135mm lenses

[martolod]

just been reading perfectagain's comment about the apparent unpopularity of 135mm lenses.
I don't why they should be. i have several (my favorite are the russian made ones)
and they fill perfectly a gap
admittedly i am a fan of the medium focal length but i'm quite happy to use the 135mm
some samples
Jupiter 37-A

[melek]

I agree. Great photos.

I think the 135mm is the unsung hero of photography. It's often overlooked in favor of the more exotic 75mm-90mm focal length.

That's too bad, because the 135 is a great lens.

Here's my own shot  (cropped to a square) taken with the f/4.0 135mm Sonnar for the Contax rangefinder on Ektachrome 100 (wide open at 1/10, if I recall):

[Dean Williams]

135mm used to be the most popular tele lens length made.  I think zooms doomed it.

Beautiful shots, Marto.  
Nice minkey, Mike!

[martolod]

thanks dean, mike.
what i am impressed with as far the J-37a is concerned is how crisp the colours come out.
the first one , the mushroom was shot from about 10 or so feet away
i did a whole swag of tests using those red flowers, but in some of the shots the red was soooo vivid i could not use the image...that was straight out if the camera , no processing. the reds just took over and dominated everything

[shadowfox]

Yep, I like 135mm as well.  Here's a different kind of shot using a 135/2.5 Super Tak



A c t i o n   S h o t   !!

Looks like it's straight out of a gangster/mafia movie isn't it?

[KirkT]

mmmmm, lotus

[grizzz]

I agree that the zooms have killed this FL as a prime. I had a 135 with my Olympus back in the day and it was great. Now I still have an 85 prime but 135 is swallowed up in the 70-200.

[martolod]

Yep, I like 135mm as well.  Here's a different kind of shot using a 135/2.5 Super Tak

reminds me...i gotta excersize my super tak some day

[Tom Hildreth]

"Bravo the photos!", he said, making a sweeping gesture with his hat.....
 
I agree with you that it's not a popular FL today. Photo equipment evolution relegated the 135 to the dustbin. There's a need to state this carefully, but my recollection is that most early zooms didn't match the quality of a most fixed lens in any given focal length. (Remember the many 400mm fixed lenses there once were?). But as zooms got better, opting for a zoom became an easier decision. Today, a young photographer probably looks at the 135mm as an old, heavy piece of glass, not capable of offering the versatility or optical quality of a newer zoom covering that range, even in the manual focus market.
 
I simply must get out my Rokkor MC 2.8. I've about worn the finish off since I bought it new around 1976, but she's just as sharp as ever.