A Sun goes to a family re-union

Hi
I recently attended a local auction and, on spec, bid for a box of ‘photo goods’. Only cost me $10. It had a lot of paraphernalia, including touch up brushes, touch up die, an old retina (regrettably with detached bellows, xenon lens), and this Sun lens: a ‘Sun tele’ YS-13 135mm/f2.8, serial number 505024. It is a screw mount and had a Nikon adapter (which was luck, as I have a couple of F2’s, and was looking for a lens that I don’t have to worry about), so I thought I’d take it to a family re-union for some portraiture. The film was FP 4, cooked in Ilfosol, and then scanned on an Epson V700. I’m sorry that I haven’t spotted the images for dust, so they’re not 100%. I understand that Sun was an ‘optics’ company that made some undistinguished lenses, but also had other companies make lenses for it. It seems to have a single coating, and is a good performer. The bokeh seems ok. I couldn’t count the number of aperture blades. It’s got a substantial amount of glass for what was probably a budget lens.
The shots are family members
Arthur (apiarist1)

 

Another

 

One more

 

Still another

 

And yet more

 

A next to last

 

And the lens

 

If that's Y-S mount on the back (T2-mount plus auto-aperture), it's almost certainly a Sigma lens.

 

Arthur,
If you make the maximum dimension of an image no more than 700 pixels and put a title on it, they will then display in-line.

 

Very fine portrait work, Arthur. Definitely nice work with so-called "budget" lens.
Maybe some other members can chime in with info about the Sun Optics company. Are Suntar lenses from the same maker ?
I have an earlier pre-set Sun 135/2.8 , serial # H 66470
It has 15 blades; not quite a perfect circle, but it does produce a very pleasing b*keh.
This T2 mount pre-set lens is quite similar to my Spiratone 135/2.8
I use this lens and the Accura Supertel 105/2.4 ( Spiratone version is listed as 105/2.5 ) for videos on the Canon 60D.

 

I have four YS lenses.. One came with a FD mount and Rick Oleson-
before I had a canon. explained the fixed prong was necessary to set max apeerture.
the Nikon adapter is simpler. and I have a Pentax K adapter. All are used on a Miranda Sensorex.
three are sigma lenses.. I know little about the Sun lenses but the Sigma lenses are well made and seem to be high quality.
I am sure some 135mm lenses are not all good.
but it is a design that tends to be easier to make a decent lens.
Your photos make me think you will get a lot of usefrom this lens.

 

Tells it all; in my experience all fairly average lenses, possibly re-branded by Spiratone, Hanimex et al. I did have a Sun 135mm f/3.5 in Canon FD mount that performed really well.
http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Sun
Really liked the images, Arthur, being a great fan of the 135mm focal length when it comes to portraits.

 

I have that same lens with a Spiratone label. The T-mount has allowed me to adapt it to several different cameras.

 

The nice thing about 135mm lenses is that it's not hard to make a good one. Everyone in Japan copied Zeiss' optical design quite well...

 

Nice portraits with the Sun. They seem to have been making lenses for a very long time, and some of their earlier efforts looked really well made.
As Rick says, the 135mm is largely ignored these days, which is a shame because the focal length works well with portraits and landscapes. Also has to be the most developed focal length outside the ubiquitous 50mm.
Need to do a post on 135's!

 

I have always disliked the 135mm lens. In my humbug opinion it's too long for a portrait lens and too short to be a telephoto. Give me a 105 and a 200mm any day. Recently, a friend gave me an OM-10 Olympus that is in like new cndition. I nosed around and found a Zukio 135mm f2.8 lens for sale for chump change. All of a sudden 135mm looks pretty good.Maybe you can teach an old bowwow new tricks.

 

Very nice portraiture. Well done. Lens is quite the find as well.

 

Sun sold a rather distinctive 85-210 zoom lens with an attached pistol grip. As I never owned one, I had no idea how good it was but I came across some info here: http://forum.mflenses.com/sun-85-21...m-with-pistol-grip-t12610,highlight,+sun.html

 

Spiratone sold the Sun zoom lenses under that brand, but usually had prime lenses rebranded for them. It's very difficult to tell sometimes who made what and when.

 

The Sun zoom that H.P. describes appears to have been a prop in the sci-fi movie "Robinson Crusoe on Mars".

 

Sun sold a rather distinctive 85-210 zoom lens with an attached pistol grip. As I never owned one, I had no idea how good it was but I came across some info here: http://forum.mflenses.com/sun-85-21...m-with-pistol-grip-t12610,highlight,+sun.html​

H.P. , I never really used this lens much. I come across it every now and again when I buy up lots and camera collections from ebay and craigslist.
The Sun zoom is , in my opinion, well-built with smooth focus and zooming action. I only had one specimen with the pistol-grip, but it was missing the cable release.
I'll try to post some sample photos with the Minolta MD mount version I have kept. It has separation, but that shouldn't affect image quality must.