Although your target audience is beginning DSLR imagers, much of your advice also applies to using lenses with CCD cameras. Beautiful portrait lens. The Image Sensor Frame tool lets you enter in the size of your camera sensor, and focal length of your lens (or telescope) to display a frame over the star map. I have done a review comparing the sharpness and quality of bokeh to the Canon 70-200 2.8. This photo was captured with the Samyang 135mm F/2 lens using a UV/IR cut filter and a QHY168C dedicated astronomy camera. The shallow depth of field present at its maximum aperture does indeed create a pleasing bokeh. Given the spot on DPR front page, lots of 'what-lens-should-I-buy' newbies will be spending their money on this one. From my purchase research, I found a consensus that stopping down optimizes sharpness but the diaphragm will make nine diffraction spikes when stopped down. Does the bright star reflection bother you? To achieve creamy bokeh, a lens should have a wide maximum aperture and a long focal length. "Bokeru" is a verb, and it can apply equally to to optical and psychological effects, including the reduced mental clarity that can some with age. The moment I tried the Samyang 135mm F2 for the first time after purchasing it, I immediately felt that it was a very special lens. I have been following your work both on YT and here from Japan for a while. It turns out that this. This thing is a beast in comparison. I can tell you its a great performer for astro use. This is a fully manual lens, meaning that it does not have autofocus, and you must manually select the f-stop using the aperture ring at the base of the lens. Holiday Savings $50 . Of course headline central sharpness is great, that is what grabs headlines, always shot at f2: any 135mm lens is going to give similar results. Yuri toropin tests a bunch of lenses on Flickr which is a great source. Focus are dead on with my Fullframe or APS system. See the full-size version on Astrobin. It really is about talent, creativity, and vision, not gear. When stopped down to 49mm it really is indistinguishable from an APO, except it shows red chromatic aberration with modified cameras even with the UV/IR block or CLS-CCD filter. Is it possible to get good results on a Baader filter modifed Canon 450D and a good telephoto lens, or do I need to get a good APO? Ive spent a handful of nights testing this lens in my Bortle Scale Class 6/7 backyard, and my results live up to the hype it gets in terms of astrophotography performance. It is harder work than using a zoom lens, and some shots I just cannot get at all (cannot get close enough, or far enough way) but the shots I do get are so much nicer looking than I get with any other lens that for me and my goals it is a fair trade off. Now - THAT's a lens everyone should have ;). Yes there's bokeh. Especially for beginning astrophotographers, who should first invest most of their finances into a good telescope mount, telephoto lenses are an excellent and affordable solution. I think the bokeh won me over with the cat, as well as the fact that I like animals; the case for the duck was the same. Cost. I do not see much difference in background blur or bokeh. Has a good weight to it. To me it is a dead spot between 85 and 200. So, let's see where it falls short of perfection: I owned this lens for a long time, then traded it for the 70-200 2.8IS II. The 135L is half the weight of the 70-200 2.8IS. Yes, because it is not f/2. I use it for everything, landscapes, townscapes, interesting detail, portraits. It always happens to me with Samyang, it makes good glasses, fast and sharp, I want to have them, but they are not comfortable to use, not in Sony E, their focus is not precise, and they are not "so" cheap. I don't know about other photographers but I do not have many applications for this focal length. We've selected a group of cameras that are easy to keep with you, and that can adapt to take photos wherever and whenever something memorable happens. Whos Afraid of a Phantom: Istar Phantom 140mm F/6.5, that is? I prefer this lens than the 70-200/2.8. Check them out for yourself! Let's unbox, review and test this lens to find out why it is one of the best bang for your buck deals in astrophotography! Begun in 1975, the Pentax K-mount legacy continues to this day. Voting ends March 8, 2023. One is the price, which starts around $800 for the smallest units, and rapidly climbs into thousands of dollars for larger apertures. It's gross, all is a matter of balance and the perfect one, given you want sharp and fuzzy elements in your picture, is in the blend, and the way details seems to disappear gracefully (while keeping a level of readability). The best ones listed below serve well with a one stop reduction, and some require two or even three stops. The lens shows a very slight pincushion distortion, but it's well under 0.1% of frame height, an excellent performance by any measure. I do know, however, that I can take an equally framed photo I've shot with my Canon kit lens, both zoomed to 100% I run circles around this guy. So whats so great about shooting at 135mm