Minolta  AF 135 F2.8  reviews

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: dvha79_ddt   review date: January-21-10  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

price paid:

360 USD

positive:

Sharp at 3.5
perfect color
Fast AF

negative:

comment:

sharpness: 4 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: Shootist   review date: January-15-10  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

I think I've owned ALL (then perhaps sold some) of the Minolta Consumer lenses by now!
PENTAX 135 2.8 Manual focus on the A350 w/adaptor

price paid:

$160 USD

positive:

Sharp as all hell at 2.8!!!
Nice and light
Hood *works*!

negative:

Not a sharp lens at F8+ like some others

comment:

So...this lens. Where do I start?

I generally concur with the comments below. I think I'm a big under-educated on this one since it's specifically a "portrait lens" and I'm not traditinally a portrait photographer. But I think that means that it's supposed to be somewhat softer and nicer in bokeh and also able to shoot good stuff at 2.8 - it's lowest F-stop. Stop me if I'm going off track here...

So going with those thoughts. It's GREAT at stealing shots across a pretty darkened (by photographic standards) room at ISO 100! Not familiar territory for me. Candid shots of my 7 month old and wife (breast feeding even) are easy and they never really know - as not to ruin the shot.

That's all I'll say. I don't want to dis the lens and say that it disappointed my beyond the lower F-stops compared to my tack-sharp PENTAX 135 manual or other Minolta primes...this thing holds it's own at 2.8 and for that I'm grateful - especially at this price!!!!

-Shootist

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: amantipa   review date: January-03-10  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

Sony 16-105
Sigma EX DG 24-70/2.8
Beercan
Minolta 100-300 APO

price paid:

140 USD ebay

positive:

Compact size for 2.8 tele
Minolta colors
Sharp sharp

negative:

manual focus ring

comment:

These rare beauties are worth every penny and especially when you only pay pennies on ebay. The compact size is amazing if you need a 2.8 tele so this is a must for travelers to cover indoor. Stopped down, this lens is incredibly sharp but also usable at 2.8. The built-in sliding shade is not enough for bright sun at times and the manual focus ring is very small and positioned oddly. Bokeh is fair so portrait useful. Will keep for FF someday. These are hard to find so pick one up if you can.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: Vancouver   review date: November-17-09  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

Tam 90 2.8
Min 50 1.7
Sony 50 1.4

price paid:

400 CAD$

positive:

Size
Price
Sharpness
Color
and of course, the bokeh

negative:

the lens barrel is, like the 50 1.7, a little plasticky

comment:

This lens is getting rarer every day.
It is so cute. It is small in size but big on performace.
I love its color and bokeh the most.
It is sharp wide open and dangerously so f4 and beyond.

If you do portrait, try to get your hand on this rare lens.

sharpness: 4 

color: 4 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 3 

user: Hanseat   review date: November-05-09  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

Minolta 70-210/4
Cosina 100/3.5 Macro
Minolta 100/2.8 Macro
Minolta 85/1.4
Sigma 100-300/4
Sigma 180/3.5 Macro

price paid:

110 €

positive:

- very small
- light
- sharp
- very sharp stopped down
- nice characteristics
- fast AF
- 55 mm filter
- built in (small) lens hood

negative:

- low contrast when light source within frame (sun)
- bigger, external lens hood advisable
- aperture blades not rounded
- CA in OOF-areas
- manual focus not very useful

comment:

I bought this lens for portrait work and like the characteristics of the in-focus and out-of-focus-areas.

Sharpness: Ok für portraits wide open, good slightly stopped down (>4), very sharp at medium apertures (5.6 - 11)

Color: Minolta-like, very good for portrait work, good for landscape, medium für scientific and city pictures

Build: Very good, all metal, solid, strong, but sensitive front lens. No problem when used with fixed lens hood, but use a lens cap when you put it in your bag.

Distortion: I have never noticed any

Flare: Losing contrast when the sun is shining onto the front lens.

AF: Fast, not silent, sounds a little bit crappy

Bokeh: Very nice at every Aperture, especially between 3.2 and 5.6.

CA: Bokeh-CA. No problem foe me, but slightly out of focus hair has coloured halos around it. Doesn't look nice at 100%

Digital B/W-photography: Very usable. Bokeh, contrast and sharpnes looks very good in B/W

Manual focus: small focus ring, very fast, not damped. Manual focussing is not easy. This is not an MF-lens. The 135/2.8(4.5) STF is very good and the 100/2.8 macro is ok for mf, but most other first-generation-lenses are terrible mith MF.

Compared to:
- 70-210/4 Beercan: Very similar but better in every(!) aspect
- Cosina 100/3.5 Macro: less sharp, more CA, less contrast, faster AF, nicer, less neutral Bokeh
- Minolta 100/2.8 Macro: same als Cosina, but the Minolta macro's bokeh is similar to the 135/2.8
- Minolta 85/1.4: Well, believe it or not, in my opinion, these two lenses are very similar for portrait work. I use and like both of them. Aperture and focal length is different, but the characteristics are similar. I use both.
- Sigma 100-300/4: It is almost as sharp wide open, as sharp stopped down, less CA, but has a worse OOF-characteristic
- Sigma 180/3.5 Macro: Same as Sigma 100-300/4 but sharper, nicer bokeh, less CA, but still worse portrait characteristic than the cheaper 135/2.8

I use the metal lens hood Minolta 80-200/4.5. It fits very well, looks good and ist well built. When you own a 135/2.8, buy a lens hood. It's not expensive. Many old lens hoods fit very good.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: macrophoto   review date: October-25-09  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

Minolta 200 G HS
Sigma 105 2.8 ex dg macro
Minolta 85 1.4 G RS

price paid:

250€

positive:

sharp from 2.8
bokeh
light weight and compact
fast and near silent af
build in hood
all metal

negative:

non

comment:

I own this lens since 3 Months. This lens has on both sensor sizes a very useful range. It's build like a tank and still extremely light weight and compact. The AF is very fast accurate and nearly silent. It's sharp from 2.8 onwards - even on the A900. I can highly recommend this lens for FF.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: VH5150   review date: September-27-09  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

50/1.7
Beercan
28/2.8
35-70/3.5-4.5
18-70 KIT

price paid:

325 USD (Mint)

positive:

Sharpest lens I ever had, great vivid colors, light weight, compact.

negative:

135MM

comment:

I hated to part with it but could not find much use for it. Though when you had room to back up there is no sharper lens than this for me and the colors just jump out at you. I had to sell to get something more usable like the 28-135 4-4.5 it gives me more versatility and the same great colors and just as sharp images however heavier than the 135 I will manage. Also sold my 50/1.7 28/2.8 to get a Tamron 17-50/2.8 which just arrived the other day so now I am left with the Beercan, 28-135 and the T 17-50. I will pick up the Tamron 18-250 for out doors when I am not looking to take any special or as important pics.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: Tetraodon   review date: September-26-09  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

