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Loyal Site Supporter Registered: February, 2015 Location: Avalon Peninsula, Newfoundland Posts: 1,787 | | Review Date: December 3, 2023 | Recommended | Price: $120.00
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | Very clear after all these years | | Cons: | Has a lot of purple fringing. And...well, it's old, it's manual, and 135mm is not my favorite FL. | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 9
Camera Used: K-50
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Was going through some old pics and noticed some Pentax-A 135mm shots I hadn't seen in a while. The lens in focus is quite sharp especially in a now 30 year old or more lens. LOTS of purple fringing shooting into the sun or very bright sky. Still, it is a nice lens that can perform to this day.
Re. first pic...he just would NOT turn around.
High bush cranberry...quite tasty on winter hikes/cross country skiing!
 | | | | | | | New Member Registered: September, 2017 Location: Vladimir Posts: 4 | | Review Date: August 9, 2023 | Recommended | Price: $200.00
| Rating: N/A |
| Pros: | Film, cinema look picture, 3D | | Cons: | slightly soft | | Sharpness: 7
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 9
Camera Used: Nikon Z6
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Very nice film-look picture, high contrast, pleasant bokeh, 3D.
Slightly soft comparing with SMC K 135 2.5.
 | | | | | Forum Member Registered: October, 2018 Posts: 60 | | Review Date: January 10, 2021 | Recommended | Price: $62.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharp, auto aperture, build quality | | Cons: | Fringing | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 7
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 9
Camera Used: KP K70
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This has quickly become my most used manual focus lens. The details and resolution it captures in landscape shots always surprises me. I have the M 135 3.5 too and the poor thing doesn't get a look in. The A is marginally bigger and bulkier than the M, but the step up in image quality and the added ease of operation more than makes up for this. The ability to control the aperture on the A lens in camera removes the need for the green button required on the M. Build quality is excellent, better than most of my other A lenses (no plastic aperture ring) and the manual focus is a joy to use.
There can be moderate purple/magenta fringing in direct light situations and maybe the built in hood is not deep enough to deal with this, but this can always be cleaned up in post processing very easily. If you see one...buy it!
| | | | | Site Supporter Registered: November, 2019 Posts: 250 | | Review Date: January 30, 2020 | Recommended | Price: $180.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharpness | | Cons: | purple fringing | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 8
Value: 9
Camera Used: Kp
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Very Nice lens for the money.
| | | | | | | New Member Registered: April, 2015 Posts: 11 | | Review Date: August 31, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $190.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharpness and colours, close focusing | | Cons: | Soft at f/2.8; chromatic aberrations | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 4
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-30; NX500
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This is among the best 135mm lenses out there. Very good sharpness and close focusing is a big plus. However, at f/2.8, this lens is a bit soft. There are way too many chromatic aberrations until f/8. This lens performs terribly if the sun is in the frame, or anywhere in front or above even when its not in the frame. A big hood is recomended like this:
https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/63045403?image=0
For a detailed comparison, see here | | | | | New Member Registered: April, 2017 Posts: 12
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 11, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $90.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | sharp once stopped down a bit, handful, colours, IQ | | Cons: | for the price you pay, none! | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 9
Camera Used: Pentax K50, Fujifilm XT-20
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The Pentax-A 135mm f/2.8 is a nice glass, though a bit a delusion af f/2.8: the Auto-Chinon 135mm f/2.8 does better at full aperture, but being a (rare?) M42 lens, I would still recommend the Pentax-A.
From f/4 it is quite a lovely lens and better than the Pentax-M 135mm f/3,5.
Here, I posted a comparison of the three lenses here (sorry for the crop images do not tell the whole story beacuse thay are automatically generated):
http://www.rustichelli.net/Hobbies/Photography/LensTests/legacy-135mm-on-24M...enses-test.php | | | | | New Member Registered: January, 2018 Location: London Posts: 2
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: April 24, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $180.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharp, bright, light, built-in hood | | Cons: | 1.2m minimum focusing distance, some chromatic aberration | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-1
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This is a really excellent lens.
- Sharp from f4, and extremely sharp at around f8
- Great handling due to small size, light weight and all-metal construction
- Nice bokeh
- Virtually no distortion (geometric aberration)
- Built-in hood (not very big, but much better than nothing).
Downsides?
