Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
135mm - Under Rated, July 22, 2008
I have shot Nikon lenses and cameras since 1969. At that time I had the Non-AI Nikkor 135mm. Just a great lens for a short to medium Tele. with my old and venerable FTn. Bokeh was sweet. Some of the best shots I had taken were with this lens.
A few months ago I needed a med. tele. for both machinery and portrait shots. As I researched the Nikon lens array I kept coming back to the 135mm f2 DC. You see, this is a lens that is fantastic as to sharpness and does a marvelous portrait and is capable of scenics and interior architectural shots at the same time. I do not rate it as highly for portraits as I would the 85mm f1.4. I would give the analogy that if you had a 300 foot board (the 85mm) and cut off 1/4" (you now have 299'3/4") then you have the 135mm f2.
The largest misconception I have heard of this lens is that the DC affects DOF; it does not. It affects the CoC (circles of confusion) in front of or behind the critically focused subject. In other words, it gives you bokeh "choices" front and back of subject.
This is one of the greatest lenses with this amazing speed that Nikon has come up with.
It is equivalent to a 200mm lens on my D300 given the sensor crop (Cmos). It is FF (full frame) on my F5. It works beautifully for portraits as it is so sharp. On the other hand, it is superior in the field for landscapes or stationary subjects. It is a bit heavy at almost 2 pounds but I shoot with it in every aspect of my photography. So versatile.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb medium telephoto lens which will last an entire career, April 6, 2009
This lens is not just a specialty 'portrait lens' but a superb piece of optical excellence from Nikon, and a lens that you can buy now and use for an entire career or lifetime of photography. It is among Nikon's sharpest lenses ever produced, with sharpness exceptional even wide open at f/2 in the corners. Autofocus is extremely fast on a D300 or D700. At f/2 the bokeh is gorgeous, close to that of the famed 85mm f/1.4, but more interesting as the 'defocus control' (not a good term for the actual function but Nikon's choice) allows you to do the following things:
- leave it at the same aperture at which you are shooting (i.e. if you're shooting at f/2 or f/2.8, then set the DC ring at f/2, or f/2.8 in either direction) to get beautiful bokeh and a sharp subject; in this case, your bokeh will be more pronounced either behind or in front of your subject (assuming there are things in front of the subject which are out of the depth of field or focal subject). An example: a row of flowers in a garden in front of the subject, with focus on the subject set, and shooting aperture of f/2.8 = setting the DC at f/2.8 "F" ("front") causes the flowers in front of the subject to have 'more bokeh' than normal, whereas setting it at "R" ("rear") causes the same for the rear row of flowers (although this is a bit harder to see unless you're at narrower apertures where you usually don't get that much creamy bokeh).
- set it beyond or below the aperture you are shooting, to gradually 'defocus' the subject that is already in focus. Now this sounds like anathema to anyone who wants "sharp" photos from lenses (as "sharpness" is one of the big selling points) but for portraits specifically, a tack-sharp shot is in fact not always what you might want. For older, more 'mature' subjects which may have the various blemishes, wrinkles, lines, etc. which would be very pronounced and distinct in a tack-sharp lens' focus, a slight change of the DC ('defocus control') ring allows for the ever so slightest (at one stop different from your shooting aperture) to a much more soft 'defocus' of the subject. In other words, if you're shooting at f/2.8, setting the DC at f/3.5 or more (either "F" or "R" - I found "R" to be a bit nicer) will gradually place the subject of the portrait ever so slightly out of focus - or 'soft' focus, as the old lenses and filters would create - and make the subject very attractive without any of the unwanted details that one wouldn't want in a portrait enlarged to, say, 11x14 or whatever size.
The wide f/2 aperture allows for beautiful bokeh and tack-sharp shots without manipulating the DC ring, if you're not interested in 'soft' focus, and the f/2 aperture is exceptional for low light photography, whether at night, indoors or outdoors, or in a low-light setting such as a theater, sporting event indoors or outdoors, etc.
Some say this lens is 'hard to use' because of the DC ring; once you take a few sample shots with it and experiment with one subject, you'll start to get a feel for the types of settings that you find most pleasing, and use those in the field. Or, you can just not change the DC ring at all and enjoy the extreme sharpness, superb bokeh and extraordinary color rendition from this ultra-pro-quality lens.
The construction is solid, tank-like and built to last a photographic lifetime; the price is not trivial, but it is about right for this level of lens, and as a one-time investment, it's justifiable given the shots you will get from it. There is no VR, of course, so it's important to use good technique to get the sharpest shots (i.e. try to limit camera shake, use fast shutter speeds, etc.) at this 135mm focal length. On a DX camera the focal length converts to about 200mm so this is superb for portraits outside (basically at the same length as the non-DX 200mm f/2 pro lens which sells for $5k). However, the long focal length means that the slightest camera shake at slower shutter speeds may impede sharp photos; I try to stay at 1/100 or faster when handheld to avoid this (and in low light, the f/2 wide open will allow that if you have your high ISO set on a newer model that gives usable images even at ISO6400). Now on a tripod for portraits this lens has to be best in its class; the difference between the 85mm f/1.4 may be only 50mm in focal length, but the effects that this lens can produce with some judicious use of softening the subject's focus really stand out in enlarged shots, particularly those of weddings, etc. where tack-sharp isn't always the aim, and even a slightly "dreamy" or "romantic" mood is the goal. It focuses quite close for this focal length and aperture, so both head-shot-only close-ups and head-and-shoulders portrait shots from farther away (even full body shots, if you're far enough) are possible. It's nice as a medium telephoto or quasi-macro lens outside, as well, for flowers and other nature shots, as the focal distance works well.
Ergonomics: excellent. The built-in hood is a little clumsy but very convenient, and doesn't ever get in the way. The weight is perfectly balanced and feels terrific on my D700. The rubber focus ring doesn't move when focusing, and is perfect to grip with the left hand (assuming a right-handed camera shooter). There is no case included with the lens in the box, but a Nikon soft lens bag for $15 or so is a good investment - get a big one like the CL-S2, as this lens is rather large (not much smaller than the 70-300mm VR). The recommended nylon hard case is a bit bulky and not really necessary if you already have a camera bag or backpack that holds a few lenses - just get the soft case to protect it from scratches, etc. inside that bag.
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6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nikon 135mm f/2.0d AF DC-Nikkor, April 9, 2009
Pros:
Ideal long portrait lens on full frame
good medium telephoto on DX
Cons:
not af-s.
tends to require a half click to the forground from nutral on the dc ring for maximum sharpness(havent been abel to confirm if this is typical or just my copy).
An excelent lens. wonderfull bokeh for portraits and incredibly sharp. maximum quality is generaly at f 2.8 and down and f4 f5.6 is were your gonna want to be. with dc incredible bokeh can be achived at even f5.6.
My only caution is that this lens is highly specialized and is designed for a large studio or out door. On DX it is too long for portraits and to short for wildlife smaller than a cat. for DX users a 85mm f/1.4 is more usable. Definatly a must have for FX portaiture but keep in mind its a thousand dollars in the camera bag for a lens that isnt going to get much play time.
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