Latest Review Posted | SMC Pentax-F 135mm F2.8 [IF] The F135/2.8 was released in 1987 and was Pentax’s first auto-focus 135mm prime. The F135/2.8 was available for sale alongside the older manual focus A135/2.8 (discontinued in 1989). The F135/2.8 remained in production until 1991, when it was replaced by the optically similar FA version.
Optics:
The F135/2.8 has good optics even wide open, as well as a nice bokeh. So, no complaints here.
Focal Length:
The 135mm focal length is my favorite most used telephoto prime and was one of the “big three” primes that everyone had in their kit back in the film days. I’ve owned a 135mm prime since 1975 and use it for everything including close-up flower shots, portraits/statues, wildlife, building detail work & landscapes. Pentax killed off the 135mm prime in 2000 as faster and better zooms were made available and the introduction of the *istD cropped digital camera in 2003 made the focal length redundant. That’s a shame as it’s one of the most versatile of the short telephoto focal lengths on full frame.
Build:
For an auto-focus lens the build of the F135/2.8 is very good. It’s physically the same size as the FA version and has the same optical formula, but the F135/2.8 weighs 20 grams more. So, you know the F135/2.8 has more metal in it than the FA135/2.8 version.
Usage/Handling:
The F135/2.8 is a nicely sized lens and does not weight too much, so it’s camera bag friendly. It’s also a well-balanced lens that will work on any sized camera that I own.
The F13... |