Gorgeous. Took way too long after the Noct to get another "taking max advantage of the Z-Mount" type of lens, but I'm happy it's finally here. Here's to many more
2:03 Nikon lens designers probably feel like they've been given a new lease on life after abandoning the F-mount with its 44mm inner throat diameter, the old Nikon SLR system only allows the same space for optics as Fuji's APS-C X-mount. Now with Nikon Z-Mount they have a 55mm throat diameter, the largest of all Full Frame mounts, which makes the Z-mount system especially appealing knowing the Nikon engineers will be doing the best work of their lives right now.
@@kifley19 There's good reason for the size and weight of this particular lens, but overall I can't say Nikon's lenses are bigger or heavier than the competition. The "Holy trinity" lenses are all lighter than the counterparts of canon, except for the 24-70, which both wear exactly the same. The Nikon 85mm f/1.2 also is lighter than that of Canon. Speaking of Bazookas, the Nikon 800 PF weighs a full kilogram less than the RF 800 f/5.6.
The throat diameter isn’t the only one giving room to the designers. It is also its flange distance where nikon is the narrowest among all the mirrorless mounts.
I still think the Samyang 135mm f1.8 at less than $1000 is the best one of the bunch (compared to GM, RF and Z S) it weights less, almost no vignetting and distortion, great bokeh and a better price
Personally think the e mount still wins out just for shear choice, you still have large clinical lenses but also more interesting smaller lenses with character if you prefer that as well
@@CianMcsweeneymore choices look good on paper, but there's no point having a dozen different 50mm or 35mm lenses to choose from when 80% of the available choices are average or worse. Buy good quality glass and you'll buy just once. Buy crap stuff and you'll be stuck in an endless upgrade cycle jumping from one lens to another where with the total you have spent over the years, you're better off buying a good lens from the get go. I've seen too many people stuck in this endless cycle.
Yeah it's tempting. I don't give a crap about apertures wider than f/1.8, honestly even f/4 is fine usually, so their f/1.8 S line lenses are just about perfect in my opinion. Why pay for big apertures when that extra cost could go towards better optics at 1.8?
Agreed - it's easily the most versatile mount considering how receptive it is to adapters and other mounts. Love those E-mount options? A small Megadap adapter means they'll all perform on the Z-mount, (but you'll really see how much in-camera correction Sony has to do).
I’ve been watching your reviews for years and appreciate your testing and commentary. I pulled the trigger on this one before your review, so I’m glad it lives up to the hype! 😂👍🏾
This lens feels old school, in the best way. In the sense that Nikon have treated it as a mechanical object first & foremost, and corrected everything in-lens as opposed to relying on postprocessing, they've given it some character with the cool 'Plena' monikor, and generally gone above and beyond.
Z mount medium format camera needs to happen. I wish we would break away from “normal” sensor sizes and start experimenting with larger/ differently shaped formats. A medium format 4:3 camera would be a dream personal camera of mine. I’ll keep the z9 for professional usage but it’s nice to have a separation between the hobby you love and the job you have. I think that’s why people tend to turn towards film after a while. It’s just different enough to not feel like “work”. I love your channel and your videos man. You do such a thorough job of reviewing the camera industry as a whole. I also admire you speaking on your faith! I think that is something that is so important in this world and that more people would be as proud as you are about their faith. We may just live in a slightly less crazy world if that were the case.
Even an "extra medium" sensor that was like 40x28.5 would be great. It would give 60MP vs 45 currently, with exactly the same pixel size, without quite as much of a hit to readout speed. The GFX mount is 65mm, Hassy is 61mm, and Nikon is 55mm, so growing to that size should be easy. I'm sure some lenses would have to be replaced, but quite a few would probably work as-is
Idk if I'll ever use it on a constant basis, but I want it. It's the type of lense that you'll hold on to for a long time. It could be a legendary one.
I've only taken a few shots with my Plena on my Z9; WOW!!! The Bokeh is beyond Awesome! Real trials in a week - on the Big Island of Hawaii... Thankfully I'm on friendly terms with my bank : ) Cheers!
I agree, I'm more inclined to get this lens though since I already have the 85mm 1.8. won't be getting it anytime soon though since I just purchased the 50mm F/1.0 voigtlander for Nikon Z. My intention is to pop that on a ZF and re-explore photography as a hobbyist in a small and light package and work for every shot instead of machine gunning on my Z8 with large lenses. 😅
if you have z7 or higher megapixels z series camera then you can get the 85 1.2 and then use it in dx mode to get the similar results to 135 1.8 . but 135 1.8 and all these results from these lenses are amazing
@@mingmarlama7987 the 85 is still a 85 in dx mode, this is a 135.. so no, you won't get similar results. sometimes the perspectives will match, but most of the time the 135 will be a lot more compressed than the 85 in dx mode.
