Sony SAL-135F18Z 135mm f/1.8 Carl Zeiss Sonnar T Telephoto Lens for Sony Alpha Digital SLR Camera

by Sony

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 3.8 x 3.5 inches ; 2.8 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000JE5CIC
• Item model number: SAL-135F18Z
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: June 17, 2003

Product Description

A high-performance telephoto lens with the widest aperture in its class. Whether you're shooting a distant mountain peak or a beautiful orchid at arm's length, this superb telephoto lens provides amazing image quality. Its f/1.8 aperture makes it the brightest telephoto lens in its class - and with 35mm-equivalent 202.5mm focal length plus the ability to focus tightly on objects closer than three feet away, it can cover an amazing range of photographic assignments.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Incredible Lens, January 25, 2010

By 

Dave Mayer (Huntington Beach) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sony SAL-135F18Z 135mm f/1.8 Carl Zeiss Sonnar T Telephoto Lens for Sony Alpha Digital SLR Camera (Electronics)

This lens focuses incredibly fast, delivers sharp shots and accurate color. For me it's a fast telephoto, as I'm using it on an Alpha 550, so the lens translates to 203mm, because the Alpha 550 is an APS-C DSLR. I can shoot sporting events at dusk and get superb shots. The f1.8 aperture, combined with the camera's image stabilization and shooting at ISO 6400 allows me to get sharp shots in situations I never could have imagined.

The lens is heavy, a little over two pounds, but you know you've got a professional piece of equipment in your hands and it feels perfectly balanced. I've used this at concerts and couldn't have been more pleased with the results. It's a good lens to use at indoor events as well as it reached across a good sized room and gives you crisp images. If you can afford it and can deal with the weight, you won't be disappointed with this incredible lens.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The widest aperture 135mm lens available, February 7, 2008

By 

Photo/Video Gearhead - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sony SAL-135F18Z 135mm f/1.8 Carl Zeiss Sonnar T Telephoto Lens for Sony Alpha Digital SLR Camera (Electronics)

I am astonished by this lens, as well as its sibling the Sony 85mm f1.4 lens Sony SAL-85F14Z 85mm f1.4 Carl Zeiss Planar T Coated Telephoto Lens for Sony Alpha Digital SLR Camera. Each lens is razor sharp at its widest aperture. An excellent discussion of this lens may be found at the Photozone web site.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Full-Tilt Nuance, August 21, 2009

By 

W. E. Hattersen - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sony SAL-135F18Z 135mm f/1.8 Carl Zeiss Sonnar T Telephoto Lens for Sony Alpha Digital SLR Camera (Electronics)

I have been shooting dual systems, which seems to have become the norm to some extent. I have had my eye on the Canon 135mm f2.0L for a while especially after buying and using the 200mm f2.8L II. My most frustrating focal range was the 24-70mm until I acquired the Sony/Zeiss variant. That got me hooked on the Zeiss lenses so I took the plunge and bought the 135mm f1.8 Sonnar T* for my A700. What an incredible lens!

The more I use this lens the more impressed I am with its ability to make magic. I look at recent portraits with this lens and straight away I see "Zeiss Eyes." This lens produces images that are clear and crisp with excellent detail down to the eye lash yet has an abundant control of color and contrast.

The concept is: full-tilt nuance. You get sharpness, color and amazing contrast control. Most lenses give you two of the three (color, contrast or sharpness) few give you all three and even fewer make you stop in tracks in post thinking there is nothing to do but print it! This is the only lens that makes me think - just print it!

I like this lens and my only regret is now I want Sony & Zeiss to step up to some ZA wide angles! For what it is worth I highly recommend this lens.