For comparison, no other lens I know of would earn more than 8/10. By far the best one is the Tiffen Haze 2 filter. (purchased for $970), reviewed March 17th, 2011 With a rounded 9-blade diaphragm, shallow depth of field imaging will be rendered with pleasing out-of-focus highlights. Built quality is wonderful, focus ring is well-damped. My Canon EOS 60Da with the Rokinon 135mm F/2.0 mounted to a Fornax Mounts LighTrack II. One is its size and weight, which requires a sturdy support on the telescope. Write your own user review for this lens. Also, the newer and much more expensive 200mm F4 SMC Pentax with the K mount is decisively inferior, showing small but annoying red chromatic aberration. It is by far the fastest focusing, best bokeh, and lowest light lens you will ever find. Not heavy like the white tele-zooms. This is one of the sharpest lens i've ever owned. I use it for everything, landscapes, townscapes, interesting detail, portraits. They seem to be really good for NB work. But for me, the reason to get this lens is the Bokeh and DOF control. This article was originally published on Micael's blog, and is being republished in full with express permission. Yes, each can produce different results (And that's why I keep and use several different lenses), but my point is that sharpness or bokeh are not the only factors for portraits -- sometimes it just comes down to convenience or price! reviewed August 2nd, 2017 Helps me as a beginner a lot KevinS, in my experience stopping down dramatically improves image quality in terms of chromatic aberration, coma and astigmatism. Zeiss Jena or Oberkochen? You may need to stop down to control star bloat, and thats exactly what Ive done with this 135. This creates an effective focal length of roughly 200mm, a useful magnification for a wide variety of astro-imaging scenarios. Now I wonder why people are never happy even on 3rd day of a new year :) Come on guys just think "Micael Widell" was working over holiday period to publish this free article ;). What I am trying to avoid is spending another $1,100 on a quality APO, and instead using my existing Nikkor 180mm ED lens with a Baader-modified Canon 450D that I just obtained. However, stepping outside to polar align a small star tracker and attach a DSLR and lens is quick and painless. fast, sharp wide open, excellent bokeh, value for money, very fast, sharp, gorgeous background blur, world class lens. - Actually though, it's performance is so good that you really have to consider it a bargain, even at the $800-900 street price. it is crisp, fast, and awsome. For example, the legendary Canon 85mm F1.2L weighs in at 1025g, and the Sigma 85mm F1.4 Art isn't too light either at 1130g. The 135 is lighter, but that's its only advantage. I would only recommend this lens for casual photographers where missed shot means nothing. This lens has a long focus adjustment ring, with great tension. If the title had been: "Testing My First Telephoto and LOVING IT!!!!!!!. The image is a 90-second exposure at ISO 400 using a Canon EOS 60Da. I had one question that i cant seem to find an answer to.. @juksu - you're such a hypocrite. So I sold it for nearly what I bought it for and chalked it up to a learning experience. I have only owned my 135mm for less then a year, but already it is one of my top three most used and most fun lenses. I have used the canon 70-200 f2.8L ii and also the 100-400 f4.5/5.6 L with excellent results. Wonderful image quality, lots of detail, contrasty, subject separation, fast and accurate AF, bright viewfinder, solid construction, unobtrusive in use, No weather sealing, makes all my other lenses look poor (even the 'L' zooms that, when I first got them, imagined could hardly be improved on). We've combed through the options and selected our two favorite cameras in this class. This includes everything from the rich star fields of Sagittarius, to a complete look at the Andromeda Galaxy. Ive been using kit lenses for the past year, favoring the Nikkor 50mm 2.8. No, Mr. Tiring. I got this lens because of portraiture. I had both for a while. So, let's see where it falls short of perfection: I'll walk you through all this inc. The lenses I listed are certainly not the ONLY exceptional lenses made over the years. Bottom line, this is just an outstanding lens by any measure, one that makes clear why you'd want to pay the freight for expensive prime glass. (purchased for $890), reviewed July 17th, 2006 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. Backwards compatible (film). SIx months on from buying it this has become my favourite lens ever, beating my previous favourite (Leica's 4th version of the 35mm Summicron for its M-series rangefinders). thanks for the write-up.. i just got this lens and have just been trying it out. I prefer this lens than the 70-200/2.8. Now I have only the Nikon but I can try to take a photo of the same subject fully open Often need f2.2 to f2.8 to gain sufficient DOF for human subjects. They are by nature designed to compromise by magnification and distance, and are therefore not optically optimized at any single setting. Crazy fast AF! My canon is clear modded and I use a an Astronomik EOS-clip L filter to block the uv and ir. The duck and cat are really the only good shots. 