Have you used the z 135mm f1.8 Plena? What do you think of it?

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@Ken Miracle my very strange one cat that likes corn and cilantro is now asking for Plena pictures of those after seeing your flower images. This was from this morning at the fountain.

Bullocks Oriole, Female Cardinal, and Dove, I think.

Bullocks Oriole - _MDH9608 - July 23, 2024 copy.jpg
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Female Cardinal - _MDH0040 - July 23, 2024 copy.jpg
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Dove - _MDH9478 - July 23, 2024 copy.jpg
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Hooligans Imagery said:
@Ken Miracle my very strange one cat that likes corn and cilantro is now asking for Plena pictures of those after seeing your flower images. This was from this morning at the fountain.

Bullocks Oriole, Female Cardinal, and Dove, I think.

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Cool shots for your cat. Yes White-winged Dove. We seldom see them up here but we get a stray now and then.

When I found no owls and that stuff was at my turnaround point I decided to see what the combo would do on non birds in pre sunrise low light outdoors :) We have so much smoke in the air it is still a bit low light here :) Depth of field at f/2.8 at close range was very very shallow. I see you had more light f/10 and 1/2000. I have not mentioned selling another lens yet to my wife ... she knows what comes after that :) But I have one sitting in my dry cabinet that has not been used for over a year. The best thing about the Tamron 35-150 is that is a real workhorse for the stuff I do for the church ... one lens fits all and a 135mm will not do that.
 
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Follow up from this mornings smoky before sunrise test shots with Z6III and Tamron z mount 35-150 f/2-2.8. Raws with my normal processing in Light Room Classic (LRC) no LRC DeNoise AI used. Still debating about discussing selling another lens and buying the 135mm Plena with my wife.
 
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wotan1 said:
This owl did not move very fast so I got him with pinpoint focus.

A little yard art in my wife's garden, taken in shade. View attachment 93865
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At this
wotan1 said:
This owl did not move very fast so I got him with pinpoint focus.

A little yard art in my wife's garden, taken in shade. View attachment 93865
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No meta data? I remain on the fence but the owls have not we had a red air quality alert this morning, severe smoke from fires on the Idaho Oregon border so I stayed inside.
 
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Yo Wotan!…No, I’ve not used this lens…..but, I had the Plena’s 2 “F” mount predecessors; 105mm & 135mm DC (defocus control). You could really dilute the background detail with these lenses. They were both f/2s. I used them less and less as I acquired Z platforms and sold them. The new Z Plena is f/1.8 😳 which is really fast for that focal length. Does it have or even need a “defocus ring”?
 
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I have been intrigued by this lens and have thought more seriously about it as I watched videos and read about it. Couldn't find one to rent so I took the plunge and bought it. Arrived today and I was out experimenting with it. A very special lens and initially I will be mainly trying it out with flowers. So far, extremely impressed especially with the bokeh. Here are 2 I like.
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Nimi said:
Yes. Completely different rendering of OOF and transition regions. Same behavior as the 50/1.2 and 85/1.2. Buttery soft.
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Thanks Nimi,… I had both “f” versions, 105 & 135 f/2 DC. Sold them as I transitioned to the Z platform. Is there a quantum leap from the F 135mmDC to the Z Plena?
 
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Larry S. said:
Thanks Nimi,… I had both “f” versions, 105 & 135 f/2 DC. Sold them as I transitioned to the Z platform. Is there a quantum leap from the F 135mmDC to the Z Plena?
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I never owned that lens. For many years a continued to use the Ai-S 135/2, but it's not resolving with the Z9 sensor. I still use it when I need 'pop' on my non-Z bodies. It was my first pro lens.
 
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Larry S. said:
A little confusing on their site. Below the lens it’s printed in red “10% off refurb items” so you don’t know if the Plena is actually on sale new with $200 off or they have refurbs for and additional 10%🤷🏼‍♀️. Do you know?
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It is different then the normal lens page (even thought they look alike). The top of the page actually says refurbished in ( ). The lens new is $2499. Refurbed it is $1999 but the the next 4 days its on sale for 10% off which makes it $1799. If you add the lens to your cart that is the price you will pay and it will clearly say refurbished if that is what you are ordering. All refurb lens are on sale for next 4 days so if you are in the market for something might be worth wide to take a look.
www.nikonusa.com

NIKKOR Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena | mirrorless prime lens

The NIKKOR Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena is a prime lens offering edge-to-edge clarity and circular bokeh in a focal length ideal for portraits, still life, cinema and landscapes.
www.nikonusa.com www.nikonusa.com

Nikon | Shop & Explore Cameras, Lenses, and Accessories

Shop the latest mirrorless & DSLR cameras and NIKKOR lenses from the official Nikon eCommerce site. Explore our innovations and photo equipment!
www.nikonusa.com www.nikonusa.com
refurbished/20123Q/overview


Update: Doesn't matter now because they have sold out of the refurb copies it looks like.
 
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Larry S. said:
Has anyone compared the Plena to the 70-200 f/2.8 S @ 135mm?
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By coincidence I was loading photos I'd taken to compare the Plena with the Z70-200. I took a number of photos and the conclusion I came to was at f2.8 it is hard to see any real difference, but at f4 and f5.6, the Plena is clearly sharper.
 
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jhallettbc said:
By coincidence I was loading photos I'd taken to compare the Plena with the Z70-200. I took a number of photos and the conclusion I came to was at f2.8 it is hard to see any real difference, but at f4 and f5.6, the Plena is clearly sharper.
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If I was going to spend all that money on the Plena it would be shot at f/1.8 majority of the time.
 
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