I think I will take it to the zoo when it gets here.
Have you used the z 135mm f1.8 Plena? What do you think of it?
- Thread starter wotan1
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I think you just explained why I have some of my lenses
Congrats you're gonna love it. Mine has made me almost forget I own the 50 1.2 (itself a remarkable bit of glass in a tube!).
Have fun and share some pictures. And of course there will be plenty of support here to help push you over the edge into your next purchase!
This is indeed a dangerous place. But SO MUCH FUN TO BE HAD
Lens arrives next Tuesday.
I think you might find that this new lens will encourage you into areas of photography that you may not have pursued without such a brilliant tool. Which is the whole point, to spark new creativity. Enjoy!This is indeed a dangerous place. But SO MUCH FUN TO BE HAD
fcotterill
Well-known member
In his Gallery of beautiful images, Brad Hill includes an example of a confiding Dusky Grouse taken with his new 135mm Plena
See under "In the Field" tab
www.naturalart.ca
See under "In the Field" tab
Natural Art Images: Galleries: Latest Images
Gallery of Latest Additions - Brad Hill, Natural Art Images
www.naturalart.ca
Orson
Well-known member
It's a fantastic lens but the Z system Autofocus is not good enough to handle this beast , at least my experience in critical eye af wide open!
Michael_Rothman
New member
Just don't take She.... to the Old Bailey camera shopeEveryone thanks for putting me at jeopardy with She Who Must Be Obeyed.
This is a tempting and dangerous place.
Michael_Rothman
New member
I had the misfortune of selling two lens of the trinity for pennies on the dollar at my favorite camera store. To make matters worse, as I walked with the voucher through the store, tbe manager announced that Nikon was offering a short temporary 10% off sale on the Plena. In shock from the low price I was given on my two lenses, the offer of a discount, and that my 135 f/2.0 DC can't auto focus on my Zed 9, I told the manager : "I'll take one."
My review. Big it barely fits inside my Godox R200 ring light. OMG ultra sharp for portraits. 135 is a bit too long so one can't be too close for head to waist OMG SHARP pictures. I love it.
My review. Big it barely fits inside my Godox R200 ring light. OMG ultra sharp for portraits. 135 is a bit too long so one can't be too close for head to waist OMG SHARP pictures. I love it.
macwalter
Well-known member
Roadrunner.
BTW since people seem to like it here is another one. Did you know they will take on a small rattlesnake.
You can only see EXIF info for this image if you are logged in.
Just don't use it to shoot out the window of a heated car on a cold snowy day LOL
I'm really curious how the Plena may work in low light conditions with owls and nightjars, or other critters (frogs, etc). I've had reasonable luck approaching poorwills if I'm patient enough.
But 135mm may be too short, I don't know. The best options I have now is a 300mm f4 pf (on a d500) and a 500mm pf. I'm not using flash as it scares them away. Moonlit nights are better.
If anyone has used it at dusk or dawn with difficult lit subjects, I'd love to hear about it.
I plan to move to a z8 this Fall (assuming SWMBO agrees). I found the discussion in another thread about the d5 and d6 low light performance really interesting but doubt I'd invest here instead of moving to mirrorless. Too much $, and it would mean no z8.
I'm also interested in other fast lens choices but the exotics like a 600mm tc or 400mm tc are out of $ range. Maybe a used f mount 300mm f2.8? Or a older 500mm f4.
But 135mm may be too short, I don't know. The best options I have now is a 300mm f4 pf (on a d500) and a 500mm pf. I'm not using flash as it scares them away. Moonlit nights are better.
If anyone has used it at dusk or dawn with difficult lit subjects, I'd love to hear about it.
I plan to move to a z8 this Fall (assuming SWMBO agrees). I found the discussion in another thread about the d5 and d6 low light performance really interesting but doubt I'd invest here instead of moving to mirrorless. Too much $, and it would mean no z8.
I'm also interested in other fast lens choices but the exotics like a 600mm tc or 400mm tc are out of $ range. Maybe a used f mount 300mm f2.8? Or a older 500mm f4.
