Leica 135mm f/3.4 Apo Telyt M Manual Focus Lens (11889)

by Leica

Product Details

• Item Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0000AQJ6I
• Item model number: 11889
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: November 24, 2003

Product Description

Leica M Series Lenses Compact, lightweight and covering an optimum range of practical applications, Leica M lenses offer a unique optical performance that has secured them a leading position throughout the world. With focal lengths ranging from 21 to 135mm and speeds of up to f/1.0, these valuable precision lenses are distinguished for their superb imaging performance and long service life. Other features include: Excellent sharpness, high-contrast performance and an extreme resolving power even at full aperture Extremely compact design using lens elements with high refractive indices and low dispersion values Uniform, neutral colour rendition Exceptional freedom from flare due to special Leica multiple coating Long service even in tough, everyday professional use and smooth focusing thanks to the mechanical precision of the metal helical focusing mounts. Compact tele lens with apochromatic correction

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very sharp 135mm, November 11, 2006

By 

Mark W. Bohrer "Technology Writer & Documenta... (Saratoga, California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Leica 135mm f/3.4 Apo Telyt M Manual Focus Lens (11889) (Electronics)

The 135mm f/3.4 APO-Telyt is for you if you find yourself in 'urban exclusion mode' a lot to keep images simple. It's the sharpest lens available in its focal length.

It also brings up the smallest frame in any of the Leica M-cameras. For this reason, it's best used with the M3's 0.91 viewfinder magnification, or an 0.85 M6 TTL or M7. It can otherwise be hard to make out what you're trying to photograph.

A super lens for ski photography because of its light weight and small size, mine goes everywhere, unlike some of my auto-focus behemoths. A photograph of lights marching up-slope at Squaw at the end of the day produced no flare or visible chromatic aberration. It's much better than the decades-older 135mm Hektor I used to use.

It shares the reach-into-it-real look of images from the 90mm APO-Summicron-M ASPH, but if you really need the narrow view, only the longer lens will do.

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars 135mm lens for Leica M rangefinder cameras, September 8, 2005

By 

John Kwok (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Leica 135mm f/3.4 Apo Telyt M Manual Focus Lens (11889) (Electronics)

The Leica 135mm f3.4 Apo-Telyt-M telephoto lens is yet another of the excellent designs coming from the Leica lens works while the firm itself is trying to remain financially solvent. Since the 135mm focal length is one that is difficult to use in a rangefinder camera, I am more than a bit surprised that Leica decided to replace two older, still excellent, 135mm lenses with this new design. Optically, as an apochromatic design it is quite superb. But I doubt that it is truly worth acquiring brand new at the advertised price. Furthermore, I wish Leica had decided instead of producing this lens to upgrade its venerable 50mm f2 Summicron-M lens; an older design that is finally showing its age, lacking much of the contrast and resolution wide open that is seen in the new 50mm f1.4 Summilux-M ASPH lens. If you are looking for superb optical quality in a Leica telephoto lens, then a better buy might be almost any of the 75mm or 90mm lenses (the sole exception being the new 90mm macro lens), which can be focused easily from the viewfinder of a Leica M rangefinder camera.