Soft, Softer, Softest: the Sears 135mm f/2.8

It's 2010 and I got hold of a cheap manual focus lens recently, the Sears 135mm f/2.8 (Mod No. 202). On first impressions, the lens looks no different from the many manual focus 135mm lenses that were commonplace during the reign of 35mm film. However a closer inspection reveals something different, the presence of a secondary macro ring at the front of the lens in addition to the usual manual focusing ring.

There are 3 click stop settings on the macro ring that introduces varying degrees of softness, much like using a soft focus filter. The soft effect gets more pronounced at wider apertures, the result of uncorrected spherical aberration being introduced. The overall effect is much like the images taken with the discontinued and rare Pentax F/FA Soft 85mm. My Sears was made for Ricoh's K- mount but modded to be an A lens, so shooting using auto exposure is a breeze. What a unique lens because it offers that romantic soft-focus imagery that is occasionally needed.


Normal operation with the macro ring not used.


Turn the macro ring and things start going soft. A glowing halo surrounds the subject.


At the fullest setting, the image might seem like a Gaussian blur adjustment layer was added, but the bananas still retain sharp focus.