Author Topic: 135mm f/3.5 Ai  (Read 13117 times)

richardHaw

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135mm f/3.5 Ai
« on: August 27, 2016, 11:09:35 »
hi! the 135/3.5 series of Nikkors has always been amazing in my experience and they are all very reasonably priced. :o :o :o

anybody still shoots with this thing? I got this one in the junk bazaar and it had a ding on the hod but other than that, the glass was good (just a bit dirty) ::)

richardHaw

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Re: 135mm f/3.5 Ai
« Reply #1 on: August 27, 2016, 11:15:46 »
some sample of this thing wide-open :o :o :o

the performance reminds me of the Nikkor-Q version:
https://richardhaw.com/2016/08/21/repair-nikkor-q-135mm-f3-5/

but with better coatings. the optics were changed from the original 4/3 to 4/4 in this version. I am not sure why and how it changed the performance of this lens,though.
i am liking this thing a lot to be honest...really good for sunny days

rosko

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Re: 135mm f/3.5 Ai
« Reply #2 on: August 27, 2016, 11:35:46 »
One of the best value for money.

Light, tiny, with integrated hood.

I have read on internet that the best optical one is a old version. I didn't check, however, and I don't remember which one is the best.

Your collection is growing, Richard !  ;)
Francis Devrainne

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Re: 135mm f/3.5 Ai
« Reply #3 on: August 27, 2016, 11:41:41 »
I bought one a few years ago while my 135/2 Ais was in being fixed.  I now have the 135/3.5 Ai, 135/2.8 Ai, ad 135/2 Ais.  Picture quality of all closely match each other at like apertures.
Keith B., Santa Monica, CA, USA

David H. Hartman

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Re: 135mm f/3.5 Ai
« Reply #4 on: August 27, 2016, 11:43:04 »
I own a 135/3.5 AI and a 135/3.5 Nikkor-Q with AI Nikon AI kit. I haven't use the 135/3.5 AI much lately as I'm more inclined to use my 135/2.8 AIS.

My first 135/3.5 AI gave stunning results in a 5 minute exposure at f/5.6. Five minutes with a tripod mounted F2 means no vibrations and if you nail the focus f/5.6 must be the sweet spot. It's a worthy lens and it's small, light and unobtrusive compared to AF Nikkors today. I use a Nikon HS-8 or HS-14 lens hood and leave them in place. I use a Tupperware #G tumbler cap as recommended by the Nikon School in days of old. I don't care for the built in hoods on 105mm and 135mm Nikkor lenses.

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Bjørn Rørslett

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Re: 135mm f/3.5 Ai
« Reply #5 on: August 27, 2016, 11:52:06 »
I'm quite fond of the 135 mm class, though in general prefer the 105 Nikkors.

Most of the 135 shots have been with the 50-135, with the 135/3.5 coming in second place. Various other models (35-135 AIS/AF, 135/4 Bellows, 135/2, 135/2.8 etc.) fill the next rungs on the frequency ladder.

I got several of the prime 135 f/3.5 versions and they are all nice, compact, and pretty sharp for their vintage and simplified optical designs. At their modest asking price it is hard to go wrong with these lenses.

Besides its use for ordinary photography, I found the 135/3.5 valuable as a relay lens for an array of optical experiments involving cine and microscope optics. In particular, I fondly recall it being used in conjunction with anamorphic front attachments. Long since disassembled, must set up some of these contraptions again on a digital camera.

Back in the days of film, I had a looming front page assignment for a children's magazine and my son just had had a bicycle accident, so why not make the most out of this with the 135/3.5Nikkor and an anamorphic attachment (from a 16 mm cine system, cannot remember brand now but it should be in a cupboard drawer somewhere .. I presume)?


richardHaw

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Re: 135mm f/3.5 Ai
« Reply #6 on: August 27, 2016, 11:56:02 »
One of the best value for money.
I have read on internet that the best optical one is a old version. I didn't check, however, and I don't remember which one is the best.

it might be the Nikkor-Q  :o :o :o
yes, it is growing! time to step on the brakes and slow down ::)

richardHaw

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Re: 135mm f/3.5 Ai
« Reply #7 on: August 27, 2016, 11:56:56 »
I bought one a few years ago while my 135/2 Ais was in being fixed.  I now have the 135/3.5 Ai, 135/2.8 Ai, ad 135/2 Ais.  Picture quality of all closely match each other at like apertures.

it might be because they are usually made with very few glass :o :o :o

richardHaw

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Re: 135mm f/3.5 Ai
« Reply #8 on: August 27, 2016, 11:58:24 »
My first 135/3.5 AI gave stunning results in a 5 minute exposure at f/5.6. Five minutes with a tripod mounted F2 means no vibrations and if you nail the focus f/5.6 must be the sweet spot. It's a worthy lens.