anyway? Adam007,"a headshot is exactly where I want to see all those megapixels"No thanks. That is why when SLRs came along the 200mm became the big seller and the 135 was largely forgotten. Any good ones apart from the Big Boys. In general, prime telephotos should outperform zooms. We have come to accept that most lenses are strong in only one or two of these three factors, that I personally focus on when researching lenses to buy. Amazing colours, contrast, bokeh, everything! On a full frame body, I rely upon this lens and it does not disappoint. But, since fast 300mm ED lenses are beyond my toy budget, I would appreciate seeing magnified center and corner test images of actual star fields. in the rain. Nevertheless, it performs excellently on most star fields, and is too cheap not to acquire. Used on a crop body the results are still splendid but you gain on DOF, making it a great combination for wedding/event and ambient/available light. If the telescope mount is precisely aligned to the celestial north pole, unguided exposures of one to two minutes are possible. I seems many people he are confused about the meaning of the word. Canon 135mm is a great lens. Also, the lens can only be operated when aperture is set to 22, wondering how I could use F2. I own Samyang 135 f2 for Nikon Mount and indeed it is incredible value lens. I understand the optical design is quite old. She's cold? Aside from being much more affordable, telephoto lenses are easier to transport, easier to mount and easier to guide, and are much more likely to produce encouraging results to a beginner. Photography is full of fuzzy concepts. "If you are a Nikon user, of course have a look at the Nikon AF Nikkor 135mm f/2D DC and compare it to the other lenses mentioned in this article. The thing is, on my APS-C body the 100mm is challenging enough. But when holes in text prompt me to look at the work of the writer, there is nothing professional there either. Some people may disagree with the vignetting being a good thing or not, but thats a matter of taste I guess. Also, we ought never question or diminish the joy of others. The California Nebula. I know taste is subjective, but it seems to me that some people have become obsessed with blur and bokeh. Unfortunately I haven't more the Canon lens. Shoot shiny metal at a wide aperture and you'll see some very extreme purple fringing. I ordered this lens on Amazon, utilizing my Amazon Prime membership. We always expect to see some drop in performance (particularly corner sharpness) when we move from testing on a sub-frame to a full-frame camera, but the 135mm f/2L turned in a really remarkable performance even at full-frame. I have the Canon 135 f/2 and loved it from day one. Due to the weight, at times I didn't move my shooting position and just zoomed to a composition that worked. Now i have the f2.8 version, and while the resolution is better it s under no circumstance as good as the f/4 one. This lens is very sharp, corner to corner wide open. I have never had a bad experience buying used Canon lenses from eBay sellers with 99.5%+ positive feedback. Better than nothing I guess, would depend on how much it raises the price. It's March, and in America that means it's time to start arguing over which college athletics team is the best at basketball. (purchased for $900), reviewed November 2nd, 2015 He has quite a breadth photos many of which are quite good. You will see why. (purchased for $650), reviewed June 6th, 2008 http://www.flickr.com/photos/tbrigham/314771597/ Large focus ring. And they like circles (no ellipses or polygons) and smooth colour (no hard edges, no onion rings). Let's the games begin! I am not really looking at buying anything else, though. You can also find him as @mwroll on Instagram and 500px. Thanks, Chris, hi Trevor my name is sagar i have same lens but i have one question why lot of stars are appearing in my image which is taken thru rokinon 135mm, Your email address will not be published. Thanks, However, as I have no actual experience with the Baader filter, I would suggest that you consult other members on the particular APO - Baader filter combination you have in mind. Dear Trevor, After several years off, the venerable magazine has held a public open call photo contest and selected nine finalists and one winning image for its 'Photos of the Year.'. For portraits and with a high MP body I'd be more inclined than ever to just go 85mm, and for other uses it's hard to pass up the zooms' versatility, but I still there's still room for 135s in some kits and some formats. The first telephoto lens of choice, especially recommended for beginners, is the 135mm F2.5 SMC Pentax. Together they still weight less than any modern 135mm :>. i too use the 135mm nikkor[ with a MB speed booster on fuji x for outstanding separation], also a samyang 85 mm 1.4 nikon mt with speedbooster also gives excellent separation, yes, I think I have read that the old Nikkor 135mm f3.5 was even sharper than the f2.8. If you must have autofocus, and care about weight, buy the Canon. best lens, blur, sharp-super, no CA, minimal shading. Deep-sky