Csacwp Posted December 1, 2017 Share #1 Posted December 1, 2017 Advertisement (gone after registration) I’ve got a 90mm APO that I enjoy. How does the 135 APO compare? Is it useful to have if one already has a 90mm? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted December 1, 2017 Posted December 1, 2017 Hi Csacwp, Take a look here 135mm APO: Tell me about it. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
rsolomon Posted December 1, 2017 Share #2 Posted December 1, 2017 I have interest in this lens, I've had it on the m240 a few times but limited to what I could do with it as I 'trailed" it. IMO , with my eye sight the EVF is a must so you need to consider that. I liked the lens but could not give you real practical input. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Csacwp Posted December 1, 2017 Author Share #3 Posted December 1, 2017 Luckily I have an SL. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
105012 Posted December 1, 2017 Share #4 Posted December 1, 2017 Easy to focus accurately wide open on an M3 (at least, my copy is on both of the M3's I have), on wide angle viewfinders it might be an issue; heavy for a Leica lens (450g) and quite large (10.5cm long); very useful focal length for landscape and portraiture; would like a light collapsible 135mm version of the APO-Macro 90mm... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgk Posted December 1, 2017 Share #5 Posted December 1, 2017 I have the previous (E46) non-apo version. A 135 is very different to a 90! Its ok to focus using the rangefinder under reasonably good conditions and I am confident of focus accuracy except when its dull or there are insufficient defined areas within the subject to obtain a really viable coinv=cidence - which does happen. It is unforgiving though so if you get it wrong the image will not be sharp. My version happily produces files capable of being printed to 20" x 30" off my M9 with no problems at all so I'm sure that the apo will be an even better lens. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
anickpick Posted December 1, 2017 Share #6 Posted December 1, 2017 (edited) The 135 Apo is perfectly sharp across the frame from 1.5 meters till infinity. Nice colors. Compact and light for a 135mm lens. The SL 90-280 gives a slightly nicer oof rendering at 135mm, but it is 4 times as heavy. As the 135mm window is really small, it is not a very enjoyable experience on a rangefinder camera (but manageable). On the SL it is a great lens. Edited December 1, 2017 by anickpick Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted December 1, 2017 Share #7 Posted December 1, 2017 Advertisement (gone after registration) Very little to say - just the best 135 ever made, but the Tele-Elmar 135/4.0 is close behind, indistinguishable one stop closed and a fraction of the price for a mint example. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilentShutter Posted December 1, 2017 Share #8 Posted December 1, 2017 I’ve got a 90mm APO that I enjoy. How does the 135 APO compare? Is it useful to have if one already has a 90mm? A question you only can answer yourself........ Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlbertTRAL Posted December 1, 2017 Share #9 Posted December 1, 2017 Almost everything already pointed out, fabulous performances, no problems focusing with the rangefinder, small frame but obviously usable... If I could, I would only ask for less minimum focusing distance, let's say 1m instead of 1.5m... as my mother said, "you are always asking..." jajaja... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
frame-it Posted December 1, 2017 Share #10 Posted December 1, 2017 i asked the same thing some months back https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/273507-135mm-f34-apo-telyt-m-lens/ I’ve got a 90mm APO that I enjoy. How does the 135 APO compare? Is it useful to have if one already has a 90mm? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rafikiphoto Posted December 1, 2017 Share #11 Posted December 1, 2017 With my old eyes, I find the 135 a challenge with my M240 rangefinder but a dream with the SL. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith (M) Posted December 1, 2017 Share #12 Posted December 1, 2017 Paul's two pictures give an excellent idea of the different FoV and I find it sufficient to justify having both 90 and 135mm lenses. Having written that, I really should use my 135mm APO a lot more than I currently do. In general use (landscapes etc) I find I can use the normal viewfinder and only opt for the VF2 for closer / more demanding conditions. Some examples from my M240. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted December 1, 2017 Share #13 Posted December 1, 2017 An almost perfect lens. The 135/3.4 apo is the shortest and almost the lightest 135 ever made by Leica if i'm not mistaken. The lightest is the Elmar (not Tele-Elmar) 135/4 which is significantly taller. Only flaw of the 135/3.4 apo is flare when strong light sources are just outside the frame. A long hood, a hand or a hat may be necessary to make some shade then. Also an EVF or an optical magnifier are highly recommended to focus the lens at f/3.4 with wider RFs than 0.91x or 0.85x i.e. with all digital Ms. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
onasj Posted December 1, 2017 Share #14 Posted December 1, 2017 It's optically terrific, even wide open. I can focus with a reasonable hit rate on stationary subjects though I use the 1.25x VF magnifier pretty much always (unless shooting at 28 mm). Colors are neutral, APO is... apo, and the lens handles sveltely for a 135. It's long enough that you may want to check that it fits into your bag if, like me, you have some bags chosen to be as compact as possible. No focus tab but precision focusing is easier with the simple striated ring anyway. A good match for the M10 because the high frame rate can help capture good focus, in some cases, when shooting candids wide open. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Csacwp Posted December 1, 2017 Author Share #15 Posted December 1, 2017 Does anybody have examples of portraits taken wide open with it, particularly at closer focusing distances? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
spydrxx Posted December 1, 2017 Share #16 Posted December 1, 2017 FWIW, I'm a particularly strong fan of the 135 Tele-Elmar, not only for its incredible rendition, but also because the head is removable and I often use it on my micro 4/3 and Nikon DSLR bodies where it really shines. Also works very well on the bellows. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith (M) Posted December 1, 2017 Share #17 Posted December 1, 2017 Does anybody have examples of portraits taken wide open with it, particularly at closer focusing distances? My one and only portrait - only took it as that was the topic/subject at that week's camera club meeting. 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Geschlecht Posted December 1, 2017 Share #18 Posted December 1, 2017 (edited) Hello Csacwp, Something to add to the very good comments above, is:When compared to the same scene taken with a 50mm lens:A 90mm lens tends to remove unwanted foreground & to a lesser extent, remove unwanted side & top imagery from a scene. While maintaining a pleasing perspective. It pretty much "crops" what is essential out of what a person is looking at. Which is why it has been a favorite of portarait painters, among others, for a very long time. A 135mm lens, on the other hand, does what a 90mm lens does, but to a noticeably greater extent & also has the beginnings of image compression which some people (Including me.) like. Which means the 135mm lens is the beginning of "reaching into" a scene to abstract a portion while a 90mm lens more "removes" superfluous material from the perimeter of the same total scene. Both, while retaining the appropriate perspective. Also, keep in mind, in terms of hand hold ability: To get the same degree of sharpness of an image (Not depth of field.) with a 135mm lens that you would with a 90mm lens: You need to set the camera to at least 1 shutter speed faster. On top of that: The 135mm lens is also, most likely, at least 1 lens opening slower, so that:In terms of hand hold ability: The 135mm lens may well be 2 shutter speeds slower in many situations. That is why, in many instances, even though they are similar focal lengths with some overlap: In a number of instances: They are very different lenses. Best Regards, Michael Edited December 1, 2017 by Michael Geschlecht 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
phongph Posted December 2, 2017 Share #19 Posted December 2, 2017 Hi All! I wish Leica have the M 135 f2.0, but They did not have! How about your idea of IQ, render, bokeh ... for portrai & landscape if I will buy Zeiss Apo 135 f2.0 to shoot with my M10 and SL601? Have a nice weekend! Thanks! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Letin Posted December 2, 2017 Share #20 Posted December 2, 2017 Also interested in this lens, for both film and digital, are they 6 bit coded? 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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