- The sharpness isn't great at f2.8
- Moderate amounts of green/purple fringing towards the edges of the lens at all apertures
- I wish it would focus closer than 1.2m, but that's probably asking too much of such a compact lens.
Overall, this lens is a joy to use, gives great results, and is very good value!
| | | | | New Member Registered: November, 2017 Location: Lake Worth, Florida USA Posts: 3 | | Review Date: December 9, 2017 | Recommended | Price: $149.99
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharpness, lightweight, color rendition, price, | | Cons: | I haven't found any as of yet | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: Pentax K1
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What's not to like about this lens? It's lightweight and sharp. The bokeh is dreamy. It's perfect for portraits wide open and after taking multiple pictures at 2.8 with a variety of subjects I was surprised just how sharp this lens is. Stop it down slightly and it only improves.
This is the kind of lens that is so inexpensive that I am tempted for find another as a backup.
   | | | | | New Member Registered: June, 2014 Location: Sydney Posts: 15 | | Review Date: June 23, 2017 | Recommended | Price: $135.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharp, easy to focus in low light | | Cons: | None | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-7
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Hi all,
Bought this lens second-hand back in the 1990's and I still have it. The lens is easy to use in low light, focusses easily and furthermore I can use it with my Sigma 1.4x DG EX APO Teleconverter (not a universal TC you will recall). The attached photo was taken from the northern end of Sydney Harbour (near the northern pylon of the Sydney Harbour Bridge) looking back toward the city, a distance of 2-3 kilometres. No colour correction or sharpness has been applied to this shot, which says a lot about the quality of the teleconverter in use also!
P.S. Sorry about the orientation !
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: August, 2011 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 328 | | Review Date: June 9, 2016 | Recommended | Price: $110.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Build, image quality, size, weight, built in hood | | Cons: | not autofocus (is that a negative?) | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-3
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I have owned this lens for about 10 years originally used on my K20, though also on my MX for film. My favorite use is music festivals and garden photography (ponds). Very nice lens that feels like quality from the first. Only negative might be the lack of autofocus, but I am an old hand with manual cameras. Now that the K-1 is out, I am even less likely to ever sell it. Mine came near mint in the original box.
Lost Bayou Ramblers
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: October, 2014 Location: Washington Posts: 2,176
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: March 16, 2016 | Recommended | Price: $128.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Light weight, easy to focus, sharp | | Cons: | none | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: k3
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I would have rated this lens a 10 except for f2.8 not being quite as sharp as other apertures, just being usable. The lens is light, has good contrast and focuses close enough for a 135mm. It is built like most other manual Pentax lenses "like a tank" virtually indestructible. You can expect many years of good service from this lens.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/24877856@N00/albums/72157665797239592  | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: January, 2015 Location: Maryland Posts: 1,677 | | Review Date: January 19, 2016 | Recommended | Price: $130.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Color rendering, Sharp, Compact, Contrast, Bokeh | | Cons: | MF, CA at 2.8, Minimum focus distance | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-30
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Spectacular!
My first Pentax-A lens. I am amazed by the build quality and better yet, image quality of this lens!
Extremely sharp, amazing color rendering, very nice bokeh...
I wish the minimum focus distance was a bit shorter, but I don't complain.
Extremely compact; I was expecting a lens at least 30% larger. This is a pro, not a con!
Incredible handling, smooth focus throw, extremely sharp (right, I already said that.)
I am told this is a great portrait lens, I have yet to try that out... I'm still finding my niche in photography, but I really like just wandering the outskirts of town and shooting wildlife and old buildings.
I actually think this focal length is awkwardly perfect. If I need wider or narrower I will zoom with my feet when the situation allows. If not, I'll try to use the perspective to my advantage.
Here's a shot using this lens the day it arrived:
 | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: May, 2013 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 1,381 | | Review Date: June 3, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $60.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Skin tones, Bokeh, non-invasive nature | | Cons: | super-critical focus wide open | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 8
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-01, 550D, BMDPC
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For cinematographic use, this lens has a couple of advantages, and a couple of disadvantages.
First, it lets you set the camera further back for when you're filming mids and close-ups, and even further back for long shots with multiple performers, especially on cameras like the BMD Pocket Cine Camera, with it's s16 sensor and massive crop factor.
This gives the performers more space to work in, as well as makes it easier to follow their movements with smooth pans.
