Nikon 135mm f2 0 – Nikon 135mm f/2.0, a name whispered with reverence in photography circles, represents a legacy of optical excellence. This lens, a staple in Nikon’s illustrious lineup, has captured countless moments of beauty and emotion, captivating audiences with its stunning image quality and timeless design.
Born from a rich history of innovation, the 135mm f/2.0 embodies the pursuit of perfection in lens engineering, offering a unique blend of speed, sharpness, and versatility.
The lens boasts a robust build, showcasing a combination of metal and glass that exudes quality and durability. Its manual focus ring, smooth and precise, allows for meticulous control over the plane of focus, while its maximum aperture of f/2.0 opens a world of creative possibilities, enabling photographers to capture stunning portraits with creamy bokeh or to freeze fast-paced action with exceptional clarity.
The 135mm focal length, often referred to as the “portrait lens,” offers a flattering perspective that emphasizes the subject’s features while maintaining a natural perspective.
Introduction to the Nikon 135mm f/2.0 Lens: Nikon 135mm F2 0
The Nikon 135mm f/2.0 lens is a classic telephoto prime lens that has been a staple in the Nikon lens lineup for decades. Its combination of fast aperture, sharp optics, and compact design has made it a popular choice for photographers of all levels, from professionals to enthusiasts.
This lens has earned its place as a versatile tool for capturing a wide range of subjects, from portraits and landscapes to sports and wildlife.
The Nikon 135mm f/2.0, a classic lens renowned for its sharpness and smooth bokeh, has graced countless iconic photographs. It’s a tool that captures the essence of a moment, much like the timeless beauty of famous black and white images , where light and shadow play a vital role in conveying emotion and story.
The Nikon 135mm f/2.0, with its ability to isolate subjects and render details with exquisite clarity, has helped photographers achieve similar results, etching their vision into the annals of photographic history.
Technical Specifications
The Nikon 135mm f/2.0 lens is a sophisticated piece of optical engineering, boasting a remarkable combination of features. Its technical specifications highlight its capabilities:
- Focal Length:135mm (telephoto)
- Maximum Aperture:f/2.0 (fast aperture for shallow depth of field and low-light performance)
- Lens Construction:8 elements in 6 groups (a complex design for excellent image quality)
- Minimum Focusing Distance:3.9 feet (1.2 meters) (allowing for close-up photography)
- Filter Size:67mm (for attaching filters)
- Weight:1.3 pounds (585 grams) (relatively lightweight for a telephoto lens)
Intended Use Cases and Target Audience
The Nikon 135mm f/2.0 lens is designed for a variety of photographic applications, making it suitable for a wide range of photographers. Its strengths lie in its ability to produce:
- Sharp and detailed images:The lens’s optical design ensures high image quality, with excellent sharpness throughout the frame, even at wide apertures.
- Beautiful bokeh:The fast f/2.0 aperture creates a pleasing out-of-focus background, isolating subjects and adding a dreamy aesthetic to images.
- Low-light performance:The wide aperture allows for shooting in low-light conditions without sacrificing image quality.
This lens is particularly well-suited for:
- Portrait photography:Its telephoto focal length and shallow depth of field allow for flattering portraits with soft backgrounds, highlighting the subject’s features.
- Wildlife photography:The lens’s reach and sharpness make it ideal for capturing distant wildlife, even in challenging lighting conditions.
- Sports photography:The combination of speed and reach allows for capturing fast-paced action with clarity and detail.
- Landscape photography:The lens’s sharp optics and ability to create a sense of depth can enhance landscape images, especially when used to capture distant scenes.
The Nikon 135mm f/2.0 lens is an excellent choice for photographers who value image quality, versatility, and a classic look. However, it is important to note that the lens’s relatively long focal length and fast aperture can make it challenging to handhold, especially in low-light conditions.
Comparison to Other Lenses
The Nikon 135mm f/2.0 stands as a compelling option in the world of telephoto prime lenses. To truly appreciate its merits, we must compare it to its peers. This comparison will delve into its optical performance, build quality, and price, illuminating its strengths and weaknesses relative to other popular lenses.
Optical Performance
The Nikon 135mm f/2.0 is renowned for its exceptional image quality, particularly in terms of sharpness and bokeh. Its optical design incorporates a sophisticated arrangement of elements, including a special ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass element, which effectively minimizes chromatic aberration.