@@JuventinosDX mode doesn’t optically compress the image, it just ‘zooms in’ to centre of the sensor so magnifying everything including any bokeh that remains after the closer crop.
As always a consistent comprehensive review. Thank you. It'd be nice if you were able to do a comparison between the Nikon Z, Canon RF, Sony E and Samyang E versions.
as I am interested in Astrophotography I missed the night test which shows how the lens behaves with point sources in the corner, specifically about coma and astigmatism.
Cool! Thanks for another great video! 135mm is my second favorite focal length (below 50mm, and above 24mm), so this is a dream lens. I doubt I will really be in the market for one soon (if ever), however. Luckily, I have my beloved DC-Nikkor 135mm f/2D to keep me happy!
love your vids, in a Nikon dilemma which to pick 50mm 1.2 85mm 1.2 135mm 1.18, i have the 24-70mm f4 for travel lens and wanting to get that for 24-70mm f2.8 for work or event and maybe the 14-24mm 2.8
Hey, have you ever made a video about the TTArtisans RF 25mm F2 lens? I would be curious about its image characteristics as it is very cheap. And as always great video. Keep up the good work.
I wish you would do low light tests on all wide aperture lenses, this would be a nightscape lens, not everyone uses 14mm or 20mm for nightscapes. please add this feature in future videos as its helpful. now I have to try and find another lens review which shows the info i need....very few out there, grr. Love your videos.😍
It is the equivalent of a 170mm F/2.25 on hasselblad X mount and Fujifilm GFX (0,79 crop factor). So the Plena gives in fact much better bokeh than any medium format lens. For large format (8x10) it would be the equivalent of a 1040mm F/14. Meaning only a few large format lenses like a 36cm F/4 could match its bokeh, and none could match the field of view.
Hi Brilliant review, as always, thank you. Question for you and everyone.. Would you rather this lens on a Nikon Z7ii or the 135mm GM on Sony A7iv? I have both cameras and only want to buy one of these two lenses. I want the Sharpest for eye detail in portraits and the lens that produces the smoothest bokeh. Also happy to hear all thoughts on systems and best setups with these two cameras and lenses. Also, just to note, im debating swapping my A7iv for A7rv in the near future. Thanks in advance. I hope everyone is having a good day.
Nikon moved most production to Thailand when one of their factories were hit with a tsunami. The factory has Japanese quality control standards. Thailand doesn't get hit by tsunamis and is a developed country. Some people need to get a life and get over the made in Japan stigma.
Excellent review as always, Chris! Not being a "portrait guy", I care more about image sharpness and detail in landscapes, wildlife and small products. That said, how would you compare the sharpness of this Plena lens to the Nikkor Z 50 f/1.8 S, the latter having been compared to the Zeiss Otus in terms of sharpness? Thank you sir!
The 85 1.2 is made in China and is $400 more. Great lens but that’s BS considering Canon can still produce an 85 1.2L lens in Japan for the same price. Even the plastic lens hood is made in Japan and they wouldn’t do that for a loss.
@@Fred-wb5nz Don’t talk nonsense here… im my entire photography career i never bought a single lens without watching his videos and i said with respect and asked him saying sir… so don’t talk nonsense here…
I love how I watch reviews of lenses I will never ever buy. One reason I wont buy is I love my Canon EF 135L so much, I kept it when I moved to Sony and use it with the MC11 adapter.
I've long wished that either Canon or Nikon would come out with a 44x33 medium format camera at some point due to the crazy large size of their mirrorless lens mounts. I don't think it would be any more crammed into the lens mount than the Sony sensor are crammed into the E-mount. I noticed in your video the Plena does not have a rear baffle in the 3:2 ratio for full frame, so perhaps there is hope :)
Nice lens. I use my Samyang 135mm f1.8 adapted on Z7II. I could not say if it's a better or a worse lens. Build quality is definitely cheaper but at almost 1/4th the price that is to be expected and its lighter to boot. Optically Nikon lacks cat's eyes. Samyang has very little. Both are more than sharp enough for most 135mm use cases that you would need. What differentiates Samyang is its lack of longitudinal chromatic aberrations. Focus speed is ok. I'm sure G Master or Plena are faster on native bodies. Hell my 50mm GM 1.2 lens is faster focusing on the Z7II, but with focus limiter it is good enough for me coming from nanual focus :)
Nikon 105mm 1.4 F mount lens is half the cost and more useful focal lenght IMHO. Surprised you have not done a review of that lens? did a serach did not find it?
