Bob Locher Loc: Southwest Oregon

Thanks! Actually I have the short end pretty well covered. The lens I really want is something about 135 mm f/3.5 that has modern sharpness.

Plus, I enjoy social contact. So this discussion is fun for me and I expect for most of the other contributors. And I have had some good suggestions offered.

I do have a good zoom lens as referenced earlier.

I fear I am only an average photographer at best in terms of taking great pictures, but I do try. And I'd like to think I am getting better. In the mean time, I also strive for the highest technical quality I can achieve without spending 4 figures for bombsight optics. And I enjoy that pursuit as well.

Cheers

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

Then, maybe the best I could recommend is a Pentax m42 screw mount SMC Takumar - 135 f2.5 - the later higher serial numbers are 6 element and sought after for good reason !

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alfeng Loc: Out where the West commences ...

First, I'm glad you were using a tripod when you made your comparative test ...

However, let me say more emphatically that you may have used one of the poorer examples of a vintage Nikon lens as your benchmark for how sharp an image one can produce with a vintage Prime lens ...

Again, the 24mm f2.8 Zuiko OM is exceptionally sharp ... the plebeian 50mm f1.8 Zuiko is a surprisingly sharp optic which may-or-may-not be as good as your 60mm Sigma f2.8!?!

... Those two Zuiko lenses are just two among a multitude of vintage Prime lenses which will probably be as good as your 60mm Sigma as long as you are willing to focus the lens manually ...

... I do not know how sharp the 135mm Zuiko lens is.

BTW. As far as a "prime (lens) fetish" is concerned, while current Zoom lenses may-or-may-not be better than Zoom lenses made in the past, the label sounds like one created by someone who may have too much invested in his Zoom lenses.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

With manual focus lenses used on simple groundglass focusing screens, the likelihood that even a very sharp vintage lens will give you consistent results without the usual split prism and microprism focusing aids. Regardless of whether it's a prime or zoom.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

FWIW, the OP is using an A6000 mirrorless ......

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Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

So he has better options. . .

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

For some great examples of bokeh, open this thread: https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-539969-4.html and scroll about halfway down to kymarto’s post. Look at what’s happening in the out of focus background. It’s the quality of the out of focus areas, not the quantity.

Bob Locher Loc: Southwest Oregon

Right - I am using a mirrorless camera. And it includes a 10X focus magnifier for critical focusing.

As to the optical quality of the Nikon 135 mm f/3.5 - who knows? All I can say is that my 85 mm lens, manually focused, resolves the windows in a house three miles away that the 135 mm Nikon can not.

In any case, I am having fun working on this. I have been looking at lots of web sites on the Internet, reading reviews on legacy lenses, checking some of them out on eBay. I have another legacy lens coming in Monday that could be pretty good. If it is I will report it here.

This is a hobby for me - and I am having fun. I know a few members of UHH are pros, or semipros, but I believe the considerable majority are strictly amateurs. I also suspect the average member is or soon will be on Social Security. And that most certainly includes me.

Cheers

Dennis833 Loc: Australia

I completely Agee with your comments. I have been thinking the same thing about all of the new fast, large and very heavy FF lenses. None of them are really practical for a landscape photographer. Recently I decided to set up an APS-C backpacking outfit so I could continue shooting and carrying camera gear into more remote locations. I choose A Sony A6000. 12mm Samyang. 19mm Sigma. 30mm Sigma. 40mm EF with adapter.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

The problem in making this kind of decision, as to lens types for any particular aspect of photography, is you gotta start with the basics and cut out all the hype, folklore, extreme opinions and brand name "cultism" and start thinking "PHOTOGRAPHY"

So- landscape photography is your aspiration. To start with, it's best to keep things simple. Assuming you want to start off with classical landscape work, no special effects (yet) or extremely complex post processing methods, your first consideration should be perspective.

So...you are walking or driving along a road and you spot a particularly striking landscape you would like to capture. If you wish to record it the way you eyes see it, the best focal length to use is one just slightly longer than normal for the format you are using. If your camera is a full frame model, a 50mm focal length is normal- so a 60mm would be ideal. For a cropped sensor model, 35mm is normal so a 40mm focal length would be great. Problem is, it's hard to find PRIME lenses in these rather odd focal lengths so a good zoom should do the job. There are a few 60mm primes but the are usually macro lenses which supposedly perform best in close up and macro scenarios. I have a 60mm macro that produces perfectly fine landscape work- I make prints up to 30X40 inches with no loss of quality.

