HEXANON 135MM F3.2, SUPER TAKUMAR 55MM F1.8 AND CARL ZEISS JENA SONNAR 135MM F3.5

With all the lenses in my collection including recent Sep 2021 acquisitions, there'll be plenty of time required to get familiar with the capabilities of each lens. For now after the test sessions with each of the 135mm lenses, I'm confident of each of their bokeh delivery.

Bokehs are by default are the main draw of these vintage 135mm, they all deliver when shot wide open. Some of them have earned their place in the Bokeh Monsters hall of fame. What surprises me most is probably the inherent sharpness of these lenses even when shot wide open.

It is a given that by virtue of these lenses being vintage lenses most of which are from the late 60s and 70s, they are all metal build and carry a bit of heft. The smoothness of their focusing and aperture rings is such a pleasure to use.

A short minimum focusing distance is another desirable quality of these lenses. Most of the 135mm focus to a minimum of 1.5m. Konica Hexanon 135mm and Carl Zeis Jena Sonnar 135mm focus to a minimum of 1.0m. At minimum focus, smoothness of out of focus background is much increased producing buttery smooth offs and bokehs.  

Konica Hexanon 135mm f3.2 at f3.2

100% crop

Super Takumar 55mm f1.8 at f1.8

100% crop

Carl Zeiss Jena Sonnar 135mm f3.5 at f3.5

100% crop

Konica Hexanon 135mm

Super Takumar 55mm

Carl Zeiss Jena S 135mm

Asahi Super Takumar 55mm f1.8 with a minimum focus distance of 45cm.

VINTAGE 135MM LINE-UP

 As of October 2021, the following are the line of 135mm lenses I have accumulated over the years:

1. Asahi Pentax SMC Takumar 135mm f2.5 M42 
2. Asahi Pentax Super Takumar 135mm f3.5 M42 
3. Asahi Pentax SMC Takumar 135mm f3.5 M42 2nd unit
4. SMC Pentax 135mm f2.5 K 1st unit EXC+++
5. SMC Pentax 135mm f2.5 K 2nd unit MINT
6. SMC Pentax 135mm f3.5 K 
7. Nikon Nikkor AI 135mm f3.5 AI 
8. Nikon Nikkor Nippon Kogaku Auto 135mm f3.5 AI  acquired 20 years ago
9. Nikon Nikkor Nippon Kogaku Auto 135mm f2.8 AI  acquitred 20 years ago
10. Vivitar 135mm f3.5 AI 
11. Leica Elmarit 135mm f2.8 R acquired 20 years ago
12. Olympus Zuiko Auto-T 135mm f3.5 OM 
13. Pentacon Electric MC 135mm f2.8 M42 
14. Pentacon Meyer Orestor 135mm f2.8 M42 
15. Carl Zeiss Jena Multicoated S 135mm f3.5 M42 
16. Carl Zeiss Jena Multicoated S 135mm f3.5 M42 2nd unit
17. Konica Hexanon 135mm f3.2 A/R
18. Jupiter 37A 135mm f3.5 M42 y

Takumar 135mm f2.5

Olympus 135mm f3.5

Car Zeiss Jena MC S 135mm f3.5

Jupiter 37A 135mm f3.5

All 135mm except for the Hexanon 135mm f3.2 and Takumar 135mm f3.5

All 35mm standing in attentiion

SMC Pentax 135mm f2.5

VIDEOS IN 4K25P VERSIONS FROM SONY A7R2 UPLOADED TO YOUTUBE

Yes!!! After a week of testing the vintage lenses I got over ebay on the Sony A7S, I must say I am very pleasantly satisfied with the results from all of them ... both stills and moving images. Sharpness wide open, contrast and bokeh were as expected, all of them being Bokeh Monsters each in their own right. Most of the ones I purchased were tried and tested by many others before me. The specimens I now owned definitely did not disappoint!

I'm not going to pussyfoot about my intentions for these lenses : make short clips of subjects I deem worthy capturing with emphasis of  beuatiful bokeh and ethereal out of focus areas, with only a sliver selective sliver of sharply focussed zones. Post production will come into play on it's own to complete the story, however the lenses will carry 90% of the weight and burdened with the delivery of a suitable final output.