astrophotography is often associated with a camera and telescope, but the truth is there are a lot of great camera lenses for astrophotography out there. I want to see the bokeh and the sharpness at 100% mag, don't care about the photos. Find out what happens when Chris shoots some very expired APS film using old Canon and Nikon cameras. Prime lenses are typically lighter as they do not need the additional glass and mechanics required to zoom at varying magnifications. The OP admits he limited experience with lenses other than what he has. The Canon 135mm f/2 is no less impressive on a full-frame camera. To actually learn to compose the photos so that the background complements the image instead of being something that must be blurred away. This lens has a long focus adjustment ring, with great tension. Ive been using kit lenses for the past year, favoring the Nikkor 50mm 2.8. Tack sharp at f/2. Which is the better buy? Many lenses lose their appeal after time, but not this one. Juksu, your point is well taken. You currently have javascript disabled. its useful to keep in mind these bokeh circles are the result of light sources bright lamps from autos Christmas lights streetlamps etc and are seriously overused in articles on lenses with strong subject\ backround seperations, they approach parody in the way they characterise subject separation, for most purposes and in most portrait situations its less highlight dominant backrounds that grace a photo. Neutral yet very nice colours. It disagrees completely with the definition that you give! I have used and still use the 135MM F/2 l lens. My 24-70L needs to be stopped down to f5.6 to begin to match the sharpness of my 135L at f2.0 (the test shots were of the portrait of Andrew Jackson on a $20 bill). In excellent condition, this lens retails for around $200. Still, all things considered, I prize this lens very highly and can not imagine giving it up. Perhaps I missed it, but did you use a clip-in light pollution filter with your 60D and this lens? Or is there a use case for fitting the Samyang 135mm to a Panasonic gx85 (or Panasonic gh5) ?? Of course, when it comes to astrophotography, this can create some challenges as well. This lens provides all of these requirements. But again i am just at the beginning and i also do not want to use now a telescope. Samyang should definitely make 135 f2 with the same optical formula and AF for Sony EFF and also Nikon F plus Canon EF mount if possible. Digital sensors are roughly 5 times as sharp as 400-speed film. (Actually if I can live with the DoF I prefer it to my 85/1.2 too, as there is much less bonus colour.) etc.. Ron. Tiring. I find 400gm as the tolerable weight limit for a lens on my panasonic gx85, and I am guessing following telephoto lenses would satisfy the itch to get good bokeh shots, 1. Amazing for portraits, easily fast enough for indoor sports. Some of the primes have a special look to them, but only the 70-200 is indispensable. Focus end stop. Focal length: 135mm Maximum aperture: f/2.0 Lens construction: 10 elements in 8 groups Angle of view: 18 degrees Closest focusing distance: 3 feet Focus adjustment: Rear focusing system with USM Mount: Canon Filter size: 72mm Dimensions: 3.2 inches in diameter and 4.4 inches long Weight: 1.7 pounds Warranty: 1 year See more You can use Stellarium to preview the image scale with the 135mm lens and your DSLR. I am telling them - don't! IQ will rival any other lens. (purchased for $1,100), reviewed October 5th, 2008 Testing on an EOS-5D, we see that it's sharpness is almost as good wide open in the corners as on the EOS-20D with its smaller sensor. Andysea, those are great images on your website. Standards have risen in recent years. Sharp, handy, strong colours and contrast. here some information (sorry only in italian) http://www.astrovale-usm/index.html thanks for the tiring patronising lecture and then agreeing with me. With the high megapixel cameras, most people are going to ideally want to shoot at 1/200 or faster. Nothing else like it and the reason the two DC lenses have remained in production since they were introduced in 1993. https://www.dpreview.com/galleries/1180017085/photos/3721717/bokeh. The EOS R6 II arrives in one of the most competitive parts of the market, facing off against some very capable competition. Is this Nikon already, Astro modified, without need for H alpha filters or any further modifications? The best of them, Nikon's 70-200E, is just as sharp all but the very best primes - ie, already too sharp for most portrait work. Hey! As if absolutely clueless Youtube instructors who have no idea what they are talking about weren't enough. There are times that making no comment at all is far more telling than posting negative - and sometimes offensive - ad hominem attacks on the author for daring to show some enthusiasm. Interesting. IS is useful in my f/4 zooms but I don't need it to hand-hold this lens. You may need to stop down to control star bloat, and thats exactly what Ive done with this 135. Zeiss Jena or Oberkochen? If this was used to shoot video you would think that the first image was using