What 135mm for my M?

[Paul Connet]

Often I would like to have a longer tele lens than my current Voigtländer 75mm portrait lens and consider a 135mm. What are your recommendations? My budget is somewhat limited so I do not consider a new Leica lens.

You have been given some good ideas here, and if cost is a major consideration the Canon black 135mm/f3.5 is IMHO one of the best choices. I like it's optical performance, and it is one of the most compact of the screw-mount 135's.

Here are some sample shots taken with the Canon135 on a M3: not positive about "TEXAS", it could have been another camera, but definitely a rangefinder.

Regards, Paul C.

 

[aoresteen]

Hahaha, how's it working for you? That's the one I sold you right?

Yes it is!!! Works great on my M3-MOT!!!! I use the 90 TE a lot more but the 135 doesn't take up a lot of space in the bag and when you need the extra length it's there. The M3 excels with long lenses!

Canon made some great RF lenses. I wonder if they will bring back an RF like the 7sZ with the 50mm f/0.95? This time with an M mount of course!

 

[back alley]

here's your lens @149 bucks


move quick.
joe

 

[davhill]

You have been given some good ideas here, and if cost is a major consideration the Canon black 135mm/f3.5 is IMHO one of the best choices. I like it's optical performance, and it is one of the most compact of the screw-mount 135'.

To revive a very old thread … I just bought from ebay, rather by mistake, a [black] Canon 135/3.5. It was listed as a 100/3.5, and if I could have taken my eyes off the perfect condition and flawless glass I would have seen the pictures clearly showed “135”. My bad. I’ll need an accessory finder to use it effectively with my Canon P, but no matter. It’s flawless, it has the Series VII hood/cap that reverses to serve as a lens cap. And I paid under $100 all told. Dunno how I’m using it yet, but I’m keeping it. Yessir.

 

[Richard G]

I've been thinking of getting out my Tele-Elmar f4 again. Ralph Gibson has been using the 135 recently with an interest in architectural details. I find the 135 is a much more approachable focal length with the accessory SHOOC finder on a Leica. I'm thinking of getting an 85 for my OM2n for this sort of thing, lighter and more compact.

 

[raydm6]

The 135 Tele-Elmar f/4 is a wonderful lens (approaching apo performance). What I also like about it is it shares the same 39mm filter thread as my 35 Summicron.

On my M6 with SHOOC BL finder and hood for size comparison:

Leitz BL Finders by rdc154, on Flickr

An example:

T'ai Chi Fan by rdc154, on Flickr

There's a small thread with examples here on RFF: 135/4 Tele-Elmar Shots??

 

[davhill]

I've been thinking of getting out my Tele-Elmar f4 again…. I'm thinking of getting an 85 for my OM2n for this sort of thing, lighter and more compact.

I found the Zuiko 85/2 was a very gratifying lens for the OM1n, 2n, 4Ti I once had .. 2 decades ago, now. Lovely cameras, and the /2’s were especially fine lenses.

 

[Dralowid]

Just worth mentioning in that the Tele Elmar is a Mandler design...

 

[raydm6]

Just worth mentioning in that the Tele Elmar is a Mandler design...

Yes, thanks for mentioning that. I believe mine is an earlier version with scalloped focusing ring and a lens head unit that unscrews for use on a Visoflex.
https://www.photo.net/discuss/thread...soflex.177478/