I thought so,too. f/5.6 seems to be pretty good :o :o :o but wide open its already impressive!  ::)

richardHaw

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Re: 135mm f/3.5 Ai
« Reply #9 on: August 27, 2016, 12:00:56 »
Besides its use for ordinary photography, I found the 135/3.5 valuable as a relay lens for an array of optical experiments involving cine and microscope optics. In particular, I fondly recall it being used in conjunction with anamorphic front attachments. Long since disassembled, must set up some of these contraptions again on a digital camera.

never heard of it being used like this but having very few elements is probably good for this. :o :o :o
do you think Nikon will make an updated version of this classic? ::)
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the solitaire

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Re: 135mm f/3.5 Ai
« Reply #10 on: August 27, 2016, 14:38:17 »
My personal favorite among the 135mm Nikkors is the 135mm f3,5 Nikkor-Q.C

With the original 4/3 lens grouping and modern SIC multicoating, the larger focus throw of 190 degrees, very good sharpness and contrast wide open this lens beats the performance of most 80-200 and 70-200 f2,8 zooms at 135mm.

I found the lens to be quite flare resistant, as long as it's used with a deep and narrow hood.

I also like the 135mm f3,5 for close-up photography using the PK-11 through 13 and PN-11





The photo below was also made with the 135mm f3,5, this time used wide open

Buddy

richardHaw

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Re: 135mm f/3.5 Ai
« Reply #11 on: August 27, 2016, 14:56:24 »
nice pics! why do some people say that the 4/3 is superior to the 4/4? :o :o :o

the solitaire

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Re: 135mm f/3.5 Ai
« Reply #12 on: August 27, 2016, 15:18:31 »
Not sure, but I got better results with my copy of the 135mm f3,5 Nikkor-Q.C then with the 135mm f3,5 Ai-S I tried.

I tried 2 different Nikkor-Q.C's, one Nikkor-Q and one 135mm f3,5 Ai-S Nikkor. Reading Rolands site the Ai version even has a 220 degree focus throw so might yield better results still.

All the copies I tried were used on a D300, D3 and D800. In the end results between the 135's were close enough that I decided to keep my current 135mm f3,5 Nikkor-Q.C because:

a) I paid $50 for it and bought one for $75 that I returned to the seller because of a stiff focus ring
2) unlike the Ai/Ai-S this lens has a scalloped metal focus ring and optically fits in better with my other lenses
iii) the Q.C, for me, did a bit better then the Q shooting against the sun

If such criteria become deciding for my choice between lense sthen the optical qualities are close enough to equal.

John Hinkey prefers his 135mm f3,5 Ai over any of the other variants, which has the 4/4 optical arrangement

So with that I wouldn't be able to say one is better then the other. I can only say that after trying a few copies the one I liked most was an older 4/3 design lens, but it wasn't because the other lenses were not as sharp or contrasty. Nor was it related to color reproduction wich was equally good on all including the single coated Nikkor-Q, which needed a bit more WB adjustment in Lightroom for me to like the output
Buddy

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Re: 135mm f/3.5 Ai
« Reply #13 on: August 27, 2016, 16:41:11 »
I had a 135/3.5 AI-S for several years and it was a great lens, but I found the contrast to not be so great at times and it really didn't like being pointed near to or at the sun.  Thus for landscapes I've replaced it with a 135/3.4 APO Telyt.

That being said, this lens held up to the 36MP of my D800 and even the 42.2MP of my A7RII quite well and I managed quite a few excellent images with it.

Plus, I'm very fond of lenses with built-in hoods :)
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Re: 135mm f/3.5 Ai
« Reply #14 on: August 28, 2016, 22:46:56 »
nice pics! why do some people say that the 4/3 is superior to the 4/4? :o :o :o

There are two Nikkor-Q 135/3.5 versions:

The first was one of the original lenses released with the Nikon F in 1959. The optics of this lens were taken directly from the rangefinder version so the optical design goes back to 1950. Early production lenses have 9 aperture blades and the focal length is marked 13.5cm, later changing to 6 aperture blades and 135mm. I don't know much about the performance of this version, it seems to be fairly good, Nikon was certainly happy enough to keep the same optics going in one form or another form for 20 years.

In 1969 the lens was updated. It remains a 4/3 design with a similar arrangement, but is an all-new design and not a modification of the old one. The overall appearance is very similar with the chrome and black barrel, it can be distinguished by the scalloped aperture ring and 7 aperture blades (the older has a finely knurled aperture ring and 6 blades). The aperture blades are curved (similar to the gauss 105/2.5), so when stopped down the opening, while not fully circular, are nicely rounded septagons. The background bokeh is also smooth and sharpness is good (also similar to the 105/2.5), so the rendition is generally beautiful. I regard it as a longer, slower version of the 105/2.5.

The multicoated Nikkor-Q.C was introduced in 1973, now with an all black barrel but otherwise the same optically and mechanically.

The K version was introduced in 1975 with a modern styled barrel but the same optically.

In 1977 the completely revised AI 135/3.5 was introduced. It sports a new 4/4 optical design - very similar to the optics found in the AI 135/2.8, series-E 100/2.8 and series-E 135/2.8. The new lens is smaller and lighter, close focus limit is reduced from 1.5m to 1.3m, and it now has a built-in hood. The focus throw is longer than the pre-AI versions, but only because the focus range is greater, when focused to the same distance the focus throw is actually slightly shorter. It is a good performer, I found this version is very sharp but it lost some of the "roundness" of the previous version.

The AIS version from 1981 has the same optics as the AI version. The built-in hood is a little shorter and does not stay in place as firmly. The focus throw also reduced from 220° to a still respectable 180° (better than the 140° of the AIS 105/2.5). Externally the AIS 135/3.5 looks almost identical to the AIS 105/2.5. Due to the better hood and longer focus throw, I prefer the AI version.