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. To me it is a dead spot between 85 and 200. Chromatic aberration is almost eliminated in narrowband, so lenses with that problem may be fine performers. OM System's latest lens is a whopper of a macro, featuring optical stabilization, full weather sealing, up to 2x magnification and a whole lot more. All content, design, and layout are Copyright 19982023 Digital Photography Review All Rights Reserved. Round one of polls are now open, pick your winners and share your voice. But you just know that there is the professionalism that is lacking here -- and the writer's Instagram page confirms that. Photos posted are pleasing but I'd be into seeing something new. No one yet mentioned a zoom lens, I had an opportunity to test my Canon 24-105L f/4 on M31 Andromeda Galaxy and received wonderful results with Canon 60D unmoded, I set it to 105mm, No vignatting, slight coma on the corners and no false color on bright stars. OTOH you can now get a 70-180 f2.8 zoom that weights virtually the same and is only a tiny bit longer (Tamron's on E mount, like 20mm longer than the AF SY or most other modern 135s), and there's lighter than ever 85/1.4s (eg Sigma's DN for L/E mount) that can achieve a very similar look while coming in at 600g, tho at an even higher price. Then you should have tried the 180mm nikkor ED, the old one, which is the favorite tool of a lot of astrophotographers. Does this work well with any of the 1.4x / 1.7x / 2.0x Teleconverters (extenders / barlows)? Were those taken with the Canon telephotos you spoke of, and the full spectrum modified camera and the clip in filter? You would be hard pressed to find any other lens on a full frame camera that produces creamier bokeh. The 200f2.8 L is excellent - I am using it right now. I really like how they augment my longer focal length scopes. The first shot I ever took with this lens was of my neighbor's cat, as it was sneaking around in a bush. 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. I would like to make this work with the Nikkor 180mm ED (i.e., what I have versus what I cannot havelol). My first photo of the night sky is of Comet NEOWISE, however I know its not the best photo I could capture. Typical L construction. I wish every lens was this good!! In this buying guide weve rounded up all the current interchangeable lens cameras costing around $2000 and recommended the best. This has several advantages from less demanding tracking accuracy, to being able to use a lower ISO setting. 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. Thanks.. or.. Clear Skies! (purchased for $900), reviewed December 14th, 2006 It's terrible. Also, we ought never question or diminish the joy of others. The other one is the inevitable and persistent regret that, because of chromatic aberration, the full 75mm aperture of this beautiful lens can not be used in full visible spectrum photography. It can isolate subject while being tack sharp with beautiful creamy bokeh when used at f2. For me, that's enough. The Rokinon 135mm F/2.0 ED UMC is one of the most affordable and practical lenses for astrophotography on the market. It starts out very sharp at f/2.0, gets even sharper at f/2.8, and softens only slightly at f/11. I recommend the author change the title of his article from "The Best Telephoto Lenses." to "Some Inexpensive Telephoto Lenses I Have Tested" The original title generates a claim and expectation in the reader that his article can't support that leads to reader frustration and just more questions; why didn't you test this one or do this etc. The lens has 14 stops when turning the aperture. Of my last 3500 shots only 62 were made with the 135 f/2. To actually learn to compose the photos so that the background complements the image instead of being something that must be blurred away. here are some links to some pics taken with the lens: Because of chromatic aberration, no telephoto lens can be used at full aperture. 