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135mm Elmarit F2.8...


mobeyone

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on the M8, any experiences? or is the 90mm Elmarit adequate? or is this simply too "long" for the 8?

 

This one is a tough. I have a 135mm and a 90mm.

 

The 90mm is completely focusable when I use the 1.25x magnifier. Other people have reported focusing the 90mm just fine without the magnifier, relying on contrast as a guide--I'm using f/2 a lot, though, which may be my issue.

 

I have less success with focusing the 135 unless I'm stopped down to at least f/5.6, but usually f/8 or f/11.

 

I'd pick the 90mm and leave the 135mm for a rainy day unless you really need the reach.

 

Frankly, I generally only go as long as 50mm on a regular basis. The 90mm and 135mm get used for the few situations where I can't get in close enough with the 50mm.

 

Cheers,

Will

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Thanks for the reply Will! its the price tag of these lenses that has got me thinking...

 

I suppose it would be nice to have this as an option? what are the frame lines like? and I would probably have the 1.4 magnifier anyway to make it really clear.

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the 135mm f2,8 has "goggles" and brings up the 90mm framelines. if i remember correctly, framing is a bit like looking through a tunnel, but both framing and focusing were quite fairly easy on the m8, especially with a 1.35 magnifier. one drawback - it's quite heavy.

 

while you're shopping, there are quite a few fans of the 135mm f4 tele-elmar here on the forum. search and ye shall find.

 

good luck

 

rick

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while you're shopping, there are quite a few fans of the 135mm f4 tele-elmar here on the forum. search and ye shall find.

 

Count me among the fans. It depends a bit on what you're shooting, but I've used the 135 Tele-Elmar a few times for on-tripod landscape work with my M8. With the M8 you can guess the framing using the 90mm lines and the rangefinder patch and check the LCD afterwards to see if you got the framing you wanted. I don't see much advantage to the f2.8 for what I do with the lens. Here's an example: Nikopolis from Octavian camp

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Thanks for the reply Will! its the price tag of these lenses that has got me thinking...

 

Mobey, I've bought a Tele-Elmar 135 f:4 that is dead sharp and costed me around 250 euros. It is f:4 of course but that's not a problem in many situations. Anyway the price is ridiculous if compared with an Elmarit an the quality is spectacular.

Here you are an example hand held:

 

3953668782_7e331f8ae6_b.jpg

Edited by epand56
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The 135 f/2.8 is a mixed bag.

 

On the one hand it is faster (but if you have to stop down to be sure of reasonable odds of focus, that is meaningless). It is codable, if you want the lens type in EXIF, and it does provide real framelines (via the 90 lines + scene magnification)

 

OTOH, if the goggles are out of adjustment, it won't work without servicing. It is BIG - bigger/heavier than some SLR 135 f/2.8s. And it is not as crisp as the Tele-Elmar f/4 until the middle apertures - not bad at all, just not as good as the f/4.

 

The one time I tried one on my M8, the focus was fine @ f/2.8. In the US, the price difference is often minimal (under $500 for either).

 

Ultimately, for me, it came down to the fact that if I wanted to shoot lenses that big and heavy, I'd have stayed with SLRs. But I do see the attraction of a "180" f/2.8

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