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Vivitar 135mm f2.8 - Komine Made

davidstorm
Posted 17/09/2011 - 22:08 Link
Does anyone have any experience of the Komine made Vivitar 135mm f2.8 M42 lens? I'm thinking of buying one but I need to be sure the IQ is top notch on this lens.

Any assistance would be appreciated.

Regards
David
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Nicola's Apartments, Kassiopi, Corfu

Some cameras, some lenses, some bits 'n' bobs
Edited by davidstorm: 17/09/2011 - 22:10
davidstorm
Posted 17/09/2011 - 22:39 Link
Also, further to the above, would you rate it higher than the Pentax-M f3.5 135mm for image quality?

Regards
David
Flickr

Nicola's Apartments, Kassiopi, Corfu

Some cameras, some lenses, some bits 'n' bobs
George Lazarette
Posted 18/09/2011 - 00:33 Link
Do you have a reason for buying it rather than a Takumar?

The Takumars were excellent lenses, and would be my first choice. They are still very easy to get hold of.

G
Keywords: Charming, polite, and generally agreeable.
George Lazarette
Posted 18/09/2011 - 00:36 - Helpful Comment Link
BTW, the Takumar (M42) 135mm 1:3.5 was a different optical formula from the M version, and was considered superior. If you decide to get one, go for the later SMC or Super-Multi-Coated version.

G
Keywords: Charming, polite, and generally agreeable.
beachboy2
Posted 18/09/2011 - 08:36 Link
I have the Komine and the Super Taks in 135mm. They are both excellent.
bb2

K5, K20D, Bigma, Sigma EX 105, Sigma EX 10-20, Sigma EX 28-70 F2.8, Sigma Ex 1.4TC,
Pentax 135 F3.5, Pentax 30mm F2.8 , Pentax 50mm F1.7, Pentax 55mm F1.8,
Super Taks: 35mm F3.5, 50mm F1.4, 135mm F3.5, 200mm F4
Vivitar TX 200mm F3.5,Vivitar (Komine)135mm f2.8, Vivitar 2X TC, Vivitar T4 400mm F6.3
Tamron SP 35-80,80-210 F3.8, Helios 44M, Mir 1B 37mm F2.8, Jupiter 9 85mm F2, Chinon 28mm F2.8, 3M-5A 500mm F8 etc etc
Dangermouse
Posted 18/09/2011 - 15:31 Link
Or go the simple route and wait for an SMC Pentax 135mm f3.5 - halfway between the SMC Tak and the Pentax-M, it's more or less an SMC Tak lens adapted with a K mount. They only made them from 1975-77 so they're not as common as the M lens, but they're just a little bit nicer.

Even better would be the SMC Pentax 135mm f2.5, but they're rarer still and more expensive as a result.
Matt

Shooting the Welsh Wilderness with K-m, KX, MX, ME Super and assorted lenses.
womble
Posted 18/09/2011 - 15:38 Link
Dangermouse wrote:
Even better would be the SMC Pentax 135mm f2.5, but they're rarer still and more expensive as a result.

But lovely... Actually, if you're planning on using it on digital I'd go for the SMC Takumar 135mm f/2.5 lens (the proper M42 version rather than the cheapo uncoated K mount version) simply because the auto/manual switch makes it possible to use the lens in Av mode and is a tad more convenient than the K and M series lenses.

K.
Kris Lockyear
It is an illusion that photos are made with the camera… they are made with the eye, heart and head. Henri Cartier-Bresson
Lots of film bodies, a couple of digital ones, too many lenses (mainly older glass) and a Horseman LE 5x4.

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DaveN
Posted 18/09/2011 - 15:43 Link
womble wrote:
Dangermouse wrote:
Even better would be the SMC Pentax 135mm f2.5, but they're rarer still and more expensive as a result.

But lovely... Actually, if you're planning on using it on digital I'd go for the SMC Takumar 135mm f/2.5 lens (the proper M42 version rather than the cheapo uncoated K mount version) simply because the auto/manual switch makes it possible to use the lens in Av mode and is a tad more convenient than the K and M series lenses.

