Other than the above testing, I've only been using it at f1.8. But if I was doing some landscape photos, it would be f5.6.
Have you used the z 135mm f1.8 Plena? What do you think of it?
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1.8 is razor thin. There are times such as
when I was having the Quail family visit that I stopped down.
Yup….thanks! Brain just kicked in.. I called my long-time Nikon dealer in Warrenton, Virginia and asked her about the sale. She thought it was odd that Nikon had the Plena available refurbished as it was a recent release. Wondering about delivery though…….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.
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
refurbished/20123Q/overviewNikon | 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!
Darrellhar
Well-known member
Only available through Nikon direct not local dealer (at least at 10%). Its sold out now so doesn't matter anyway. I was surprised too but this is about when they generally start selling refurbs of a lens. It came out last Oct. Usually available as refurb around 10 months after release and may start going on sale as early as Oct (usually they wait a year after release)
So, stopping down for the (really cool) quail family, you didn’t do anything with the forward “de-focus” ring? (If that’s what it is)…
Darrellhar
Well-known member
I totally get what you are both saying. The point I was making is that most that do end up with this lens buy it because they can shoot it at 1.8 and the images they can get at that aperture.
Exactly, but not exactly, depends on what you mean by most. I think people have adapted the use of this lens beyond that from I can tell both owning it and watching others with it. It's no longer "just" a portrait lens. When I am in a museum or doing food I am often not at 1.8 and the results are not like I have with any other lens other than the 105 in terms of micro contrast. On tight shots like these the 105 would have been fine, but when I have the Plena I have all the other benefits as well with OOF backgrounds and bokeh. The coffee cherries are a good example where I didn't like the ones at 1.8 as a single cherry was not in focus front to back. If you have the distance as with the people in the last shot 1.8 works. So really it's the images at a lot of apertures that people can get with this lens is why people are buying it. I find I am doing much less post with this lens than any other. YMMV.
There is no "de-focus ring". The far forward thing is just a rubber grip. The middle is the manual focus ring and the rear ring is the control ring. From the nikon reference guide for the plena
The refurb unit mv ed quickly. By the time I found out about it and started to check it out it was gone. When I looked to buy earlier it was not available I checked first.
These refurb deals for quality lenses go fast.
These refurb deals for quality lenses go fast.
Hi Ken, thanks for the response… I’ve not had one of these “Plena” lenses in hand so I am relating its’ advertised features to claims of background control during shooting. So, I can only relate this feature to the “F” 135mm f/2 DC. The Plena’s f/1.8 basically eliminates the need for “defocus-control” ring as used in the “F” mount lenses. I get that. Nikon pushed the easy button here and eliminated any need for (slightly weird-but they have a patent on DC!) a de-focus ring by making the Plena f/1.8. Depth of field is reduced (as Michael said..) to a razor thin area wide open… But the Plena is ridiculously sharp from images shown by Michael and others…. Corner to corner. still would like to see a side by side comparison….Plena vs. 70-200 f/2.8 S @ 135mm … both at f/2.8……hmmmm
I am first interested for use in low light. Unfortunately the images that could have involved low light have not had metadata with them so can not tell ISO etc.. For the $500 more and a fixed focal length it has to perform better in low light than my z mount Tamron 35-150 f/2-2.8 a workhorse of a lens that replaced my Z70-200 f/2.8.Hi Ken, thanks for the response… I’ve not had one of these “Plena” lenses in hand so I am relating its’ advertised features to claims of background control during shooting. So, I can only relate this feature to the “F” 135mm f/2 DC. The Plena’s f/1.8 basically eliminates the need for “defocus-control” ring as used in the “F” mount lenses. I get that. Nikon pushed the easy button here and eliminated any need for (slightly weird-but they have a patent on DC!) a de-focus ring by making the Plena f/1.8. Depth of field is reduced (as Michael said..) to a razor thin area wide open… But the Plena is ridiculously sharp from images shown by Michael and others…. Corner to corner. still would like to see a side by side comparison….Plena vs. 70-200 f/2.8 S @ 135mm … both at f/2.8……hmmmm
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Still think the biggest diff is the ability to control highlights from behind subject, and controlling light and lens flare in hard back light.
In most of those situations I am using a Z800 pf or Z600 pf
And while indoors with large back lighted stained glass window is present it is still not equivelant to what I have with a bird perched on a branch with the sun or just bright sky behind it So I have not used the Tamron z mount 35-150 in those situations, at least not that I remember
Agreed, I will be using my Plena in theatre/dance, strong sidelights, back lights with dance lighting, And I will add that Tammy 35-150 is a sweet range for indoor events. For a one body wedding/indoor event it is a dynamite range, and flexible aperture.In most of those situations I am using a Z800 pf or Z600 pf
Ken what do you want to see with respect to low light. I might have something, or can take something.
Just what you are looking for. I was walking home from a fireworks show and thought, let's see what it's like in low light. In the photo it makes it look considerably lighter than it was. No noise reduction or any retouching. Frankly I was amazed at how sharp it was.
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Low light birds like owls at closer distance. And people indoors in variable light. I have almost never used focal lengths under 400mm for birds.
Here are some people examples Oldest (2016) First with my D500 and 85mm f/1.8 outdoors. Then my D850 indoors Tamron 20-200 f/2.8. Then Z9 and Tamron z mount 35-150 of a friend at Holy Humor Sunday. And last one of the test shots of our cat with theZ6III and the Tamron z mount 35-150.
@Ken Miracle You can see these high ISO images. These do NOT have any noise reduction.
I find the rendering here to be amazing. Feels like I could reach out and touch metal.
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I find the rendering here to be amazing. Feels like I could reach out and touch metal.
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@Ken Miracle high ISO but sunrise. Not finding a low light sunset type shot.
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Ken, I don't have any examples (I don't own the lens) but saw some great low-light shots taken by a Nikon rep recently. They were of horses and people at Churchhill Downs. Those shots looked very good to me and convinced me to eventually purchase this lens. (Eventually, because I purchased a Z8 that day.) The shots that really sold me on the lens were the low-light ones of the horses within their stalls. Granted, the lighting had a lot to do with the shot quality, but those images were different.
I can smell the gas and oil!
If we ever get out of the red air quality alert I will get back out looking for owls. Got out a bit yesterday but
They look great ... The ones I posted above do not have any noise reduction beyond what was in camera settings. The recent ones with the tamron 35-150 I know for sure do not but the earlier ones I looked at the development history in LR and did not see any. The one with the father and son I know did not it was a jpg back from when I shot raw + jpg.
I hope to get back out after we get out of the air hazard warnings because of the fire smoke. Got out for birding yesterday but it was to test my Hold Fast Money Maker double camera harness out birding in the smoke so only lasted an hour but had Z9's with Z800 on one and z mount Tamron 150-500 on the other. Most common Owl shots at close range will be before sunrise or after sunset or in deep shadows in a tree.
Owney
Active member
I am a newspaper photographer and I use my 135 in certain low light situations where I cannot use a flash. I’ve used it to shoot for things like a stage play with low light or shots of the audience in a darkened theater. I keep it in my breaking news night bag along with a 70-200/2.8. For events where I want a killer bokeh shot it has never failed.
John Navitsky
Well-known member
here's a shot where you can see how this lens has really nice background even when it's not an extremely shallow dof
the other tricks it added to this photo is that f/1.8 allowed me to shoot at 1/2000s at iso 64
the other tricks it added to this photo is that f/1.8 allowed me to shoot at 1/2000s at iso 64