Sony 135mm f/1.8 Sonnar T* Carl Zeiss A-Mount Lens

2020-04-02T20:00:00

The specifications & reviews suggested this was a decent piece of glass & they’re right, I wasn’t disappointed! Using on my A77m2 gives 202.5mm, great to pull subjects & gives fabulously soft bokeh. Focussing is sharp & quick, at f1.8 it’s a fast lens so good for low light. Manual focus is smooth, focus lock button is useful. Yes, it’s heavy & I did deliberate before purchase but the lens is relatively short so fits comfortably close to the camera body & feels well weighted. Very pleased with this lens, it’s yummy, more Sony A mount lenses please!

TCM65

Originally posted at

2020-04-02T20:00:00

The specifications & reviews suggested this was a decent piece of glass & they?re right, I wasn?t disappointed! Using on my A77m2 gives 202.5mm, great to pull subjects & gives fabulously soft bokeh. Focussing is sharp & quick, at f1.8 it?s a fast lens so good for low light. Manual focus is smooth, focus lock button is useful. Yes, it?s heavy & I did deliberate before purchase but the lens is relatively short so fits comfortably close to the camera body & feels well weighted. Very pleased with this lens, it?s yummy, more Sony A mount lenses please!

TMC21

Originally posted at

2017-11-16T04:50:37

This is an amazing glass. The bokeh is buttery smooth, it even beats out the CZ 85mm. I have rest of the Sony CZ line, however, this lens blew me away. Yes, I have to stand further back to get the image (with my A77), but the crisp, clear foreground and beautifully blurred background is amazing. Heavy? Yes, use tripod for the purpose of great portraits or art photography.

Milan R.

2017-07-20T20:00:00

There are two sides to most exotic lenses. The technical side and the pictorial presentation. The T*135mm f1.8 ZA is one of those lenses that quite simply delivers. Just buy mounting it on your camera your images look different and more artisan than other photographers can normally produce. I have tested this lens both on the A99 and on the A99Mr2, it has just about the most refined mechanical auto-focus I have ever come across, it is quick and accurate to, but you do need to pay attention when shooting wide open to which bit of the image is actually in focus as it is only going to be a couple of mm deep! The out of focus areas are super smooth and the contrast against the in-focus areas produces amazing 3D affects. Making your subject stand out from the background is not difficult with this lens. So pictorially this is one of the best lenses I have ever used and has become my number 1 favorite lens. The design is not new. Production started in 2006. Therefore the T* 135mm f1.8 ZA is technically bettered by the latest top lenses, notably Sony's own G Master range, but artistically it is bettered by none.

collingsandheal

Originally posted at

2016-05-12T08:29:40

Amazing lens well worth the money and a big plus getting it from adorma. Great company to do business with.

Gus M.

2015-09-14T22:16:47

Sharp wide open. Great contrast, color, and bokeh. Pretty quick focusing in good light though not necessarily "snappy." I did an existing light night shoot, and it had no trouble grabbing focus in low light conditions on an A99v SLT. It's a bit heavy, the focusing motor is not silent, but these are minor issues to me and don't even come into consideration when I grab this lens. There seem to be a few reports of the lens hood causing the front element to loosen, but I haven't experienced that. A 12mm extension ring allowed very close focus. This is a favorite lens. Be careful with portraits as it can compress faces depending upon the angle.

Brett V.

2015-04-26T21:00:00

I shoot concert photography. Fast aperture. Zeiss glass. Sharp and great bokeh.BRB Use with Sony A72 and la-ea4 adapter. Very pleased with my purchase from adorama. Good price and very fast shipping. No cons.

SCOTT S.

2015-01-05T19:00:00

Another of my favourite Zeiss lenses for sure. Like the 85mm there is no SSM or weather sealing, but don't let this put you off this amazing piece of glass. Focus is still very snappy, and i photograph a lot of live performance in difficult, lo light conditions. This lens performs brilliantly. Images are tack sharp where focussed and yet that wide F1.8 makes for beautiful, creamy smooth out of focus bokeh. This lens has a broad range of uses that it performs very well in, including portraiture, landscape, live performance are to name but a few.

ManicManc

Originally posted at

2014-10-15T20:00:00

I own it...I also have taken thousands of pictures with it. It's almost impossible to take a bad photo with this lens. IMO the 135mm focal length may be the most pleasing for portraits period. The compression is just right and the colors this Zeiss produces are nothing short of astounding. You get this effect where the bokeh is so smooth it's like looking at a wall of glass. Time to update to SSM and other than that their is notable CA wide open. Yes, the Zeiss 135mm F2 APO is better wide open, but to my eyes this still produces better bokeh...and AF is essential IMO if you actually plan on using the lens. This lens is the reason to still continue to shoot A mount- PERIOD.

