MC Tele Rokkor 135mm f2.8 PF
Technical data
Angle of view: 18 degrees
Min. focus distance: 1,5 m
Filter thread: 55mm
Diaphgram: f2.8 - f22
Weight: 535 g.
My personal experiences
I found this lens used in a local shop, with original instruction
booklet, leather case and cartboard box. I had recently bought my 100mm
f3.5 Macro Rokkor, so I though I would not need it. It was, however, dirt
cheap, and the salesman let me play with it. I had never experienced such
a smooth focusing, and have never since. I had no way but buy it, although
it has a small dent in filter thread, which makes changing the filter a
bit difficult.
The lens is heavy, has its own stop-down lever, fixed hood, rubberized focusing ring and black aperture ring. It is also available as an early type of MC Rokkor with metal focusing ring and silver aperture ring, being one of the lenses that date back to the introduction of the Sr-T 101 in 1966. It's optics may even go further back in time. It balances well with Sr-T, XE, XD with winder and X-700 with MD-1 attached. It is a bit flare prone and not the sharpest telephoto I've owned. This applies to all fast Rokkor tele lenses, which designs date back to the 1960´s, that I've used, except the 85/1.7 when stopped down a bit.
Later I bought the late MD Rokkor version of the 135/2.8 (the five element in five groups-version) in order to get both better performance and lighter weight in a focal length I had fallen in love. Well, I got both, but also a lot cheaper feeling and less charming handling. Another photographer was willing to buy one of these lenses from me, and he choosed the newer one, so I let it go, and haven't regretted keeping this older one. I may update it to the in-between version (MC Rokkor with 4 elements in 4 groups) if I find one cheaply.
To find out all meter coupled versions of the 135mm f2.8, you can study
the table here.
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A blossom of a tree
This photo has been taken at the closest focusing distance of the lens - use the bee (find it first from the pic) as a scale. The bee is not in sharp focus, but a bit too close. Minolta X-700
Rainstorm over Wilder Kaiser
Minolta X-700
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In landscape photography this lens is good performer, as far as you can avoid flare and stop down a bit. I've used it a lot, carried it over the Tirolian Alps and been quite happy with it. I have used it with extension tubes, but it is not the best lens for close-up photography either. 135mm is actually a bit long for extension-based photography requiring 135mm of total extension to reach 1:1. It could be handy with close-up lenses, but I've never tried this with Nikon 5T or 6T, or Minolta's own achromats. I shortly owned Canon's 250 and 450 achomat lenses in 55mm size, but they are optimized for 50mm f1.8 FD lens, and certainly were not a good choise for this lens - they worked as softening filters, as well as giving good magnification. In portrait photography this lens works nicely giving good colour rendition and nice bokeh. In the background of the picture below there are birch's branches and high grass moving in the wind - not bad, I think. It works nicely with childern, allowing some more working distance than the 85mm. I also use it to isolate persons from groups and surroundings in all kind of family events. It is a part of my standard set of 24mm, 35mm, 85mm and 135mm lenses, with XE-1 and PX 360.
During its glory days in the 1960's and 70's, the 135mm f2.8 was doing the job, that the awfully expensive and enormously heavy 80-200mm f2.8 zooms are used for today. Of course, the zoom offers also 80mm f2.8 and 200mm f2.8 in the same package, and is therefore a very flexible lens, but I really miss this light, cheap, fast and easily handling short telephoto in my AF kit (Nikon does not have an AF version of 135/2.8). Paired with a good-quality standard zoom, like the Rokkor 35-70mm f3.5, it makes a good combination. Add a 200mm f4 or 300mm f4.5, 24mm f2.8 and some extension tubes, and you have a good system for most kind of work.
"Tastes good!"
Minolta XD-5
MC Tele Rokkor 135mm f2.8 PF
1/250 sec. at f2.8
Fuji Sensia II 100
16.7.2001 Virojoki, Finland