K.

I beg to differ, the whole point is you have full manual control and the K135 is a superb lens and I think someone is selling one in the classifieds
Discovering the joys of photography with Pentax
Pentaxophile
Posted 18/09/2011 - 16:10 Link
I bought the SMC K135 2.5 recently. I bought it for the very usable wide open aperture, which of course allows Av mode. I'm happy using stop down metering if I close the aperture down a bit but since I bought it for low light and shallow dof stuff, I doubt I'll need to very often. And the bright aperture does help with focusing.
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womble
Posted 18/09/2011 - 18:43 - Helpful Comment Link
DaveN wrote:
I beg to differ, the whole point is you have full manual control and the K135 is a superb lens and I think someone is selling one in the classifieds

A) Yes the K 135/2.5 is a superb lens.
B) The SMC Takumar 135/2.5 is the same lens optically, just a different mount.
C) You can still have full manual control with the Tak.
D) With the K10D/K20D the green button manual metering is way off at anything other than wide open with the K series lens. I believe it is better with the more recent models. This leads to the need to use the "shoot, examine histogram, adjust, shoot and repeat" method of working. This is how I use my collection of K and M series lenses.
E) With the SMC Takumar you can either use manual metering, or more conveniently Av mode. Hold the camera with the lens nestled in your left hand as usual, and your thumb on the Auto/Manual switch. Focus wide open, close the aperture with your thumb, shoot, open the aperture again.

Simples.

K.
Kris Lockyear
It is an illusion that photos are made with the camera… they are made with the eye, heart and head. Henri Cartier-Bresson
Lots of film bodies, a couple of digital ones, too many lenses (mainly older glass) and a Horseman LE 5x4.

My website
davidstorm
Posted 18/09/2011 - 19:23 Link
Thanks guys, some very informative informtion here; I will keep looking for the right lens, seems to me that you are all pretty unanimous that the Takumars are the best.

Regards
David
Flickr

Nicola's Apartments, Kassiopi, Corfu

Some cameras, some lenses, some bits 'n' bobs
rparmar
Posted 18/09/2011 - 21:55 - Helpful Comment Link
Just found this thread. I have written a general article on Pentax 135mm lens options, and then a second one considering three excellent non-Pentax choices. Although I have not tried all these options I can heartily recommend the Vivitar 135mm Close Focusing, pictured here on my Olympus E-P1.

Comment Image


Why do I like it? Clear rendering, sharp, nice soft OOF areas, great handling, almost macro performance. Here are two more reasons:

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Edited by rparmar: 18/09/2011 - 21:56
George Lazarette
Posted 18/09/2011 - 22:08 Link
As a general observation, the Takumars were made when Pentax was the leading Japanese camera and lens manufacturer, and were optically and mechanically superb.

When Pentax moved to the K bayonet mount, the first lenses were re-mounted Takumars. These are what we now call the K series.

Within a year or two, Pentax (with its market share falling) brought out its M series. Whilst some of the lenses continued to be re-mounted Taks, others were redesigned, and lower cost and smaller size seem sometimes to have taken precedence over optical quality as design goals.

G
Keywords: Charming, polite, and generally agreeable.
DaveN
Posted 18/09/2011 - 22:26 Link
Thanks for that. This is certainly very interesting.

I wonder why a lot of eBay listing has line wording: "not the inferior takumars"
Discovering the joys of photography with Pentax
Pentaxophile
Posted 18/09/2011 - 22:27 Link
Robin, that Viv certainly looks pretty good. Thanks for the article you linked to as well. I feel happy with my choice of 135. But the little Pentax M f3.5 I also have is great too. Slower and not as good wide open, but small size and low cost are great attributes, and it readily beats the DA50-200mm in the sharpness and bokeh stakes.
[link=https://500px.com/will_brealey/[/link]

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