People Portraits with Vivitar 135mm f/2.8

marcogalbiati · 07-09-2016, 09:36 AM

Here are some pics I've taken today with my Vivitar. Not sure about the aperture (manual..) but they should all be between 5.6 and 9. I don't like the color rendition too much, but this lens is seriously sharp. Even for this high definition camera (Sony Alpha RII 42mgpx), this little lens seems to provide enough detail and seems to even resolve the sensor. I know there is a also a better version, 135 2.5 CLOSE focus, relatively rare. If anybody has samples, I'd love to see them, to get an idea of how much better that lens really is.
Cheers, Marco

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**BigDave** · 07-09-2016, 07:10 PM

The 135mm lens seems to be a "lost" focal length, particularly with APS-C sensors. Too long for portrait, not long enough for sports or nature. These images show how useful the 135mm FL can be. Either on a Crop or FF sensor it gives nice depth-of-field and this lens looks nicely sharp! Nice series of images!

marcogalbiati · 07-10-2016, 02:02 AM

Thanks for the comment. Yes, on a crop sensor this would be a bit awkward, but on a Friday the length is great for non intrusive portraits. Anyone knows how this vivitar compares to its close focus sister? And what about other 135s, like eg the similarly spec-ed Tamron Adaptall 2? Cheers!

Ray-uk · 07-11-2016, 03:06 AM

lovely shots which capture the mood very well, they could do with a bit of PP to boost contrast and brightness.

The fault that is glaringly obvious to me is why didn't you turn the camera through 90 degrees to get them in portrait mode, that way you would have cut out the uneccessary stuff at the sides and got the top of her head in the picture.

marcogalbiati · 07-13-2016, 04:26 PM

Originally posted by Ray-uk

lovely shots which capture the mood very well, they could do with a bit of PP to boost contrast and brightness.

The fault that is glaringly obvious to me is why didn't you turn the camera through 90 degrees to get them in portrait mode, that way you would have cut out the uneccessary stuff at the sides and got the top of her head in the picture.

Yeah, you're right, Ray - the framing is less than ideal! But sometimes I like to keep some of the 'environment' in. I do realize that some details mean nothing to others, but to me / family, even a rubbish bin in the background sometimes makes the photo less 'abstract', placing the subject in a precise context (home), even if somehow unconsciously. Having said that, yeah, junk is junk. And chopping off a baby's head isn't very pro :-D

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07-09-2016, 07:10 PM	#2
BigDave Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Hudson Valley, NY Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,626	The 135mm lens seems to be a "lost" focal length, particularly with APS-C sensors. Too long for portrait, not long enough for sports or nature. These images show how useful the 135mm FL can be. Either on a Crop or FF sensor it gives nice depth-of-field and this lens looks nicely sharp! Nice series of images!

07-10-2016, 02:02 AM	#3
marcogalbiati New Member Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: London, UK Photos: Gallery Posts: 5 Original Poster	Thanks for the comment. Yes, on a crop sensor this would be a bit awkward, but on a Friday the length is great for non intrusive portraits. Anyone knows how this vivitar compares to its close focus sister? And what about other 135s, like eg the similarly spec-ed Tamron Adaptall 2? Cheers!

07-11-2016, 03:06 AM	#4
Ray-uk Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Kent Photos: Gallery Posts: 159	lovely shots which capture the mood very well, they could do with a bit of PP to boost contrast and brightness. The fault that is glaringly obvious to me is why didn't you turn the camera through 90 degrees to get them in portrait mode, that way you would have cut out the uneccessary stuff at the sides and got the top of her head in the picture.

07-13-2016, 04:26 PM	#5
marcogalbiati New Member Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: London, UK Photos: Gallery Posts: 5 Original Poster	Originally posted by Ray-uk lovely shots which capture the mood very well, they could do with a bit of PP to boost contrast and brightness. The fault that is glaringly obvious to me is why didn't you turn the camera through 90 degrees to get them in portrait mode, that way you would have cut out the uneccessary stuff at the sides and got the top of her head in the picture. Yeah, you're right, Ray - the framing is less than ideal! But sometimes I like to keep some of the 'environment' in. I do realize that some details mean nothing to others, but to me / family, even a rubbish bin in the background sometimes makes the photo less 'abstract', placing the subject in a precise context (home), even if somehow unconsciously. Having said that, yeah, junk is junk. And chopping off a baby's head isn't very pro :-D