Most people look at this as just a portrait lens, and yes most times it is too long for full body shots. But there are so many uses for a lens like this. For example, shooting a live band in a night club, small to medium indoor sports like table tennis, snooker. A friend of mine ordered one for wild life, using it at APSC crop mode, then it becomes a great 200mm lens. You will be surprised at image quality in crop mode using the Z9 or Z8. There are so many uses for a lens like this so I ordered mine. Hopefully it won’t disappoint me.
My Plena and I have been taking a few hundred photographs since last Thursday (12/10/2023) and I did use it in a DX mode a few times, the Plena definitely made birds look much, much more beautiful. I also used it to take a few Macro shots in a low light and the images look pretty impressive. From what it can do, this is a cheap lens ✌️
So many interesting observations but… IMO this RU-vid is at least 3x youtubes in one (pro perspective on lenses, Nikon flash + bounce insight, ND filter pro advice, and a bit of a 135mm perspective (not even review)). Lots of highly informed and pragmatic advice, but buried in one long video with a narrow title (135mm review). Great material deserves more, smaller, focused videos!
Great informative video, especially about the ND filters and video. Thank you for mentioning the darkening values as I myself need to spend more time producing video as well. I'm liking the 135mm but I need to see the work flow that begs for this lens consistently. I shoot 95% of a wedding with a 24-120mm as this range handles everything and a 2nd camera is basically dead weight. My solution for the 135mm is to force myself to work with it after buying it to find it's purpose for me by going out only with this lens limiting my options. Say for instance flower photography which I usually use a Tamron 90mm macro 2.8 (handy for the bugs)
I would advise against buying an expensive lens and then trying to find a place for it, if you don`t already really need it as a must have, try instead spending on something you know you will use regularly before purchasing. If you own a FTZ adapter, consider the Sigma 135mm F1.8 F mount second hand on ebay at 30% of the cost of the Plena, and have 90% of the result.
@@MarkHummerNikonZ9 I’m kind of doubting that since it looks like manufacturers are either picking 105 or 135, and not both except for maybe sigma. With Nikon doing either 1.2 or 1.8 lenses I can’t imagine the cost for a 105 f1.2 and I can’t imagine them making a 1.8 version when they sell an f1.4 in f mount unless it’s meant to be lower cost.
Why do you call them elitist lenses. So is it because they're expensive or well made or top quality does that make them elitist? Manny photographer shoot primes because they're much more clean and accurate than those images taken with a zoom. I would imagine that you don't own the plena?
What I said was that I have owned and do own many Primes Nikon and Sigma . I owned the Nikon 50mm F1.2S lens but found other better value for money options. And traded it in for those. After all it even has a name. (Plena), just like the (Noct) 58mm F0.95. And that was after giving the lens multiple compliments on its build, bokeh and rendition. I have owned the Sigma 135mm F1.8 Art prime and at half the price I was suggesting some of you could be overspending unnecessarily. So please a little context would be appreciated. I never suggested anyone was stupid for buying a quality Prime as I have purchased many high-end lenses myself.
@@MarkHummerNikonZ9 Thanks Mark. Many of us get sensitive because the Sony and Canon shooters will even stating that Nikon was in such financial disarray that the company might go bankrupt. Obviously Nikon builds scientific equipment so cameras is not even its primary form of revenue. These comments actually annoyed many of us long time Nikon fans. I own the 51.2 the 85 1.2 and just purchased the Plena. You came up in my recommendations so I started watching your video and it just seemed that your choice of words by calling many of these lenses elitists was a little offensive since just because they're expensive and well made doesn't actually make them elitist. I do enjoy your channel and will continue watching apologies if I became a little oversensitive but the Nikon bashing went on for many years which left a very bad taste in many of us loyal Nikon fans.