Minolta 28-135

price paid:

240 € (mint)

positive:

Size
Sharp
Colours
Bokeh!!
Built in hood (albeit flimsy)
Fast AF

negative:

MFD (1 m)
Tiny focus ring
Noisy AF

comment:

Razor sharp stopped down to F4. Beautiful Minolta colours and creamy bokeh.
I rated the build 4 because the focus ring is nearly unusable - if you prefer mostly AF, this might be a minor issue.
Otherwise this little gem is a solid construction.

sharpness: 4 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: vitor   review date: September-21-09  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

Sony 135 STF
Minolta 200 APO G

price paid:

200€ (used)

positive:

Color, small size

negative:

comment:

Normally I take this lens with me when traveling light (2 primes) or when using two bodies (film and digital). It fits nicely in the bag without adding much weight, this one Sony should bring back.

sharpness: 4,5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: jfabrizio   review date: September-16-09  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

Sigma 90mm F2.8 Macro
Beercan

price paid:

315 USD

positive:

Great color
Very sharp
Beautiful bokeh

negative:

Lens hood is a bit awkward
CA at F2.8

comment:

This lens is a beauty, inside and out. It's a touch long on an APS-C camera, but I still use it for portraits on occasion. Color is typically great for Minolta, and it's pretty sharp unless it's wide open. Also, I get a decent amount of CA at F2.8. I think the focal range would be more useful on a full frame, so even though I don't use it too often I have no plans to get rid of it.

sharpness: 4,5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: Matt Fairview   review date: September-12-09  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

Sony 100/2.8 Macro
Beercan

price paid:

30 GBP (used)

positive:

Sharp
Colour rendition
Bokeh
Fast to focus
Almost 3D quality to pictures
Compact size
55mm filter

negative:

The negs are hardly worth mentioning:
- Sometimes wish MFD was less
- Slightly long on APS-C
- Tiny, tiny little bit of CA

comment:

I'm rediscovering this lens as a long portrait shooter allowing me to take candids of our baby boy at range - the 135mm was a great performer on the KM5D and remains so on the A700.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: stan_pustylnik   review date: September-04-09  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

Tamron 90mm f/2.8, Sigma 70-300mm DL, Minolta 100-300mm xi, Minolta 70-210mm f/4

price paid:

90 USD (used)

positive:

Compact, very sharp, nice color, great bokeh, fast as portrait lens, relativly fast AF, common 55mm filter thread

negative:

none

comment:

This a winner lens for me. I got lucky in local consigment store picking good copy for $90. Lens is very sharp, produces nice color, bokeh is beautiful. It's compact and very well built (metal housing). I like built-in hood for outdoors. This is my N1 favorite lens currently.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: michaelg   review date: August-30-09  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

Tokina 19-35
M35-105
M50/1.7
Beercan
M135/2.8
Sigma 105Macro
M28-85
Vivitar Series1 105/2.5
Sony 75-300

price paid:

280 USD

positive:

SHarp
Fast
Small
Price

negative:

Not Sharp Wide Open
Some Color Fringing

comment:

What a great lens! Small, Sharp from f/3.2 onwards, dangerously sharp from f/4. f/2.8 can be sharp in very good light but tends to softness if not.
A portrait lens on full frame, this becomes effectively a 200mm f/2.8 on APS-C. Considering its size that is freaky.
AF is very quick & usually spot on.
Bokeh is lovely also & the Usual Minolta colors.
Love this lens

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: Rusty   review date: August-05-09  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

Sig 70-300APO
MinO 50/1.7

price paid:

200 CAD (used)

positive:

-Light & Compact
-Sharp wide open
-Fast AF
-Built in hood
-Solid build

negative:

-a bit long on aps-c
-focus ring has no feel
-MFD

comment:

Found this one in the basement of a used camera shop, gathering dust (I would compare the place to a scrapyard for cars).

I really like this one. It's sharp even wide open, fast, has nice colors. Focal length is kinda weird for aps-c sized sensor... too long for portraits, too short for telephoto.

That said, this is an awesome lens to have, or at least to try out. Fast, light, all-metal mid telephoto, really unobtrusive for street photo !

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: tuanle   review date: July-23-09  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

nothing

price paid:

400

positive:

Sharp
bokeh
color
fast focus

negative:

Bokeh

comment:

The bokeh sometimes is not as good as what I want (not really smooth).
My version is crossed Xx version.

sharpness: 5 

color: 4 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: gouldina   review date: July-17-09  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

CZJ Sonnar 135
Beercan
Minolta 28-85
Minolta 35-105
CZJ Flektogon 35mm 2.4
SMC Takumar 55 f1.8

price paid:

£160

positive:

Sharp
Lovely colours
Fast
Smooth bokeh

negative:

Awkward focal length at times.
Purple fringing

comment:

I've had this lens about a month now and I absolutely love it. It's great for portraits of the kids as they don't notice you so much although 135mm is a slightly awkward length on an APS-C camera sometimes. I absolutely love the results though. It's really good at seperating subject and background in portraits. The colours are beautiful and it's super sharp. The overall look reminds me of the beercan but a bit "cleaner" if you know what I mean. I've read below criticism of the bokeh but it's been lovely and smooth in the shots I've taken. On the downside, it does suffer from purple fringing at times quite badly so despite its superb colour rendition under normal circumstances, I've given it a four.
Not desperately cheap but worth every penny and definitely a keeper for me. Now if only I could afford that MinO 85mm prime...

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: berlin steve   review date: June-27-09  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

Minolta Beercan AF 70-210 1:4
Minolta AF 35-70 1:4
Minota AF 50 1:1.7
Sony (Kit) AF DT 18-70 F3.5-5.6

price paid:

eur 307

positive:

light
fast
sharp
bokeh
colours

negative:

price/availability
Lens hood doesn't pull evenly

I had to pawn my left kidney to pay for it ;o)

comment:

When I bought this I acquired the worst ever lens you could ever imagine. Totally unsharp, slow focusing, noisy... but that was a Sigma 24-70 lens that came as part of the package that included this baby.

My Minolta AF 135 F2.8 came out of the delivery carton, and went immediately into testing... with unbelievable results. Despite a miserable overcast day, this took amazingly clear and sharp pictures so vividly that you'd have had no idea that the sun wasn't shining. I switched on continuous shutter, and had my 3 year old son run up and down the garden. The focus was fast and true, the colours vivid, the object sharp and the bokeh unbelievable. The lens was simply spot on.

Indoors the story was much the same. Without flash, the results looked great and far less dull than I could see with my own eyes. With the flash mounted, the results were even better.

I have a 50mm 1.7 (actually I currently have 3 of these) and despite being slightly faster, and in themselves a legend of sharpness and colour able to hold their own against pretty much anything, still don't quite have what this one has.

