Mamiya TLR 135mm or 180mm?

Neil Grant · Dec 11, 2019

...i have three lenses allready, namely: 'wide' standard 65mm, 'normal' standard 80mm, and 'long' standard 105mm. Thinking of adding something longer but read the 135mm is a bit clumsy because, unlike the 180mm, it's not a 'tele' lens, rather a 'Tessar'. Who can advise on the comparative handling of these two lenses??

thanks,

cramej · Dec 11, 2019

Lens design really doesn't make a difference in this case. I'm not sure how a lens on the Mamiyas can be considered "clumsy" unless you're referring to setting shutter speed and aperture. They both handle fine.

Grim Tuesday · Dec 11, 2019

I wouldn't get the 135, since you already have the 105, and imo they are too close in field of view to be worth getting both. Though, at the same time, I do find the 180 Super to be an extremely clumsy lens to use on this camera. Almost so much so I rarely take it out and have been thinking about selling it. It is very sharp, but essentially unusable on a C220, because the camera body is lighter than C3xx series cameras so the camera becomes unbalanced and will tip forward if you put it down on a flat surface. There are also major parallax issues with the lens if you try to focus any closer than about ten feet. On a C330 it is better balanced and the parallax correction is at least made clear in the viewfinder.

All that said, this is all relative. I just got a Pentax 67 and handling it with the 200mm lens is actually clumsier than the C330 with the 180. Makes the C330 feel like a rolleiflex! The Hasselblad with the 150 balances and handholds quite nicely compared to both of them.

NB23 · Dec 11, 2019

I love the 180.

Tripod, paramender, masterpieces.

grahamp · Dec 11, 2019

I'd chose the 180mm (preferably the Super design version) over the 135mm if the next shorter available is a 105mm.

The 135mm is a slightly unusual lens because the design is long focus, not telephoto, and the shutter/iris is behind all the lens elements. This exposure of the 'innards' can make people nervous. Both the 135mm and 180mm are f4.5. The 180mm lens is bigger and a bit heavier, so handling is different.

I like the 55, 105, 180 set myself.

MattKing · Dec 11, 2019

This self portrait may tell you what I prefer (the 135mm):

I've had decades of good use from mine.
My Mamiya TLR kit is now down to a 65mm and 135mm pair, and that serves me really well.

Luckless · Dec 11, 2019

The question really comes down to: How 'wide' do you find your 105mm to be?

If you're finding it very wide, then you may want to grab the 180mm first, [or even the 250mm if you find the 105 extremely wide...] but if you find the 105 only a little bit wide and just want to tighten up your edges 'just a little bit', then a 135mm may be your better option.

narsuitus · Dec 11, 2019

Neil Grant said:
...i have three lenses allready, namely: 'wide' standard 65mm, 'normal' standard 80mm, and 'long' standard 105mm.

For my Mamiya TLR, I used the 55mm wide, 80mm normal, and 180mm telephoto. I never tried the 105mm or 135mm and never felt the need for those focal lengths.

Neil Grant · Dec 12, 2019

..thanks everyone for the range of thoughtful comments. I do find the camera's balance (330 S) a bit clumsy probably because it's quite tall and top-heavy (especially with the prism). The bellows is also quite extended, even at infinity with the 105mm. All these 'masses' are some way from the camera's cente of gravity. I have a handle grip and this helps. It's a quirky camera - but charming nonetheless.

narsuitus · Dec 12, 2019

Neil Grant said:
I do find the camera's balance (330 S) a bit clumsy probably because it's quite tall and top-heavy (especially with the prism).

I used my Mamiya 220 TLR with prism viewfinder and pistol grip to shoot night football with flash. The size, weight, and balance never bothered me.

Now that I shoot with a Mamiya RB67 SLR, I miss the TLR.

Mamiya RB67 by Narsuitus, on Flickr

Marco Gilardetti · Dec 13, 2019

On a more technical level, please note that also the 180mm (both "standard" and Super) are NOT telelenses, but long focus lenses. More details, if interested at all, on my bottom post of this thread.

Alan Gales · Dec 13, 2019

I bought the 105 DS and really liked it but found it a little long for shooting family during the holidays in smaller rooms. I then bought the 80mm and enjoy having both even though the focal lengths are close. As inexpensive as they are I don't mind spending the little extra.

You should try both and see which you prefer. You can always later sell one of them for close to what you paid. You may find both have a place in your camera bag.

Alan Gales · Dec 13, 2019

Marco Gilardetti said:
On a more technical level, please note that also the 180mm (both "standard" and Super) are NOT telelenses, but long focus lenses. More details, if interested at all, on my bottom post of this thread.

I didn't learn this until a few years ago when I started shooting large format. Long lenses and telephoto lenses are a different design.

narsuitus · Dec 14, 2019

Alan Gales said:
I didn't learn this until a few years ago when I started shooting large format. Long lenses and telephoto lenses are a different design.

I did not learn this until I read this thread.

I still do not understand the significance of the difference.

foveon_m · Dec 14, 2019

to focus a non tele lense at infinity flange distance has to be the same as focal lenght, on teles flange can be much shorter^^

PS: this may be of significance when using an e.g. field camera where you are limited by the short bed and you cannot reach the flange distance for a long lense.

Alan Gales · Dec 14, 2019

narsuitus said:
I did not learn this until I read this thread.

I still do not understand the significance of the difference.

For large format photography, telephoto lenses need less bellows draw so they can be used where a long lens won't work on your camera. This is great for a field camera. The downside is that they provide less coverage than a long lens so you have less room for camera movements. Telephotos can be great as portrait lenses where you don't need much if any movements.

MattKing · Dec 14, 2019

True telephoto lenses can also be more compact than a longer lens of similar focal length.
By definition, a telephoto lens is one where the nodal point (where the focal length is measured from) is in front of the lens, leading to a lens that is shorter than its focal length.
In contrast, a retro-focus lens (usually a wide angle, although the lens on the Olympus XA is an exception) is one where the nodal point is behind the lens, leading usually to a lens that is longer than its focal length.
Pedantry mode now switched off.

ic-racer · Dec 15, 2019

In the Horseman medium format system, the 180 Tele is nice because it makes the camera more compact than the other long lenses. For example the infinity stop for the 180 T is only ten millimeters farther out than the 105 normal lens.

Mamiya TLR 135mm or 180mm?

Neil Grant

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Mamiya TLR 135mm or 180mm?

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