The narrower view angle makes it easier to hide lights out of shot, and lets the Soundie get the Boom Mic in closer to the talent for clearer audio.
Wide open, there is some fringing and CA, but nothing a half decent colourist can't sort out quickly.
This lens absolutely has to be used on Tripod or Slider, forget about using it hand-held or on shoulder rig on s16, 235 or APS-c. I'd be hesitant to use it on a rig on FF too.
Lastly, focus.
Get it right, and this lens is beautiful.
Get it even slightly out, and once you see the footage on a decent screen, you'll see it is absolutely unforgiving of missed focus, even closed down to f4 or f8.
Just missed, is missed-by-a-mile on this one.
And when working with a Matte Box and filters, you will need a flexible join between the lens and the Matte Box, as there is nearly a full 2cm length change between minimum and infinity focus, so it's pretty easy to end up with reflections on the back of the filters being seen in the frame.
The colour transmission matches other SMC lenses, which also makes the Colourists job easier.
| | | | | Pentaxian Registered: September, 2013 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 1,070
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 13, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $45.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharp, reasonably lightweight and small in size, good build quality, beautiful rendering | | Cons: | Chromatic aberrations appear in high contrast situations | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 7
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: K30
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The lens I have looks like it has been used about two times, and only has one or two specks of dust in it from old age. The focusing is super smooth and predictable, but manual focus does make the lens harder to handle than an auto-focus lens so I reluctantly deducted a point for the handling category (even though as far as manual focus lenses go this is as good as it gets). The lens lets in a lot of light and the subject just snaps right into focus. Since it is an A lens it is really easy to meter, and the build quality is great and nearly on par with my K 55mm 1.8 lens. There is a hood built into the lens, which is convenient. It is sharp wide open at f2.8 as long as you nail the focus, it gets even better if you stop down just a little to f3.2, and at f3.5 it already seems to be at top performance. Chromatic aberrations do show up in high contrast situations at f2.8, but will go away once you start stopping down a bit. This lens isn't the most "contrasty" lens I own, but it very accurate in terms of color rendition. A little photoshop/ lightroom can easily add contrast and help fix some chromatic aberrations but you are mostly better off using this lens as an f3.5 lens. It is a little disappointing though that a manual focus Nikon 135mm f2.8 lens I've used from the same era did not have any chromatic aberration at any aperture, so I have to deduct points for that.
Here is a sample at f2.8 focused on an open sign that is brightly backlit by a window (an example of chromatic aberration from this lens):
https://www.flickr.com/photos/adudenamedjosh/15942930446/in/photostream/
And a portrait of a model who is usually impatient. She surprisingly wasn't during this shoot and didn't even notice I was manual focusing the whole time with this lens when I asked afterwards. So this shows that this lens can be manually focused quickly and accurately:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/adudenamedjosh/15346418644/in/photostream/
I could also focus quick enough to get a puppy in focus consistently:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/adudenamedjosh/16761356108/
You will have to stand rather far back to fit a whole person in the shot, so for full body portraits expect to go outdoors:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/adudenamedjosh/15888827650/
Shooting into the sun without the hood can easily give you that flare look:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/adudenamedjosh/15888824410/in/photostream/
A Landscape at night: https://www.flickr.com/photos/adudenamedjosh/16742817405/
A flower shot: https://www.flickr.com/photos/adudenamedjosh/16326657974/
This lens can be so sharp that you could even crop and use it for wildlife if you want to.
All shots were on my K30, but I would really like to see what this lens can do on the 24mp K3!
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: June, 2011 Location: Rotterdam, Netherlands Posts: 235
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 2, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $150.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | solid, sharp, compact, looks good on K-01 | | Cons: | None | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-5 and K-01
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I give this lens a 9 overall. For this price it seems hard to find anything sharper and more pleasing. I would have given a 10 if I didn't know the SMC Pentax-A* 135mm F1.8 exists as well. Unfortunately I haven't had the chance to compare. But this lens is definitely a better performer compared to the M 135mm F3.5.
At first I left this lens somewhat unused until I recently bought a K-01. This camera features focus peaking which really helps with these manual focus lenses. It's just a pleasure to use: solid, a good grip and focusing is smooth and precise. And hey, the K-01 and 135mm 2.8 look great together! Some shots:
(background of this photo here)
(background of this photo here )
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