I also love my beercan and forgive it for weighing so much and being a pig to carry around. Until delivery yesterday I loved my beercan almost as much as I love my wife and child. Today I will file for 70-210 divorce...

This lens has everything to die for. I only have it a 24 hours and am in love... The only drawback is that it is not as flexible as a zoom. Despite that I suspect already that this is going to be my new walkabout lens.

But think of this like you think about the impracticalities of owning a Ferrari when comparing to owning a prime like this. They may be impractical in many situations, but put it in its element and it will simply blow you away.

The only thing I don't like is the lens hood, which itself is OK, but doesn't pull evenly out easily. Hence the lower build rating.

If you can find one, and afford it, it is worth it. I paid Eur 307 for this 135mm bundled together with a Dynax 515i, Minolta 50mm 1.7, a Sigma 24-70 and a bunch of filters all in excellent condition. When I've ebayed the other 2 lenses I expect the real cost to be closer to Eur 200, but even at Eur 300 for a good example is IMHO a fair price for this second hand piece of glass.

sharpness: 4 

color: 5 

build: 3 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: nitrosyl   review date: May-24-09  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

- Sony Carl Zeiss 135mm f/1.8 Sonnar T*
- Sony 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 SSM G
- Minolta 70-210mm f/4 (Beercan)
- Minolta 100-300mm f/4.5-5.6 APO

positive:

- Small & Light
- Speed
- Excellent Sharpness
- Color Produced

negative:

- Only available 2nd hand

comment:

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: Spacelord   review date: May-24-09  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

positive:

-Very small and light.
-Extremely sharp, even wide open
-Bokeh.
-Colors and contrasts
-Price (even "overpriced" on ebay, this lens is every penny worth)

negative:

Nothing.

comment:

I've always found tele lenses annoying due to the size and weight, so i wanted this one as a high quality fast tele and I have no regrets. This little guy is nothing but a true miracle when it comes to IQ and design. A high quality f/2,8 tele, that will fit into your pocket. What more could anyone wish for? This lens is as sharp as af fixed 50 mm - just longer. Do i miss the zoom? Not really... you always tend to shot a tele at the longest settting anyway. My beercan was great, but this one's got the right size, weight and speed.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: dsoulsticec   review date: May-21-09  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

Minolta 100mm Macro F2.8
Minolta 28-135mm F4.0-4.5 XX's Crossed
Minolta 135mm F2.8
Minolta 70-210mm F4.0
Minolta 50mm F1.7
Minolta 100-200mm F4.5
Minolta 35-105mm F3.5-4.5
Minolta 28-85mm F3.5-4.5
Minolta 35-70mm F4.0
Sigma 35-135mm 3.5-4.5
Minolta 100-300mm APO F4.5-5.6
Sony 18-70mm F3.5-5.6

price paid:

400 USD (used)

positive:

negative:

comment:

sharpness: 4,5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 5 

user: superx2won   review date: April-20-09  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

Minolta 50mm /1.7
Minolta 50mm /2.8
Minolta 85mm /1.4
Sigma 24mm /1.8

price paid:

280 USD (USED)

positive:

Light
Very fast AF
solid build
Optic is glass

negative:

aperture blade is not round.
noisy AF.

comment:

I get this lens from dyxumer.. It is a great lens. Light, Fast AF and solid build. Love it on every aspect.

The thing that i like most is the AF is as fast as 50 mm/1.7. I hope that my 85/1.4 has similar AF speed.

This lens is best for traveling.

The only negative point that i have on this lens is... the aperture blade is not round and the AF is noisy. Hope that Sony can rebuild this lens with circular aperture blade and SSM.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: DeX   review date: March-22-09  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

beercan
tamron 70-200mm F2.8

price paid:

250 € (good cond.)

positive:

- sharp
- small and light
- really fast focus

negative:

- almost unusable focus ring
- purple fringing.
- not so perfect bokeh

comment:

This is a very sharp and fast lens with excellent resolution figures but something bother me about it:

It's a 135mm lens so it's a portrait lens basically... but for such a lens I personally find the bokeh mediocre and the purple fringing quite obnoxious. Colors are perfect ( minolta classic ) but I was rather shocked to see that I preferred the portrait rendition of the softer and slower beercan than that of this glass. The beercan and the Tamron tend to have softer looking results with more buttery bokeh thus giving an overall better portrait rendition.

Non-the-less it remains an excellent lens which can be the perfect concert companion on APS-C. Being able to shoot wide open and having this amount of details is simply amazing !

Built quality is ok, outer shell is good plastic and the built-in hood is nice and practical. The lens is small and light and a pleasure to use (a sort of wolf in sheep's clothing). The only thing that bothers me is the focus ring which is waaay to small to be used seriously.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: lifeodyssey   review date: March-12-09  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

Sony 18-250 @135mm, Minolta 70-210 beercan @135mm. This len is reasonable sharp at f2.8 , @f4, this len outpeform the other two at f8.

positive:

Well built and compact

negative:

Built in hood really not much use , too short..

comment:

Compact and not heavy. Both color and sharpness is very very good. I don't have Sony zeiss 135mm f1.8 len to compare, but I think in term of compact , weight and price, this len is far more cost effective than the Zeiss.

Any A mount user want to have a 135mm len should consider this len be owned.
Unfortunately, this len may suffer a foggy len problem of its rear len part. The len will becomes yellowish foggy and hence all the photos will becomes low contrast and cannot render real black. This problem may due to aged len components chemical change reaction.Not sure

So buyer of used copy of this len should well check it before purchase.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: The mighty terrier   review date: March-05-09  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

Min 70-210 f4 beercan
Sig 135-400 f4.5/5.6 Apo

price paid:

£129 (mint)

positive:

Razor Sharp
Compact Size
Good AF speed
f2.8 aperture
Bokeh
Nice colours
Weight

negative:

Don't make 'em anymore
Hard to find
Nowt else

comment:

Wow, excellent lens, when I say sharp I mean sharp, not owned G glass before so can't compare it to that but it would make an excellent emergency razor its that sharp!! Its also nice and compact, quick AF speed and the f2.8 aperture is a big plus, on APS-C you've effectively got a 200mm F2.8!!
The bokeh is also nice and creamy.
Its IQ is marginally better than the beercan at like for like apertures although you obviously don't have a zoom facility on the 135/2.8, it is significantly better than the sigma unless the sigma is about 2 stops lower, still beats the sigma for colours and bokeh. If you can get one please do, it won't disappoint in the slightest. Excellent addition to any lens collection.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: Watchman   review date: January-21-09  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

Tokina AT-X Pro 100 f2.8

positive:

Compact size
Well built
Very Sharp
Beautiful bokeh
Nice color

negative:

Not as fast as I prefer in low light.
Very hard to come by.

comment:

