SMC PENTAX 135MM F2.5 (#5525603)

F2.5

F2.5

F2.5

F2.5

F2.5

F2.5

F2.5

 

QUICK DASH TO SELE HAVN WITH SONY A7S and TAKUMAR 28MM F3.5

 I didn't know really what to expect at first, the day looked reasonably nice for autumn and evening sky looked quite cloudless ...so made a quick dash to Sele Havn to see if I can catch some stars maybe even Milkyway!

This actually 3 shots (Iso 3200, f3.5 and 15 secs) each a single exposure image. The 2 shots on top were stitched using Microsoft ICE, and the bottom image was PS'ed in later. Top 2 shots focussed on the foreground rocks.

 This is actually a composite of two images nicely separated by the bank of clouds moving in from the North Sea.

The bottom image is the same as the shot above, the top portion image was focussed at infinity to get sharp stars. At 15 secs there were start trails though not noticeable until magnified 200%.

As I was leaving the clouds from across the North Sea completely took over the sky.

Takumar 28mm f3.5 with lenscap and lenshood, the leather cases weren't actually part of the sale.

The output was quite good if I may say so myself. Other then the difficulty of composing on the viewfinder in the dark due to the dark screen as a result of maximum aperture of 3.5, so long as you have other source of light on the horizon, the task of composing is manageable.

At f3.5 there isn't any distortion of the stars observed. The were some vignetting at the extreme corner but it's nothing that cannot be fixed is post through "vignetting" or "light fall-off" corrections.

I think this lens ha spotential to complement my bag of tricks for night sky shooting. Coupled with the Star Adventurer tracker it could prove very usable on the coming months. 

If only we can deal with cloudy nights on the west coast ...

TAKUMAR 135MM F2.5 6 ELEMENTS 6 GROUPS (#6580507)

 

F5.6

F2.5

F5.6

F2.5

F5.6

F2.5

F5.6

F2.5

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!

SMC PENTAX 135MM F3.5 ON A RAINY DAY

Now I have 2  Asahi lenses with 135mm f3.5 spec, I'll add the number of groups and elements later : these two are the Asahi Super Takumar 135/f3.5 (metal barrel and metal focusing ring) and the relatively later production Asahi SMC Pentax 135/3.5 (metal barrel and hard platic focusing ring).

These shots and video clip here are from the SMC Pentax 135/3.5 lens shot wide open at f3.5 just standing by the front door shooting out into the rain. The wetness of  the surfaces of the leaves and water droplets made for interesting subjects. I wish the neighbourhood was a bit quieter, it would've been great to be able to record the drip drap of the rain and include it in the video.

All shots were on Sony A7R2.

Video clip at 1080p also on Sony A7R2. The clip reminded me of the Makoto Shinkai's "Garden of Words", a vibrant anime piece on isolation and loneliness.

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

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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 ...