeping it if you are dedicated to your LBA...

[ripper2860]

Happy New Year from Texas!

[UncleVanya]

Well none are the same exact focal length, and there are countless ways to justify keeping it if you are dedicated to your LBA...

I honestly have curiosity and interest in lenses but ultimately I mainly want a good set not a collection. Does this mean I have LBA or is it something else?

[ripper2860]

I honestly have curiosity and interest in lenses but ultimately I mainly want a good set not a collection. Does this mean I have LBA or is it something else?

It means you are applying patience, common sense, and logic. Therefore you do not qualify as being afflicted with LBA. I have no idea what that would be called. :-)

I love vintage glass. I guess I'm more of a collector. I'm about to the point of selling quite a few and just strategically buying some quality glass. Quality over quantity is what I should be striving for but my fascination with vintage manual lenses is keeping me from doing so. I guess I'm hooked as long as my eyes allow me to manually focus.

[UncleVanya]

It means you are applying patience, common sense, and logic. Therefore you not qualify as being afflicted with LBA. I have no idea what that would be called. :-)

I love vintage glass. I guess I'm more of a collector. I'm about to the point of selling quite a few and just strategically buying some strategic quality glass. Quality over quantity is what I should be striving for but my fascination with vintage manual lenses is keeping me from doing so. I guess I'm hooked as long as my eyes allow me to manually focus.

Maybe, or I could be fickle and use the gear long enough for the thrill and newness and then cast it aside...

I do have two new cameras... a Panasonic LX7 and a GX7.

[OzzRod]

Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 5.8cm f2 review (black body with red T; 17 blade iris diaphragm; M42 mount; built in 1952)

When this compact beauty arrived I was a bit concerned that my pudgy fingers were going to find it difficult adjusting its small focus and aperture rings, but that wasn’t the case. And, like a few other manual lenses of mine, seeing directly how the viewfinder scene changed as the aperture was adjusted was really instructive.

Looking back over my album, I find there’s not much in the way of inspiring images for December but I think that’s more me losing my mojo a couple of times during the month. However I do see enough to remind me that this lens is already amongst my favourites.

First - it’s sharp! Rarely did I feel the need to sharpen images in post, although with close-ups and macros, getting the focus exactly where I wanted was a challenge. F4 and beyond delivered exceptionally crisp images for medium distance and infinity landscapes. Macros were very pleasing, with many good hand-held results in natural daylight.

Bokeh was delightfully smooth as one would expect for a 17 blade iris diaphragm, and bokeh balls remain circular even at small apertures. It handled into-the-sun shots very well with lovely multi-spike starbursts that could be made to cover the entire frame width.

I found colour rendition to be quite acceptable. Images taken in good sunlight needed little adjustment; those caught in dull conditions were lifted readily in post. Stars rendered sharply across the frame from f2.8 and the glass captured a good range of star colours. The lens also performed beautifully on my IR full spectrum converted K5 with no sign of a hotspot.

The minimum focus distance of 59cm was an occasional irritant but not a significant issue.

Combined with the Biotar’s compact body I’m already tempted just to glue a K mount adaptor to it and carry it around so it’s always available; for reliably sharp images of people, buildings, landscapes and macros and to exploit its delicious bokeh for those more “artistic moments”.

[robgski]

it forced me to consider subjects that are not my normal fare and it made me look at things in a different way

Honestly, with most hobbies, I do not wish to possess more things, I wish to have more time to enjoy and fully learn to use the things I already possess. That's the beauty of the SIC, using the same lens every day for a month usually means I have the same experience as dakight expressed above

[wstruth]

I really enjoyed using the DA 10-17mm this month, the Flickr algorithms seem to have as well because three of my images were explored this month. I was concerned going in that it would be too much of a gimmick lens to last the month. But I found myself pushing through that to keep on using it. I think i only posted one shot at 17mm so maybe there will be another month soon with it. Physically its a bit bigger than I had expected but being a zoom it probably had to be. Purple fringing occurs frequently with this lens, usually I remembered to clean it up in Lightroom before posting. Bokeh is not its' strong suit but it was not horrible. And I always felt the need to sharpen up my images with it. Close up it was a dream like all Fisheyes





It also worked well with a broader filed of view





and times could be fairly less fishy