Pentax K 135mm f2.5 - Quick lens review
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- Опубликовано: 13 сен 2024
- This is the very first review I posted to RUclips...so please be easy on me and the quality of up-loaded images...
My aim is to provide quick lens reviews of some of my favourite M42 and Pentax K mount lenses.
lenses....videos that are less than 3 minutes long.
This one is a review of the SMC 'K' 135mm f2.5 lens. It's one of the best early K mount lenses - sharp, great bokeh and also a little quirky sometimes.
#pentax #pentaxk135mmlens
Just last week, I found a pristine copy of this lens in a thrift store for 10€. Never heard of it before, but I'm loving it so far!
Lucky find!
Thank you so much for the quick review! I got a little tired of 15-20 min lens reviews that just feature some person’s face talking about the lens, with no example images at all. Bravo!
My dad purchased this lens new decades ago. I now use it with my Sony A7C. It's a great combination, lots of fun! Great review BTW!
I have this K 135 lens, and also the K 85, both in mint condition and are very special in terms of their rendering, colours, handling and contrasts. I concur with everything you said.
Thank you!
There are many many versions of this lens made, I own 1 similar to this one. bought it for 10 euros with fungus, after cleaning this is my new favorite lens, the colors are awesome, shooting in low contrast situations gives the best result in my experience, stopped down a little, it is sharp from corner to corner. Love your channel!
I enjoyed this review a lot! I'm a life long Canon devotee, that recently acquired a K1000 after thinking it in the back of my head for many years. I did get 3 lenses with it, but I don't know much about Pentax K-Mount lenses. I'd love to learn more, and will be watching your channel with enthusiasm. More K-Mount lenses please!!
Thank you! Welcome to the K-mount world. (Curiously, I've been thinking of going the other way and buying one or two old Canon lenses). Have a look at PentaxForums if you haven't already, its such a good source. And I'll do some more reviews of K mount lenses when I have time.
I picked mine up on Ebay for less than $40. Average price is around $65 in 2021. Mounted on a Pentax K10D I am blown away by this lens even more than the different 50mm m42 lenses I purchased this winter. Spring flowers are protruding out of the screen. I have a Nikon D3200 crop sensor and several old and new Nikon lenses. I have been disappointed with the colors from the Nikon. I have been very happy with the old bargain Pentax lenses and camera!
A truly great lens and so is its bigger sibling Pentax K 200 2.5 with exact same glass design. Purchased at a total of 200€ in mint condition with its case and hood. Using it on a Pentax K1 Mark II makes you feel part of photographic art.
Thank you for every video, so much very useful information, encouragement to use less expensive glass and beautiful images. Fifteen years ago I decided to return to photography. but could not afford purchasing my old favorites, Hasselblad and Nikon. Instead I purchased a Pentax S1a with 55/1.8. Once I'd overcome degraded light seals, I was astonished at the quality of the glass. Now I have a selection of gear from 15/3.5 to 200/3.5. Not a disappointment among them. I'm looking forward to your comments on more M42 and K mount.
Thank you! I was in the same position and equally astonished at the quality of the glass. Fifteen years ago, old M42 and K-mount lenses were so cheap...and ebay opened up a whole new window. I had a lot of fun and success buying great lenses that were incorrectly listed or badly priced. I only wish I'd focused more on the fisheye/wider angle side. Now there's much more transparency...(something videos contribute to!) and the prices seem to be going up. But they are still good value for such beautifully engineered lenses.
Hi Simon. Came back to watch this again. Very insightful as always. Just picked up a Pentax-A 135mm f2.8 and fallen in love with this lens and focal length.
Beautiful shots. Enjoyed this.
Thank you so much! I think you asked earlier how much it weighed - it's 500g. The lens gets a little heavier when I add the metal hood.
@@Simonsutak Thanks, yes, l did ask that but consequently went back and reviewed the video and you give the weight at the beginning.
Interesting review, thank you. My K 135mm f2.5 from eBay arrived today and I'll take it out for a spin on my Pentax K-50 tomorrow. I bought the lens however with the intention of using it for astrophotography, at which I'm a complete novice but which I'm keen to pursue, using my K-70 + Pentax O-GPS1 AstroTracer.
