Suggestions on fixed, medium telephoto lenses?

[felixeter]

Hi all,

Avid A7RII user here - but trying to find a lens solution for a current project.

I am looking for a not huge, fixed telephoto lens somewhere in the 120-150 range - preferably a 135.

Curious as to what good options would be? I can't seem to find much of anything, which is frustrating, and thought there might be some good user experience here?

 

My biggest concerns are the size/weight of the lens and IQ. I walk miles with my camera, and weight is important. It's why I got the Sony. 

 

Right now I usually use the Contax G 90mm 2.8 with the converter, and it is a fantastic size/IQ combination for what I am shooting - but even this wonderful, older lens has its' limits on the Sony sensor, so I'd like to not get any worse in terms of IQ, but it's too short for some of the work I need to do.

Aperture is not a big concern - an f/4 lens could work. Manual focus is not a big deal but if this comes on an older lens that renders colors like an older lens I can't have it for what I'm shooting. The Contax G lenses are as old as I can get an even that 90 renders colors not *quite* as well as the 55 I have, which makes the images harder to use in continuity. Budget is also not really a concern, unless we're getting like, over $2k. (I would like to spend less but if I can find the right tool I will pay for it). I know I'm spoiled with the size of the 90 though. 

 

I've seen some off brands like Rokinon etc but should I trust them? My gear knowledge has it's limits and I usually stick to native brands or Zeiss glass. Never really trusted those other ones but maybe they are better these days? Last time I looked seriously into a third party lens was the sigmas back in like 2007 for my Nikons - I don't buy a whole lot of gear. 

 

 

[Dr. Harout]

I expect (dream) that we will have a 135mm Batis lens in the near future (Zeiss are you listening)...

Meanwhile I use a 3.5/135 Jupiter-37A M42 screw mount Soviet lens (copy of Zeiss optics).

[Gilgenberg]

Minolta MD 135mm 3.5 is very good, very small and light and very cheap (not the 2.8 )

 

i use the contax G90 too and i think IQ is comparable to the minolta

 

but if i need a very good tele lens i take the Mamiya Sekor C 150mm F3.5, but it is a bigger medium format lens and not easy to adapt 

 

modern lenses:

 

i think the lens with the best price performance ratio is the Samyang 135mm f2

 

and the best performer is the Zeiss Apo Sonnar 135mm f2

 

but compare to them the minolta is very small and light and a pleasure to use and carry ....... IQ is very decent 

[addicted2light]

Cheap, good and small: as they used to say in the old days, "pick only two of them ".

 

If you're willing to compromise on price, I don't think anything can beat the Leica M 135 Apo (You can find it second hand for less than 2000$)

 

http://www.pebbleplace.com/reviews/rangefinder/leica_135mm_apo/index.html

 

If you're willing to compromise on size, the Canon 135/2 Ef L is a great lens (new around 800€, and not that big at all, I used to hike with it)

 

http://kenrockwell.com/canon/lenses/135mm-f2.htm

 

And should you not require fast apertures, another excellent solution (it is sharper than the corresponding Contax fixed focal length, and IMO it renders in a very modern way), and a very versatile one, would be the Contax 100-300/4.5-5.6 Vario-Sonnar (used for around 800€, less if bought from Japan)

 

http://www.contaxcameras.co.uk/slr/slrmanlenses/variosonnar100300.html

 

Lastly another possibility, but I'm not sure of how it will perform on the A7r II sensor, could be the Nikon 135 DC

 

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/135mm-f2-dc.htm

[Guest all8]

Right now I usually use the Contax G 90mm 2.8 with the converter, and it is a fantastic size/IQ combination for what I am shooting - but even this wonderful, older lens has its' limits on the Sony sensor, so I'd like to not get any worse in terms of IQ, but it's too short for some of the work I need to do.

Aperture is not a big concern - an f/4 lens could work. Manual focus is not a big deal but if this comes on an older lens that renders colors like an older lens I can't have it for what I'm shooting. The Contax G lenses are as old as I can get an even that 90 renders colors not *quite* as well as the 55 I have, which makes the images harder to use in continuity. 