Thkpic1

Originally posted at

2014-09-29T20:00:00

I've owned more than 25 SLR lenses. This one is the best. It has the best sharpness and the most natural color, but these words don't begin to express what it does. On an A99, it produces images that just grab you. They have a 3D pop that words fail me to describe. The only time I have reacted in this way was shooting with a borrowed Leica M3 with a top-shelf Leica lens (I remember it was a 50mm macro) and Kodachrome 25. Now you can get those kinds of results in the digital world. BTW, the 135 focuses so close, you can use it like a macro. A 135 paired with an A99 is the last word in current digital photography performance.

TheAudiophile

Originally posted at

2014-05-04T20:00:00

This is a very powerful lens. It is fast and under the right conditions, produces the sharpest images I need for my fine art enlargements. It is a little pricy and rather heavy but the speed and the image stabilization compensates for its weight. It is absolutely awesome on a tripod, even under low light or adverse lighting conditions. This is one of my 3 top lenses.

oakbluffsmvthe2nd

Originally posted at

2014-03-11T20:00:00

I bought this lens in mid December, 2013, and I have been stunned by the quality of the photos I have taken with it. It took some getting used to. It is big and heavy, but I love that about it. Sometimes it doesn't focus quickly enough and occasionally it tends to hunt in very low light, but with this lens, when you nail a shot, you knock it out of the park!!! I love it and I use it every chance I get.

echuck322

Originally posted at

2013-11-16T19:00:00

It is a wonderful lens, loved it in very shot, beautiful photos effortless. it's pricy I know but worth it, you will want to own one.

kingmo

Originally posted at

2013-08-15T20:00:00

not gonna lie...it does get some getting used to the weight of the glass, but the images that this lens produces are second to none...worth every precious cent...

deltadave44

Originally posted at

2013-07-28T20:00:00

I have some nice glass, but this is the absolute king of all lenses. If you want to read a technical review than go check out the myriad of praises online including my favorite Sony/Minolta review site- dyxum.com. This lens is often praised as the best 135mm period...as in no other 135mm can even touch it from any manufacturer. It's extremely sharp- as in REALLY sharp. You literally see every grain and detail- nothing is left to spare. The bokeh is the smoothest I've ever seen. I literaly have to take my glasses off sometimes and double check what I'm seeing. It makes many of my other primes look weak in comparison. The bokeh is so smooth it forces your subject to literally pop out of the picture and I find the effect simply mesmerizing. Its not like I haven't seen great bokeh before in other lenses. Its just this one seems to take it to another level. And the all metal construction is fantastic. It just feels like quality in your hands. I've shot all kinds of G series and high end primes. This one is my absolute favorite in my lens bin. The only fault is the lack of SSM. But, I just cannot mark it down at all due to the optics and construction. If Sony added SSM I'll be the first one to purchase. Until then, this one remains the crown jewel in my collection.

THKPIC

Originally posted at

2013-04-28T21:00:00

Top of the line in prime lenses, second to none…..as close to perfect in it's class as possible…….yes, it's expensive, quality costs…….

HOWARD K.

2013-04-27T20:00:00

This is my favorite lens!!!! It's built like a tank. When you hold this lens in your hand, you can't help but to notice the weight of it. For a non SSM lens, it's autofocus is very fast on the A77. I've used this lens to do portrait shots, semi-macro shots, and landscapes. In each situation, it produces top quality results. The colors are simply beautiful, and the bokeh is very smooth. It is very rare that this lens is not in my bag. Once you pick it up, you will find it difficult to put down.

KSharp

Originally posted at

2013-03-14T21:00:00

ANYTIME YOU CAN CORRECTLY USE (DISTANCE) THIS LENS, YOUR RESULTS WILL BE FANTASTIC…..THIS LENS IS IN A CLASS BY IT'S SELF…..TO BE TOTALLY HONEST, THIS IS THE ONLY LENS OF CARL ZEISS THAT I AM HAPPY WITH…..THIS LENS IS A WINNER AND STANDS ALONE…..YES, IT IS EXPENSIVE, BUT THIS LENS IS PERFECTION IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE IMAGE IT DELIVERS….THE SIGMA 50MM F1.4 COULD BE IT'S COUSIN, NO OTHER LENS COMES CLOSE…….NON, PERIOD…….