I honestly kind of want to dump my 70-200 for this thing. I use to 70-200 mainly for portraits and this seems better yet. Just kind of a PITA to sell something as expensive as the 70-200 without losing my butt.
Thailand is the new "Made in China". Because of all the things that have been happening, some manufacturers are trying to move their production elsewhere.
loved and lost XD .... it seems the bokeh is a little bit nervous but still a fantastic lens. but i will stay with my sigma 135 - bokehwise it's maybe not as round but i think a little bit softer. also the sigma is reacting way better against bright light.
Sorry but im afraid not. Sigma looks like a f/2.0 lens in the comparisons I’ve seen. The Plena seems to have abnormally smooth bokeh. I say that as a Sigma 135 owner.
Although optically excellent, I think this is a pricing disappointment for the Nikon ecosystem. I'd be paying a significant premium over the alternatives just for the privilege of adding vignetting back in to portraits in post.
I have quite a few Z lenses and the 85 f/1.2 along with the 50 f/1.2 seem to be the sharpest to me. Can anyone who has experience with the 3 comment on if the plena is 'NOTICEABLY' sharper than the other 2? Would conisder this lens if so.
By the way, you mention you have 'quite a few Z lenses'...I'm thinking of buying Z 20mm f/1.8 even though I have Z 14-30mm mainly because I photograph a lot indoors. Do you have this and if so any thoughts? Another possibility is to buy Sigma 20mm f/1.4 for F-mount and slap it on FTZII
@@indrajitadvani3742 i do not have the 20mm 1.8 as that's not a focal length i use often. I have the 14-30 f4 plus the 14-24 f2.8 and i vaguely remember seeing a review that showed the image quality of the 20mm was between the 2 with the 14-24 having the best. I briefly had the 50mm 1.8, but sold it as i didn't think it was much sharper (if any) than the 24-70 2.8, BUT it still took great images. If a fixed 20mm lens works with your shooting style and you need the extra light, i wouldn't hesitate. Edit: forgot to mention the sigma- i have no experience with third party lenses, but i definitely wouldn't buy the ftz adapter just for that. If you already own it and want to save money on the sigma plus have the 1.4 aperture, then go for it. I think there's a YT video somewhere comparing the 1.4 sigma and the 20mm 1.8 doing astro
On Nikon z7 ii use 85 mm f1.2 in dx mode 85 going on 127.5 mm f1.8 z7ii on dx mode giving has 20 mp is good enough. no palana no west of money same results I think have good lens than 20 migapixl is excellent for every tips of photography.
You don't even need to do that - just get closer to the subject in most cases and the difference in the image will just be the background compression. Also I don't think the idea of this lens is to complement it with the 85mm f/1.2. You would get either the 85mm f/1.2 or the 135mm f/1.8 - whichever you prefer.
Thank you for the great review video! Nice lens, but twice the price of the Sony GM version of that lens 😑 and unfortunately also not a 105mm f1.4. 135mm is a little too long for me. So I'll keep the Nikon F mount version of the 105mm f1.4 lens.
Maybe not twice the price ( i mean, the sony is 1999€ vs 2999 for the nikon, so 50% pricer ) but as all named lenses it more about " look what we can do " than a " good deal for the money " ^^ at least it's a rather affordable named lense compared to the noct ^^
Nikon F 105mm f1.4 is a fantastic lens and released relatively recently, which is probably also the reason the Nikon Z equivalent is of low priority. I wouldn't expect one for a couple more years...
Nothing so special about this much hyped lens considering its hefty price and the competition. In this particular class of 135mm f1.8, I can't remember a single poor optics from any brand that's offering it, Sigma, Samyang, Sony, or Canon. Also the focus breathing and longitudinal CA would probably limit its use to still photography only unless video shooters are willing to be prepared to shoot around them.
Already fallen behind production schedule, Nikon should spend more effort in developing lenses of more common focal lengths, e.g 35 1.2, 24-50 f/2, etc.