Of course, you want to purchase the best lenses you can afford and many of the big brands are great but some of the aftermarket and othere brands are fine as well. There are many moderately priced lenses that perform extremely well. If you are not starting off by making extremely large images, some of the nuances in high quality in the very expensive lines may not even be apparent in screen images and moderately sized prints.You will mostly be working in adequate light so you don't need to pay the premium prices for extremely fast glass. An f/2.8, 3/5 or even a f/4 is fast enough for landscape work.

My advice- purchase a good zoom lens- not one with an extreme range- just enough to shoot at the prescribed focal lengths for good perspective and start off slowly concentrating on good compositions, accurate exposure, creative camera angles and foreground framing, good steady camera support on a solid tripod, the use of lower IOS settings and some nice enhancing editing procedures. With the zoom, you can also experiment with moderate wide angle and telephoto applications.

Now- there is no law that says you should not shoot wide angle or telephoto as well but you will achieve different perspectives. Wide angle lenses tend to exaggerate foregrounds and make backgrounds seem further away. Longer lenses have the opposite effect and tend to compress perspectives. Theses are not bad techniques and can be used creatively as well, however, it's good on the mind and the bank account to start simply, see how things progress and add more gear as your technique improves or you feel too limited with a basic system.

"Bokeh" is a function of selective focus. It works particularly well in portraiture and closeup or detailed images of flowers or othere natural subjects. It has to do with blurring the background sufficiently to create artistically pleasing or painterly-like background and foreground effects. It really does not apply to classical landscape work where more depth of field is usually desirable. "Good" bokeh can be produced with most lenses at their widest aperture- some lenses, because of there construction and the shape and configuration of the diaphragm blades, may produce more interesting "bokeh" than others- nothing to do with price. I have a few absolutely dreadful old lenses that produce incredibly romantic portraits and landscapes and absolutely "to die for" bokeh!- SURPRISING!

Good lenses are good investments and will perform well but you don't need to go into bankruptcy either. A good zoom lens for you body, a steady tripod, a lens shade to prevent loss of contrast due to flare and perhaps a good quality circular polarizing filter for some of the images where you want to darken the sky on a clear day and increase color saturation in foliage is a good accessory. This basic kit should get you into the landscape business- the rest is up to you and believe me- avoid a GAS attack. Once you get your technique down pat there is plenty of time to get into advanced methods like panoramics, stitching, infrared renditions, split n/d filtration and more. Many of the iconic masterpieces by photographers like Ansel Adams, were straightforward photography on very rudimentary equipment. It's all in the know how!

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

Yup, plenty of good and cheap used Pentax and other brand lenses out there. I have many that I use on Pentax cameras. I've gotten many nice used ones for less than $100, down to $25.

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

It would be nice if you could promote discussions that interest you and most of us, but not be facetious to do so. We already have far to many members of the UHH put up bull stories just to pull others legs and end up wasting everyone's time. Please try to be more straight forward and clear about what you are asking. I'm not one to like games being played with me.

Bob Locher Loc: Southwest Oregon

I do regret it if I gave any offense. I certainly never intended to. I try to be civil.

I guess another way to state my point is that I believe the lens makers are ignoring the needs of people like myself who are primarily interested in landscape photography. Not everyone on UHH is into landscapes but clearly a lot are. I think the discussion thus far has been interesting and there have been some excellent comments.

Sorry you apparently don't agree...

Cheers

jburlinson Loc: Austin, TX

You may already have considered this one, but just in case -- take a look at the Minolta Maxxum 135mm f/2.8 AF, made around 1985. For your A6000 you'll need the LA-EA4 adapter. I have one for an a-mount (Sony A57) and it's nice and sharp, especially stopped down, which you seem to prefer anyway. Easy to find on ebay/amazon in the $150-300 price range.

User ID

Love that lens. Got three of them, so I can always find at least
one or two of them. I'd suggest that our budgetwise seeker of
optical holy grail skip the LA-EA4 cuz it's expensive, and loses
a bit of light to its beam splitter [for its AF sensor]. An LA-EA3
is much more budget friendly, having no beam splitter, and as
no AF is needed for landscapes there's no reason to pay extra
for the LA-EA4. If an LA-EA1 turns up, that should be verrrrry
affordable, cuz it predates the a7 line and so it's for APSC only
and is also without a beam splitter. The LA-EA3 is simply the
newer version with a wider throat to accomodate FF cameras.

Should this be the solution, once an LA-EA is in use the 50/2.8
Maxxum lens just BEGS to join the party.