M42, a good 2,8/135 ?

[rfshootist]

Hi to all,

beeing a newbie in the M42 world I am now looking for a such a lens, it should be a f2,8 because it will be used with a 2X converter and so the very good Carl Zeiss Jena f3,5/135 would make it all too dark. Is there anything significantly better than the f2,8/135 Penatcons ?

Thanks !

bertram

 

[Markok765]

It is 105, but the 105 F2.8 super takumar is very good.
Very sharp

 

[BradS]

I'd be tempted to find 300mm super takumar and dispense with the 2x teleconvertor. If you insist on a 135mm with a 2x teleconvertor, the 135mm, f2.5 SMC Takumar really cannot be beat. They are reasonably priced (everybody wants the 105mm) and still fairly easy to find. The 200mm f4 super takumar might also be an option - these are really cheap.

 

[Nick Zentena]

I love my Mamiya. I forget which version of the Mamiyas it is. Want to say SX. The same ones they supposedly made for Rollei?

 

[BradS]

Oh, YEAH! the Mamiya M42 optics are some of hte best kept secrets going.

 

[willie_901]

I like all my Mamiya-Sekor M42 lenses. They pop up on the big auton site now and then.

willie

 

[Michel Hardy-Vallée]

If I were you I would go prime lens with the focal you need. The 200mm f4 SMC Takumar is very nice, but I used it with a focal doubler and in B&W you lose all contrast and tonality because of the optics. I have no idea if there exist really good quality M42 doublers.

I also have a 135mm f2.8 Asanuma lens that I haven't been using much since I bought the f3.5 135mm SMC Takumar (love that aperture pin on my spotty F!!). It's a nice lens, but I just haven't been using it much lately. I did not do side-by-side testings between the two, though.

 

[buze]

The best I have tried for pure sharpness is the Super Tak 135mm f2.5 in M42... might be what you looking for since it has that small aperture advantage too... Watch out for the two versions of the lens, the latest one is reputed marginaly better

I did a bunch of 135mm tests last year (using a DSLR sorry) http://oomz.net/135/

My favourite 135 is still the Pentacon tho. The bokeh of the 135mm f2.8 is absolutely fantastic..

 

[Markok765]

If I were you I would go prime lens with the focal you need. The 200mm f4 SMC Takumar is very nice,.

I use a 85-210 F4.5 super multicoated takumar. is this a good lens?
It is very big.

 

[Michel Hardy-Vallée]

I use a 85-210 F4.5 super multicoated takumar. is this a good lens?
It is very big.

Not a clue, you should try it! It's SMC, so flare control is good for a zoom, but I don't know how it would compare with a prime. If you have a prime that falls somewhere in its interval, just use slide film and expose a few frames for comparison.

 

[Wayne R. Scott]

Vivitar Series 1 135mm f2.3. Large, heavy, well made and sharp.

Wayne

 

[RobinP]

If the little open aperture metering lug doesn't interfere with use on your camera then the EBC Fujinon 135mm f2.5 is very good.
There's a photo of the one I used to own at http://pentax-manuals.com/fujica/fujica.htm

Cheers, Robin

 

[titrisol]

I have used Hanimex and Sears (mamiya) 135/2.8 and both are veyr good.
Vivitars should also be good

 

[rfshootist]

The thing is done...

Thanks to all for the input folks !
Meanwhile I got it all together, the 135 is a Pentacon auto 2,8/135, which a friend in a German analog forum bought for me in Leipzig.

Attached a photo of the new proletarian SLR set, a Kingdom for 110 Euros, all near mint !
Worth two monthly paychecks of a GDR worker in the 80s.
Sometimes this f......g capitalistic system has nice side effects
Almost a bit too nice, watching this mint stuff one feels a bit guilty .
Only a bit tho....
At the time I test the lenses with slide film, can't wait to see the results.

best

bertram

 

[André E.C.]

Hi to all,

beeing a newbie in the M42 world I am now looking for a such a lens, it should be a f2,8 because it will be used with a 2X converter and so the very good Carl Zeiss Jena f3,5/135 would make it all too dark. Is there anything significantly better than the f2,8/135 Penatcons ?

Thanks !

bertram

Hi Bertram,

Have you ever tried the Zeiss Jena 180mm f/2.8?
Now, that`s a heck of a piece of glass !

http://cgi.ebay.com/Sonnar-180-2-8-...9881524QQihZ002QQcategoryZ30075QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.ie/Zeiss-Jena-Sonna...itemZ7601896265QQcategoryZ30073QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Zeiss-Sonnar-...con-Kiev-EX_W0QQitemZ7605898738QQcmdZViewItem

Now, go and get one!

Cheers

André

 

[rfshootist]

Have you ever tried the Zeiss Jena 180mm f/2.8?
Now, that`s a heck of a piece of glass !

http://cgi.ebay.com/Sonnar-180-2-8-...9881524QQihZ002QQcategoryZ30075QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.ie/Zeiss-Jena-Sonna...itemZ7601896265QQcategoryZ30073QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Zeiss-Sonnar-...con-Kiev-EX_W0QQitemZ7605898738QQcmdZViewItem
André

That is Pentacon 6 mount .
Bertram

 

[André E.C.]

That is Pentacon 6 mount .
Bertram

And?
Adapters aren`t available in the market?

Good luck!

André

 

[rfshootist]

And?
Adapters aren`t available in the market?

Good luck!

André

As for the mounts I have no clue how a 6X6 bayonet lens could get adapted on a M42 135mm camera.
Even if this has been done before I have serious doubts , that a 180mm 6X6 lens could do any good on a 24X36 neg ?

bertram

 

[André E.C.]

As for the mounts I have no clue how a 6X6 bayonet lens could get adapted on a M42 135mm camera.
Even if this has been done before I have serious doubts , that a 180mm 6X6 lens could do any good on a 24X36 neg ?

bertram

Can be done via adapter, I have a friend in Portugal using Pentacon 6 and Praktika, he use his P6 optics on the P42.
As for the quality, you might be right, I saw some images and I think they are ok, but again, you might be right...!
I think actually one of the links given up (just for you to see the huge chunck of glass that is) has an M42 adaptor on it, so some people outhere might be using this on 35mm. Wise thing to do or not? Depends of each individual criteria I think.
There is the 180/2.8 Jena Sonnar in M42 and also the 200/2.8 MC, they share the same optical design I think, maybe you should have a look at it?

http://m42.povlab.org/lens_detail.php?lid=48

Cheers

André

 

[Nick Zentena]

The adapter is just a spacer. No glass at all. So it's fairly simple. OTOH unless you intend to get a P6 camera I'm not sure how much sense it makes. Plenty of cheap M42 lenses. But using a P6 lens on a M42 is very easy.

 

[rfshootist]

There is the 180/2.8 Jena Sonnar in M42 and also the 200/2.8 MC, they share the same optical design I think, maybe you should have a look at it?
http://m42.povlab.org/lens_detail.php?lid=48
André

Well, as I wrote I got my 135 and that's it for now with Tele.
If I should feel I need a longer lens then it would be a 4/300.
The 2,8/180 or 2,8/200 would be too short for my purposes, and too big and too heavy too.

Best,
Bertram

 

[Andy K]

The Helios F2.8 135mm is a very good lens, pin sharp. I shot the attached photograph with it on my Pentax SP1000. Also attached is my current SLR kit with (L-R) Super-Takumar f4 200mm, Super-Multi-Coated Takumar f3.5 135mm, Super-Multi-Coated Takumar F3.5 28mm and Voigtlander Bessaflex with SMC Takumar F2 55mm.