Plena is a marketing genius(yellow cursive handwriting). But it’s optically inferior to the RF equivalent in most IQ metrics. Just look at its inferior specs for a $2500(vs $2100); cheap consumer grade STM motors, no built-in IS, bigger, heavier, only .20x(vs .26x) mag., only 2.7’(vs 2.3’) mfd. To add salt to injury, corner to corner sharpness is pathetic for the asking price. And the final nail into its mediocre performance, Nikkor engineers say Plena has round bokeh balls but ended up with a ruby shape football(oblong balls) at the corners… Highly NOT recommended!!!
It's obviously great, but nowhere near enough of quality improvement compared the Samyang AF 135mm given the huge difference in price. I guess this is why Nikon has blocked out third party manufacturers from the Z mount.
Gorgeous. Took way too long after the Noct to get another "taking max advantage of the Z-Mount" type of lens, but I'm happy it's finally here. Here's to many more
2:03 Nikon lens designers probably feel like they've been given a new lease on life after abandoning the F-mount with its 44mm inner throat diameter, the old Nikon SLR system only allows the same space for optics as Fuji's APS-C X-mount.
Now with Nikon Z-Mount they have a 55mm throat diameter, the largest of all Full Frame mounts, which makes the Z-mount system especially appealing knowing the Nikon engineers will be doing the best work of their lives right now.
Maybe that's why all their lenses are bazookas. Top notch quality but not fun to shoot with because of all the weight.
@@kifley19 There's good reason for the size and weight of this particular lens, but overall I can't say Nikon's lenses are bigger or heavier than the competition.
The "Holy trinity" lenses are all lighter than the counterparts of canon, except for the 24-70, which both wear exactly the same. The Nikon 85mm f/1.2 also is lighter than that of Canon.
Speaking of Bazookas, the Nikon 800 PF weighs a full kilogram less than the RF 800 f/5.6.
The throat diameter isn’t the only one giving room to the designers. It is also its flange distance where nikon is the narrowest among all the mirrorless mounts.
It would be interesting a comparison between the 135mm lenses, Nikon, Canon, Samyang, Sigma, Sony
I have been having a lot of fun with this lens. Worth every penny and the images it produces are simply gorgeous.
I wouldn't be surprised if this lens was covering a medium format camera with low vigentting
My own secret theory
Too bad it can’t be adapted. The sigma 135 works great on the gfx.
@@juliussternfeld428 Well, with a big enough mount you could fit it inside with a "concave" adapter that goes inside the mount
most 135mm offer a way larger image circle than ff needs
I still think the Samyang 135mm f1.8 at less than $1000 is the best one of the bunch (compared to GM, RF and Z S) it weights less, almost no vignetting and distortion, great bokeh and a better price
Z-mount lineup is stupidly good.
Personally think the e mount still wins out just for shear choice, you still have large clinical lenses but also more interesting smaller lenses with character if you prefer that as well
@@CianMcsweeneymore choices look good on paper, but there's no point having a dozen different 50mm or 35mm lenses to choose from when 80% of the available choices are average or worse.
Buy good quality glass and you'll buy just once. Buy crap stuff and you'll be stuck in an endless upgrade cycle jumping from one lens to another where with the total you have spent over the years, you're better off buying a good lens from the get go. I've seen too many people stuck in this endless cycle.
Yeah it's tempting. I don't give a crap about apertures wider than f/1.8, honestly even f/4 is fine usually, so their f/1.8 S line lenses are just about perfect in my opinion. Why pay for big apertures when that extra cost could go towards better optics at 1.8?
@@EXkurogane plenty of great glass on emount, I'm a Fuji user which also has pretty good glass but I'm slightly jealous of the Zeiss options for Sony
Agreed - it's easily the most versatile mount considering how receptive it is to adapters and other mounts. Love those E-mount options? A small Megadap adapter means they'll all perform on the Z-mount, (but you'll really see how much in-camera correction Sony has to do).
I’ve been watching your reviews for years and appreciate your testing and commentary. I pulled the trigger on this one before your review, so I’m glad it lives up to the hype! 😂👍🏾
This lens feels old school, in the best way. In the sense that Nikon have treated it as a mechanical object first & foremost, and corrected everything in-lens as opposed to relying on postprocessing, they've given it some character with the cool 'Plena' monikor, and generally gone above and beyond.
Z mount medium format camera needs to happen. I wish we would break away from “normal” sensor sizes and start experimenting with larger/ differently shaped formats. A medium format 4:3 camera would be a dream personal camera of mine. I’ll keep the z9 for professional usage but it’s nice to have a separation between the hobby you love and the job you have. I think that’s why people tend to turn towards film after a while. It’s just different enough to not feel like “work”.
