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It looks like Nikon’s finally answered what they’re going to replace the old Nikon 135mm f/2 DC lens with. Naturally, it’s a Z mount lens, it’s the Nikkor Z S 135mm f/1.8 S Plena (buy here), and wants to be the new portrait standard for Z mount.
Of course, the new lens doesn’t gain the defocus control of its F mount predecessor, but it does get a slightly wider aperture. This should make for some very mushy backgrounds – if that’s your thing.
Samyang has announced their newest autofocus lens, the Samyang AF 135mm f/1.8 FE for full-frame Sony E mount cameras. This essentially replaces the Samyang MF 135mm f/2.0 ED UMC for many Sony shooters who are sick of manual focus and represents a significantly less expensive option than the Sony FE 135mm f/1.8 G Master, the Zeiss 135mm f/2.8 Batis lenses and even the Sigma 135mm f/1.8 Art.
The new lens, Samyang says, was released to provide an autofocus evolution of its manual focus f/2.0 predecessor, launched in 2015. It expands Samyang’s AF f/1.8 lineup, adding to the 24mm, 35mm, 45mm and 75mm f/1.8 autofocus lenses, allowing you to quickly switch between a range of focal lengths with the same bright wide aperture.
Samyang, like most brands these days, has a pretty good presence on social media and they regularly make content specifically for posting on platforms like Instagram and Facebook. Content like this Happy New Year video Samyang posted a few days ago. The video hides a little secret, though. It contains a lens that isn’t actually available to buy just yet.
Looking very carefully at the beginning of the video, and after a little Photoshop work, we can see that there is what appears to be an AF 135/1.8FE lens. The 135/1.8FE is quite obvious to read, although the “AF” bit is a little more obscured due to compression.
Sony has announced a long-awaited addition to its G Master series of full-frame E-mount lenses. The Sony FE 135mm f/1.8 G Master is a full-frame, fast telephoto prime lens, and judging from sample photos – portrait photographers will love it thanks to its sharpness and creamy bokeh.
As if Sigma hadn’t given us enough today. With new 70mm f/2.8 Macro and 105mm f/1.4 Art series lenses, we were already pretty excited. But Sigma also have an extra gift for Sony shooters. Both of the two new lenses today, as well as nine of their popular Art series full frame lenses are being released with a native Sony E-Mount.
A native Sony mount offers advantages over simply using the Canon mount version with the Sigma MC-11 adapter. Such as compatibility with Sony’s continuous (AF-C) and high speed autofocus. And you’ll likely see some Eye-AF improvements, too. Very handy if you’ve been eyeing up that new Sony A7III.
Udi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.
Alex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe
Dave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.
John Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.
Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.
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