Leica 135mm f3.4 Apo-Telyt M on a7rII

[tommiejeep]

Thanks Roland.   I've been on your site a lot recently.  Corrected my post on 135 mm f3.5 to read Ai instead of Ais.  Thoughts on 135 2.8 Ai vs As?  I actually prefer my 105 f2.5 Ai to the 105 2.5 Ais,  Same goes for the 28 f2.
Could be just the individual lenses or then again could be me since I keep trying new ones and selling the ones I do not get along with  .
Cheers,
Tom

[Hugh_3170]

Tom, I can just see you with a D3S fitted with a 400mm f/2.8, one in each hand frantically working out in the Indian sun! 

...................................................

I shot a Soccer Tournament last weekend and the D3S seemed to have gained weight... lol ...guess it is time for some morning weight lifting 
Tom

[tommiejeep]

Hugh, lol ,but it was not that bad.  Had D3S/300 2.8vr in hand and D500/70-200 2.8vr on Black Rapid.  Still bad and by 11 AM the heat and humidity really got to me.   Didn't stay for the Final of the under 12s but had images of each kid doing something that looked like they were Footballers 

[Roland Vink]

Thanks Roland.   I've been on your site a lot recently.  Corrected my post on 135 mm f3.5 to read Ai instead of Ais.  Thoughts on 135 2.8 Ai vs As?  I actually prefer my 105 f2.5 Ai to the 105 2.5 Ais,  Same goes for the 28 f2.
Could be just the individual lenses or then again could be me since I keep trying new ones and selling the ones I do not get along with  .

For 135/3.5 I prefer AI over AIS. Optically they are the same, but the AI has a deeper and less wobbly slide-out hood. The Ai has slightly longer focus throw but the AIS is perfectly good so I wouldn't choose on that basis. The AIS 135/3.5 looks identical to the AIS 105/2.5 except the upper barrel is longer.

As for the 135/2.8, in this case I would choose the AIS over AI. Again, they are the same optically so no advantage either way. The AI has a very long focus throw so focusing is very slow, the AIS feels about right. On the lenses I have handled, the AI focus ring is very heavily damped, so in combination with the long focus throw and narrow-ish focus grip, it is not comfortable to use. Servicing might fix that. On the other hand, the hood on the AI is marginally deeper and less wobbly.

[tommiejeep]

Thanks Roland
All the best
Tom

[jhinkey]

Bjorn, I agree on the IBIS.  Works well with my DC105/105 2.5s and Nikon 135 2.8Q but not that good with the 180 f2.8D (actually seems better with the size/weight of the 200 f4 Ais) . I am actually using the Leica 75 2.5 more than the Batis 85but I need the Batis AF for some Events.  Thanks for the comment on the image.
John, I've pretty much given up on the APO Lanthar 125mm.  Funny , I use the Samyang 135 f2 on the D500 more than on the Df.  My dealer made me a great offer on the Loxia 85 but still more than double the price of the Tessar 85 f4 and I really want to get down to lenses I will use regularly instead of 'having available'  .  At my skill level , I really do not need the very best available  .   I think I will leave the 135mm decision in the hands of the Gods .

I shot a Soccer Tournament last weekend and the D3S seemed to have gained weight... lol ...guess it is time for some morning weight lifting 
Tom

Why did you give up on the 125/2.5 Lanthar?

[David H. Hartman]

For 135/3.5 I prefer AI over AIS. Optically they are the same, but the AI has a deeper and less wobbly slide-out hood. The Ai has slightly longer focus throw but the AIS is perfectly good so I wouldn't choose on that basis. The AIS 135/3.5 looks identical to the AIS 105/2.5 except the upper barrel is longer.

As for the 135/2.8, in this case I would choose the AIS over AI. Again, they are the same optically so no advantage either way. The AI has a very long focus throw so focusing is very slow, the AIS feels about right. On the lenses I have handled, the AI focus ring is very heavily damped, so in combination with the long focus throw and narrow-ish focus grip, it is not comfortable to use. Servicing might fix that. On the other hand, the hood on the AI is marginally deeper and less wobbly.