I love your channel and your videos man. You do such a thorough job of reviewing the camera industry as a whole. I also admire you speaking on your faith! I think that is something that is so important in this world and that more people would be as proud as you are about their faith. We may just live in a slightly less crazy world if that were the case.
Even an "extra medium" sensor that was like 40x28.5 would be great. It would give 60MP vs 45 currently, with exactly the same pixel size, without quite as much of a hit to readout speed. The GFX mount is 65mm, Hassy is 61mm, and Nikon is 55mm, so growing to that size should be easy. I'm sure some lenses would have to be replaced, but quite a few would probably work as-is
Idk if I'll ever use it on a constant basis, but I want it. It's the type of lense that you'll hold on to for a long time. It could be a legendary one.
135mm prime lenses are simply phenomenal! In fact, my best lens is the Zeiss Apo Sonnar 135mm f2...but this Plena looks even better! GJ Nikon!
Honestly don't think you can beat the unique rendering of a Zeiss sonnar, not all about sharpness imo
@@CianMcsweeney The old 135 f2DC is also a wonderful lens, absolute stellar rendering /character.
Waiting for Nikon Z 85 1.2S lens review.
I've only taken a few shots with my Plena on my Z9; WOW!!! The Bokeh is beyond Awesome! Real trials in a week - on the Big Island of Hawaii... Thankfully I'm on friendly terms with my bank : ) Cheers!
Wow! After seeing this image quality, the price is actually quite good. 😅
I'd prefer an 85 1.2, for working distance and the 1.2, but you have to respect the plena
I agree, I'm more inclined to get this lens though since I already have the 85mm 1.8. won't be getting it anytime soon though since I just purchased the 50mm F/1.0 voigtlander for Nikon Z. My intention is to pop that on a ZF and re-explore photography as a hobbyist in a small and light package and work for every shot instead of machine gunning on my Z8 with large lenses. 😅
if you have z7 or higher megapixels z series camera then you can get the 85 1.2 and then use it in dx mode to get the similar results to 135 1.8 . but 135 1.8 and all these results from these lenses are amazing
@@mingmarlama7987 the 85 is still a 85 in dx mode, this is a 135.. so no, you won't get similar results. sometimes the perspectives will match, but most of the time the 135 will be a lot more compressed than the 85 in dx mode.
@@JuventinosDX mode doesn’t optically compress the image, it just ‘zooms in’ to centre of the sensor so magnifying everything including any bokeh that remains after the closer crop.
@@christianpetersen1782 yes and it's a 85mm bokeh not a 135, glad we agree :)
As always a consistent comprehensive review. Thank you.
It'd be nice if you were able to do a comparison between the Nikon Z, Canon RF, Sony E and Samyang E versions.
Yep
as I am interested in Astrophotography I missed the night test which shows how the lens behaves with point sources in the corner, specifically about coma and astigmatism.
Nice lens! If I ever switched from Canon, I would go Nikon.
Cool! Thanks for another great video! 135mm is my second favorite focal length (below 50mm, and above 24mm), so this is a dream lens. I doubt I will really be in the market for one soon (if ever), however. Luckily, I have my beloved DC-Nikkor 135mm f/2D to keep me happy!
Plena to like about Christopher's reviews.
When are you reviewing Nikon Z 85mm F1.2?
Is there any chance of you reviewing Panasonic or other L-Monunt lenses?
I think it could be a great thing.
love your vids, in a Nikon dilemma which to pick 50mm 1.2 85mm 1.2 135mm 1.18, i have the 24-70mm f4 for travel lens and wanting to get that for 24-70mm f2.8 for work or event and maybe the 14-24mm 2.8
What a phenomenal lens. I can only dream of owning such an awesome lens one day in the future or even have the privilege of renting one!
1:15 reacting to the lens' bokeh
It simply becomes a Z line must-have lens
Love this focal length. This looks lovelier than my much loved Samyang 135 f/2 manual lens but of course much more expensive!
No way. Insanely beautiful. I can only dream of owning this lens:]
Hey, have you ever made a video about the TTArtisans RF 25mm F2 lens? I would be curious about its image characteristics as it is very cheap. And as always great video. Keep up the good work.
What a beautiful piece of gear.
