Loyal Site Supporter Registered: March, 2017 Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 521 | | Review Date: July 10, 2023 | Recommended | Price: $50.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Construction, Image Quality, Bokeh, Shapness | | Cons: | Weight, | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 8
Value: 10
Camera Used: Pentax K-1
New Or Used: Used
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I picked this up on the bay for $50.00. I was looking for another 135mm since my 2 Pentax 135s don't reach inifinity focus/are very soft. this one was virtually brand new everything was included in the box including Caldor's (who besides me remembers that shop?) sales stickers.
I finally had a chance to use this and I have to say I'm impressed with it.
First and foremost, this thing is built like a tank. It's all metal and feels like it could break a toe if you drop it on one.
2nd the focus ring is smooth as butter although it has a long throw/turning for full range.
I didn't get a chance to fully test it out (I.E. all the apertures including the f/64) but what I did I liked. I still have to get used to using a manual lens again.
The image is sharp and renders great colors, and the bokeh at F/2.8 is magnificent.
Just a few shots from a recent trip to the zoo.
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Site Supporter Registered: January, 2019 Location: Beautiful British Columbia Posts: 78 | |
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Man With A Camera Registered: June, 2010 Location: The Great Pacific Northwet, in the Land Between Canada and Mexico Posts: 28,065
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 25, 2016 | Recommended | Price: $59.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp. Great color. Bokeh. All metal construction. Solid. Well built. Smooth focus. | | Cons: | Heavy (that darned all metal construction you know). | |
Snagged this on eBay for cheap thinking it would be good to have when I step up to a K-1. I figured that for the price I didn't have much to lose. So far this lens is impressing me. Sharp, great rendering and colors, bokeh.
Haven't tried it out at f64 yet, but look forward to a sunny day to give that feature a go.
I like the feel of this lens. All metal construction (save for the focus and aperture grips), precise fit of the moving parts, the heft of it. Feels solid.
The copy came in the original case, with the original metal slip on front lens cap and the original rear cap. It looks like it has never been used. No dust. No fingerprints. Now scratches or wear. It had a Vivitar Skylight filter on it, and there was a Tiffen polarizer (Made In USA!) in the case with the lens (bonus!).
A couple of photos I made today. Both were cropped about 60%, then shadows and highlights adjusted in post.
 Sentinel by Racer, on Flickr
 Sentinel by Racer, on Flickr
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Loyal Site Supporter Registered: July, 2010 Location: NW Ohio Posts: 2,091 | | Review Date: October 11, 2015 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp, color, unique, build quality, inexpensive | | Cons: | f64 is well, let's just leave it there | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: KX film, PZ-1P, K-30
New Or Used: New
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I've never understood why one would post a review of a defective lens, as the previous reviewer. It does not provide a true description of what a good copy is capable of delivering. I bought this lens new and it has produced excellent images. Perhaps my copy is an exception, perhaps it's not. It's just a fact that my copy is in perfect working order. I'll let others be the judge based on the following photos, taken with my K-30 with minimal pp on Dx0
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Senior Member Registered: January, 2014 Location: Melbourne Posts: 111 | | Review Date: January 21, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $100.00
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | Cheap now | | Cons: | Poor wide open | | Sharpness: 7
Aberrations: 6
Handling: 5
Value: 8
Camera Used: K-3
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I bought the earlier version of this lens in the '80s for $100 (can be bought much cheaper now), mostly to try star photos . Didn't use it much and later found it had a slow/sticking aperture but needed to be stopped down to at least f5.6 to get an image that was not washed out. It was used once on my K-3 before I got new lenses and got some images I liked when stopped down to f8. However my new SMC Pentax-DA 18-135mm ED AL DC WR is much better at 135mm. I also found that the Sigma was effectively about 180mm by comparison the Pentax lens.
EDIT 28 April 2014:
I think my initial results unfairly maligned this lens. I found out it was easy to jam the mechanism to keep the lens stopped down to whatever was set. Also the screws on the bayonet fitting were loose and tightening those improved its reliability and its now quite solid. I now think the lens is better for long range that the 18-135. Its much sharper across the field at f5.6 up. Deserves more testing, I might update this again.
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