Sounds like a good set up for astrophotography. If you need inspiration or maybe even advice, a friend of mine on RUclips - Ozzrod - has mastered the process using Pentax cameras. www.flickr.com/photos/ozzrod/albums/72157655903689621
I have the previous Takumar 6 element version which I think is the same optically.
I have the Takumar version (6 el) which has the same optical formula. Great lens.
Thanks for an interesting review - I'm considering one of these for astro.
Excellent review, thank you so much for your great channel !
Liked, subscribed and happy !
Take good care.
I would be interested to see a direct comparison with the takumar 135mm f2.5 6 element lens, as the price difference is considerable
Watched a couple of these. And I note on a couple of occassions you said the metering might be off. I think I know the answer. I used to have a Pentax K5 and I loved it to bits. But there was something odd about the metering. I ended up glueing together a Canon Video camera eyecup onto the original Pentax eyecup clip. This wrapped right round the side of my eye and cut off light getting into the viewfinder around my eye. It made a huge improvement to the accuracy of the metering. I can only imagine the Pentax still meters off the sides of the pentaprism. Thus it is very sensitive to stray light coming in the viewfinder, rather than through the lens. I first became aware of the problem using a macro lens, on a tripod, and manually shut it down to meter. With the viewfinder open; the pictures were black; utterly under exposed. I would put my hand over the viewfinder and the exposure was perfect. I had never noticed exposures varying like this with my Canon 40D which uses a semi silvered mirror and metering in the bottom of the mirror box. My advice is pull off the standard eye cup and experiment with some bigger eye cups off ebay. Replacement eye cups are available from Pentax. Pull off the standard eye cup rubber. Glue on the bigger alternative rubber. Slot it onto the back of the camera. Once you stop this problem you will find the exposures should be perfect irrespective of the lens!
This is really helpful advice, thank you.
@@Simonsutak I didn't destroy the original eyecup. But first I bought a Pentax replacement one. All I wanted from that was the frame that clipped on the back of the camera. Then I went rummaging around on ebay and bought some suitable options. Pull the Pentax eyecup rubber off the frame. Then set about gluing the bigger eye cup to the frame. Plus I made a point, if the exposure was going to be critical; to either roll my head around to make sure the viewfinder was covered. Or put my hand over it (or hang a lens cap over the eyecup) when working wih a tripod - obviously don't touch the camera; just make sure the viewfinder is as dark as possible. It seems to be an issue of where the meter takes the reading. I remembered my old Olympus OM1 had the meter sensors on the side of the Pentaprism. That was why I tried this. It should do the trick.
After first seeing a few of the latest videos I had to subscribe and go back to the beginning. Dangerous, as M42 and K-mount represents a distraction for me, albeit the best kind.
Great shots!
Súper nice review. How this lens performance/image quality compare with the compact SMC-M 135 f3.5 ? Thank you
I’ve not tried the M f3.5, but by reputation the IQ of the faster K version is noticeably superior. Wide open the K is a rather special lens. I don’t think you can say that of the f3.5.
@@Simonsutak Thank you for your answer boss!
Is the rectangular rear element common in all lenses of this type?
Hi Simon! Would you say that this performs comparable to the 135mm Star version or is the star HEAPS better? Just trying to make a decision here and see if I can save some bucks with these K ones.
Umm...the 135mm Star is a different class as an all round lens. The SMC K seems more eccentric, especially wide open. However, when you get into the Pentax Star territory, unless one’s a collector, I suspect a lens like the very well respected modern Samyang 135mm f2 or f1.8 might be a better choice purely for photographic reasons. The old Pentax F or FA 135mm f2.8 lenses are meant to be excellent too. Personally, I like eccentric/a bit quirky lenses!
Hi, are there differences between m42 and the k mount of the smc 135mm f2.5? Best regards...