I wish you would do low light tests on all wide aperture lenses, this would be a nightscape lens, not everyone uses 14mm or 20mm for nightscapes. please add this feature in future videos as its helpful. now I have to try and find another lens review which shows the info i need....very few out there, grr. Love your videos.😍
now we are just waiting for the Z6iii and Z7iii, with their new chip and AF system, Nikon may still have a chance to compete with Sony on something.
See if Nikon can get you an 85mm 1.2 I would love to see that review after you’ve tested this plena
This type of lenses - 135 f/1.8 gives you borderline large format-like picture, especially when doing full height human photo
It is the equivalent of a 170mm F/2.25 on hasselblad X mount and Fujifilm GFX (0,79 crop factor). So the Plena gives in fact much better bokeh than any medium format lens.
For large format (8x10) it would be the equivalent of a 1040mm F/14. Meaning only a few large format lenses like a 36cm F/4 could match its bokeh, and none could match the field of view.
Hi Brilliant review, as always, thank you.
Question for you and everyone.. Would you rather this lens on a Nikon Z7ii or the 135mm GM on Sony A7iv?
I have both cameras and only want to buy one of these two lenses. I want the Sharpest for eye detail in portraits and the lens that produces the smoothest bokeh. Also happy to hear all thoughts on systems and best setups with these two cameras and lenses. Also, just to note, im debating swapping my A7iv for A7rv in the near future.
Thanks in advance. I hope everyone is having a good day.
Nikon moved most production to Thailand when one of their factories were hit with a tsunami. The factory has Japanese quality control standards. Thailand doesn't get hit by tsunamis and is a developed country. Some people need to get a life and get over the made in Japan stigma.
Excellent review as always, Chris! Not being a "portrait guy", I care more about image sharpness and detail in landscapes, wildlife and small products. That said, how would you compare the sharpness of this Plena lens to the Nikkor Z 50 f/1.8 S, the latter having been compared to the Zeiss Otus in terms of sharpness? Thank you sir!
The 85 1.2 is made in China and is $400 more. Great lens but that’s BS considering Canon can still produce an 85 1.2L lens in Japan for the same price. Even the plastic lens hood is made in Japan and they wouldn’t do that for a loss.
I'm torn between 85 1.2 and plena, I have 85 1.8. Can you give me your opinion ?🙏🏻
Hows it compare to the viltrox 75mm f/1.2 (112mm ff equiv?)
Which one do you like better, the Nikon Z 135mm or the Canon RF 135mm?
sir where is the fuji 150-600 review and with respect fuji 90mm also
@@Fred-wb5nz Don’t talk nonsense here… im my entire photography career i never bought a single lens without watching his videos and i said with respect and asked him saying sir… so don’t talk nonsense here…
You'te paying more for the best image quality you can get, period.
I love how I watch reviews of lenses I will never ever buy. One reason I wont buy is I love my Canon EF 135L so much, I kept it when I moved to Sony and use it with the MC11 adapter.
Veja a samwang para Sony 135mm neste canal
i don't think it's that expensive to be honest, this is a competitor to the 110 f2 fujifilm GF lens.
You know this was a good lens it even got an extra solo at the end of the review there 👍
Hi Chris thanks for this review. please do review on fujifilm 8-16 f2.8
Nice review and love the lens and will order one soon.keep up the good work 😊👍
Why the Sony gm 135mm is the half of the price of the Nikon ? 😬
Because it’s 1/2 the performance of Nikon.
I've long wished that either Canon or Nikon would come out with a 44x33 medium format camera at some point due to the crazy large size of their mirrorless lens mounts. I don't think it would be any more crammed into the lens mount than the Sony sensor are crammed into the E-mount. I noticed in your video the Plena does not have a rear baffle in the 3:2 ratio for full frame, so perhaps there is hope :)
Nice lens. I use my Samyang 135mm f1.8 adapted on Z7II. I could not say if it's a better or a worse lens. Build quality is definitely cheaper but at almost 1/4th the price that is to be expected and its lighter to boot. Optically Nikon lacks cat's eyes. Samyang has very little. Both are more than sharp enough for most 135mm use cases that you would need. What differentiates Samyang is its lack of longitudinal chromatic aberrations. Focus speed is ok. I'm sure G Master or Plena are faster on native bodies. Hell my 50mm GM 1.2 lens is faster focusing on the Z7II, but with focus limiter it is good enough for me coming from nanual focus :)
Very nice lens ! Would be interesting to compare it to the canon RF and the Sony equivalent in a future video
The RF is beautiful 😍
Petapixel has done that comparison just recently, if you’re still interested @@mbismbismb
The lens for fashion photographers?