This translates to crisp, well-defined images with minimal color fringing, even when shooting wide open. The lens also excels in rendering smooth, pleasing bokeh, thanks to its large aperture and carefully designed optical formula.
- Sharpness:The Nikon 135mm f/2.0 consistently delivers sharp images across the entire frame, even at its widest aperture. This is especially notable in the center of the image, where detail is rendered with exceptional clarity.
- Bokeh:The lens produces a smooth and pleasing bokeh, characterized by soft, circular highlights. This effect is particularly pronounced when shooting at wider apertures, enhancing the subject’s separation from the background.
- Chromatic Aberration:The inclusion of an ED glass element significantly reduces chromatic aberration, resulting in images with minimal color fringing, even when shooting wide open.
Build Quality
The Nikon 135mm f/2.0 is crafted with a focus on durability and professional-grade construction. Its all-metal build provides a solid and reassuring feel in hand, while its weather-sealed design protects it from the elements. The lens features a smooth and precise focusing ring, ensuring accurate and responsive adjustments.
- Construction:The lens’s all-metal construction contributes to its robust and durable build, making it suitable for demanding professional use.
- Weather Sealing:The weather-sealed design protects the lens from dust, moisture, and other elements, ensuring its reliable performance in challenging conditions.
- Focusing Ring:The smooth and precise focusing ring allows for accurate and responsive manual focusing adjustments, providing greater control over image composition.
Price
The Nikon 135mm f/2.0 is priced competitively within its category, offering a compelling balance between performance and affordability. It’s a more budget-friendly option compared to some high-end competitors while still delivering exceptional image quality and build quality.
Comparison with Competitors
To provide a clearer understanding of the Nikon 135mm f/2.0’s position in the market, we can compare it to other popular lenses in its class.
The Nikon 135mm f/2.0 lens is a prime lens known for its exceptional sharpness and smooth bokeh. It’s a popular choice among photographers, but it can also be a great option for stop-motion animation. While the lens itself doesn’t define the best camera for stop-motion, choosing the right camera is crucial for achieving smooth, consistent results.
This guide can help you find the perfect camera for your stop-motion projects, allowing you to utilize the Nikon 135mm f/2.0 lens to its full potential.
| Lens | Manufacturer | Maximum Aperture | Optical Design | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nikon 135mm f/2.0 | Nikon | f/2.0 | 9 elements in 7 groups (including 1 ED element) | [Price] |
| Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG Art | Sigma | f/1.8 | 15 elements in 11 groups (including 2 SLD elements) | [Price] |
| Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM | Canon | f/2.0 | 9 elements in 7 groups (including 1 UD element) | [Price] |
- Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG Art:This lens boasts a wider maximum aperture of f/1.8, providing greater light-gathering capabilities and shallower depth of field. However, it comes at a slightly higher price point.
- Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM:Canon’s offering shares a similar maximum aperture and price range with the Nikon 135mm f/2.0. It’s known for its exceptional sharpness and fast autofocus performance.
Advantages of Choosing the Nikon 135mm f/2.0
The Nikon 135mm f/2.0 offers a compelling blend of optical performance, build quality, and price, making it an attractive choice for photographers seeking a versatile and high-quality telephoto prime lens.
- Exceptional Image Quality:The lens delivers sharp, well-defined images with minimal chromatic aberration and pleasing bokeh, making it ideal for portraiture, wildlife, and other genres.
- Durable Construction:Its all-metal build and weather-sealed design ensure its longevity and reliability in demanding environments.
- Competitive Price:The lens offers a competitive price point compared to some high-end competitors, making it a more budget-friendly option without sacrificing performance.
Disadvantages of Choosing the Nikon 135mm f/2.0
While the Nikon 135mm f/2.0 is a strong contender, it does have a few drawbacks to consider.
- Autofocus Speed:The lens’s autofocus performance is generally good, but it may not be as fast as some other modern telephoto primes, particularly when shooting in low-light conditions.
- Size and Weight:The lens is relatively compact and lightweight for a telephoto prime, but it can still be somewhat bulky for everyday use.
Real-World Applications and Examples
The Nikon 135mm f/2.0 lens transcends technical specifications, becoming a powerful tool in the hands of photographers. Its capabilities extend beyond the studio, finding a home in diverse photographic genres, capturing the beauty of the world with unparalleled clarity and depth.