This lens is unbelievably sharp even wide open. I guess I'll only part with it if I get a CZ 135 f1.8, until then this will be one of my fav. :)

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: cjlethal   review date: January-09-09  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

70-210 4.0 beercan
200 2.8 HS G

price paid:

175 CAD

positive:

very sharp
nice bokeh

negative:

comment:

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: madecov   review date: October-20-08  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

Minolta 35-105 f3.5-45
Minolta 100-200 f4.5
Minolta 70-210 f4.0
Cosina/Vivitar 100mm f3.5 macro

price paid:

In trade

positive:

Small, fairly lite weight great build, useful built in hood, fast aperture. sharp throughout aperture range.

negative:

manual focus ring useless, can hunt at close focus. Some purple fringing wide open, but not bad. really should be capable of closer focus, but then it would probably be a macro

price

comment:

This lens is incredible, probably the sharpest one I own. focus is fast at longer focus distance and it is accurate. Color saturation is the best of any lens I've tried. very sharp wide open and dangerously sharp stopped down. It's small so it is more discreet than a Beercan or other long zoom. Prices for this lens have become silly. It is sharper than the Plastic Fantastic Cosina 100mm macro and the color is much better, it's also 3X the price; build is much better but of course the 135 isn't macro.

Back in the 80's this focal length was a short film telephoto that was manufactured and sold under every brand name at reasonable prices. On ASP-C it really comes into it's own giving an angle of view the same as a 200mm lens.

This lens really should have been as common as the 50mm f1.7 so prices would stay lower, then everyone could have one.

sharpness: 4 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: tobyjay   review date: September-30-08  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

Minolta 85mm f/1.4 G D
Pentax Takumar 135mm f/3.5 (M42)
Beercan

price paid:

£200 mint

positive:

Awesome sharp 3D picture quality stopped down
Fabulous colours & contrast
Perfect bokeh - IMO
Stealthy like a ninja warrior

negative:

Autofocus over-eager at distance

comment:

Bargain pocket rocket capable of stunning pictures.
It's tiny, light, inconspicuous, very sharp by f/4 and being 135mm it easily produces 3d pictures with melting bokeh.
Liquid colour and contrast a match for the faster 85 at a third of the price.
Flare not a problem for me.

Cute hood works well.
AF is very fast on A700 but can miss the mark occasionally, especially with distant objects wide open.

Minimum focus distance disappointing, but, like, whatever.

All in all, my favourite Minolta prime lens

sharpness: 4,5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: nabreu   review date: August-25-08  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

SONY 18-70
Minolta 75-300
Minolta 50 1.7
Minolta 28-105
Tamron 24-135

price paid:

200 €

positive:

Very Sharp (steped down)
Excelent Bokeh (the best i have)
Very Good Low light performance
Worth every Euro i paid for it

negative:

135mm not so good on digital (personal opinion)
Ocasional Flare if not carefull

comment:

The best lens i have from IQ point of view.
Love the Bokeh.
Not so sharp at 2.8 but stoped down to 4 it´s razor sharp.

sharpness: 4 

color: 4 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: Winwalloe   review date: July-20-08  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

Beercan

price paid:

Borrowed

positive:

Compact
Light
Built-in hood
Sharp

negative:

Small focusing ring
Inconsistent sharpness

comment:

A very pleasing lens to use.

Rated sharpness 4 for inconsistent results, may be due to the camera, I can't say for sure. I do get some impressive results at f/2.8 times to times.

Flare control seems excellent as I've often been shooting with harsh lights around (against the sun...) with no trouble.

Distortion is not noticeable.

Built quality is good although the barrel is made of plastic. The built-in hood is a nice feature. It's made of plastic and slides easily. The focus ring is hard to get to, although I usually don't have problems with AF.

Color rated 4 because of obvious purple/green fringing when wide-open.

The compact size of the lens allows it to be carried just like a kit-lens. It makes it a good choice for street photography and candid shots.
Low-light portraits can be challenging (f/2.8 is not that wide an aperture) but great results can be achieved with reasonable expectations and if pixel-peeping is set aside by pushing up the ISO.

sharpness: 4 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: Mr_Canuck   review date: July-11-08  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

35/f2, 50/4.17, beercan, 200/f2.8 APO, 100/f2, 28-135

positive:

Small! Quite sharp. Small. Quite fast. Built in hood. Affordable. Did I mention small?

negative:

Difficult to get one.

comment:

I had it over a year, and it was a favourite. Looking back, the flare is actually very well managed (better than 28-135 by a stretch). Holds up well next to 100/f2 but not as sharp and not quite the same sense of three-dimensional depth.

If you can find one of these, the are really a nice outdoor portrait, telephoto and indoor event lens, for not much money. The beauty of it is it's diminutive size, with built in/sliding hood. It's so easy to take along, and complements a mid-range zoom very well. Highly recommended.

sharpness: 4,5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: DaveK   review date: July-02-08  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

- 85 1.4
- 100 2.0
- 200 2.8

price paid:

175 Euro

positive:

- Small
- Wel built
- great colours
-great sharpnes from 3.5

negative:

- nothing I can think of

comment:

I think this is a great lens. I own this lens for 2 years now. Liked in on my A100. Love it on my A700.

This is great value for money. It's a handy little lens with big quality. The 85 1.4 and the 100 2.0 are three times more expensive, but not three times better.

Perhaps there are a lot of these avalable, so he price is really low.

Great one! I love it! Get one!

sharpness: 4,5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: charlemeign   review date: July-02-08  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

Minolta 28-135 f/4
Minolta 50mm 1.7
Minolta 35mm f/2
Minolta 70-210 f/4
Tamron 17-50 f/2.8
Sigma 20-40 f2.8

price paid:

300

positive:

Sharp!
TINY lens

negative:

None

comment:

While this lens isn't SUPER sharp at f/2.8, if you step it down one or two notches it is incredibly sharp. The colors are great, the build is great, and on a digital camera it is a 200mm f/2.8 that isn't that much bigger than a 50mm...
Excellent for shooting portraits.

sharpness: 4,5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: lbill   review date: June-19-08  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

Minolta 28-135mm at 135mm
Minolta 70-210mm at 135mm

price paid:

300

positive:

Sharp
Amazing Colour
Bokeh
Small size
light weight
build-in hood

negative:

a bit soft at wide open(which lens doesn't?)
hard to operate the focusing ring due to the "blockage" of the build-in hood

comment:

I've done a simple comparison with minolta 28-135mm & bearcan 70-210 at 135mm. The 135mm f2.8 (with f2.8) can beat these two legendary zoom lens in any aperture, even at f8.