"Better to have loved and lost.". 😅 Great ending to the Review, Chris.
Can you do a top 5 of the sharpest lenses you ever tested?
Perfection! The lens is stubbier that i anticipated
Nikon 105mm 1.4 F mount lens is half the cost and more useful focal lenght IMHO. Surprised you have not done a review of that lens? did a serach did not find it?
They should do this more.
This lens is not better than Zeiss 135mm f2 Milvus APO Sonnar please make a comparison.
Thanks
I think Dear sir this a little twek of 85 f 1.2
85 f 1.2 in dx mode 127 mm f1.8
I honestly kind of want to dump my 70-200 for this thing. I use to 70-200 mainly for portraits and this seems better yet. Just kind of a PITA to sell something as expensive as the 70-200 without losing my butt.
Thailand is the new "Made in China". Because of all the things that have been happening, some manufacturers are trying to move their production elsewhere.
That bottle of crystal pepsi is so iconic
Have you reviewed the Fuji 90mm f2?
No, that's one of the few I haven't covered yet. A whole bunch of Fuji videos are coming soon though :-)
That's a 135 F/3 equivalent. Not really in the same category as a Full frame 135 1.8. It could be interesting to compare it to a 70-200 2.8 tho.
Excuse me but the bokeh 7:33 is harsh and not very creamy 🧁
4 way comparison Sony GM, Samyang AF, Canon RF and Nikkor Z S!!!!
Nikon 105mm f1.4E next! :)
My Nikon P1000 is also made in Thailand and I am also fine with that.
Why do people not like cat's eye-shaped bokeh? To me it's attractive in the same way that a petzval lens is, but more subtle
Get the Nikon F mount 58mm 1.4G. That lens has swirly bokeh (due to cat's eye) if that's what you're after. Some people like it.
Looks a little green on the skin but still on my list of purchases
135mm is great nice shots.. but the price is very expensive/ so steep 🙀🙀🤦
When are you gonna review the lens diy perks made ? Like to see that review by a pro lens reviewer
If he will let me borrow it for a while, I will :-)
@@christopherfrost nice i hope with all my being that he will he will
So expensive but man I want it
Need a vedio to introduce how to build a good relationship with a bank manager.😂
Great lens, but 85mm 1.2 is more useful.
Amazing lens, but that price though 😭😭😭😭😭
*GF 110mm F2* is the king of portrait lenses, so far; especially when paired with FUJIFILM GFX 100/s/ii.
1000% true.
Lovely.
loved and lost XD .... it seems the bokeh is a little bit nervous but still a fantastic lens. but i will stay with my sigma 135 - bokehwise it's maybe not as round but i think a little bit softer. also the sigma is reacting way better against bright light.
Sorry but im afraid not. Sigma looks like a f/2.0 lens in the comparisons I’ve seen. The Plena seems to have abnormally smooth bokeh. I say that as a Sigma 135 owner.
I actually like a little bit of vignetting, not a lot, just a touch. Sucks I'll have to add it back in during post. A step I didn't want to have to do
Screw a step-down ring on the lens...
Although optically excellent, I think this is a pricing disappointment for the Nikon ecosystem. I'd be paying a significant premium over the alternatives just for the privilege of adding vignetting back in to portraits in post.
I have quite a few Z lenses and the 85 f/1.2 along with the 50 f/1.2 seem to be the sharpest to me.
Can anyone who has experience with the 3 comment on if the plena is 'NOTICEABLY' sharper than the other 2? Would conisder this lens if so.
Yeah I have 85 1.2 and adore it so doubt I’d ever buy the 135 Plena
85 1.2 is sharper in center. Plena is sharper towards outer area of frame. They are close in that category and both ridiculously sharp.
By the way, you mention you have 'quite a few Z lenses'...I'm thinking of buying Z 20mm f/1.8 even though I have Z 14-30mm mainly because I photograph a lot indoors. Do you have this and if so any thoughts? Another possibility is to buy Sigma 20mm f/1.4 for F-mount and slap it on FTZII
@@indrajitadvani3742 i do not have the 20mm 1.8 as that's not a focal length i use often. I have the 14-30 f4 plus the 14-24 f2.8 and i vaguely remember seeing a review that showed the image quality of the 20mm was between the 2 with the 14-24 having the best. I briefly had the 50mm 1.8, but sold it as i didn't think it was much sharper (if any) than the 24-70 2.8, BUT it still took great images. If a fixed 20mm lens works with your shooting style and you need the extra light, i wouldn't hesitate.