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. This photo was captured with the Samyang 135mm F/2 lens using a UV/IR cut filter and a QHY168C dedicated astronomy camera. The next 200mm lens of excellent quality is the 200mm F4 Nikkor F which requires the Nikon F to EOS adapter. Pocketable. The full name of this lens is the Rokinon 135mm F/2 ED UMC, with ED standing for extra-low dispersion, and UMC referring to the ultra multi-coated optics. The Nikon D810A, however, is modified for astrophotography out of the box. Now - THAT's a lens everyone should have ;). The main problem with the old lenses is spherical aberration and colour error, especially pronounced on digital sensors. Samyang 135mm f2, 100mm f2.8, and asperical 16mm f2.8. This is perhaps because I'm more of a zoom guy (I have the trio of Canon f2.8 L zoom lenses, with coverage from 16mm to 200mm), and I didn't see that big a difference between my 70-200 f2.8 and my 135 f2except I could cover a lot more with my zoom than I could with a prime. Film Friday: DPRTV reviews Fujifilm's Acros II film, Fujifilm launches Instax Mini 12 instant camera, DPReview March Madness, vote for your champions, Canon RF 16mm F2.8 STM sample gallery (DPReview TV), OM System M. Zuiko 90mm F3.5 Macro sample gallery, Live from Japan: Highlights from CP+ 2023, Retro Review: 24 years later, the Sony F505 is still pretty cool, Hands on with the OM System M. Zuiko 90mm F3.5 Macro, New FAA rules make it easier for recreational drone pilots to fly in restricted US airspaces, Leica marks James Bond's 60th* with a special edition D-Lux 7, Film Friday: A closer look at the Pentax KX, an original K-mount SLR, Blackmagic Design announces a new Studio Camera 6K Pro, National Geographic selects Pictures of the Year photo contest winner, Sigma brings DC DN APS-C primes to Nikon Z-mount, Panasonic Lumix S 14-28mm F4-5.6 Macro sample gallery, Tamron announces 11-20mm F2.8 ultra-wide zoom for Fujifilm X-mount, Film Friday: DPReview TV steps back in time to shoot APS film, Finer Points: Here's an easy way to improve video autofocus, DPReview TV: One simple fix to improve video autofocus, Head-to-head: Adobe Super Resolution vs. ON1 Resize AI vs. Topaz Labs Gigapixel AI, Waiting for the fishy in the little dishy by Gil Aegerter, Lava Lizard on Marine Iguana by ZimmWisdom. I've owned a few L lenses and while their USM motors have always been quick to snap in focus, this 135mm is on a different level. Just not useful if you already have traditional focal lengths. - in my subjects' skin. F2 allows higher shutter speeds in lower light without raising the ISO. http://www.flickr.com/photos/tbrigham/284303834/. But first, there are several general rules which must be understood. First of all, the background separation and the bokeh: I had photographed lots of animals in bushes before, but never before had I seen the bush melt away in the way it did with the 135mm lens. I do not use burst mode, but the lens would produce movie-like frames. However, I find the process tedious, and prefer single, manually guided, long exposures which seem to have deeper colors. Exposure uniformity (vignetting) is also really excellent, reaching a maximum of 1/4 EV (on a camera with an APS-C size sensor) at f/2, and dropping to well under 1/10 EV at f/2.8 and above. After the first exposure in M mode, the camera throws an error saying Error please press the shutter button again. My Nikon focus and aperture rings are a thing of highly finessed engineering beauty! Seems to me that Michael is pretty new to using long telephoto lenses, he writes that the Samyang is the first he has owned. While they provide a very large flat field we noticed some CA. Lots of wet blankets around here. Nikon 300/4 ED IF, Sigma 50/2.8 DG Macro (not a telephoto, but good). 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). No telephoto lens, and no apochromat, is sufficiently corrected to accomodate such a wide spectral range. It actually makes my eyes water as I try to resolve how bad the blurriness is. 45 minutes. Not rude at all, a fair comment. Also, the lens can only be operated when aperture is set to 22, wondering how I could use F2. Im getting a samyang to use with my 60D. The Bokeh includes as well all that is in the focus, but mainly talked about how it comes visible in out of focus areas. "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. Barney and Chris have been shooting the new Sony 50mm F1.4 GM, and we have a bunch of full resolution samples for you to peruse. (purchased for $890), reviewed October 21st, 2005 EF-mount only, this packs more megapixels, a bigger sensor, and a high max ISO. Which Canon EOS M Would be Best for Astrophotography? Add To Cart. Begun in 1975, the Pentax K-mount legacy continues to this day. You're sour grapes man, you wish it were you who wrote the article. Cost. Its fast f/2.0 maximum aperture is effective in low light and enables shallow depth of field control. 