Sigma Mini-Tele 135mm f/3.5 MC (1981)

2016.10.19 - Published

2021.08.16 - Re-written, re-edit video

2022.08.15 - Updated

Sigma Mini-Tele

135mm f/3.5

Multi-Coated

"Remarkably compact and lightweight automatic telephoto lens. Despite its fast lens speed of f3.5, the lens accepts 52mm filters. Superb image quality is maintained due to a new optical design"

Model - Mini Tele 135

Launch - 1981

Focusing - Manual, non-AF

Minimum Focusing - 1.4 meters

Filter Thread Ø - 52 mm

Focus Throw - 270 degrees

Aperture Run - f/3.5 to f/22

Iris Blades - 6 (auto diaphragm)

Optical Formula - 5 elements, 5 groups

Multicoated elements

Plastic retractable lens hood

Made in Japan

Photo Album:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/YUtGGLdN7pHZyjFE6

========================================

Impressions

Here is a lens I bought from 2016, a Sigma Mini-Tele 135mm f/3.5 MC (Canon FD mount) in mint cosmetic condition and even with its original vintage leather case. As usual with vintage finds, it came with a baggage of fungus on all its elements. It looks like the fungus has eaten away the lens coating and cleaning further damaged it; there was one more lens like this whose coating is merely like a sticker on the glass and literally peels off when you wipe it, the Helios-81N 50mm f/2 (native Nikon F mount).

The design of old Sigma lenses are very stylish and cute, like this lens from the early 1980s. The only plastic part is the lens hood, which is too short and pretty useless. It comes in Canon FD mount and unfortunately, I was stuck with a Nikon DSLR at the time (see 'flange distance'). My solution was to hack the mount and it was able to fit Nikon and have focus to infinity.

Once the lens was fixed, it was time to go out and get some shots with it. At f/3.5, you can still get beautiful blurry background since it is only 2/3 stop smaller than f/2.8, and these are affordable primes.

It is sharp wide open at f/3.5 and appears to give modern lens colors. The colors are neutral with no color tint bias (many shift toward blue). It shows purple fringing at f/3.5 but goes away stopped down. The flare control of the coating is good so that the images retain a good amount of contrast and colors even when shooting against the light.

I loved everything about this lens (the tiny size, the image quality, and look and feel). This is a highly underrated lens that nobody talks about, maybe because they think f/3.5 is inferior to f/2.8... not at all!