135mm

[AndrewPiper]

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Hi guys...

 

Im going to start looking at second hand 135mm lens for my M11.  I dont have any particular budget in mind currently but are there different versions that are considered to be a ''better'' purchase?  I dear that maybe a bit subjective but I appreciate any and all advice/suggestions.  If there are generic brands that are worthy of a look I would be greatful of their inclusion in any suggestions.

 

Thanks guys.

[Ecar]

The Tele-Elmar 135/4 is excellent and can be found at very reasonable prices. A better choice than the APO 135/3.4 IMO, especially for occasional use.

If you want to explore vintage options, however, there are many more, including from Canon, Nikon, etc.

[spydrxx]

I've always come back to the 135/4 Tele-Elmar as my favorite. The fact that the head unscrews for use on the bellows for macro work is a plus imho. I can also recommend the screwmount 135/4 Elmar which needs a cheap LTM->M adapter ring for use on an M body. It's head also unscrews for use on the bellows. You can't go wrong with either. Suggest you do some reading on both...there are hundreds of articles as these aren't new lenses. They both take the same hood which is a good thing. As Ecar mentions, there are a myriad of other offerings from other manufacturers which are quite good as well. I've used a 135 Canon as well on both my screwmount and M bodies and was impressed with its contrast and resolution.

[KFo]

So I don't know if I'm the only person out there that takes a Hektor 13.5 f/4.5 as my 135.   I think I am though.

For me it is an entirely acceptable lens.  I have a decent example and it goes along at times when I feel like a different look.  It is light and simple.  My usage is generally at infinity focus, f/8 but I have found it to focus just fine across the entire range.

While fairly long (physically) it is also light so taking it along doesn't feel like a punishment.  They are also cheap and plentiful.  My local guy had 4 lying around when I bought mine for about 250 euros. Here is a quick blog post of my view of the lens.

Good luck.

Edited September 3, 2024 by KFo

[TeleElmar135mm]

Nomen est omen - nothing to say more

[wda]

While waiting for a perfect specimen 135 Tele-Elmar, I accepted a near new 135 Elmar which astonished me.  So much that I kept it even after finding a good Tele Elmar. You can read about it here https://david2008.photium.com/a-gem-from-the-past

I think it is fair to say that most 135 mm lenses see very little prolonged use. Hence focusing becomes difficult as lubricants dry. But it is usually solved by gentle but continuous operation of the focusing mount until less pressure is needed. (Listen to pleasant music while easing the focusing)

Initially  I used mine a lot for ground-to-air aircraft photography.   Occasionally for portraiture.  More recently I have found the focal length interesting for landscape photography,  picking out features within the landscape.  It is also handy for difficult to reach flowers in a border. The lens, screw mount or M-mount versions, is finding fresh challenges on my L-mount Leica camera bodies, where focusing and framing are so much easier with ageing eyes. Find One and have fun!

[lct]

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I have 4 Leica 135mm lenses that all work fine on the M11:

• Elmar 135/4, a lens from the sixties that is excellent, light, affordable but silver and rather tall;

• Tele-Elmar 135/4 from the seventies that is excellent too, v1 with no built-in hood, anodized black,a bit shorter than the Elmar;

• Elmarit 135/2.8 from the seventies, very good lens but bulky due to goggles needed to focus accurately in RF mode at full aperture;

• Apo-Telyt 135/3.4 which is the current lens with 6-bit coding, the more performant but can have some flare issues.

If i had no 135mm lens i would pick the Apo-Telyt as i use mine in LV mode and flare is easy to avoid then but in RF mode i would be tempted by the Tele-Elmar in its version 2 with built-in hood i have no experience with. FWIW.

[AndrewPiper]

Thank you for your very detailed reply.

Much appreciated.

[lioness731]

Love the Tele-Elmar that I picked up. Takes nice BW portraits.