Minolta MC Tele Rokkor-PF 135mm f/2.8 — Budget Bokeh
The humble 135mm may be one of the great bargains in vintage lenses. While 85mm portrait lenses tend to get the attention—and the higher prices—perfectly capable 135mm lenses can still be picked up for remarkably little money.
This Minolta MC Tele Rokkor-PF 135mm f/2.8 is a good example. My copy is cosmetically only in decent shape, with some wear to the barrel, but the glass is good and the results are considerably better than its roughly $30–40 value might suggest.
I kept this test simple, shooting a handful of photographs at f/2.8 and f/5.6. Wide open at f/2.8, the results are decent, with pleasant bokeh, good contrast and perfectly usable sharpness. At f/5.6, it looks wonderful—crisp, contrasty and very convincing.
That’s really the point of Budget Bokeh: you don’t necessarily need an expensive 85mm portrait lens to get attractive subject separation and good image quality. If you’ve got enough working distance for a 135mm, lenses like this Minolta can deliver an awful lot for remarkably little money.
Bottom line: decent at f/2.8, wonderful at f/5.6, pleasant bokeh, good contrast—and about $30 worth of lens.
A real-world look at the Minolta MC Tele Rokkor-PF 135mm f/2.8, an inexpensive vintage portrait lens and part of the LensBusters Budget Bokeh project.A real-world look at the Minolta MC Tele Rokkor-PF 135mm f/2.8, an inexpensive vintage portrait lens and part of the LensBusters Budget Bokeh project.A real-world look at the Minolta MC Tele Rokkor-PF 135mm f/2.8, an inexpensive vintage portrait lens and part of the LensBusters Budget Bokeh project.A real-world look at the Minolta MC Tele Rokkor-PF 135mm f/2.8, an inexpensive vintage portrait lens and part of the LensBusters Budget Bokeh project.A real-world look at the Minolta MC Tele Rokkor-PF 135mm f/2.8, an inexpensive vintage portrait lens and part of the LensBusters Budget Bokeh project.A real-world look at the Minolta MC Tele Rokkor-PF 135mm f/2.8, an inexpensive vintage portrait lens and part of the LensBusters Budget Bokeh project.A real-world look at the Minolta MC Tele Rokkor-PF 135mm f/2.8, an inexpensive vintage portrait lens and part of the LensBusters Budget Bokeh project.A real-world look at the Minolta MC Tele Rokkor-PF 135mm f/2.8, an inexpensive vintage portrait lens and part of the LensBusters Budget Bokeh project.A real-world look at the Minolta MC Tele Rokkor-PF 135mm f/2.8, an inexpensive vintage portrait lens and part of the LensBusters Budget Bokeh project.