The bokeh and colour is just amazing. The size and weight is also unbeatable, a must have travelling portrait lens. It is noteworthy that the focal length of this lens will become (135*1.5)200mm on APS-C.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: mrggt   review date: June-17-08  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

min 200mm f2.8
min 50mm f3.5 macro

price paid:

£135 [used]

positive:

very sharp
colours
contrast
bokeh
size

negative:

hood

comment:

love this lens now,when i first acquired this lens it stayed in my bag most of the time. now i use it on a regular basis.this is a fantastic lense

sharpness: 4,5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: voets   review date: June-03-08  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

Sony 70-200 f2.8 G
Sony 100mm macro

price paid:

150 eur (used)

positive:

Lightweight, fast, cheap, sharp

negative:

None

comment:

A lovely lens, very useful for portraits of kids.
On APS-C sensor it will be a nice 200mm equivalent.
Autofocus is pretty fast, sharpness very good, even at f2.8. It won't beat the 100mm macro or 70-200mm f2.8 G, but those are a league of their own in sharpness.

This lens is wonderfully small for a f2.8 / 135mm lens. So it is easy to walk around with. If you can find one at a decent price, get it, you won't be disappointed

sharpness: 4,5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 3 

user: LECHER   review date: May-28-08  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

Minolta AF 28mm f/2.8
Minolta AF 50mm f/1.7

price paid:

50.00 USD (used)

positive:

Unbelievable Bokah
IQ Crisp
Color, Color, Color

negative:

Slight Flare with hood extended.

comment:

Just picked up this lens today with the other primes up top. I got these 3 lenses and a Beercan for $125.00. Glad to say I pulled off over 200 pictures with these lenses today and I am very happy. Shot about half in RAW and the other half in JPG, just to see what kind of color and noise I would get. The 28 was good but the 50 was better and the 135 was out of this world. I decided to shoot the beach bunnies with this one and I was not disapointed. I got some really nice shots of the seagulls fighting for food.

The Beercan was damaged so I didn't get to shoot it today. I will do that tomorrow as I just took it apart and fixed the forward barrel problem. Thank you, Pete Ganzel, for the great info on the Beer Baby.

Didn't have any issues with Flare or viginetting with the sun at my back but a little when I got off to the side. Nice to have a built in hood.

Minolta colors were all there.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: vsldk   review date: April-13-08  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

positive:

- colors
- sharpness
- size
- bokeh
- built-in hood

negative:

comment:

sharpness: 4,5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: jvandegr   review date: April-07-08  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

Nikon 135mm f/2.8 AIS, Nikon 70-200mm AF-S f/2.8, Minolta 100-200mm AF f/4.5.

price paid:

$280 (near mint)

positive:

superb color rendition
very sharp
good build quality
fast AF
compact
light weight
incredible bokeh

negative:

nothing significant

comment:

Sharp wide open, very sharp from f/4. Easily rivals my Nikon 70-200mm AF-S for sharpness when stopped down. One of the few lenses that can keep up with the resolution of the Alpha 350. Typical amazing Minolta color rendition. Autofocus speed isn't quite as fast as modern silent wave motors, but it's still fast and I've never missed a shot for it. Of course, I would prefer a larger manual focus ring, but this hasn't been a problem so far. Flare is seldom a problem when the built-in lens hood is used. I have yet to notice any significant chromatic aberration with this lens. Solid build that can take a few hits. Relatively easy to find used 55mm Minolta filters for this lens. I highly recommend it for the higher resolution Alphas. For a more flexible and less expensive alternative, get the Minolta 100-200mm f/4.5, which is just as sharp and compact with the same great Minolta colors.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: Themisa   review date: April-03-08  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

- Tam 90
- Beercan
- 200 HS

price paid:

€ 225,-

positive:

- small and light,
- beautifull colours,
- sharp,
- solid build

negative:

- focus ring
- bit of flare when using 2.8
- focys distance

comment:

This is really a nice lens to work with. Like it a lot. Not that much to say...when you have the change to get one, just do it, you can't go wrong with this one.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: ccwaggers   review date: March-29-08  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

km 100 2.8, sigma 70-200 2.8,km 28-135, sigma 28-70 2.8

price paid:

300 USD

positive:

af speed,light,sharp,built in hood

negative:

comment:

great lens for kids, portraits and action shots. I like the length as it enables you to catch them unawares

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: Bodiniusz   review date: March-07-08  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

100/2.8 macro, 100/2.8 soft, 28/2.8, 50/1.4, 70-210 beercan, 75-300, kit

price paid:

220 usd used

positive:

Image quality, speed, retractable lenshood, not too big/heavy, well build, oof

negative:

little too long

comment:

Superb image quality, beautiful oof, high speed focusing and bright lens, very useful retractable lenshood,
For its bright pretty small and light, very well build.

2-3 time cheaper than 100mm (macro, soft, 2.0) and more usefull - however on some situations to long focal length (200mm on ASP-C)

After few weeks of comparing to 100mm f2.8 macro and 100mm f2.8 soft I can say that 135mm is my most beloved. Although it is a little bit too long, it is compact, good iq (incl. bokeh) has fast AF and is much cheaper.

hard to find (mine is Maxxum with crossed x's)

sharpness: 4,5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: cloudless   review date: January-15-08  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

50mm 1.7, 18-70 kit, 100-200 4.5

price paid:

300 USD (used ex+)

positive:

Bokeh!!!

negative:

Built in lens hood.

comment:

This lens is incredible for portrait work! The only drawback is the distance factor. I sold it to get some other gear and am already thinking about buying another...if I can find one.

Just plain old BEAUTIFUL images from this lens. The only tough part is learning how to use it to its potential (wide open for portraits at higher shutter speeds whenever handheld because the amplification of movement from longer focal length).

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: DANX   review date: November-06-07  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

100mm f2.8
100mm f2.8 soft focus

positive:

sharp, high quality color, build.

negative:

none

comment:

Excelent, excelent....

sharpness: 5 

color: 4 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: Yaouank   review date: October-26-07  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

24-85 f3.5-4.5 RS
24 f2.8
50 f1.7
28-75 f2.8

price paid:

200 € (USED)

positive:

- Just great!

negative:

- Colors a bit too hot sometimes
- Narrow focus ring

comment:

This is a hard to find, but great lens that I will never sell.
Beautiful bokey!
Very sharp from f/4, a bit softer at f2.8 but it is what you require for portraiture.
The minimal focusing distance is a bit long.

sharpness: 4,5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: silversurfer   review date: September-27-07  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

Tamron 90 Di
Minolta 100 F2
Minolta 100 F2.8 Macro D

price paid:

300 USD (used)

positive:

Small size
Sharp
Nice bokeh

negative:

Built in hood is nice, but flimsy

comment:

Good lens. Very contrasty in enough light. 2.8 makes it pretty fast, but needs stopping down for ultimate sharpness.

sharpness: 4 

color: 4 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: Grubeater   review date: July-11-07  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

70-210/4 beercan.

price paid:

200 euro (used)

positive:

Good build, sharp, small and light.

negative:

My copy makes more noise then it should, it needs a big overhaul.

comment:

My copy isn't 100%, one of the former owners banged it and did a lousy repair.
Points given as if it was in new state.

sharpness: 4,5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: veevee   review date: June-11-07  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

price paid:

200 euo

positive:

- colors
- sharpness
- size
- bokeh
- built-in hood

negative:

- narrow focus ring

comment:

Very good lens, especially I like color rendering.

