Cool Gear: Sony CZ 135/1.8 Lens

My pal Chris Gampat just posted his great review of the Sony Zeiss 135mm f1.8 on thephoblographer.com It reminded me that though I’ve mentioned the lens many times, I’ve never written a full post about it. That’s a mistake on my part since this lens certainly deserves more attention.

Sony’s Zeiss 135/1.8 lens (Amazon | B&H Photo) is a great lens for portrait photography.

Like all Sony CZ lenses, the first thing I love is the Zeiss glass!

Having shot medium format for decades, I’ve always been a fan of Zeiss glass – particularly when shooting digital photography.

Zeiss incredibly sharp – but forget the lens charts. Though Zeiss glass always scores high, lens charts can’t measure the most important factor of lens performance – “the look”. They produce what’s often called a 3D look because the subject seems to really pop out from the background.

Unlike after-market lenses Zeiss makes for other DSLRs, Sony’s Zeiss lenses are all auto-focus. It’s also a great “speed lens” – fast glass for shallow depth of field so that the subject really “pops” out from the background. This tight portrait was shot wide open so the focus is on the eyes an the back of the head gently falls out of focus.

Portrait of Nepal holy man photographed in Kathmandu with Sony CZ 135 1.8
Sony CZ 135/1.8 | 1/60 sec | f/4.5 | ISO 200

When shooting with a prime lens, don’t forget to move in and out by “zooming” with your feet to give your portraits a variety of perspective.

Nepal holy man photographed in Kathmandu with Sony CZ 135 1.8
Sony CZ 135/1.8 | 1/60 sec | f/4.5 | ISO 200

When I was shooting portraits of celebrities for the Art & Soul book, most of the book was shot with shorter lenses like the Sony CZ 24-70/2.8 (Amazon | B&H) or Sony CZ 85/1.4 (Amazon | B&H), but I used the Sony CZ 135/1.8 (Amazon | B&H) to shoot this portrait of actor Rick Yune. The lens is the perfect choice when you want to flatten the perspective.

Celebrity portrait of actor Rick Yune photographed with Sony CZ 135 1.8
Sony CZ 135/1.8 | 1/200 sec | f/16 | ISO 200

Read more about my favorite lenses for portrait photography.

Cine-D-Sony-Alpha-9-III-Dynamic-Range-Tests

Sony Alpha 9 III Excels in CineD Video Dynamic Range Tests

Published: March 7, 2024 Global shutter sensors are notorious for having less dynamic range, yet CineD Tests reveal Alpha 9 III offers the best Video

Read More »

Monster Adapter LA-FE2 Nikon F to Sony E Lens Adapter available in USA!

Published: February 29, 2024 MonsterAdapter LA-FE2 Nikon F to Sony E-Mount Adapter ($439) is in stock now in the USA. It’s the best adapter yet

Read More »
Sony-Play-Memories-Online-Discontinued

Final Notice: Sony ‘PlayMemories Online’ Will Shut Down February 29, 2024

Published: February 25, 2024 Sony posts Final Notice that ‘PlayMemories Online’ will shut down on February 29, 2024. Users should download any online content before

Read More »

3 thoughts on “Cool Gear: Sony CZ 135/1.8 Lens”

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *