Nikon 135mm f/2.8 NIKKOR-Q Auto Non AI Manual Focus Lens

The Nikon 135mm f/2.8 NIKKOR-Q Auto Non-AI Manual Focus Lens is a classic telephoto prime lens built for Nikon’s original F-mount, first introduced in 1965 to give photographers a faster telephoto option than the 105mm lenses available at the time. Produced for nearly a full decade, it became a stalwart companion for photojournalists and professional photographers, long celebrated as a cornerstone of the early Nikon F-system.

Optically, the lens offers a 135mm focal length with a maximum aperture of f/2.8, delivering an 18-degree picture angle and a compressed telephoto perspective well suited to portraiture, landscape, sports, and general telephoto work. The “Q” designation indicates Nikon’s naming convention for a four-element optical formula, built from 4 elements in 4 groups, a simple design that keeps the amount of glass the light passes through to a minimum for clear, crisp image quality. A 7-blade diaphragm stops down to a minimum aperture of f/22, contributing to the lens’s signature vintage bokeh character.

As an “Auto” lens, it features a fully automatic diaphragm mechanism, staying wide open for viewing and focusing before stopping down to the selected aperture at the moment of exposure, along with a meter-coupling prong for use with compatible camera bodies. As a Non-AI (pre-Automatic Indexing) lens, it predates Nikon’s AI aperture-coupling system and was designed specifically for Non-AI Nikon F-mount bodies; mounting it on an AI or AI-S Nikon body without prior modification risks damaging the camera’s metering coupling tab, so photographers should confirm compatibility (or use a body with a folding coupling tab) before mounting. As a fully manual lens, both focus and aperture are controlled directly on the lens barrel.

Build quality centers on a robust, all-metal barrel with a built-in, retractable lens hood to help protect the front element from stray light. The lens has a minimum focusing distance of approximately 1.5m (4.9-5 ft.), weighs approximately 620g (1.3-1.4 lb. depending on production year), and accepts a 52mm filter thread, a size shared with many other Nikkor lenses of the era.

Key Features
– 135mm f/2.8 telephoto prime lens (NIKKOR-Q Auto) for Nikon F mount
– 4 elements in 4 groups optical construction
– Fully automatic diaphragm mechanism
– 7-blade diaphragm; minimum aperture of f/22
– Meter-coupling prong
– Non-AI (pre-Automatic Indexing) mount — confirm camera body compatibility before mounting
– Built-in, retractable lens hood
– Fully manual focus and aperture control
– All-metal barrel construction
– Minimum focusing distance of approximately 1.5m (4.9-5 ft.)
– 52mm filter thread
– Approximate weight: 620g
– Compatible with Non-AI Nikon F-mount 35mm film cameras