Lens User Reviews (417)

This lens has good contrast, small and light, and overall decent IQ, I compare it and it is lighter and a little sharper than my manual focusing Nikkor 28mm 2.8. Especially on the edges.

Weaknesses:

Has Plastic in it, but it makes it lighter. Actually it may be and avantage.

Comments:

Good quality at low price (about $60). If you want a better performer you can buy an Art lens 28mm for about $600

This is a beautiful lens and it is a great performer, it is very sharp and the colors are amazing.

Weaknesses:

None

Comments:

I also have the 58mm 1.4 that has a nice Boke but I like the colors of the 1.8 better. For Landscape and Nature photography the 1.8 is better. I do mainly Landscape.

This Lens is amazing, It is so sharp and it has some magic in it that makes an average picture look like art. I never use it at f3.5 becouse I do landscaping and I need the deep of field, but at f8 or f11 it will beat all my new canon lenses. I have also compared it to my Topcon 35mm 2.8 and it performs a lot better. This is the only wide angle lens I have that is sharp in the corners. 

Weaknesses:

To me it has no weakness, but if you photograph people or moving objects it may be slow.

Comments:

My copy is the Exakta mount and I use it with an adapter on my Sony a7Rii. If you can find one, buy it you will never regret it. I bought my in Europe and had to wait 3 weeks for it.

Weaknesses:

For some people the weaknes could be that is a f5.5, but for me it doesn't matter because I always use f8 or f11.

Comments:

• Sharp
• pleasing colour rendering
• good flare control
• bokeh

Weaknesses:

• Singapore made lenses are prone to mechanical defects
• bokeh on photos taken from close distance on cloudy day with no light points may be ugly.

Comments:

Optically, it is the same lens as Carl Zeiss Planar 50mm f1.8 and Rollei Planar 50mm f1.8 in QBM mount. That means very nice rendering, sharpness, centre sharpness even wide open. Bokeh is a very subjective affair. I personally like planar bokeh, but a lot of reviewers are not pleased with it. To get good results, one needs to know the lens and use it according to its strengths. That means that in some situations Ultron (planar) will create ugly background, but it is easy to avoid it.

Optical quality!!!

Bokeh!!!! The best of 2 dozens of 135s that I've tried on Sony A7ii/iii

Build

Weaknesses:

Heavy and bulky

Comments:

I've tried many highly praised manual Nikkors on FF Sony A7ii/iii, didn't like the images they produced and swore to stay away from NIkon. That is until I found a clean copy of this lens at local shop with 2 weeks return policy. Well, this one stayed in my stable. Color rendering/transitions and BOKEH!!!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127536411@N03/50858619447/in/dateposted-public/

sharp

10+ blades

MFD 1.35m

Weaknesses:

Filter diameter 54mm. it has a rather uncommon 54mm filter thread I used the hood of a Steinheil tele-quinar 135mm f/2.8.

Comments:

http://forum.mflenses.com/isco-gttingen-tele-iscaron-135mm-f-2-8-test-t78622.html

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Weaknesses:

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Comments:

In searching for a lenscollar  for the Samyang AF 135mm F1.8 FE I found this one: the iShoot IS-S24240FE. It fits perfect. This lenscollar has the 61.5mm diameter like the Samyang at the lensmount.

Excellent build
Very smooth focus
Ultra long focus trow - about 600° degrees!
Useful integrated lens hood

Nice clean colors, good sharpness, strong 3D-pop.

Weaknesses:

Weight a lot
Some fringing in extreme contrast situation 

Comments:

Still learning how to get best of this lens.

KMZ 5cm F1.5 with German glass can match a Wartime Sonnar for performance, and the LTM focus mount is q better/more relable design than the Zeiss Original Typically performance improves if adjusted for the camera to be used on.

Weaknesses:

Far edge performance is soft, some of this due to field curvature.

Comments:

KMZ produced two main versions of this lens: the original using Schott glass, the second using a reformulated design with Russian glass. Production of the two versions ran concurrently through 1956. The easiest way to identify the different version is the fixture for the rear triplet. The V2 lens has a guide ring machined into the fixture, the original version has threads as the back of the fixture. The Schott glass is superior in perfomance, my lens from 1956 matches the Wartime Zeiss Sonnar that it is based on.

