Tokina 135mm, F2.8 RMC
The RMC Tokina 135 mm F2.8 is a telephoto prime lens with multicoating for 35 mm SLR cameras popular in the 1980’s. All frame components are metal. Built-in hood. The lens construction consists of 4 elements in 4 groups.
It was first introduced in the early 1980s and has since been discontinued. However, can still be found used for various camera mounts such as Canon EF, Nikon F, Pentax K, Minolta MD and more.
RMC stands for “Repro Multi-Coating ” which is a type of lens coating developed by the Japanese manufacturer, Tokina.
RMC is designed to reduce lens flare and ghosting. Which can occur when light reflects off the surface of lens elements and causes unwanted reflections and artifacts in the image.
This specimen was built for Minolta SR (MD, MC).
Specs: Focal 135mm | Aperture F2.8 to F22 | Blades 6 | Min. Focus 1,5mt ! Filter 52mm | Weight 400gr ! Length 75mm
Personal Evaluation: Mechanical Quality 4,25 | Optical Quality 4,0 | Usability 4,0 | Price 4,5 | Bokeh 4,0
*** The evaluations refer to the specimen in my hands, and also to the use of the relative adapter ***
Photos taken with lens. Manual focus with MD/NEX adapter mounted on camera.
This medium size tele-photo lens, was my first purchase as far as vintage lenses are concerned. I never had a vintage lens on a digital camera before DECEMBER 2021. In a certain sense it was my “gym for training”. The lens with which I began to approach the world of vintage lenses. And it was as often happens, a completely random and fortuitous purchase.
My opinion about this lens, since the purchase in DECEMBER 2021, is positive. This lens it’s a good honest vintage lens, quite sharp and defined. Better use of this lens I tested, it’s when subject it’s in distance range included from 2mts to 8/12mts. At this distances, lens maintain a good/very good sharpness and definition. Especially if used from F5.6 to F11. Over that distance I found difficult to maintain sharpness and definition. The same stopping down with DIAFRAM. It’s very useful sometime to have F2.8… consented to me to take some shoots with few ambient light (ex. in a bush, shooting birds) but about definition and sharpness, you loose better quality. May be as usual, my own specimen… couldn’t say, should be made another test with another one. On the other side, the color rendition of this lens it’s nice. I like colours of this honest medium tele lens. It’s anyway easy to use, dozens of photographic shots testify the goodness and quality of this vintage lens. I can suggest it, it has satisfied me. On the market at the actual date, are available pieces under €50 or less, and this is in my opinion the right price for a fully functional and not defected TOKINA 135mm F2.8 lens, often sold with original leather TOKINA case.
*** JANUARY 2024 *** After various attempts to photograph small birds, often even more than 20 meters away, it appears clear that this lens, although used on an APS-C camera, is not suitable for this photographic genre. The actual size becomes 202.5mm (x 1.5 Crop ratio). Too little for this photographic genre, without considering the manual skill necessary to focus on the appropriate subject. Dozens and dozens of shots, discarded due to lack of basic quality. I tried, but I have to say that my attempts with this perspective end here. Except for fortunate cases, where the subject is located a few meters away, I consider it absolutely impossible for me to do better with this vintage lens. ***
Image comparison with different apertures.
Date: December 29, 2022 | Sony Alpha 6400 – Table tripod – ISO 100 – In house shots, artificial light. White Balance Auto (AWB).
F2.8 / 1|2″
F4 / 1″
F5.6 / 8|5″
F8 / 4″
Erithacus rubecula, L.
European robin, known simply as the robin or robin redbreast in Great Britain and Ireland, is a small insectivorous passerine bird.
Sony Alpha 6400 – Tokina 135mm – F9 – 1/1000 – ISO 250 – AWB auto.
Pale sun – Date: February 18, 2024
Location: Trezzo sull’Adda (Mi) – Italy
September Full Moon
The full moon is the lunar phase when the Moon appears fully illuminated from Earth’s perspective.
Sony Alpha 6400 – Tokina 135mm – F11 – 1/500 – ISO 100 – AWB auto.
Clear night sky – Date: September 30, 2023
Location: Trezzo sull’Adda (Mi) – Italy
Mungos mungo, Gmelin
Banded mongoose (Mungos mungo) is a mongoose species native from the Sahel to Southern Africa.
Sony Alpha 6400 – Tokina 135mm – F8 – 1/160 – ISO 500 – AWB auto.
Sunny – Date: September 16, 2023
Location: Treviglio (Bg) – Italy
Aix galericulata, L.