Excellent portrait lens on film cameras and also on digital`s, mainly outdoors.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: pnaciona   review date: June-09-07  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

Minolta 100mm f/2.8 macro

price paid:

135 USD (used)

positive:

compact size
solid build
extremely sharp
pleasing bokeh

negative:

minimum focus isn't close enough

comment:

This lens is amazingly sharp and renders pleasing bokeh in most situations where I've used it. If you need a long portrait lens and don't have the budget to get the 135mm Zeiss or STF, this is your lens. Focusing is fast with this lens. Colors are, well, Minolta colors are awesome!

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: Torchwood   review date: June-01-07  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

Canon 135 F2.8 SF.

price paid:

100 UK

positive:

Sharp and fast, comapct and light

negative:

Front element coating soft, scratches easily beware . Poor focus ring . availability

comment:

A bit sharper wide open than the equally cheap canon 135mm F2.8 Softfocus but not as nice a lens handling wise, like most Minolta lenses it has a thin hard focus ring which is unusual on a tele prime even a short one. Optically the lens sings right from the widest aperture and the bokeh is very nice indeed.. one thing to beware of is the front element, the coating seems soft and the three I've seen have had scratches there. AF is fast enough.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: never satisfied   review date: May-19-07  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

50mm f1.4
85mm f1.4 G
100mm f2.0
80-200mm f2.8G

price paid:

$250AUD (used)

positive:

Small, sharp, quick AF & cheap.

negative:

MF ring and lens hood

comment:

I purchased this lens about 6 years ago to go with my Dynax 9 and never used it. 135mm on film seemed so 'in between' until I got my 7D and as a 200mm f2.8 is great. The AF is quick enough, it's small, light and very sharp. The lens hood is comical as are most early Minolta AF's; it's not deep enough to really shade anything and if it gets a good bump it's stuck there for ever. My 100mm f2.0 has a bayonet hood that is much better. While we only have an APS chip to work with the 135mm is a bargain, but once we get the much speculated full frame the 135mm will go back to being 'in between' again. It's not as sharp or as fast as the 100mm f2.0 but as a short tele at 200mm (1.5 crop) it holds its own.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: Frenske   review date: May-19-07  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

- KM 100-200
- Sigma 70-300 APO

price paid:

89 GBP

positive:

- Sharp
- Reasonable fast
- Reasonable fast focus
- Built in hood

negative:

- Need to extend hood to MF

comment:

Fantastic lens. If you find one under 100 pounds - buy it. Over that price, personally I would not do it. Unless you need the fast f2.8, I would buy the much cheaper underrated KM 100-200 or buy a beer can.
MF ring could have been built better.
Wish it focus point was closer by!

sharpness: 4 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: ABramley   review date: May-02-07  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

Sigma 70-300 APO
Minolta 70-210 f4

price paid:

£120 (2nd hand)

positive:

Sharp
200mm 2.8 on digital
Portrait lens on film
Very compact, very lightweight
Cheap!
Good hood design - you can't lose it.
Very fast AF.

negative:

Hood does rattle a little bit.
Tiny MF ring which can't be used unless you extend the hood.

comment:

Very, very sharp towards the centre and seems to go well with my shooting style. Have never shot landscapes with it so can't comment on sharpness of outer regions. AF is very fast. Never noticed too much in the way of CAs. Very good value.

I have to say, if I had £700 though, I'd definately like a look at the Zeiss 1.8, just because I love this focal length so much.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: fitzerator   review date: March-12-07  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

This is an upgrade from my Tamron 70-300 4-5.6 The 135mm blows this other guy away when comparing focusing speeds and image quality (controls chromatic aberration a lot more than the superzoom).

price paid:

$145 used on eBay

positive:

I use this on my 7D for all my sports stuff. It's a 200mm f/2.8 equivalent. It's pretty fast on focusing and works great for outdoor sports.

negative:

Its focusing isn't as quick or accurate (hunting) as my KM 28-75 f/2.8. The focusing ring is tiny!

comment:

I'd definitely get this lens if you are looking for a little bit higher quality sports lens but can't afford a fast zoom.

sharpness: 4,5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: Maurus   review date: February-24-07  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

Min 100-200 f 4.5
Min 24-85 f 3.5-4.5

price paid:

210 € (mint)

positive:

Sharp wide open, fast AF, good colours, lightweight

negative:

Nothing except one might wish for closer focusing

comment:

I cannot compare this lens to the more expensive and heavier tele primes or zooms (which I don't own) but compared to my other lenses this lens is brillant. Sharp wide open, nice colours, fast AF. For its size and weight the lens is hard to beat. Its main limitations are the focal length (some might want either longer or shorter on digital) and the minimal focusing distance (1m). (And of course it's no STF.)

sharpness: 4 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: Maffe   review date: February-07-07  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

100/2 200/2.8

price paid:

98€

positive:

Light, fast AF, cheap

negative:

non

comment:

This is a great lens, small, light and fast AF and useble wide open.
I sold mine becouse heavy competition from 100/2, so I almost never used it.

sharpness: 4 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: xyfler   review date: January-13-07  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

100mm f2
70-210 f4
200 f2.8

positive:

beautiful color and very good sharpness.
Very good for portraits

negative:

slowish Af
bokeh shape
relative softness wide open
some CA wide open

comment:

This is a superb lens. Its not as sharp as the 100 f2, which must be one of the sharpest lenses there is, but this lens is very sharp from f4, and has very good natural color. Very small size. Seems more manageable and easy to use than the 200 2.8 on digital. It was also superb on film. Sharper with better colors than the beercan.

I havnt really tested it for flare yet. If I find anything new I will adjust the review.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: Vader   review date: January-13-07  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

50/1.7
24/2.8
70-210/4
24-85/3.5-4.5
24-50/4
35-70/4
kit

price paid:

125 USD

positive:

built in hood is great

negative:

Wish it would focus a little closer

comment:

Called a shop across the street from where my wife works and they said they would let it go for 125. Had her pic it up on the way to meet me at a holiday party and was quite pleased when she handed it too me... absolutely in like new condition!!! What an experience to snap on such a small lens and look through the vf to get such a tele view!!! Got great candid portraits throughout the course of the party and was absolutely blown away when I reviewed them on the computer.

Without a doubt, the best bang for my buck to date!!!

