Summary and Conclusion
When you spend two and a half thousand dollars on a lens with a maximum aperture of f/1.8, you expect to use it wide open. The Nikon Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena certainly rewards you when you do. Not only that – if you stop down to a moderate aperture like f/4 or f/5.6, you will find vanishingly few lenses on the market today that match the 135mm f/1.8 Plena in corner sharpness. Add that to the nonexistent vignetting and chromatic aberration, and the result is the most optically perfect lens that we have ever tested at Photography Life.
Consider as well the build quality and handling – absolutely top-notch. The feeling of quality and durability spreads across the palm of your hand from the first moment you hold the lens. The metal construction and extensive weather sealing give confidence that the lens will last for many years or decades to come.
Is there anything to complain about? Not if you accept the impossibility of using teleconverters, the relatively large size and weight, and the $2500 price.
What about bokeh? In the past, beautiful bokeh has sometimes compromised sharpness, which (as you already know) is not the case with this lens. To my eye, the bokeh with the Nikon Z 135mm f/1.8 Plena is beautiful – at least on par with that of the Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 S, and actually better if you are trying to avoid the cat’s-eye bokeh.
Even though bokeh is subjective, I predict that you will come to a similar conclusion based upon the sample images in this article, many of which are “stress tests” that have extensive specular highlights in the background. I can think of very few lenses which would handle them as well as the Plena.
The one question you may be asking regarding the lens’s performance is focusing. After all, I said that it is not as blazing-fast as the supertelephoto lenses that I often use as a wildlife photographer. And while that is true, Nikon’s priority with the 135mm Plena appears to be focus accuracy rather than focus speed. The long focus throw attests to this – and the accuracy really is impeccable.
Of course, the Nikon Z 135mm f/1.8 Plena was still capable of focusing quickly on any portrait subject that I threw its way. It’s just that fast-paced sports and wildlife photography would be more the domain of the Nikon Z 70-200mm f/2.8 S, which focuses almost instantly.
Lastly is the focal length itself. Traditionally, 135mm is considered a little on the long side for portraiture. Within the group of so-called portrait lenses, the Plena occupies a narrow niche that focuses mainly on head shots or more distant subjects. But for such subjects, it simply excels. My hands-on testing with the Plena convinced me that it is one of Nikon’s best lenses, and that even the high price of $2500 feels like it’s worth every dollar.
Pros:
- Best-in-class sharpness throughout the aperture range and in every portion of the frame
- Negligible vignetting even wide open at f/1.8
- Among the lowest levels of lateral chromatic aberration that we have ever seen
- Beautiful bokeh with round specular highlights across the frame
- Excellent metal build quality with extensive weather sealing
- Advanced handling features including multiple customizable buttons and control rings
- Impeccable autofocus accuracy even in low light
Cons:
- Relatively large and heavy design, partly due to the metal construction
- Incompatible with Nikon’s teleconverters
If that list looks lopsided to you, well, it is. The Nikon Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena is one of the best lenses that we have ever tested. It excels both in the field and in the lab. Although it isn’t a cheap lens, it fully justifies the $2500 price with the level of performance that it achieves. If you’re in the market for a 135mm lens and you have the budget for it, get the Nikon Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena.
Purchasing Information
The Nikon Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena is available for $2500 through any of our affiliates:
- Nikon Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena at B&H – Check Current Price and Sales
- Nikon Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena at Adorama
- Nikon Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena at Amazon
- Used/International: Check prices on eBay
Thank you for buying your equipment through these links, whether it’s the Plena or anything else! When you do, Photography Life gets a small percentage of the purchase price without costing you anything extra. It goes a long way to help us test more lenses.
Please let me know in the comments if you have any questions about this lens or otherwise, and I’ll do what I can to answer.
The next page of this review has some more sample photos from the Nikon Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena, followed by reader comments on the final page. Click the menu below to jump to the section you want:
Nikon Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena First Impressions
- Build Quality and Handling
- Size and Weight
- Sharpness Performance
- Other Image Quality
- Value
Photography Life Overall Rating
