A Sun goes to a family re-union

<p>Hi<br>

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.<br>

The shots are family members<br>

Arthur (apiarist1)</p><div></div>

<p>Another</p><div></div>

<p>One more</p><div></div>

<p>Still another</p><div></div>

<p>And yet more</p><div></div>

<p>A next to last</p><div></div>

<p>And the lens</p><div></div>

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

<p>Arthur,<br>

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.</p>

<p>Very fine portrait work, Arthur. Definitely nice work with so-called "budget" lens.</p>

<p>Maybe some other members can chime in with info about the Sun Optics company. Are Suntar lenses from the same maker ?<br>

I have an earlier pre-set Sun 135/2.8 , serial # H 66470<br>

It has 15 blades; not quite a perfect circle, but it does produce a very pleasing b*keh.<br>

This T2 mount pre-set lens is quite similar to my Spiratone 135/2.8</p>

<p>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. </p><div></div>

<p>I have four YS lenses.. One came with a FD mount and Rick Oleson-<br>

before I had a canon. explained the fixed prong was necessary to set max apeerture.<br>

the Nikon adapter is simpler. and I have a Pentax K adapter. All are used on a Miranda Sensorex.<br>

three are sigma lenses.. I know little about the Sun lenses but the Sigma lenses are well made and seem to be high quality.<br>

I am sure some 135mm lenses are not all good.<br>

but it is a design that tends to be easier to make a decent lens.<br>

Your photos make me think you will get a lot of usefrom this lens.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Sun</p>

<p>Really liked the images, <strong>Arthur</strong>, being a great fan of the 135mm focal length when it comes to portraits.</p>

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

<p>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...</p>

 

<p>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.<br>

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.<br>

Need to do a post on 135's!</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>Very nice portraiture. Well done. Lens is quite the find as well.</p>

<p>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: <a href="http://forum.mflenses.com/sun-85-210-4-8-preset-t-mount-zoom-with-pistol-grip-t12610,highlight,%2Bsun.html">http://forum.mflenses.com/sun-85-210-4-8-preset-t-mount-zoom-with-pistol-grip-t12610,highlight,%2Bsun.html</a></p>

 

<p>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.</p><div></div>

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

<blockquote>

<p>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: <a href="http://forum.mflenses.com/sun-85-210-4-8-preset-t-mount-zoom-with-pistol-grip-t12610,highlight,%2Bsun.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://forum.mflenses.com/sun-85-210-4-8-preset-t-mount-zoom-with-pistol-grip-t12610,highlight,%2Bsun.html</a></p>

</blockquote>

<p>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.<br>

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.</p>

<p>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. </p><div></div>