a green screen. I would be careful with the Nikon 135 f/2 DC (I have one). Fast continuous shooting, reliable autofocus and great battery life are just three of the most important factors. No more inside shooting with flash! Probably you could get a very similar image with a 85mm 1.8. AHAB. I enjoied the use of this lens many years before the DSLR. You are entitled to your opinions, and I respect that! To prevent damage to the lens finish, apply nylon acorn nuts (or cap nuts) to the tips of the retaining ring's three alignment screws. My guidescope is a 5in F5 Jaeger's achromat with a 2.3x Barlow, and a 9mm illuminated reticle eyepiece. Contrasty but not harsh. I guess thats where practice will come in handy. However, for $15 I also bought an old Tamron Adaptall 2, 135 mm f2.5. Asahi Optical's Pentax KX was one of the first cameras with this lens mount, acting as a midrange model in the lineup. f/2! Defocus control enables the photographer to use an aperture of f/4 for the subject and to adjust the amount of background blur or the amount of foreground blur. If you want autofocus and great value for money, buy the Canon 135mm, as it has almost the image quality of the Samyang, and you can get it for under $1,000 new. Exterem apertures are extrems (wether it's full open or closed) that should be reserved for extrem cases. (Suggesting that diffraction limiting is only part of the story with lens softness at tiny apertures.). Lagoon and Trifid wide field IC1396 nebula in Cepheus - wide field image. I had of course heard that this lens is supposed to be very sharp, but I had never before had such a full blown "wow" experience when reviewing the sharpness of a lens. Still, what a time to be an enthusiast/photog, so many nice options. Definetely the most sharpest lens which I have ever seen. 135mm and 200mm lenses are suitable for wide angle star-field views, and comet and asteroid hunting, while 300mm lenses serve very well for the Andromeda galaxy, large emission nebulae, open clusters, and even larger globular clusters. Or just get a zoom that is 24-200mm and you are covered. But will live with it as it provides good protection of the front element. Yes the Samyang is good and yes there are lenses with bad bokeh. In the past, Ive covered a number of different lenses, from the Sigma 24mm F/1.4 to the Canon EF 300mm F/4L. When stopped down to 37mm, F5.4, it is almost identical to the Takumar except that on highly enlarged images it shows a hint of coma in the distant corners. The duck and cat are really the only good shots. I bought a Fotasy Minolta MD->EOSM adapter off ebay for $11, and then for about $20 each on craigs list really sharp, well built Minolta MC 28mm f2.8, 50mm f1.4, and 135mm f2.8 lenses that turned out to be great for astrophotography. $581.00 for 7 days. I have had a blast with a samyang, but a used 135mm f2.8 is VERY . These lenses go about as close as you could get without a dedicated macro lens. Must have if you're serious about portraits. (purchased for $1,000), reviewed February 4th, 2010 The screws should be set sufficiently tightly to prevent shift, yet not so tightly as to interfere with fine focusing. Round one of polls are now open, pick your winners and share your voice. D8XX cameras, subject isolation and quality of bokeh.Zoom lenses can not hold a candle to such primes. Canon EOS 60Da with the Rokinon 135mm F/2 lens. Sharp without being harsh. And in their task to get that blurry background, they most often throw their main subject out of focus and/or to focus for anything else in the photograph that would make it, and end results are just "gear porn". The Nikon D810A, however, is modified for astrophotography out of the box. I bought my lens in mint condition for $350 from Japan, but I see that some retailers are asking significantly more. There have been a lot of Tele-Tessars over the years. Fit and finish are first-rate as well, with very smooth manual focus operation, and very fast autofocus on the camera. For DPReview, it's also an opportunity for a good old-fashioned camera fight. Really, just an amazing lens, easily worth the $800-900 it commands on the street. I heard it's very sharp and well corrected. p.s. $218.00 for 7 days. Several days ago another member posted a stunning telephoto image of the Snake Nebula, Barnard 72, taken with a Canon lens which costs $12,000. From far to near, the AF is instantaneous. At f/32, it's pretty soft, but less so than a lot of lenses at that aperture. Images that sing. Even if I wanted a 135mm lens (and the 70-200mm f/2.8 is more versatile) it would be the Nikon 135mm f/2 DC lens. I found with the 70-200 made me lazy. The APO showed no chromatic aberration at all with the addition of the Astronomik UV/IR cut clip filter (passing 380-680nm), but the telephoto lenses, even when stopped down, showed a tight bright red ring around all stars. I cant decide whether to clean it up in processing or let it be. Today I want to talk about another such lens design: The 135mm F2 lens. Because it manage to do so. never mind.. confirmed from others that F19 is indeed the one that is excluded on this lens!