> Fred, The SMC 135/2.5K is a fine performer from f/5.6 onward. But > it has not lived up to my hopes at f/2.5 to f/4.
Of course, Paul, even the A* 135/1.8 is softer wide open than at f/5.6 - <g>. How is the bokeh with that Vivitar S-1 135/2.3 ? > That's why, though I already owned the K, I bought the Vivitar. > (That, and the Vivitar's 0.9 m close focus). Yes, the Pentax MF 135's close focus only to well over a meter. Vivitar has made (or, at least, has sold) many neat lenses over time. I have four of 'em at the moment (all of which, though, I will be sending along to new homes shortly) - S-1 90/2.5 Macro (with 1:1 adapter), S-1 105/2.5 Macro, S-1 600/8 Solid Cat, and (non-S-1) 40/2.5 "pancake". The 90/2.5 and 105/2.5 macros are very sharp (but so isn't the A 100/2.8). The 600/8 is a lot easier to hand hold in bright light than the A* 600/5.6, and is a heck of a lot more portable, but the A* is significantly sharper (even when at f/5.6), and I don't care too much for "doughnut bokeh" - <g>. The all-black (even the K-mount flange is black) 40/2.5 compares favorably with both the M 40/2.8 and the Cosina 45/2.8, but how many pancakes does one need, when all is said and done? <g> I used the S-1 70-210/3.5 (second generation with 62mm filter threads) as my main tele zoom for several years in the early to 80's. Fred - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
