First launched as the fastest full-frame 135mm lens around, the lens has been relaunched in four additional mount options
Back in October 2015, the Mitakon Speedmaster 135mm f/1.4 drew attention for offering a particularly wide f/1.4 aperture against its telephoto focal length.
Now, the lens has been relaunched and its mount options expanded. Previously only available in Canon EF, Nikon F and Sony FE fittings, the optic now additionally comes in Sony A and Pentax K options, as well as in Leica L-mount and Fujifilm G-series fittings, the latter making it compatible with the company's medium-format GFX-50S model.
Mitakon Speedmaster 135mm f/1.4: features
Pairing a focal length of 135mm (35mm equivalent) and an aperture range of f/1.4 to f/16, the lens also boasts a clickless aperture ring for silent adjustment during video recording.
Its optics have been made by Zhong Yi, a venerable Chinese manufacturer with a 30-year history of producing high-quality lenses. 11 elements are spread over five groups, with three extra-low dispersion elements among these, while an 11-blade diaphragm is said to produce smooth bokeh.
The Speedmaster 135mm f/1.4 measures 160mm in length and 111mm in diameter, with a filter thread of 105mm. The 3kg lens is a manual-focus-only affair, with a minimum shooting distance of 1.6m.
The company behind the lens has also released a couple of sample images to give users a feel for what the lens is capable of producing – take a look below.
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DPReview also got hold of a pre-production sample of the lens when it was first announced back in 2015, and put together a gallery of sample images showing off the bokeh.
Mitakon Speedmaster 135mm f/1.4 features: pricing and availability
The Mitakon lens is available for pre-order on the Shotenkobo website now. It’s possible to reserve one now for a deposit of 60,000 – about US$530 or £401 – and the manufacturer’s "preferred" full price is ¥330,000 (excluding tax), which works out to roughly US$2,913 or £2,208.
Jon spent years at IPC Media writing features, news, reviews and other photography content for publications such as Amateur Photographer and What Digital Camera in both print and digital form. With his additional experience for outlets like Photomonitor, this makes Jon one of our go-to specialists when it comes to all aspects of photography, from cameras and action cameras to lenses and memory cards, flash diffusers and triggers, batteries and memory cards, selfie sticks and gimbals, and much more besides.
An NCTJ-qualified journalist, he has also contributed to Shortlist, The Skinny, ThreeWeeks Edinburgh, The Guardian, Trusted Reviews, CreativeBLOQ, and probably quite a few others I’ve forgotten.