 

 

A few of us are waiting/hoping for a Batis 135. However, there is a new Loxia 85 which is becoming available and the reviews are positive for it, especially for very technical/accurate usage. I have an old Leica 90mm Elmarit which I'm not satisfied with for identical reasons you have listed (so much so that each time I use it I become discouraged from that particular focal length), and the Loxia 85 would be a perfect replacement.

[felixeter]

Oh man and I thought a 2k limit would be fine and I wasn't being cheap, but I did forget about Leica so... the 135 APO looks interesting though. 

 

Is there a way to use the MF zoom in feature with the M adapters? I wonder how difficult nailing focus would be just in pure MF mode - I feel like it would be tough unless you got an assist - and I don't know that peaking would be accurate enough? 

 

 

Cheap, good and small: as they used to say in the old days, "pick only two of them ".

If you're willing to compromise on price, I don't think anything can beat the Leica M 135 Apo (You can find it second hand for less than 2000$)

http://www.pebbleplace.com/reviews/rangefinder/leica_135mm_apo/index.html

If you're willing to compromise on size, the Canon 135/2 Ef L is a great lens (new around 800€, and not that big at all, I used to hike with it)

http://kenrockwell.com/canon/lenses/135mm-f2.htm

And should you not require fast apertures, another excellent solution (it is sharper than the corresponding Contax fixed focal length, and IMO it renders in a very modern way), and a very versatile one, would be the Contax 100-300/4.5-5.6 Vario-Sonnar (used for around 800€, less if bought from Japan)

http://www.contaxcameras.co.uk/slr/slrmanlenses/variosonnar100300.html

Lastly another possibility, but I'm not sure of how it will perform on the A7r II sensor, could be the Nikon 135 DC

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/135mm-f2-dc.htm

[Username]

MF "zoom in", the "Manual Focus Assist", can be

conveniently assigned to various buttons on most 

any Sony. I actually prefer manual activation. The 

automatic intrusion of the magnifier the moment I 

tweak the focus on a native Sony lens is annoying. 

   

FWIW, I assigned the activation to the lower edge 

of the rear panel dial and the 1X-5X-10X stepping 

to the center button of the dial. I've found this very 

convenient and intuitive.   

    

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BTW, my fave 135's are film era lenses, the Nikon 

2.8AI and the Maxxum 2.8. The are both about the

same size. Not sure about them measuring up to a 

pixel peeper standard, but I like the rendering from 

both of them. Altho you say a fast max aperture is  

not needed, be aware that in general when there's 

a choice between a 2.8 and a 3.5 from the same 

lens line, the 3.5 is their economy model, in more

ways than simply the diameter of the glass :-(    

   

Unfortunately the 135mm FL was never a big seller 

and so the variety of offerings has dwindled as the 

industry has progressed into more modern times so 

that the greatest choice is amongst film era lenses, 

which you may find don't meet your requirements. 

Usually 135s are not APO, as chromatic aberration

was mainly seen as a problem from 300mm and up. 

  

For high quality modern lenses, you can check out 

the new profusion of cine lenses, but these will very 

likely bend your budget, and they're never petite. 

Such is life for high-MP, mega-IQ geeks :-(  

[addicted2light]

The MF zoom will work as usual, if you intend via a button press. It won't work via the focusing ring around the lens.

 

That said, I find EVFs better already than the ground glass used in optical (pro DSLR with a ground glass specific for manual focus) viewfinders. At least for me, it is way easier to judge manual focus in an EVF, looking for the "shiny moiré" (for lack of a better term) that the EVF produces in the areas that are correctly focused. To see the "shining" more easily, assuming you're shooting in raw, pump the sharpness in your Picture Style of choice to the maximum amount.

 

As for Focus Peaking, I don't trust it that much if at all, even if to be fair it looks like it is super precise with my Minolta AF glass (while it is wildly off with most of my other legacy glass).

[felixeter]

Thank you all for this. 

It seems there are good suggestions here.

I'm not sweating the 'pixel peeper' standard too much - but I do make big prints and I do want to avoid older glass with "charm" and "character" as much as I can - nice as it can be is not suitable for the work I am doing right now. The more clinical the rendering, the better. 

 

Anyone used any of the Leica R 135 lenses? That seemed like a decent option I just found as well...