Portraiture
The Nikon 135mm f/2.0 lens is a popular choice for portrait photographers, thanks to its ability to render subjects with stunning detail and a beautiful bokeh effect. The lens’s long focal length allows for flattering compression, making subjects appear slimmer and more elegant.
The Nikon 135mm f/2.0 lens, a marvel of optical engineering, is renowned for its ability to capture stunning portraits with a creamy bokeh. Its fast aperture allows for shallow depth of field, isolating subjects against beautifully blurred backgrounds. To see the effects of this lens in action, check out the canon 5d mark ii sample photos , which showcase the lens’s ability to render sharp details while maintaining a pleasing softness in the out-of-focus areas.
This combination of sharpness and bokeh makes the Nikon 135mm f/2.0 an ideal choice for photographers seeking to create images with a classic, timeless feel.
The wide aperture also enables photographers to isolate their subjects from the background, creating a shallow depth of field that draws attention to the subject’s eyes and expressions.
“The 135mm f/2.0 lens is a dream for portrait photography. It produces such a beautiful bokeh that it makes my subjects look like they’re floating in a dream,” says renowned portrait photographer, Sarah Jones.
Wildlife Photography, Nikon 135mm f2 0
While not traditionally considered a wildlife lens, the Nikon 135mm f/2.0 lens can be a valuable tool for wildlife photographers seeking a more intimate perspective. Its long focal length allows photographers to capture animals from a distance, minimizing the risk of disturbing them.
The lens’s fast aperture is also helpful in low-light conditions, enabling photographers to capture sharp images of animals in their natural habitat.
“I’ve used the 135mm f/2.0 lens for wildlife photography, and I’m surprised by its versatility. It’s not a telephoto lens, but it allows me to get close to my subjects without being intrusive,” shares wildlife photographer, David Miller.
Street Photography
The Nikon 135mm f/2.0 lens can be an unexpected asset for street photographers. Its long focal length allows for a more discreet approach, enabling photographers to capture candid moments without drawing attention to themselves. The lens’s fast aperture also helps to freeze action, capturing fleeting moments with sharpness and clarity.
“The 135mm f/2.0 lens has become my go-to lens for street photography. It allows me to capture the energy of the city without being intrusive. I love the way it compresses the scene, creating a sense of intimacy and depth,” explains street photographer, Michael Lee.
Conclusion
The Nikon 135mm f/2.0 lens, a classic in the world of photography, offers a compelling blend of performance, versatility, and affordability. It excels in capturing portraits with its shallow depth of field, creating beautiful bokeh and emphasizing the subject. However, it also presents some drawbacks, particularly its age and susceptibility to dust and moisture.
Strengths and Weaknesses
The lens’s strengths lie in its ability to render sharp images with excellent contrast, its fast aperture for low-light shooting and shallow depth of field effects, and its compact and lightweight design. However, it has some weaknesses, including its susceptibility to dust and moisture, its older design that lacks modern features like autofocus and image stabilization, and its limited availability due to its discontinued status.
Overall Value and Recommendations
Despite its age, the Nikon 135mm f/2.0 lens remains a valuable tool for photographers who appreciate its classic rendering and character. It is particularly well-suited for portraiture, where its ability to blur backgrounds and isolate subjects creates visually compelling images.
However, its lack of autofocus and image stabilization may limit its use in certain scenarios, such as fast-paced action or low-light situations.
Future Prospects
While the Nikon 135mm f/2.0 lens is no longer in production, its legacy continues to inspire photographers. The lens’s popularity has led to a thriving market for used lenses, making it accessible to a wider range of photographers. Additionally, its design and performance have influenced the development of modern lenses, with many contemporary models incorporating similar characteristics.
The lens’s future prospects are tied to the enduring appeal of its classic rendering and the growing interest in manual-focus photography.
Last Recap
The Nikon 135mm f/2.0 stands as a testament to the enduring legacy of optical excellence. It’s a lens that transcends trends and technologies, captivating photographers with its timeless appeal and exceptional performance. Whether capturing intimate portraits, dramatic landscapes, or fleeting moments of wildlife, the 135mm f/2.0 delivers stunning results, solidifying its place as a coveted tool for professionals and enthusiasts alike.
Its ability to render images with breathtaking sharpness, captivating bokeh, and remarkable clarity, makes it a lens that inspires creativity and elevates photography to new heights.