135mm for SL3

[kengai]

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135mm for SL3
Which 135mm for my SL3?
I would mainly use it for portraits and architectural details or paintings.

[Stuart Richardson]

I would say there are three main routes:

1. Using the 135mm section of a zoom, of which there are many good options in this mount. For example, the 90-280mm, the Panasonic and Sigma versions around 70-200 etc.

2. Using the Sigma 135mm 1.8. It is large and heavy, but it has autofocus and good performance and bokeh.

3. Adapting an M lens or R lens. The 135mm Tele Elmar M is cheap, small and still a top class lens (truly...better than most standard lenses in performance, despite the age). The 135mm APO Telyt is of course top class as well, though more expensive. You gain a slight edge in performance, it is slightly smaller and slightly faster. In the R line there are some 135mm Elmarits that should give a more classic rendering but will still be sharp when stopped down. The downside to the M and R lenses is that you will need an adapter and they will be fully manual, in both aperture and focus. You will also need to select the right focal length for them to enable stabilization.

Personally I think the first two options are the most practical, but the 3rd is very usable too.

Edited January 4 by Stuart Richardson

[Ning Ning]

I have the Sigma 1.8 135mm Art. After briefly owning the Sigma 2.8 70-200 Sport, but realizing that its size and weight meant it was almost always at home or in the car, I swapped it for the 135. Also not really small and light but less bulky than the zoom. A good aperture more latitude and incredibly sharp. Rather too ungracious for portraits. The AF could be a bit better on the SL3. But overall the better choice for me.

 

Edit: 70-200 Art-> Sport

Edited January 4 by Ning Ning

[jaapv]

I have the Sigma 70-200 Sports and it is a fantastic all-round medium telezoom which I use as an all-day lens, but for light and sleek: Tele-Elmar M 135. 

[Babylonia]

vor 3 Stunden schrieb kengai:

I would mainly use it for portraits and architectural details or paintings.

Not mentioned within the subject yet, but another option, hopefully to be delivered soon by L-Mount ??
Samyang 135mm / 1.8 AF

Samyang is a partner of the L-mount alliance, and little by little they do offer lenses as for the L-mount to  (as e.g.  35-150mm / F 2.0-2.8 )
Maybe 2025 will be the start for Samyang to introduce more of their lens line including L-mount ?

<  YouTube  -  Test by  Cristopher Frost  (tested on a Sony camera) >

AF is not as fast as other 135mm  lenses - for portraiture however seems to be fast enough.
As long as you don't use that lens for sport.
(Since the test, the lens has undergone a firmware update for better AF precision).

The big advantage is the relative very light weight of that lens, in comparison to other 135mm lenses.
Specially when doing portraiture in the field, that is the biggest advantage IMO.

Also that lens using by more close-focus distances as e.g. for paintings. Seems well suited.
(High corrections as for LoCA  and sharp to at close distances).
-

Edited January 4 by Babylonia

[rcusick]

Cheap, portable and very good - 135mm tele elmar m f4. 

[hellobrandonscott]

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I use the 135 M Telyt Elmar all the time at weddings and love it. 

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Edited January 8 by hellobrandonscott

[SrMi]

A while ago, @adan wrote a nice comparison of the two 135 M lenses:

 

[Ivar B]

Another option could be the Zeiss Apo-Sonnar 2.0/135mm if you require the absolute maximum optical performance. Nothing matches it.

I used one for a while with Canon EOS adapter. Large and heavy, but can be found heavily discounted.

Otherwise, I agree with those recommending the Tele-Elmar-M 4.0/135mm. Many decades old design, but still first class, low weight and incredible value for money. 

[Babylonia]

vor 5 Stunden schrieb Ivar B:

Another option could be the Zeiss Apo-Sonnar 2.0/135mm if you require the absolute maximum optical performance. Nothing matches it.

Absolutely.
In "that time" of introduction at the Photokina in Germany, I tried that lens with the "chained / locked" cameras that Zeiss made available.
(I used a Nikon D3s, but people also could choose for e.g. Canon camera's for testing). And just using your own memory cards, to stick in the camera.

With the photo scenes built up there. No "test" cards. But the results of the normal photo scenes (I used fully wide open aperture).
And tests shots against bright light sources on the ceiling, were really so impressive. That I wrote in reports later on photo fora,
that this was a "new benchmark" lens.  Which has been confirmed later by others with "real technical test shots" and comparisons with other lenses.

Lloyd Chambers (an American who test all the the best lenses), found out that this Zeiss Apo-Sonnar 2.0/135mm lens used "wide open",
already matches the quality of a  Nikon 135mm f/2 DC  where the Nikon was closed down to F 5.6 (the best opening for that Nikon lens).
-

 

Edited January 13 by Babylonia