Takumar 135mm f/2.5. If you’re looking to purchase this lens I always check Adorama and Ebay for good deals. It helps me if you purchase it through one of these links here in this review. When you purchase through these links it financially enables me to devote time to develop this site further. Thanks for the help! -Todd
Barrel
Metal.
Weight
13.8 oz (391g)
Focus Ring
Rubber on Metal.
Close Focus
4.2 feet (1.2 meters).
Filter Threads
52mm, Metal.
Aperture Ring
Metal.
Diaphragm
8 blades stopping down to f/22.
Mount
Pentax-M K Metal Mount.
Made in
Taiwan
Corner at f/2.5
Closest Focus at f/4
Sharpness
f/2.5: Soft with decent contrast but quite a bit of chromatic and spherical aberration.
f/2.8: Sharpens up a little bit with good contrast but still has heavy chromatic aberration.
f/3.5: Still soft with good contrast but still has heavy chromatic aberration.
f/4: Pretty sharp with still signs of chromatic aberration. Note I missed the focus a touch which will add to the chromatic aberration.
f/8: Very sharp with good contrast but there is still very evident chromatic aberration. No signs of diffusion until f/11.
Vignetting
Low amounts of vignette which is basically gone by f/4.5
Bokeh
The bokeh is fairly nice and not too distracting and better then I had expected.
Flare and Ghosting
Being a longer lens it is hard to get ghosting but the flare is really bad. Stopping it down helps but it is still bad.
Distortion
A very little bit of Pincushion Distortion.
Recommendations
On AF Camera
Optics: ★ ★
Mechanics: ★ ★ ★
Ergonomics: ★ ★ ★
Usefulness: ★ ★ ★
Availability: ★ ★ ★ ★
Overall: ★ ★ ★
On MF Camera
Ergonomics: ★ ★ ★ ★
Overall: ★ ★ ★
Out of 5
I have owned this lens for a couple years now and liked the idea of using it but would not use it as much as I wanted to simply because I felt a lack of image quality and the longer focal length. After doing actual tests it appears the lens was not producing the images I hoped for. The lens is soft and when you stop it down a ton it finally sharpens up but the contrast drops when the early diffusion sets in. I want to be positive about this popular lens. Considering the price they want for it it is a fantastic lens and a great bargain, however I am not overly impressed with it.
The lens produces really great contrast which gives off the illusion that the lens is sharp but it is actually soft. However as a portrait lens I enjoyed that about the lens. The great bokeh this lens can produce makes it a winner! However I personally would not want to use the lens for anything other then portraits. Typically I would never open a lens wide open in daylight but if you are wanting a softer portrait look I would have no problem opening it up to f/2.5 or f/2.8.
Since the lens has the ability to open to f/2.5 I would take advantage of it knowing there will be a good amount of contrast to follow.
Chromatic and Spherical aberration is a problem with the lens but for portraits I don’t really care a whole lot. Just don’t shoot into the sun or you will have a ton of flare.
The lens build feels a little cheap and the built in lens hood is a little sloppy but can actually take a good beating. They don’t often break so don’t worry about ruining it on rough hikes.
If you want a fun cheap portrait lens with nice bokeh that gives the extra third stop from a f/2.8 then grab this lens. Knowing what it can do and for the same price as a f/2.8 lens this lens is a bargain. If you are going for sharpness alone, I would skip it as there are many other lenses which are way sharper.
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My hopes are to take the time to continue developing this website with more test photo based reviews. If you are ever interested in purchasing this lens or other photography equipment please do so through these links here in this review. I always check Adorama and Ebay for good deals. This helps support my family and allows me to take more time for the site. The best part is this site is free for you and I link good deals I find!
Sometimes these links will actually give you better deals then typical retail prices! I personally buy from the links I have listed whether looking for new gear or fun old stuff. I can personally attest to their good & safe service from years of experience. Thanks again to you, our readers, for supporting us! -Todd