A couple of days ago I took the 135/3.5 Nikkor-Q (factory AI) with me and didn't notice (stupid) that it had a period appropriate HS-4 hood with the chrome buttons. The hood came off in the bag. I feel lucky the front element didn't get scratched. I need to put that hood somewhere safe where I never use it again.

On all of the 105/2.5(s), 105/2.8 Micro and 135/2.8 K (new), AI and AIS I recommend the Nikon HS-14 hood. It's designed for the 105/2.8 Micro but fits and works fine with all mentioned. I just leave the HS-14 in place and I do not reverse it. The 105/2.5(s) can also use the HS-8 hood. I just will not use the HS-4 or any of the hoods with the chrome release buttons. The come off to easily.

Dave Hartman

[tommiejeep]

John, probably sounded too final.  I've spent time , energy and money trying to find a good copy the lens.  No success.  If one crosses my path I'll buy  .  Unfortunately I would no have a Dr. Erik to look after it for me  .
David, thanks for the info on hoods.  I never tried my HS-8 on the 105 2.5 Ais, just did 
Tom

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Two drops of epoxy glue judiciously applied to the push-in buttons on the snap-in type hoods and problem solved. Now, you can screw the hood into its position. Threads are less complete than on the native screw-in hoods so the grip to the lens is less secure, but the risk of the hood coming off is greatly reduced.

[David H. Hartman]

Two drops of epoxy glue judiciously applied to the push-in buttons on the snap-in type hoods and problem solved. Now, you can screw the hood into its position. Threads are less complete than on the native screw-in hoods so the grip to the lens is less secure, but the risk of the hood coming off is greatly reduced.

Thanks for the suggestion. I was pondering gluing the threaded section but noted the part is secured with a rivet rather than a screw. Epoxying the chrome buttons should be quite easy. The old hood is saved from the petting zoo.

Dave

[jhinkey]

John, probably sounded too final.  I've spent time , energy and money trying to find a good copy the lens.  No success.  If one crosses my path I'll buy  .  Unfortunately I would no have a Dr. Erik to look after it for me  .
David, thanks for the info on hoods.  I never tried my HS-8 on the 105 2.5 Ais, just did 
Tom

Tom - just to be clear - you've gotten your hands on a copy, but haven't been happy with it OR you've been unable to find one for sale that's in decent shape at all?

- John

[tommiejeep]

John,  I've not been able to handle one at all.   I've had friends , I trust and do have the lens, and dealers looking for one without success.  Prices seem to have dropped a bit, or at least stabilized.  At this moment I am still deciding between the Leica 135 f3.4 and Batis 135 f2.8.   The Nikon 105 f1.4E is calling to me, and cheaper than either of the others, but just heavier than I want to go for the Df.   If I were still shooting the D750 .... I've recently seen some D810, 105 E images shot at f1.4 at ISO 64 that increased the NAS.
Sorry I did not see your post earlier.
Cheers,
Tom

[jhinkey]

John,  I've not been able to handle one at all.   I've had friends , I trust and do have the lens, and dealers looking for one without success.  Prices seem to have dropped a bit, or at least stabilized.  At this moment I am still deciding between the Leica 135 f3.4 and Batis 135 f2.8.   The Nikon 105 f1.4E is calling to me, and cheaper than either of the others, but just heavier than I want to go for the Df.   If I were still shooting the D750 .... I've recently seen some D810, 105 E images shot at f1.4 at ISO 64 that increased the NAS.
Sorry I did not see your post earlier.
Cheers,
Tom

They don't seem hard to find:
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1487073
which is the price I paid for my copy.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Ouch - I paid about 300 USD for my copy. Not in similar pristine condition, but otherwise fully functional.

[jhinkey]

Ouch - I paid about 300 USD for my copy. Not in similar pristine condition, but otherwise fully functional.

Then you got the deal of the century!  That is not typical of course.
$1800 USD is about as low as I've seen a really nice copy go for.  Lots of higher stuff on ebay.

These guys seem to usually have a used one in stock at a reasonable price, but not at the moment:
http://www.ffordes.com/category/Lenses/Leica/M_Series/Leica#&&SortDirection=Descending&PageIndex=1&SortExpression=SalesPrice