| Author: | | New Member Registered: December, 2008 Location: Nonthaburi Thailand Posts: 10 | | Review Date: February 18, 2009 | Recommended
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharp for me | | Cons: | notthing yet | |
very sharp lens i bought this len from australia with K2+smc k 50 f1.2
i gave for 9 because it not AF haha  
anyway this lens is older than me but still working in great sharp!!!
i not so smart in English so let's see photo shot from this lens
****************
from k100d sp + k 135mm f2.5
Skink from Thailand
 | | | | | | | Site Supporter Registered: January, 2009 Location: Champagne Ardennes, France Posts: 19
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: February 6, 2009 | Recommended | Price: $132.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Build quality, very sharp and f2,5 | | Cons: | No built-in hood, PF | |
Fantastic all metal quality of build, easy to focus, produces nice pictures.
This lens is a little bit soft at f2,5, and is very sharp when stopped at f4. The Ds or the K100D have a nice look with the K135/2,5 mounted on!.
Purple fringing can appear at full aperture with extreme light and contrast, but you don't need 2,5 in these cases!
The bokeh is nice at f2,5
This gem is difficult to find and if you have the chance to get it for a reasonable price (less than $150) buy it !
(Picture taken at f8)
 | | | | | Senior Member Registered: September, 2008 Location: Norway Posts: 127 | | Review Date: September 17, 2008 | Recommended | Price: $130.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | fast, sharp, relatively small, extreme build quality | | Cons: | lack of a-setting (doh) | |
I love this lens!
Got this one almost by accident for about $130. Actually I did reply to a seller regarding another lens, but were too late. He contacted me shortly after that as he had found this copy while cleaning his attic 
My copy has some signs of wear on the outside, but looks optically just fine. You have to stop down a bit to get the sharpest shots, but I usually grab this one when I need to shoot in low light situations and use it wide open. Stopped down this is about as sharp as you'll get. Wide open you may loose some contrast, but in my experience it can also produce some really outstanding shots from live concerts. It is larger than its 3.5 cousin, but quite small for a f2.5 at this range. Not that much bigger than the kit zoom (but heavier).
Fun fact: It's size has turned out to be very handy. I had to negotiate with security at a jazz concert this summer to get permission to shoot. The answer was that it was OK as long as the lens was not too big and disturbing - and the K 135/2.5 was no problem. I guess the DA* 50-135 would have been at bit more hassle
Get this one if you can. It's excellent in all ways. Now if it only had the A-setting...
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: August, 2007 Location: Near Utrecht, Netherlands Posts: 1,221
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: August 29, 2008 | Recommended | Price: $140.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | fast, well built | | Cons: | lens hood is not part of lens | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 8
Value: 9
| |
This lens became one of my favourite the minute I put it on my K10d. It feels great, focuses smoothly and sharply, and gives great results even wide open.
I am not a pixelpeeper, but I like to shoot in low light and theatre. This lens served me for several purposes already. And I returned with great images.
I used to take it with me, along with a Ist*Ds and the 18-55 kit lens for daily shooting purposes for a weblog. Although the 135 requires a little more work for getting the right camera setting (auto mode is problem with this K-lens - as with others - ), I found the combination yielding better results than I would have expected.
Yes, it is a bit heavier than the 3.5, but attached to a K10d with grip, and used to carrying a 300mm/2.8 I do not complain. To me, this is a keeper!
Maybe that is because the feeling of having complete control over everything is important to me. I am not an Auto-mode-shooter. Prefer to do everything manually, and use the built in light meter of the camera like the old fashioned external light meters: it is no more than an advisor to me.
Using the lens hood makes this lens even better. Though SMC is doing a great job, colors tend to be deeper when the hood is attached. Too bad that the hood clips are fragile. A built in lens hood would have been lovely.
I sold my 135/3.5 to get funding for this 2.5 . All in all I have paid about 60$ for the upgrade (of course the /2.5 was bought second hand). Anyone getting a chance to do the same? Highly recommended!
| | | | | | | Site Supporter Registered: January, 2007 Location: Toronto Posts: 17,886 | | Review Date: January 27, 2008 | Recommended | Price: $125.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | fast, very sharp | | Cons: | none at all | |
I bought this lens before christmas, and have had it "out to play" several times. sharpness and contrast is amazing.
I have also used it with a 1 diopter close up lens for flowers. results are very very good.
I note one reviewer complains about lack of a lens hood. This is incorrect. There is a common hood for the 135 f2.5 the 200 F4 (SMC not SMC-M) and 85-210 f4.5 all have 58 mm filter.
| | | | | Giveaway winner! Registered: December, 2007 Location: beantown Posts: 944
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 14, 2007 | Recommended | Price: $97.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Right heft, Sharp, well built | | Cons: | not an f2.0 or f1.8 | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
| |
Lens Story:
Got it for a song 20+ years ago used.  The shop claimed it was not a great a lens as the then more familiar Takumar Super-Multi-Coated 135mm/2.5... yes, I know they were the same lenses. It sat in the camera shop ignored because it had its front element replaced, but I liked the weight and got it for $97 and fella even threw in a junky lens case for it and shutter cable if I would buy it. After a few shots of distant scenics that didn't come out so well, it was banished to my "Bin Of Forgotten Gear" for almost ten years. One day while sorting the stuff from my BOFG, I found the 135mm was not zeroed correctly post replacement. I thought about this lens coming back to use and so I opening it up to fix it. After successfully resetting the infinity and cleaning and tightening the inner optics, it was suddenly a much better lens than I ever remembered. In fact a super lens in deed!