• a beauty
• great build, fully metal
• sharp, neven in the corners and fro f/3.5 on
• very less aberrations
• little crazy but nevertheless smooth bokeh
• paints very smooth in the background
• surprisingly good against bright light
• less weight

Weaknesses:

• only f/3.5

Comments:

This is a fantastic lens, esp. regarding its age and its simplicity of construction. Optically much better than the over-hyped Trioplan, bokeh imho even better, but, okay, a little less crazy.

Additionally it works fantastic in the close-up range in addition with a helicoid.

Been in Eastern Europe for a long time I just read about this lens been one surprise, and I found one in one vintage store stupidly cheap, when you take it in hand it's light and plastic nothing good promising build quality but because I read about this lens I bought it. And it is a great lens :))

Weaknesses:

Build quality and not so fast focus like a modern lens.

Comments:

I am hunting night street moments and for this, I need the first sharp lens, for a while, I shoot night with this lens and the results for me are satisfying.

Compact for f1.2
Very nice mechanical build - pleasure to use.
Very special rendering and bokeh

Weaknesses:

Mine has haze (lens separation), that can't be removed, so i have very low contrast. 

Comments:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/adisx/albums/72157709069559042

Small lens and compact m39 mount adapter.
Nice rendition, good contrast and sharpness. 
Round interesting bokeh. 

Weaknesses:

Sometimes flares

Mechanical wores

Comments:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/adisx/47945213577/in/photolist-2mabLss-2mickxt-2maoWmY-2in6cHu-2g3KKBp/

• On a full frame 35mm camera, this lens is sharp all the way out to the edges. 
• The lens as a slightly different color shift to it. Sort of a blue look.
• The images, even with the color shift, are stunning and I really like the look.
• The bokeh is creamy and smooth. No real bubble or circle bokeh.

Weaknesses:

• It is heavy. Especially when you add in the helicoid with it.
• It is easily affected by side flares. I use a really long hood to help.

Comments:

It is one of my most unique lenses. It really shines in a foggy photography environment.

  Solid build, intuitive use, price,and creative "character" of the lens make it stand out.

Weaknesses:

  No lens cap possible, strong and direct light sources can overwhelm it and there is a tendancy to get some fingers in the angle of view if you aren't paying attention and your hand "thinks" it wants to grip the focus ring.

Comments:

  You might consider it a "toy" or "novelty" lens, but it delivers very usable imagery. Think "pinhole lens on steroids" as a referenece point. Not purely lomo, but lomo-esque in use to capture and throughput to the final edited work. I found the lens both motivational and very productive when matched to shoot perameters. I got a high acceptable rate among images captured during an urban decay shoot.

  I have no problem seeing use for this lens in many applications from street shoots to lanscapes, portraiture, still lifes, or any general use.

The coatings on these new Meyer-Optik lenses, including this one, are much better and allow me to shoot directly into the early morning sun without being washed out. The older version of this lens will flare and wash out such that you cannot even see to focus.

The minimum focus has been shortened on this new lens.

Weaknesses:

It pretty much has the same optical characteristics as the previous versions.

Comments:

I see no reason to ever use my older Trioplan 100mm now.

Fast and silent autofocus,good image stabilization,super optical capabilities (colors+contrast),good zoom range 55-200mm,no zoom creep,lightweight

Weaknesses:

Mechanical zoom operation its slow, hard to get quick zoom, no inner zoom operation like Canon 70-200mm f4,no weather sealed, aperture ring without f marks, 62mm filter size, close focus only 1.1m , hight price.

Comments:

Good zoom lens, but for action photography get the 50-150mm f2,8 version.

I think one of the best ever made APS-C kit lens in the market. Small and compact,lightweigt,sharp image+good contrast,natural splendid colors, full metal construction,4 fe image stabilization,fast maximum aperture of f/2.8,smooth linear motor-fast autofocus,very good close focus, 58mm filter size,good for video work,best travel and family lens.

Weaknesses:

No weather sealed,continues apeture ring function without f scale on the ring,in the corner on 18mm f11 not so sharp,little bit distorsion appear,price. Overall lens rating in this site not correct,real point for me is 4,30 !!!

Comments:

In many situation go to lens for everyday use.

One of the best ever made portrait lens! Sharp on f1.2,precise inner auto focus,compact size,full metal construction,lightweight,excelent colors,very good bokeh,made in Japan.

Weaknesses:

Close focus only 70cm, little bit slow autofocus,not so large usability,no weater sealed,price.

Comments:

When I shot portrait, only this lens its on my Fuji X-H1!