Thank you, Mal!
Plena lens for wildlife
- Thread starter ssheipel
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Thanks Louis!
The male I was six or seven feet or so away -- too much grass in the way or the water too deep to get a clear shot any closer
The female I was within 4 or feet or so. Trying to fill the frame with enough of the environment available. Both are cropped but by very little; just for perspective.
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Definitely the 1.8 but not so much about what that means about 'just' more light but what aperture means for lens performance -- but you'd need to talk to an engineer about that
I bought the lens for portrait work, ultimately. Technically it's definitely the sibling of my 50 1.2 (another amazing lens), but as I rambled to Larry in a response (above) lenses can have character or personality of course and the Plena has a distinct feel in the images produced. I don't say any of that from a marketing point of view -- I didn't buy the lens to convince anyone else to buy the lens Cheers.
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Woody Meristem
Well-known member
Beautiful photos. You did use you new lens for portraits, frog portraits not people portraits.
I didn't get the Plena for macro work. I have used my macro 105 for frogs in the past because it's a very convenient focal length for the size of the subjects and where I can position myself in marsh mud to get at the subjects
But the macro lens' magnification and DOF and challenges hand holding with that magnification, etc etc... I didn't overly like the macro 'look' of the frog results and stacking wasn't much of a convenient option for frogs -- tripod set up alone would definitely chase them away. So when I got the 135 I thought the focal length likely the perfect focal length for my web footed pals, plus I was loving the images the lens was producing in my street portrait work. Plus it's light enough that it makes possible easily holding the camera just above the water and using the LCD to compose the shot -- why I haven't successfully used my 600 tc to shoot frogs. But again, none of that had anything to do with why I bought the Plena -- just I have it and love it and wanted to see how it worked with wildlife. Cheers!
Perfect. Thanks
Truly great shots!
I use my Plena not only for human portraits: wildlife, when you want to show the surroundings where your animal is set in, is an excellent topic for this magnificent lens.
I use my Plena not only for human portraits: wildlife, when you want to show the surroundings where your animal is set in, is an excellent topic for this magnificent lens.
The Plena strikes again..nicely done..and at f13! on the first shot. Looks really good.
rick_reno
Active member
Beautiful and informative Steven.
Great images!! I seriously considered getting one but I seldom use that short of a focal length and pretty much never for the bird ID stuff in the field I do where my Z800 f/6.3 is on DX mode a lot on my Z9. The people stuff I do is better served by a variable focal length and the Tamron z mount 35-150 f/2-2.8 is a real work horse.
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Nice!Shot with the Nikkor Plena (135 1.8 lens), Nikon's latest wildlife lens offering
View attachment 94989View attachment 94990
I’m with you!
Thanks!
Thank you, Ira!
Got the lens for human portraits, certainly, but loved the results so much there that definitely decided to see how it would do with non human animals
Cheers.
Everybody could use some frog time in their lives!! Agreed.
Thanks for the kind words, Mal.
Yah, wasn't sure what to expect closing up the aperture like that, but all good! Thanks!
Yah, I didn't need the lens for portraits either -- I've got the great z50 1.2, as well as an 85 (f mount) but buying the Plena fit with my operating principles -- more money than brains (and I ain't got much money) and more gear than talent!
That said, the IQ out of the lens, to my eye, is 'special' so glad I went with 'want' vs 'need' on this one. Cheers!
A pro photog friend of mine owns a couple of camera stores in Idaho Falls, ID and West Yellowstone, MT. He was doing a live zoom presentation with the Nikon rep and trying out the Plena ... He took some images and pulled them up in NX Studio and turned to the Nikon Rep and said "get me one". Then he told the rest of us that the last thing he needed was another lens but the images from this Plena are unique and I am going to take it to Alaska on the bear trip. He leads photo trips and one is for coastal Grizzly living on a yacht and going to the salmon streams by tender. You get there by float plane and weight and space is limited so for him to commit to taking this was amazing.Yah, I didn't need the lens for portraits either -- I've got the great z50 1.2, as well as an 85 (f mount) but buying the Plena fit with my operating principles -- more money than brains (and I ain't got much money) and more gear than talent!
I was musing to my camera store guy about adding the Hasselblad X2D to my kit for portraits and his immediate response was, "You've got the Plena on the Z9, you don't need Hasselblad." LOL
Thanks, Rick.
Is the 1.4 tele compatible with the Plena? (@wotan.......BCG isn't correcting Plena when I type it......must be your system! LOL!)
If so, tell me about that combo and show some photos!
I just checked - it doesn't appear compatible with the 1.4 tele..... BUMMER!
If so, tell me about that combo and show some photos!
I just checked - it doesn't appear compatible with the 1.4 tele..... BUMMER!
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From Nikon USA product forum.
"Will the new Plena lens work with the Z Teleconverter TC- 1.4x?
RichardOct 25, 2023
Best Answer: No, this lens is not compatible with any current teleconverters.
Kevin H.NIKON STAFFOct 26, 2023Reply"
The Z105 Macro isn't compatible with teleconverters either. The afs 105 Macro is compatible with f mount teleconverters so I'm going that direction.