Review:
The first thing to notice is the excellent colors that come out of this lens, even wide open. Much of the center is very usable in the wide open state and sure, it sharpens up more in the f4 and beyond. There is some chromatic aberrations in some lighting conditions and at f2.5 and f4, but the overall performance of the lens will usually make it hard to see.
From f2.5 / wide open, a tiny bit soft, but sharp enough and with some obvious chromatic aberrations.
From f4.0 it is very good. You'll still see some fine C/A effects in high contrast conditions.
From f5.6 it gets even better... less to no C/A.
Pentax MX - Kodak Ultracolor 100 125th @ f5.6 overcast day. Hand over lens to shield some glare.
So fixing the focus has turned it back to a real performer! If you pick one up and it is not sharp, check to see if the focus is off or a loose inner element from the front group (give it a gentle shake), because this lens should deliver!
Also, get a hood for it! I've done some tests and that front glass is just out in the open... a opted for the old Takumar all metal hood and a matching metal cap. It fits real nice together in the stored position and is always handy.
| | | | | Inactive Account Registered: May, 2007 Location: southwest USA Posts: 55
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 9, 2007 | Recommended | Price: $250.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | fast and crystal clear | | Cons: | hard to find | |
Perhap one of the most usefull and least appreciated lenses Pentax has ever made. Great iq from 2.5 on up to F22. As a field journalist this lens has saved the day no matter how fast the action or how low the light. A must have for any serious shooter. It was a go to lens on my film bodies and is proving even more usefull on the K10. Highly recommend.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: November, 2006 Location: Belgrade Posts: 656
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: March 2, 2007 | Recommended
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Excellent optical and build quality | | Cons: | Loss of contrast shooting bright subjects | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 7
| |
An excellent performer! This lens provides very good quality at all apertures from f/4 to f/16, with only minor reduction in quality at f/22 and quite noticeable at f/32. In fact, f/32 is the only aperture I would recommend avoiding. Wide open at f/2.5 the lens exhibits minor loss of contrast while it remains sharp, which it is unlikely to get noticed with most subjects.
The only real downside is loss of contrast while shooting bright subjects or pointing lens towards bright light sources (snow, sunsets, spot lights, car headlights). This is in fact normal with most telephoto lenses and the solution to this problem is introduction of extra-low dispersion elements (ED) in recent designs, something K 135/2.5 does not have being 1975 design. Still, this can be easily fixed in post processing since all other qualities remain unaffected.
(Note: opinion based on use with Pentax K1000, MX and *istDS.)
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: January, 2007 Location: Warsaw Posts: 338 | | Review Date: February 26, 2007 | Recommended | Price: $200.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | not so big, solid, elegant, easy manual focus because of f2.5 | | Cons: | not yet | |
I've just received and did few test's shots. It is sharp from f2.5, very sharp from 4. Great color rendition, nice bokeh. I feel that this lens have something  .
After few weeks of usage: very good for portraits, did few really good shots. Very nice for landscapes, can have problems with difficult light conditions.
Overall - for this price - excellent.
| | | | | New Member Registered: October, 2006 Location: Minnesota Posts: 9
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 11, 2007 | Recommended | Price: $299.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | f2.5! Sharp, buttery smooth MF action | | Cons: | weight, lack of lens hood | |
I may end up rating this closer to a 9, but it is a 25+ years old optical design, and a tad heavy by modern standards. However....it is f2.5! And the filter size is a modest 58mm, meaning this baby is slender. My copy was an Exc+ aquisition from KEH, and it came to me in cherry condition. I only have had a chance to shoot with it 3 times, but it is a fabulous 200mm equivalent on the DS, and brutally sharp. I have shot with it indoors opened up to f3.2, and results were amazing at ISO 1600 on the DS. Best part about this lense is the large maximum aperature, which makes manual focusing in a dark auditorium a snap. At 500g, it's not a featherweight, but is 10g lighter than my Tamron XR 28-75 f2.8. | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: September, 2006 Location: North Idaho Posts: 696
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 10, 2007 | Recommended
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | fast, fantastic construction quality, superior optics | | Cons: | none | |
Just recently acquired this lens from Samy's Camera used shop. It looked pretty beat up, and had a price that I though was way too high, especially since I already have the M135/3.5 lens. The shop keeper offered a price half as much as the sticker label, a price that was good to pass up. Took the lens home, cleaned it up, and WOW! What a fantastic piece of equipment!
Focus is silky smooth and positive. The eight aperture blades result is a very pleasing bokeh. My only 'issue' with the lens is that it does not have a slide-out, attached lens hood. Not sure how many K lenses had built-in hoods. Most of the M telephoto lenses included hoods. Not a big problem as you can use any screw-in after market hood.
After I give the lens a further workout, I'll probably liquidate my M135. The M is a lot smaller and lighter than this K version, but that is to be expected as the maximum aperture of the M is slower and the M series of lenses are 'miniaturized' versions of their K counterparts.
Highly recommended!
p.s. I was offered a chance to go through Samy's lens cap drawer and found an old Asahi M42 style push-on metal cap that adds a touch of class to this lens. Those old lens caps are every bit as good as the FA Limited lens caps. If you find any in the bargain-bin, grab 'em!
| | |
;)
;)