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. Images that sing. You can use Stellarium to preview the image scale with the 135mm lens and your DSLR. When I got home and loaded the photo into Lightroom I was blown away by two things. The lens is not weather-sealed, so you definitely dont want to leave your camera and lens (and your tracking mount!) Just place your subject against a distant background, and half of the job is done. "That is why when SLRs came along the 200mm became the big seller and the 135 was largely forgotten"Did you notice that this 135mm F2 lens on an APS-C camera is more or less equivalent to a 200mm F2.8 lens on an FF camera ?So this lens can be seen as the 200mm F2.8 lens for APS-C camera users. Camera tech for video has come a long way in recent years, with faster autofocus, subject tracking, eye tracking and smarter lenses that stabilize the frame. The sigma 150mm f2.8 tests very well, zeiss 135mm apo sonnar, and leica 180mm f3.5 apo all proven performers on star tests. I guess thats where practice will come in handy. Most small refracting telescopes start in the 300 to 400 mm focal length range, and even these are classed as widefield telescopes. Interesting. Material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted or otherwise used without the prior written consent of The Imaging Resource. Most of the available 135mm F2 lenses have a very short minimum focusing distance in relation to the focal length, creating a magnification ratio of around 0.2 - 0.25. Aperture ring. It turns out that this. Sharp without being harsh. The Canon 135mm f/2 is no less impressive on a full-frame camera. Optics quality, sharp,very special picture, sharpness, clarity, weight, fast, accurate AF (fringe benefit of f/2), price, no IS, makes you regret buying any zoom lenses, compact, very sharp wide open, good color contrast, bokeh, this is the lens. In these situations, a portable, wide-field imaging rig wins. For those of you that like to pixel-peep, have a look at the single image frame captured using the Rokinon 135mm F/2.0 ED UMC at F/4. It is a heavy lens. I know taste is subjective, but it seems to me that some people have become obsessed with blur and bokeh. The full extent of the relationship between Rokinon and Samyang is unknown to me, but the packaging on my lens says Technology by Samyang Optics. When I was on my way home after purchasing my first 135mm lens (the Samyang/Rokinon one) I took a few quick snapshots just to try out the lens. This brings me to my question. Yes the Samyang is good and yes there are lenses with bad bokeh. However, these APOs have a couple of drawbacks. You can barely tell it's a pond.#3: Duck.Birds with bokeh are fine. The original poster is right that it was a compromise though and stopping down was necessary for critical sharpness and a better image. There have been a lot of Tele-Tessars over the years. Some real life images from my photoblog: http://hellabella.de, One of the best and sharpest lens around. If the telescope mount is precisely aligned to the celestial north pole, unguided exposures of one to two minutes are possible. When coupled with my Canon DSLR camera, the entire system weighs just over 3 pounds. Youll never have to worry about losing your position just by touching the lens, but you can always tape the position down to be sure. When all that was available were APS-C crop cameras a 85mm lens provided a near equivalent view angle to the 135mm on a full frame camera. Yes, because it is not f/2. This is a fully manual lens, meaning that it does not have autofocus, and you must manually select the f-stop . Also type the lens you are interested in into the search window on Astrobin to see examples shot with that lens. This lens is very sharp, corner to corner wide open. Andysea, those are great images on your website. An h-alpha filter would still be useful for your D500, but much more so if it were modified! Some reviewers have listed lack of IS as a "Con". Read on to find out which you should be using and why! I have been following your work both on YT and here from Japan for a while. And it's not the one problem from my L lenses very sad =(, My favourite lens, hands down. Some APOs can be fitted with pricey telecompressors, but those invariably result in vignetting and coma. I think they are an outstanding value for any wide-field astrophotographer, and are particularly suitable for newcomers. I love the lens for my modified Sony a6000! Sure, that would be swellbut it doesn't matter with regard to how it performs. The Best Telephoto Lenses for Astrophotography - Articles A camera tracker (or star tracker) is necessary for long exposure deep-sky astrophotography, but a compact model such as the iOptron SkyTracker or Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer will do just fine. Below, are a few examples of astrophotography images Ive taken with lenses of varying focal lengths. Samyang 85mm f1.83. These are affordably available on eBay, and result in perfectly round star images, the way nature intended them to be.