I have made some 4k25p clips with several of these lenses, and I'm definitely encouraged to make more of them after looking at what I have now. Here I have a selection for your viewing:

Sunny autumn Takumar 135mm f2.5

Autumn snippet Carl Zeiss Jena S 135mm f2.5

Autumn colors Olympus Zuiko 135mm f3.5

Windy autumn morning Jupiter 37A 135mm f3.5

Autumn breeze Vivitar 135mm f2.8

Autumn raindrops Takumar 135mm f2.5

I have grouped the 4k videos in a playlist for easy reference, will add more into the playlist as the days and weeks pass. You've probably noticeed that all the videos feature more or less the same tree. It's one of the two ornamental deciduous tree we have in front of our house. I have yet to venture further than the porch due to current weather.

Soon enough hopefully the sun will shine again and I will be able to add more subjects and more videos into the playlist ... not sure whether autumn will wait for me :

4k25p Sony A7R2 Playlist

Please enjoy!

THESE OLDIES BUT GOODIES ARRIVED TODAY

 The last 4 straggling deliveries from ebay came in today : a Pentacon from the UK, a Jupiter 37A (underdog) from Ukraine, a Zuiko from Japan, another Takumar from Japan and a Carl Zeiss Jena also from the UK.

Carl Zeiss Jena MC DDR 135/3.5

Olympus Auto-T Zuiko 135/3.5

Asahi Super Multi-coated Takumar 135/2.5 (6 groups in 6 elements)

Russian Jupiter 37A 135/f3.5 M42 mount

The Asahi SuperMulti-coated Takumar 135/3.5, SMC Pentax 135/3.5 and SMC Pentax 135/2.5 (6 groups, 6 elements)

Pentacon Meyer Orestor 135/f2.8 15 blade M42 Bokeh Monster

SMC Pentax 135/2.5 (6 group, 6 element) K Mount (2nd unit in K mount)

 

To top this birthday month off I ordered the last 2 lenses from ebay yesterday : the 15 bladed M42 Pentacon Meyer Orestor and my second unit SMC Pentax 135/2.5. I'm so impressed with the image quality on the SMC Pentax, I just had to have another one.

The vintage old school build quality is possibly most impressively shown in my opinion by the Takumars and SMC Pentax. When you hold them in the palm of your hands, you can feel the superb engineering, commitment to quality and dedication put in to manufacture these lenses. And all of these are evident in the feel, smooth handling, look and most of all the beautiful images they make. After almost 60-70 years, they are still going on strong competing very nicely iamge wise with the perfect no fault modern lenses we have today.

I don't really know why I never owned a Pentax or an Asahi for that matter, I started of my photography with a Minolta X-700, Zykkor and Vivitar lenses while at community college which later progressed to a Nikon FM2 and refurbished USD125 Nikkor 50/1.8 as a graduation present to myself. 

After getting a job and having lost the B&H Photo 34th Street NYC bought FM2 on a double-decker bus in London (wife left it on the bus one Christmas Eve 1995). I went back to Nikon via F4s and stayed with it through 2002, owned many lenses from 20mm to 300mm. I picked up everything else in between from classic Minoltas, Leicas, Mamiyas, Rolleiflexes, Canons, Fujifilms, Horseman 2002-2007 but not a single Pentax or an Asahi made item. I went Canon digital with Canon 40D 2007.

I did dream of owning a Pentax 6x7 medium format, a beast of a camera famously used by Terence Donovan, his with a wooden handgrip, an acclaimed fashion photographer in the 60s and 70s. Terry is a contemporary of  fashion photographer Helmut Newton (my biggest idol, why I collected quite a few Rolleiflexes and still love them). I was never quite sure why I never actually picked up the Asahi Pentax 6x7, however I did go for Mamiya RB67II Pro (used) and made many beloved (personally) with it on film media in B & W.

Oh, well ... it's meant to be maybe : our path crossed again via the SMC Pentax and Takumars on Sony mirrorless cameras. I am so far very happy with the images and the 1080p Youtube test clips they produce. Looking forward to making 4K clips going forward. 

There is however the Minolta Rokkor MD 135/2.8 that still eludes me ... maybe I shut put it to rest till my next birthday!

PENTACON ELECTRIC MC 135MM F2.8 GDR

The Pentacon is made in East Germany, the Carl Zeiss Jena is manufactured in West Germany. Both utilised the same glass formula and both are part of the famed Bokeh Monsters. The ultimate monster would be the 15-blade Pentacon 135mm f2.8, however acceptable good specimen of the 15 blade specimen are really hard to come by ... though I will continue trolling ebay for a copy. 

This particular unit came from the UK, glass and lens barrel are in clean condition without scratches, fungus, separation or any noticeable defect. Focus and aperture rings are smooth though not as butter smooth as the Takumars though they are almost from the same era.

The following are are quick test images made in the garden under cloudy sky, managed to push through a short clip as well included below. I'm still waiting for a a break in the weather to rush over to the woods to capture some fall colors before full cold blast of winter arrives.

