Sony has just announced the brand new full-frame 135mm F1.8 G Master prime lens (SEL135F18GM).
The 135mm focal length is much loved for portrait, especially at large apertures for shallow depth of field and creamy bokeh.
As a G Master lens, you can expect the highest image and build quality. It will be on the wish list of many portrait, wedding & sports photographers & videographers.
The lens is made from 13 elements in 10 groups, including XA (extreme aspherical) and Super ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements to minimise all common telephoto lens aberrations, chromatic aberration and colour fringing. The Nano AR Coating has also been used to reduce flar and ghosting.
One of the main reasons to use the 135mm focal length is to get plenty of creamy bokeh. Sony has used the XA element with an 11-bladed circular aperture to achieve pleasing bokeh. It has a minimum focus distance of just 0.7 meters for a maximum magnification of 0.25x.
On the lens, there is a focus range limiter switch for Full, 0.7-2m & 1.5-∞. The usual MF/AF toggle switch and two custom buttons also found on other Sony lenses. There is also an aperture ring.
For video, the lens will also be a nice performer, with four XD linear motors for fast AF, low-vibration & smooth AF tracking so it should pair nicely with any of the Sony alpha, FS5/FS7 or even the Venice as it covers full frame.
At only 950grams, the lens is lighter than Sigma’s 135mm F1.8 ART & 300g heavier than the Zeiss Batis 135mm F2.8 (614g). The Zeiss is only a F2.8 lens though. It has an 82mm front filter thread.
The Sony FE 135mm F/1.8 GM lens will be available to pre-order from the 28th Feb at $1,898 USD. This price is expected for a GM lens. As a comparison, the Sigma 135mm ART costs $1,399 and the Zeiss Batis 135mm at $1,699.
Wireless Remote Commander
Sony also introduced a new remote control that uses Bluetooth. It has a simple design and is dust & moisture resistant. It can be used for both stills & video modes.
It also includes Start/Stop movie recording and control over power-zoom or digital-zoom functionality, making it the ideal accessory for remote movie shooting. For photographers that prefer to shoot on ‘Bulb’ exposure mode, the remote commander can be set to open and close the shutter with respective clicks of the main button, eliminating the need to press and hold the button throughout exposure time.
The RMT-P1BT is compatible with the Sony a9, a7R III, a7 III and a6400. It will retail for $79.99 USD.