None

2012-09-01T20:00:00

Ok, just so you know I’m one picky bas…! Having sold my Leica gear including my Leica super-primes I know a thing or two about quality glass. When I decided to buy the A900 and this wonderful lens I knew I was buying the very best combo for portraits. I can say without any hesitation this is the pinnacle of the lot. Some will list the size and weight as a ‘con’ but that’s like saying that gold is too heavy for the shelf in your safe. To be fast, it has to have a large enough surface area to gather light. To produce quality with precision it takes time and raw materials. Please, if you want to list a ‘con’ then try and come up with something more meaningful. Personally, I don’t like the fit-up between the lens hood and the lens body. Love the metal hood but the connection is flaky (like all Zeiss lenses) as the hood falls off easily during typical street use. In the end it’s an excellent choice for low-light venues or stunning portraits. It will increase in value if you ever decide to sell it.

SaberOne

Originally posted at

2012-03-26T20:00:00

I own most of the best Sony lenses now, including the Zeiss 85mm 1.4, the 70-400G and the Zeiss 24-70, which are all outstanding (see my reviews on this site), but THIS is the lens you should save for first for outdoor portraiture. I find the focal length to be more useful than the 85mm for outside, as long as there's plenty of room to maneuver. The telephoto compression opens all sorts of creative possibilities, while the long focal length makes background blur very easy. And the blur (or bokeh) is very, very smooth. The sharpness is outstanding, with a sweet spot around f/8, but at both extremes, images still look terrific. This lens feels tough, right down to the metal hood. Its weight is hefty but fine, and coupled with my a77, feels very well balanced. The only downside is we're still using a screw drive to focus, which is noisy and not as fast as SSM. Sony dropped the ball on that one, but it does not affect image quality and has only a minor effect on functionality. If I were starting my lens purchasing adventure over again, I would get this lens as my #1 for shooting people outdoors.

ElGueroMasLoco

Originally posted at

2011-05-04T20:00:00

WOW is the word that can describe this lens. As soon as I got this lens home, took a test shot and was amazed by picture quality. Attached the test shot to this review.. This is the lens that always stays on my A900.

Prad

Originally posted at

2011-02-25T19:00:00

I shoot high school basketball with this lens on my Alpha 900. Under the dim light levels of a gymnasium, this lens is great, although I have to go to ISO1600 to get acceptable shutter speeds without flash. The problem comes in following the ball carrier. The focusing motor sometimes just can't keep up and I've lost a number of shots this way.

mhansen2

Originally posted at

2010-10-10T21:00:00

I rented one of these lenses a few times and it gave me everything I wanted in sharpness and unsharpness. It delivers strong images outdoors and in the studio. The background in portrait shots is just a set of soft blurs with the lens wide open, no matter what kind of junk is back there. Fun!

LEONARD C.

2010-08-04T20:00:00

Sony A-850 + Carl Zeiss Sonnar T*135mm f/1.8 = perfect combination. Yes, it is heavy, but if you want best pictures you should beter go to gim)))... Sony+Zeiss permored alternative lense against Canon& Nikon. Using it about 2 months - NO complaint!!!

SAOSIN

Originally posted at

2010-07-10T20:00:00

I use this on my alpha 850. It provides the best pure image quality of any 35mm style lens I have ever used (in over 20 years of photography). Even wide open at F1.8 the quality is very good, and closed down a bit it is fantastic. Xlnt bokeh as well. Although focusing is not SSM, it is fast and consistent. I use a microfocus adjustment of minus 3 on my camera and I get superb results close and far.

Photojoe

Originally posted at

2009-12-03T19:00:00

This lens and my A700 give me that almost arrogant confidence that I can get the shot. Keeps one a photographer instead of a Photoshopper.

BishopCreekStudio

Originally posted at

2009-09-05T20:00:00

ALL AROUND GREAT FOR ANY SITUATION..PORTRAIT,SPORT,NATURE. MANUAL RING IS A LITTLE SLOPPY FEELING..

1SONYNUT

Originally posted at

2009-08-05T20:00:00

OK - I am a Transformers fan, but if I have to compare it to a character in the movie, it would be Optimus Prime. This is my first prime lens and I am so glad I purchased it first. The depth of field of this lens will leave you speakless. This is my new number one lens in my camera bag!

Dcalled

Originally posted at

2009-05-01T20:00:00

Being an old school type who prefers prime lenses, I love this amazing piece of glass. It is a near perfect blend of Minolta heritage brought into the 21st century / digital age by Zeiss and Sony. All of my friends who are into the DSLR stream have been amazed at the performance characteristics of this lens when coupled with the A900 body. I will be adding others in this lens family as they become available.

SLUF1354

Originally posted at

2009-02-05T19:00:00

This is the best lens! It exceeds my expectations, is versitile and worth every penny! Thank You Sony!

camerrill

Originally posted at