Nikon Nikkor Z 135mm f/1.8S Plena Lens Review

The lens is quite a beast, weighing in at a solid 995g and measuring a not insubstantial 98mm x 1395mm. For all of this though, it handles well enough and balances well on the Z7 II. It should feel equally at home when coupled with the larger Z8 and Z9 bodies. There is a provided large round bayonet fit lenshood and this clicks easily and firmly into place. A retaining catch makes sure it stays there.

The hood is plastic, and this is probably an advantage as it will resist transmitting impact shock better than a metal one would. Within the bayonet fit for the hood is a standard 82mm filter thread. That is one huge front element, duly protected by a Fluorine coating to help repel dust, dirt, grease and moisture. The lens as a whole has dust, dirt and moisture sealing.

The large focusing ring is nicely damped and very usable should we wish to use MF. However, the AF is so slick and accurate that there may not be that many occasions when we might feel the need to change to manual focus. Focusing is down to 0.82m, or 2.69 feet, for a maximum magnification of 0.2x. We could always wish for closer focusing, but this is very reasonable for a 135mm lens.

There are two L-Fn buttons around the barrel, by default locking the AF. In the camera menu there is the option to change the function to any from a long list of options. The lens control ring can also be customised, in this case between aperture control, which is the default, exposure compensation and ISO value. The final control is the A/M switch, which switches between AF and MF. There is no VR (Vibration Reduction), this being the purview of the camera body.

Optical construction is 16 elements in 14 groups, including 4 ED (Extra Low Dispersion), 1 Aspherical and 1 SR (Super High Refractive Index). ARNEO and Meso-amorphous coatings are applied. The diaphragm comprises 11 blades, boding well for smooth bokeh.

With few controls, this is a very straightforward lens to use, and despite its size and weight very easy to handle. It could of course also be used on a crop sensor camera, resulting in a “35mm equivalent” field of view of 202.5mm. This would be quite an unwieldy combination though, and handling could well be compromised. Certainly the costs would also be out of proportion.

135mm is a traditional focal length, originally arising because it is the longest length that can be used successfully on a rangefinder camera such as the Leica. After 135mm, reflex viewfinders are more accurate.

Of course, with current AF systems this is a moot point, but the tradition persists. There is no denying it is a useful focal length, from portraiture to landscape and even some closer range sports. The lens snaps virtually silently into focus, spot on every time, and the limited depth of field at f/1.8 has enormous potential.

In summary, an excellent handling experience that melds perfectly with the camera body.

Looking for something exceptional, this is soon realised when we look at the sharpness results. Central sharpness is outstanding at f/1.8 right the way through to f/8 and is still excellent at f/11 and f/16. The edges are excellent from f/1.8 to f/2.8, outstanding at f/4 and f/5.6 and excellent from f/8 to f/16.

Nikon Nikkor Z 135mm f/1.8S Plena MTF Charts

The lens is billed at the outset as being something special, and it proves to be exactly that. With absolutely incredible technical standards and excellent handling this performance standard is maintained across the field and results in a lens that is right at the pinnacle