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: dlouvton   review date: January-12-07  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

price paid:

$200

positive:

-great color
-very sharp
-fast AF
-small/compact

negative:

none for the price

comment:

after using it i no longer use the beercan or the 70-210/3-5-4.5 lenses. It's a great lens with nice colors and goes perfectly with a 1.4x TC.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: Dumont   review date: January-12-07  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

Minolta 85/1.4 Orig, Minolta 85/1.4 GD, Minolta 50/1.7 RS

price paid:

250 USD

positive:

Very sharp, well built but small not heavy, nice bokeh wide open, stopped down it's nice if there are no circular highlights.

negative:

Iris shaped highlight bokeh very clearly trapezoidal when stopped down. I find the minimum focal distance a little too long.

comment:

Even though I got a discount I think I overpaid a tad since the the filter ring has a dent in it (it should be a DIY project - let's see). Sofar I am impressed with the IQ, the AF is pretty fast but sometimes it does hunt although it does find the focus, as opposed to some lenses that hunt and then give up. I like the IQ also when used in conjunction with a 1.4x TC, makes a nice 200mm/4. I might consider getting rid of my beercan.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: mark victor   review date: December-22-06  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

100 2.8 Macro.

price paid:

$185 USD

positive:

-Very fast focus ( impressive)
-Very light weight
-Sharp Sharp Sharp even wide open
- all metal barrel.. nice build quality

negative:

wish the barrel can be a little larger for better handling and better look.

1.5X crop factor makes the lens a little too long for portriat sometimes... But it's still acceptable. .

comment:

Bought this lens little more than 6 months ago on ebay. Paid only 185 USD. This is one of the best purchase I ever made. A very good lens for stage shooting.

sharpness: 4,5 

color: 4 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: ph0t0man   review date: November-20-06  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

Tam 90 Mac Di, 200/2.8

price paid:

$240

positive:

Small, fast, light, and sharp

negative:

built is a tad flimsy, not quite as good as shorter primes. Maybe it is just the hood?

comment:

What a wonderful little lens. Compact and sharp, great choice for indoor sports or outdoor portraits.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: Callam9774   review date: October-31-06  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

Tokina 28-70 ATX Pro; Minolta 80-200xi Power Zoom; Sigma 75-300 APO.

price paid:

£180 used

positive:

Seems to make all my photos look good! Shows real class. Excellent detail.Light and compact.Built in lens hood.Fast AF.

negative:

I should have discovered this lens years ago.

comment:

I went into my local, friendly camera shop (Philip's in Norwich if you live in the U.K.) to look for used short fast prime lens. Philip let me try a Minolta 28mm 2.8 which was O.K.. He then suggested I borrow a 135 2.8 for a while, saying that it was special. I had not researched this lens at all -had not read Dyxum Reviews. Anyway after ten minutes or so of trying the lens,I decided to trust my judgement and bought the lens for £80. Now after reading these reviews...I'm still smiling!

sharpness: 4,5 

color: 4 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: Panito   review date: October-06-06  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

positive:

Very sharp
Built-in hood
Nice color
Very small
Fast AF
Good price

negative:

comment:

sharpness: 4 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: samir   review date: September-17-06  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

Minolta 70-210mm F4
Tamron 90mm F2.8

positive:

it is small but sturdy, and my sample can be used wide open with a slight loss of sharpness compared to stopped down performance

negative:

I really can not come with anything negative, it is a good lens that performs nicely on digital

comment:

for me this is a nice lens when trying to get different perspective on a subject that was already "covered" by some other focal length, or a zoom lens

it is very usefull for portraits and street candids as well

a nice lens

sharpness: 4 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: duprey26   review date: July-07-06  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

Min 100 f/2
Min 200 f2.8 HS
Sigma 70-300 APO

positive:

Sharp from f/4 on. Standard 55 mm filter. Excellent Quality/Price Ratio, built-in hood

negative:

A bit soft wide open. Too long for portraits on digital, too short for tele.

comment:

I really like this lens on film, but it's a bit of an out-cast on digital, especially now that I have a 200 f/2.8. For the price I paid almost two years ago, though, it's a great steal.

sharpness: 4,5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: oliphoto   review date: June-08-06  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

positive:

negative:

comment:

[Note: Performance judged on usage with a full frame camera]

This is lovely lens. It is a very good lens for portraits, as well as for candids. It's sharpness above f:3.5 is excellent. I consider this another must have. It's small, it has a relatively fast AF and it's cheap.

sharpness: 4,5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: hakushu   review date: June-02-06  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

Minolta AF85/1.4 G(D)
Minolta AF100/2.8 MACRO
Minolta AF200/2.8 APO TELE
Minolta AF100-300/4.5-5.6 APO

positive:

Sharpness
Compact size and light weight
Lens hood
Nice color rendition
Old vintage build

negative:

Bokeh(sometime)

comment:

It's a great tele-photo lens for the price. I bought 135/2.8 20 years ago for 7000, but it's still working well on 5D.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: Tsukiyomi   review date: June-02-06  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

Minolta 50/1.7
Sigma 90/2.8 Macro
Minolta 100/2.8 Macro

positive:

Fast, sharp, nice bokeh.

negative:

comment:

Sharp even at 2.8, fast, bokeh. Zoom may hunt at low light (not too often though).

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: nathan_68   review date: May-22-06  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

positive:

- sharpness
- compact size
- built-in lens hood
- fast and precise AF
- color redention
- bokeh

negative:

- noisy AF

comment:

It's one of the best lens I own. It's a real pleasure to take pictures with it and, even if a little bit too long, it's perfect for portraits.

It's also very handy and light, and it's important not to forget this feature when you travel with it.

Maybe an old fashion lens, but razor sharp and capable of stunning results.

sharpness: 4 

color: 4 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: damian.bradley   review date: May-12-06  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

100/2
100mm macro
100-200/4.5
70-210 f3.5-4.5

positive:

- Small
- Nice Bokeh
- Lens hood
- Focus Speed

negative:

- Difficult MF ring
- not perfect optically

comment:

I've already said lots about this lens in the forum, and others have stated most everything worth stating.

The size of the lens is perhaps its best quality. As the last review states though, the 7D isn't exactly tiny. I'd love thos on a 5D!

I love the built in lens hood...I wish every lens had one of these, it is an underrated feature imho. MF is tough on this lens though with the recessed focus ring. Fortunately AF is very, very fast. Unfortonately it's not as 'accurate' as some. To explain: my 100/2 is slower to focus, but locks on in a single go where the 135/2.8 may hunt. I think this is because the 135 has slightly less contrast.

I did find 135mm to be a bit long for people shots, and a bit short for wildlife (hence the zoom in that range). I thought I'd like it over the 100mm length, but it turned out not to be the case. But that's just my shooting style, your mileage may vary.

It's a little bit soft wide open, does show CA around (for example) blown out highlights.