How does it compare to one of my favorite 135mm - the bayonet Takumar 135mm f2.5, a surprising lens in all regards considering what I knew about the line before getting it. I actually got it in my attempts to get either an SMC Takumar or Pentax 135mm f2.5 on eBay... When sorting priced low to high you'll find it but I wonder if I'd be happier with the latter which costs 3x as much or more.
One of my favorite uses with the bayonet Takumar 135mm is adding either a Canon 250D 4x or Sigma Life Size 5x to the front and a Vivitar Macro Teleconverter to the rear equating to a 270mm f5 close focus with well over 1:1 - and it performs beautifully.
This is hard question for me to answer (1) as I've never tried the Takumar and (2) there are some big differences of opinion about the lens. I've been part of on-line photo groups where people really like the lens, and I like the images it they take. But then in some reviews the lens gets a less good reception.
The Takumar 135mm f2.5 v2 or K 135mm f2.5 really is, from what I've read, a class above, so if you do get one, you will notice a difference. But perhaps not a 3x difference! (With 135mm lenses, I find subject/composition is more of what makes the image, rather than the lens).
Thank you so much for your review of this beautiful lens . Can this lens be fitted on a6000 with a M42 adapter ?
Many thanks. It’s a Pentax K mount lens so you’ll need a (P) K mount to Sony e-mount adapter. I use it on my a6000!
@@Simonsutak thank you so much 😊
Liked and subscribed. I also have a question. I have the same lens, and when you look through the viewfinder of my camera (Pentax K-1000) it looks odd. I'm a novice photographer so maybe it's me but I have never see a lens that looks like this through the viewfinder. It's like there is a square film on the inside of the lens, and it looks like there are a bunch of small dots on it. The focus circle (?) in the middle of the lens is a perfect circle and perfectly clear. Is this normal?
This doesn't sound normal at all. The view should be absolutely clear. I've never seen this before either.
My father started buying Pentax and as I got into photography, I inherited his lenses, which included several gems such as this 135mm in perfect condition. I made a decision to move into the Nikon family of digital cameras and would like to use some of these old Pentax gems. Is there an adapter that at least allows me to work with these Pentax lenses on a Nikon camera? Screw mounts, no problem, but cross functioning bayonet mounts?
I'm afraid I've never tried to adapt Pentax lenses (M42 or K-mount) to Nikon cameras. I do know Nikon DSLRs are one of the camera types where there can be issues with lenses hitting the mirror towards infinity. Amazon may be a good place to start - reading comments under adapters for sale.
@@Simonsutak - I just bought a Pentax K to Nikon F. It looks to be about 1/4 inch in thickness which I suspect will make infinite an issue. I’ll pay special attention to any reach of the elements backward which may affect collisions with the mirror, as I am using full frame.
I can't recognize if you are talking of the FIVE OR THE SIX elements. Thanks. If it is the SIX elements I find a very interesting optical design (very different from all Sonnar inspired design) wit SIX SEPARATE elements but what about reflections and loss of contrast when you have a light in front of the lens?
My lens is the SIX elements K-mount version. The K-mount version was only made with SIX elements, unlike the M42 Takumar 135/2.5s. You're right about the loss of contrast - I always use a deep hood with this lens - although this clearly doesn't help when a very bright light source is right infront.
@@Simonsutak Once more thank you very much
Very interesting thanks: is there any difference with the 135 mm f2,5 6 elements m42 mount? Thanks
The second version of the M42 mount lens is supposed to be the same as the K-mount version. But not the first version. If you search on-line (especially PentaxForums) you'll find how to spot the different.
@@Simonsutak thank you very much for answering (I am trying to identify a 135 mm legacy lens suited for me).
@@Simonsutak Thanks again
hola! podrías comparar el Pentax K 135mm f2.5 vs canon fd 135mm f2.5?
Tengo el Canon. El me gusta. Pero no pensar el es el mejor. No necesito tengo el Pentax.
Is The Takumar the same lens? How is it different?
There are two versions of the Takumar 135mm f2.5, not surprising called v1 and v2 in the reviews. The M42 mount v2 version is the same version as the K mount, K series version. There's a lot more detail on PentaxForums in the lens review section.