Auto Chinon 135mm f/2.8 Prime Telephoto Lens M42 Pentax

This is an Auto Chinon 135mm f/2.8 prime telephoto lens with an M42 universal screw mount. It features a retractable build in hood, hexagonal aperture, and accepts 55 mm lens filters. It has a manual/auto switch which controls whether the aperture closes when the mount pin is depressed. It weighs a bit less than 1lb, and retracted it stands 4 inches tall. The M42 screw mount was popularized by Pentax during the 1950s and 1960s, and was used by other camera makers, and remains a popular adapted lens mount. Chinon was a Japanese maker or distributor, with lenses considered to be made by Tomioka. However, this lens is uncharacteristically shown as made in Korea. Chinon opened a subsidiary in Korea called Chinar, which sold variants of this lens with the later PK and other mounts under that name. It may be the case this lens was made during a transition period with Japan parts and assembled in Korea. It likely was made in the mid to late 1970s.

This used lens is in great condition, with no scratches, fungus, or haze, and the aperture is snappy and oil free. It does have the usual dust specs inside, but nothing that would detract from image quality. The barrel has light evidence of wear, but no scratches or paint loss. It comes with the hard plastic screw on rear cap and the softer plastic push-on cap, both with wear and unmarked.

Below are several images using the lens adapted to a Canon EOS camera, hand-held at f 4.0 or f5.6, 1/1000 second. This vintage lens is known for its sharpness, Bokeh, and handling. It also exhibits some chromatic aberration just visible in the 100% crop of the overexposed white hydrangea (original image dimension 5184 x 3456 pixels). This is actually a fun lens to use around the garden. The minimum focal distance of 5 feet, so you don't have to get right up on your subject, and with a telephoto on a crop sensor, you cans see remarkable detail from a distance. Vintage 135mm lenses are also popular for portraits and video.