Vivitar Vivitar 135mm f2.8 Heritage

Overview

The Vivitar 135mm f/2.8 belongs to the golden era of Japanese third-party lensmaking, when optical houses in Japan quietly crafted glass that could rival many brand-name options. Sold under the Vivitar name, this compact M42-mount telephoto was made for the universal M42 screw mount and was compatible with Praktica, Pentax, and many other systems of its time. Several optical manufacturers produced the lens for Vivitar over the years, which is why photographers still confirm the serial prefix when hunting for a specific optical formula. The Komine-made versions covered here came in both 4-element and 5-element variants that look identical: the 5-element 'milled metal grip' V3 (roughly 1971–1974), the 5-element 'rubber grip' V4 (1974–76), and the 4-element V5 (1976–82). A separate, rarer 'Close Focusing' version was also made by Komine (1975–81), distinguished by its 62mm filter thread and 1:2 magnification. No established nickname is documented in the reviews for the standard 55mm lens. Its cult following stems from being sharp, solidly built all-metal glass with pleasing vintage character at a very affordable price, making it an easy and rewarding way to add tactile control and vintage rendering to a modern mirrorless kit via a simple M42 adapter.

Verdict: The Vivitar (Komine) 135mm f/2.8 is a well-built, affordable all-metal manual telephoto that rewards deliberate shooters and portrait photographers who value vintage character. It's dreamy and glowing wide open and quite sharp stopped down, with smooth bokeh and flattering compression — though its chromatic aberration and merely good (not class-leading) out-of-focus rendering keep it a character lens rather than a clinical performer. For the price, it's an easy recommendation for anyone wanting tactile vintage rendering on a modern mirrorless body.

Optical Character

Bokeh

Smooth and rounded, especially with mid-distance backgrounds; 8-blade versions produce beautiful bokeh, though one reviewer felt it wasn't the best for a 135mm f/2.8.

Sharpness wide open

Soft and dreamy wide open at f/2.8, improving significantly stopped down, particularly in the center.

Contrast

Lower, gentle contrast wide open, improving significantly from f/4 onward.

Community Insights

What people love

Quite sharp with good contrast, especially stopped down
Pleasing vintage rendering with a soft, dreamy look and subtle glow around highlights wide open
Smooth, rounded bokeh and natural 135mm compression that flatters portraits
Excellent all-metal build with a long, well-damped focus throw for deliberate, precise focusing
Very affordable (average price around $31) and easy to adapt to modern mirrorless via a simple M42 adapter
Long manual-focus ring and tactile control; built-in retractable lens hood

What people dislike

Too much chromatic aberration (CA) reported by at least one reviewer
Out-of-focus rendering considered not the best among 135mm f/2.8 lenses by one reviewer
Soft and low in contrast wide open at f/2.8, requiring stopping down for peak sharpness
At 135mm it magnifies small movements, so handheld stability is a challenge on high-resolution digital bodies

Pro Tips

Shoot wide open at f/2.8 for a dreamy, glowing, low-contrast portrait look; stop down to f/4 or beyond for significantly improved center sharpness
Use the natural 135mm compression to isolate subjects against foliage or city lights for smooth, rounded bokeh
Because 135mm magnifies small movements, use a tripod or ensure a high shutter speed when shooting handheld, especially on high-resolution digital bodies
Adapt to mirrorless with a simple, inexpensive M42 (or L-mount) adapter for tactile manual control
Confirm the serial prefix before buying if you want a specific 4- or 5-element Komine optical formula

Sources (1)

Web-grounded synthesissecondary

The Vivitar 135mm f/2.8 belongs to the golden era of Japanese third-party lensmaking, when optical houses in Japan quietly crafted glass that could rival many brand-name options. Sold under the Vivitar name, this compact M42-mount telephoto was made for the universal M42 screw mount and was compatible with Praktica, Pentax, and many other systems of its time. Several optical manufacturers produced the lens for Vivitar over the years, which is why photographers still confirm the serial prefix when hunting for a specific optical formula. The Komine-made versions covered here came in both 4-element and 5-element variants that look identical: the 5-element 'milled metal grip' V3 (roughly 1971–1974), the 5-element 'rubber grip' V4 (1974–76), and the 4-element V5 (1976–82). A separate, rarer 'Close Focusing' version was also made by Komine (1975–81), distinguished by its 62mm filter thread and 1:2 magnification. No established nickname is documented in the reviews for the standard 55mm lens. Its cult following stems from being sharp, solidly built all-metal glass with pleasing vintage character at a very affordable price, making it an easy and rewarding way to add tactile control and vintage rendering to a modern mirrorless kit via a simple M42 adapter.

https://www.pentaxforums.com/userreviews/vivitar-135mm-f-2-8-auto-telephoto.htmlhttps://dutchthrift.com/blogs/gear/vivitar-135mm-f-2-8-m42-lens-review-vintage-buying-guidehttps://www.theatreofnoise.com/2024/03/the-very-excellent-vivitar-135mm-f28.html