All in all, very, very highly recommended. None of my gripes are serious, and the reputation of the lens as a wicked performer are totally deserved. Pick one up if you have a chance and like the focal length...you'll like it.

sharpness: 4,5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: seagr112   review date: April-22-06  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

positive:

Sharp optical performer
Small and lightweight
Excellent Vintage build
Nice bokeh!
Lens Hood
Quick AF

negative:

New resurgence in popularity is raising used price of the lens
Difficult to find

comment:

This is, hands down, one of Minolta's sexiest little lenses. I chuckled when I read the "uber sexy" comment by another reviewer, as I can see it's not just me who thinks this.

The 135mm f/2.8 is sharp, fast, well built and unobtrusive, although when attached to a 7D + VC-7D, it's hard to be stealthy! Maybe on a Maxxum 5?

When I used it with my 700si, it was a great portrait lens and provided nice bokeh and color. On the 7D I find fewer uses for it, but it is my 200mm telephoto of choice when required. Mine has the crossed XX's as well.

Good luck finding one, and hopefully pricing will stabilize. I'm seeing them on ebay being bid on for $300+ right now. Ouch!

As an add on, (May 3) on my 7D, I did note a small amount of CA in areas of high contrast when enlarged on the monitor. But hey, it's not an APO lens, and the CA certainly was not distracting in the photo.

sharpness: 4,5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: lagaffe   review date: March-22-06  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

positive:

- Small and sexy, light!
- Sharp, even wide open.
- Fast too.
- ~200mm equivalent on a 7D.
- DOF scale is present.
- Quick AF, even in low light.

negative:

- Lens hood is integrated.

comment:

My lens has a large dink on the front element... That's why I only paid 80$ for it. But it never showed on any picture I've taken with it. It is quick to AF, fast and small. It is now a bit long for portrait work, thanks to APS-C size sensors, but very handy when a medium tele is required and lighting is not that great.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: kjethoe   review date: December-29-05  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

28-135mm 4-4.5, 70-210mm f4

positive:

Very sharp all the way from fully open. Smooth bokeh.

negative:

Seems to have a problem with severly lowered contrast if the sun is just outside the frame, even with the hood extended. Nothing that a well placed palm won't help, though! (and the whole problem may be due to my sample having a little mark in the front element coating..)

comment:

Havent tested it in any organized way, but I feel very confident with my results from the "Pocket 200" after using it a lot both on a 7Film and 5D. I never hesitate with opening up the aperture with regards to sharpness. It's a favourite for tight compositions and isolation of details!

Samples will keep popping up here, click thumbs to navigate and previews to enlarge:
http://kjetil.philosophi.net/gallery/filmstrip_meta.php?image=1&lens=9&EN=1

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: Iggy1965   review date: December-27-05  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

price paid:

€ 150

positive:

Light, compact

negative:

flimsy built in sunhood

comment:

Just bought this one 2nd-hand for EUR 150,- in a mint shape

sharpness: 4 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: popoloni   review date: December-23-05  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

70-210/4

positive:

- build quality
- light
- sharpness

negative:

- slow AF

comment:

A pocket size 200/2.8 on my 5D. It is as big as the KIT lens. Very good image quality but too slow AF and not so precise in low light.

Have a look to my detailed review here: http://www.pophouse.it/minoltalenstest/

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: mcgravy   review date: December-21-05  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

positive:

One of my favorites, on both film and digital.

negative:

None

comment:

This is an awesome lense and one of the first primes I bought after getting my film 7. Great bokeh and very sharp. I've bought all my lenses used and like them all. Ken

sharpness: 4 

color: 4 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: dCap   review date: November-10-05  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

Canon AF 135/2.8 softfocus. MinAF 200/2.8 original. Tamron SP 90/2.8 Di Macro. Minolta 100/2.8 soft focus, Minolta 85/1.4 G NewRS

positive:

size, weight, price [mine is a crossed xx version, uber sexy!]

negative:

manual focus ring just about unuseable

comment:

The pocket rocket. This is a pocket sizes 200mm lens for a 7D or 5D.

Manual focus is pretty much unuseable due to tiny ring size and indented from barrel.

AF is quick and precise (I've read reviews of poor AF! Not so, its solid AF)

BUY IT (if you can find one!)

sharpness: 4 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: ab012   review date: September-10-05  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

KM 28-75 2.8 D
KM 100 Macro
KM 85 1.4 G D
M STF 135
M 70-210 4

positive:

Size! Really Small and Light
Excellent choice as a walk around long tele (200 FOV on 7D)
Blistering Fast AF
Bokeh and Colour very nice
Sharpness also excellent for portrait use.
Excellent Bang for Buck.

negative:

It is not as sharp wide open (this is both + and -)

Occasionaly too long for portraits on 7D.

comment:

Really nice to use on 7D due to its size and weight. Perfect for candids as no one will expect this small lens to have a 200 FOV.

Small size also makes this an excellent travel tele.

Not as sharp wide open as the 100 Macro (but then what is?) but this means that it works very nicely for portrait applications. Stopped down it has fantastic sharpness.
I feel that its sharpness is very similar to the 28-75 @ its optimal focal length (50mm) - and a fair step up from the 70-210 f4.

Colour and Bokeh is similar to the 100 Macro, and very pleasing watercolour look and makes the subject 'pop' very nicely.

AF is blisteringly fast on this lens due to its IF design. Combined with the MC7 2x TC this lens still focuses very quickly, even in low light.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: jrfarrar   review date: September-10-05  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

positive:

Small
light
fast AF
sharp
excellent for portraits
can be found cheap

negative:

none

comment:

Small, light fast lens. Used it all the time for portraits on my 650si film body. With the 7D it is basically a 200/2.8. This is just one of those lenses I find myself always wanting to use. I seem to prefer the longer focal lengths and tight cropping and this lens is fantastic for that! Also you can't beat the price, especially if you can find one used. AF is super fast and never hunts.

With all my lenses this one is the first I reviewed. It is clearly my favorite.

sharpness: 4,5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: Rainer   review date: July-09-05  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

Minolta 2.0/100
Minolta 2.8/200 APO
Sigma 2.8/90 Macro

positive:

Cheap, light, small
Good build and optical quality
Quick and accurate AF

negative:

Nothing

comment:

I bought it app. 14 years ago, and still consider it one of my favorites that goes everywhere with me. The build-in hood controls the else existing flare very well.

Some softness is visible at f2.8 when using it with the A700 but not with KM7D. This is no issue from f4 onwards.

Much quicker AF than the Sigma 2.8/90 Macro (with limiter) and quicker than Minolta 2.0/100.

sharpness: 4 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: former member   review date: November-05-04  

    tested on film camera:

    tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:

    tested on full frame:25MP

compared to:

positive:

Good since f/4 until f/11, accurate AF

negative:

Nothing

comment:

A excellent choice in secondhand buy! Shure... 2/100 is better but more expensive and rare on camera's shops.