Meopta Meopar 4,5/135 Review

Meopta Meopar 4,5/135 is an enlarger lens. Produced by Czech company “Meopta,” designed to work with large format.

Meopar has Heliar optical design. 5 elements in 3 groups. Lens elements have a bluish single coating.     

It has a good constructive—metal barrel.

The lens length is 35mm. It has a filter thread of 42mm diameter; it is possible to wind along the M42 extension ring as the lens hood. In the middle of the barrel corrugated metal aperture control ring.

The diaphragm has 15 aperture blades allows you to create perfect circles in the bokeh. The lens has no focusing mechanism, and for using it on the camera, a photographic lens needs a helicoid.

Mounting Meopta Meopar 4,5/135 on Modern Camera

The lens is mounted to the enlarger by M39 thread.

As all large-format lenses, it has a long flange distance, and to set it on, the digital camera needs extension rings. I mount it on a Nikon D3100 with the help of the focusing helicoid and medium and small extension ring.  

Meopta Meopar 4,5/135 Sample Photos

I took all photos on Nikon D3100 at wide-open aperture; in some photos small adjustment of contrast, most without postprocessing.

Meopar 4,5/135 Sharpness

Resolution for small format gets low, as in all large format lenses. But for art photography, sharpness is not important.   

Meopar 4,5/135 Character and Bokeh

The character is interesting, soft.

Boke at a distance of about one meter (MFD)

I like this bokeh.

Meopar 4,5/135 Contrast and Color Render

Color reproduction is pleasant if not allowed into the frame of a strong side and backlight. 

But for portraits require color correction.

The contrast is low but sufficient for portraits.

Summary

Meopta Meopar 4,5/135 is an interest in an exotic optical design. It has a peculiar character pattern and bokeh. It is interesting to art photography and experimentation.