Mandarin duck, is a perching duck species native to the East Palearctic.
Sony Alpha 6400 – Tokina 135mm – F11 – 1/250 – ISO 500 – AWB auto.
Sunny – Date: September 03, 2023
Location: Treviglio (Bg) – Italy
Magnolia grandiflora, L.
Southern magnolia, is a tree of the family Magnoliaceae. Native to the South Eastern United States.
Sony Alpha 6400 – Tokina 135mm – F8 – 1/160 – ISO 100 – AWB auto.
Sunny – Date: June 10, 2023
Location: Treviglio (Bg) – Italy
Polygonia c-album, L.
Polygonia c-album, the comma, is a food generalist (polyphagous) butterfly species belonging to the family Nymphalidae.
Sony Alpha 6400 – Tokina 135mm – F8 – 1/400 – ISO 100 – AWB auto.
Sunny – Date: April 15, 2023
Location: Trezzo sull’Adda (Mi) – Italy
Laurus nobilis, L.
Laurus nobilis is an aromatic evergreen tree, or large shrub with green, smooth leaves.
Sony Alpha 6400 – Tokina 135mm – F8 – 1/250 – ISO 100 – AWB auto.
Sunny – Date: April 10, 2023
Location: Trezzo sull’Adda (Mi) – Italy
San Pietro in Lamosa, Cluniac abbey founded in 1083
View of the abbey and the building complex, from lake border.
Sony Alpha 6400 – Tokina 135mm – F8 – 1/250 – ISO 100 – AWB auto.
Sunny – Date: February 25, 2023
Location: San Pietro in Lamosa (Bs) – Italy
Anas platyrhyncos, L.
The mallard or wild duck (Anas platyrhynchos) is a dabbling duck that breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Eurasia, and North Africa
Sony Alpha 6000 – Tokina 135mm – F8 – 1/500 – ISO 100 – AWB auto.
Sunny – Date: April 18, 2022
Location: Villa d’Adda (Bg) – Italy
Cairina moschata, L.
The Muscovy duck is a large duck native to the Americas. It is a large duck, with the males about 76 cm long, and weighing up to 7 kg.
Sony Alpha 6000 – Tokina 135mm – F8 – 1/400 – ISO 100 – AWB auto.
Sunny – Date: April 18, 2022
Location: Villa d’Adda (Bg) – Italy
Narcissus, L.
Narcissus is a genus of predominantly spring flowering perennial plants of the amaryllis family, Amaryllidaceae.
Sony Alpha 6000 – Tokina 135mm – F5.6 – 1/400 – ISO 100 – AWB auto.
Sunny – Date: March 20, 2022
Location: Regional Park, river Serio (Ghisalba, Bg) – Italy
Prunella modularis, L.
The dunnock (Prunella modularis) is a small passerine, or perching bird, found throughout temperate Europe and into Asian Russia.
Sony Alpha 6000 – Tokina 135mm – F4.0 – 1/250 – ISO 100 – AWB auto.
Sunny – Date: February 26, 2022
Location: Trezzo sull’Adda (Mi) – Italy
Sciurus carolinensis, Gmelin
Eastern gray squirrel, is a tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus.
Sony Alpha 6000 – Tokina 135mm – F2.8 – 1/400 – ISO 100 – AWB auto.
Sunny – Date: December 19, 2021
Location: Trezzo sull’Adda (Mi) – Italy
Farm’s animals
A farm (also called an agricultural holding) is an area of land that is devoted primarily to agricultural processes with the primary objective of producing food and other crops; it is the basic facility in food production.
Sony Alpha 6000 – Tokina 135mm – F5.6 – 1/250 – ISO 100 – AWB auto.
Sunny – Date: December 19, 2021
Location: Trezzo sull’Adda (Mi) – Italy
Fulica chloropus, L.
Moorhen, sometimes called marsh hens—are medium-sized water birds that are members of the rail family (Rallidae).
Sony Alpha 6000 – Tokina 135mm – F2.8 – 1/160 – ISO 100 – AWB auto.
Sunny – Date: December 18, 2021
Location: Monasterolo del Castello (Bg) – Italy
Tagetes erecta, L.
Aztec marigold, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Tagetes native to Mexico.
Sony Alpha 6000 – Tokina 135mm – F2.8 – 1/320 – ISO 100 – AWB auto.
Sunny – Date: December 16, 2021
Location: Trezzo sull’Adda (Mi) – Italy