Pentacon Electric MC 135mm f2.8 Made in GDPR

@f2.8

Crop of the above.

@f2.8

@f2.8

@f2.8

Crop of the above

@f2.8

@f2.8

@f2.8

Crop of the above

Pentacon 135mm f2.8, shot in the garden at wide open at f2.8

 

With the expected arrival of the Jupiter 37A 135mm f3.5, Carl Zeis Jena MC 135mm f3.5, Olympus Zuiko OM 135mm f3.5, the Takumar 135mm f2.5 M42 (6 group, 6 elements) either this week or by early next week, my 135mm Bokeh Monsters Collection should be almost complete. 

The following are still missing from the collection : Minolta MD 135mm f2.8, Pentacon 135mm f2.8 (15 blades). I'm not sure if I have the energy to continue trolling ebay ...

AUTUMN THREE SIDED BOKEH BATTLE : NIKKOR AUTO-Q 135MM F2.8 vs SAMYANG 135MM F2.0 vs NIKKOR 135MM F3.5

 I shot these two clips on the same day, Nikkor 135mm f2.8 at f2.8 in the morning light and a new Samyang 135mm f2.0 at f2.8 then f2.0 in the afternoon on Sony A7R2 at 1080p resolution, might 4K at the next sunny bluesky day. Both clips were shot out of the front door.

Nippon Kogahu Nikkor Auto-Q 135mm f2.8 shot wide open at f2.8. Bought 20 years ago ar EUR30 from a bargain bin. A clip for Nikkor Auto-Q 135mm f3.5 is linked.

A brand new Samyang 135mm f2.0, a firm favorite amongst astrophotographers for a few years now, shot wide open at f2.8 then f2.0. Acquired a few weeks ago new at a quite fair bit more than EUR30.

For good measure I added this clip from Nikkor 135mm f3.5 shot at f3.5 on Sony A7R2. Lens acquired from ebay shipped from Japan. The clip was shot on a different day, on one of those diffused full cloud cover day ... giant diffuser in sky producing beautiful soft light.

I have also shot a few stills which I haven't look at yet, hopefully I'll have some time to do this weekend, will post it up here soonish!

ASAHI PENTAX SUPER TAKUMAR 135MM F3.5 M42 MOUNT

I received the Asaha Pentax Takumar 135 f3.5 this afternoon from aHitomi Misu all the way from Japan. A clean, perfectly working unit as per description. I was very pleasantly surprised by the size of the lens and immediately set it up on the Sony A7S and took it out in the garden for a quick test run. Here are some of the images and a short video on Youtube.  

Sony A7S, K&F Concept Adapter M42-Sony E, 10mm mactro tube, Super Takumar 135mm f3.5

with 10mm tube, f3.5

with 10mm tube, f3.5

@ f3.5

@ f3.5

shot above, cropped @ f3.5

Test clip of the Takumar 135mm f3.5 on Youtube.

As of this writing I have several versions of the Pentax 135mm:
1. Asahi SMC Pentax 135mm f2.5 (6 groups in 6 elements) K mount
2. Asahi Pentax Super Takumar 135mm f3.5 ... this lens in M42mount
3. Asahi SMC Pentax 135mm f3.5 K mount

4. Asahi Pentax Super Takumar 135mm f2.5 (6 groups in 6 elements) M42 mount.

I hope I don't go get more ... the first f2.5 do have a bit of fungus at the far edges of its front element!

SMC PENTAX 135MM F2.5 (6 ELEMENT) K MOUNT

One of the bokeh monsters I decided to get was the SMC Pentax 135MM f2.5 (6 element version, 35ft at infinity markings and aperture marking "4" at yellow triangle marker) by the Asahi Optical Company of Japan. This is a 6 element 6 group version, sharp corner to corner wide open, and apparently has a cult following. I am now officially a cult member!

This lens started production from 1975, now it costs around USD100 on ebay for a decent unit.

The 135mm came highly recommended by several connoiseurs of bokeh; it has a high repute as well built old school all metal construction with considerable sharpness corner to corner with high color fidelity. 

SMC Pentax 135mm f3.5 with K&F Concept PK-E mount adapter and a Nikon lenshood.

SMC Pentax 135mm f3.5

Shots from the front garden in late afternoon light, the sun was low on the horizon.

Fall colors in the garden wit SMC Pentax 135mm f2.5 (6 groupds 6 elements)

I love the bokeh shot wide open and the sharpness just bawled me over. I'm thinking of getting a second unit, a worthy keeper for an almost 60 year old lens.