Edit: forgot to mention the sigma- i have no experience with third party lenses, but i definitely wouldn't buy the ftz adapter just for that. If you already own it and want to save money on the sigma plus have the 1.4 aperture, then go for it. I think there's a YT video somewhere comparing the 1.4 sigma and the 20mm 1.8 doing astro
It's sharp yes. but too expensive for a lens with no VR features
On Nikon z7 ii use 85 mm f1.2 in dx mode 85 going on 127.5 mm f1.8 z7ii on dx mode giving has 20 mp is good enough. no palana no west of money same results I think have good lens than
20 migapixl is excellent for every tips of photography.
You don't even need to do that - just get closer to the subject in most cases and the difference in the image will just be the background compression. Also I don't think the idea of this lens is to complement it with the 85mm f/1.2. You would get either the 85mm f/1.2 or the 135mm f/1.8 - whichever you prefer.
400mm 1.8! Nikon still lacks 400mm optics!
with a millimeter DOF :)
Yeah, and it better weight under 1kg, be less than 20cm long and 10 cm wide and priced under 500€.
Vs RF 135 1.8
85 1.4 DG DN is cheaper and way more usefull...
Thank you for the great review video! Nice lens, but twice the price of the Sony GM version of that lens 😑 and unfortunately also not a 105mm f1.4. 135mm is a little too long for me. So I'll keep the Nikon F mount version of the 105mm f1.4 lens.
Maybe not twice the price ( i mean, the sony is 1999€ vs 2999 for the nikon, so 50% pricer ) but as all named lenses it more about " look what we can do " than a " good deal for the money " ^^ at least it's a rather affordable named lense compared to the noct ^^
@@malekith13 At the moment the Sony lens is around 1550€ in Germany and the Nikon 2999€. That is quite precisely twice the price 😅
Nikon F 105mm f1.4 is a fantastic lens and released relatively recently, which is probably also the reason the Nikon Z equivalent is of low priority. I wouldn't expect one for a couple more years...
@@quikee9195 That's kind of good and bad news at the same time😅 Thank you!
@@stefan_becker oh, i see, in France it's still around 2K like it was when first released ^^
It weighs around ½ a Noct, but that's still Plena! 😉 🤦♂ Sorry Padre, I'll leave.
Hehe
I think Samyang 135 2.0 is better and wayyyy cheaper, only softer, but still sharp
Nothing so special about this much hyped lens considering its hefty price and the competition. In this particular class of 135mm f1.8, I can't remember a single poor optics from any brand that's offering it, Sigma, Samyang, Sony, or Canon. Also the focus breathing and longitudinal CA would probably limit its use to still photography only unless video shooters are willing to be prepared to shoot around them.
nice，but too dear
Already fallen behind production schedule, Nikon should spend more effort in developing lenses of more common focal lengths, e.g 35 1.2, 24-50 f/2, etc.
24-50 would be a dud 😂
Nikon already has like 5 Z mount lenses that cover 24-70.
Plena is a marketing genius(yellow cursive handwriting). But it’s optically inferior to the RF equivalent in most IQ metrics. Just look at its inferior specs for a $2500(vs $2100); cheap consumer grade STM motors, no built-in IS, bigger, heavier, only .20x(vs .26x) mag., only 2.7’(vs 2.3’) mfd. To add salt to injury, corner to corner sharpness is pathetic for the asking price. And the final nail into its mediocre performance, Nikkor engineers say Plena has round bokeh balls but ended up with a ruby shape football(oblong balls) at the corners…
Highly NOT recommended!!!
Don't you also a Rapper?
Nikon lenses are expensive
Ridiculous price.
It is difficult to articulate, but I feel something wrong with Nikon colours… That’s why I switched to Canon.
It's obviously great, but nowhere near enough of quality improvement compared the Samyang AF 135mm given the huge difference in price. I guess this is why Nikon has blocked out third party manufacturers from the Z mount.
Congratulations to Nikon. They published now a lens Sony has at this level in the portfolio for more than two years :) LOL
They don't have a lens on this level. They couldn't with the puny Sony mount
@@airjaff You don’t know what you talk about. I use both the Z9 and the A1. I can compare. Can you?
I am hoping more such lenses come out taking advantage of the bigger mount.