Things just got bokehlicious for Nikon fans
Can a lens really be perfect? Nikon thinks so, labelling its new Nikon Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena lens “the perfect bokeh lens”. Aimed at portrait photographers, the one-off Nikon ‘Plena’ is only the second mirrorless lens from the camera giant with its own name, following the Nikon Z 58mm f/0.95 S ‘Noct’.
The Noct was a true showpiece portraiture lens in the Nikon Z system, with a whopping $8,000 / £8,300 / AU$14,000 list price that makes even Leica’s optics look like a bargain. The Plena, thankfully, is a relative snip at only around a third of the cost of the Noct – it’s priced at $2,600 / £2,700 / AU$4,600, and goes on sale in mid-October.
That price is still significantly costlier than Sony’s equivalent FE 135mm f/1.8 GM, not to mention the cheaper-still Samyang 135mm f/1.8 and Sigma’s own version, which is available for multiple lens mounts. However, Nikon thinks its new showstopper is next-level, promising flawless circular bokeh and no lens distortion whatsoever, with sagittal coma, onion-ring, vignetting, and flare all controlled.
If that engineering feat has indeed been achieved, the Plena will no doubt rank as one of the best Nikon lenses ever, and should prove hugely popular with pro portrait photographers – the lower price point helps, too.