It does gather light well. Maybe I can try some evening shots. With a Z8 you will have 45mp to work with but of course cropping makes the noise seem more. There are ways to deal with that now that we didn't have before. We saved a poorwill from our pool last year and often they sit on roads here in the early eve. Not sure why?
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Thank you for not using flash on owls especially it can interrupt their ability for a signficant time to find food because of their sensitive night vision. I am also thinking of the plena but that is a very short focal length for most of the low light birds I encounter but not all.
I have not had time to get out specifically looking for owls in low light since I got the Z6III but it is show great promise with the Z600 f/6.3. The other lens planning on using on Z9 and Z6III for low light owls is the Tamron z mount 35-150 f/2-2.8 it has been a workhorse of a lens for people indoors where no flash can be used. The 135 plena would fit in near the top of the Tamrons focal length range.
FYI I have been very surprised by how well the Z600 f/6.3 and Z800 f/6.3 do in low light on my Z9 and Z6III compared to the 600mm f/4E I used to use on D6 and D850.
Yes, I agree with you about photographing owls. It's hard on them and really you only would get one opportunity to get a photo. After a long careful approach immersing myself in their environment, the last thing I want to do is to disturb them or spoil the experience. I'm lucky to be able to volunteer at a NSWO banding station, studying local populations.
First will be getting the z8, and seeing what that opens up.
Thanks for the info on the z6iii and the tamron.
The photos from this lens are great! Is there a Sony lens equivalent?
One of the best places to find poorwills is on a lonely dirt country road in the right habitat. Their eyes reflect back. Sometimes we will just stop, turn off the car and leave low lights on. The poorwills often will catch bugs attracted to the light. I've been able to get out of the car and belly slither for a better position.
Or, we hike in the late afternoon to a spot and slowly hike back in the dark. We'll find their eyes gleaming in our headlamps in the distance. If we are not threatening, they will do their short upward hops after the bugs. When we get closer, they freeze motion and try to look like a rock.
Country roads and fire trails are excellent foraging spots for them. In a way, it's like us trying to photo swallows against the sky rather than a busy background. The open road is easy to spot bugs.
One note, we abandoned an effort once because of great horned owls were noticed flying by. We felt we were exposing the poorwills to danger and drove on.
Cool ... Northern Saw-whet Owls are our second most numerous owl in Idaho after Great Horned Owls and some argue they could be number one since they are more reclusive than the Great Horned.
I have done a lot of photography for and taught classes with a local ornithologist who is the banding lead at the Intermountain Bird Observatory in Boise. I have spent a lot of time at their banding locations during and outside of banding times. I have learned a lot about birds from her and others since I got into birding and photography about 13 years ago. I have never gotten around to going up to the owl banding location at night.
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Not sure I have no experience with Sony, but according to my pro friend who owns a couple of pro line camera stores and recently bought a Plena, for himself not the store, no other lens maker has a lens equivalent to this one but that is still one persons opinion.
You should go! It's a great experience. The biologists are so careful with the owls. The Plena could be a great lens to document them. I don't photograph during banding though. I'm a setup and takedown volunteer.
I'd ask the biologist what's appropriate.
We've been able to document that we have both migratory and residents, and some of our owls have been caught at Sierra banding stations, so we know a little more about their movements.
lukemeup
Well-known member
Congrats on the new acquisition. Late to the party but I've been using Plena to photograph my fast sub 2 year old toddler for the last 6 months and the lens lives up to all the expectations. The focus is fast and accurate, the results are very pleasing. While I don't make those photos public - here are some examples of rendering.
The photos above show exactly the kind of thing I have been attempting to accomplish. I really like being able to focus in on a subject and detune everything around so it fades into the background.
This lens seems to be the master of bokeh. I am really looking forward to exploring what it can do.
Beautiful creative potential here.
This lens seems to be the master of bokeh. I am really looking forward to exploring what it can do.
Beautiful creative potential here.