Nikon Telephoto AF DC Nikkor 135mm f/2.0D Autofocus Lens USA

Comments about Nikon Telephoto AF DC Nikkor 135mm f/2.0D Autofocus Lens:

I purchased this lens new from another retailer after reading all the stellar reviews. However, my first copy was never sharp at f/2 even after adjusting AF fine tuning. Images were technically in focus but at f/2 everything was hazy and soft as if the DC ring was set to 2.8 or 4. I kept the lens for a year but finally gave up on it and sold it. I decided to try another copy and was amazed at the difference in the new one. If you have used the 85 f/1.4D you know how beautifully it renders hair as simultaneously silky and sharp. My new copy of the 135 does exactly the same whereas my old copy rendered hair as a muddy, hazy mess at f/2. The new one even works beautifully on my D90 whereas my first copy was unusable at f/2 on the D90. I now see what all the reviewers are saying. I'm glad I gave the lens a second chance. Just beware that not all copies are the same. I never bought into the "this copy is sharper than the last one I tried" talk until I saw it clearly for myself.

Comments about Nikon Telephoto AF DC Nikkor 135mm f/2.0D Autofocus Lens:

I rented this lens over the summer to try at a workshop I was instructing at. All I can say is WOW. Very sharp, great color and contrast. Worked beautifully indoors in a studio setting as well as shooting wide open with available light.

Just waiting for the US version to be back in stock to purchase.

I was not sure that the defocus controls would be necessary after using the lens wide open but in a studio setting, shooting f8 I was able to blur a backdrop that I would have had to manually edit in photoshop. That is a real timesaver and an unexpected benefit.

Comments about Nikon Telephoto AF DC Nikkor 135mm f/2.0D Autofocus Lens:

I'm starting to view this lens as a "one trick pony." If you want a nice wide aperture portrait lens, for some dreamy, moody portraits, this is a fine choice. If you want more versatility, go with the 105 macro. It's sharper at every aperture, and every focusing distance, and still takes terrific portraits. In a digital age, where you can add blur selectively in post processing, the defocus control is more or less useless in my book. The bokeh is nice, but not incredibly better than a constant aperture zoom at f 2.8. Still, it's lightweight, and that counts for something if you're hauling it around all day.

Comments about Nikon Telephoto AF DC Nikkor 135mm f/2.0D Autofocus Lens:

Like everyone else, i read a ton of reviews before trying this lens. I bought this lens for indoor sports. do not be fooled by reviews claiming this lens isn't fast enough with the zoom. not only is this lens crazy fast, it is beyond sharp. i officially retired my AFS 70-200mm from indoor sports shoots. i pair this beauty with either my D300 or D700 @ f2 and i can't miss. if you are thinking of purchasing this lens for shooting volleyball basketball etc... you will not be disappointed. happy shooting.

Comments about Nikon Telephoto AF DC Nikkor 135mm f/2.0D Autofocus Lens:

This is a great prime lens. I wish it had 2 features.

1) Vibration reduction. At 135mm, it can shake in your hand and really needs a tripod - which for portraits in a studio is not a problem.

Thankfully, at F2, you are getting shutter speeds that are fast - so the handshake is irrelevant.

2) Faster Auto-Focus. The newer Nikon glass all have faster auto-focus (the AF-S) and I am spoiled with it.

Comments about Nikon Telephoto AF DC Nikkor 135mm f/2.0D Autofocus Lens:

I've only been out with this Len's a few times, but I'm very pleased so far. Very well balanced on my D700, and a real joy to hold and use. Sharp as a tack! Still playing with the DC feature, but I can see already this is one fine lens for portraits etc. The shots of my 7 year old nephew in and around the pool were very impressive.

Comments about Nikon Telephoto AF DC Nikkor 135mm f/2.0D Autofocus Lens:

I rented this lens to shoot a wedding with recently and I was LOVING the look of the images that I was getting looking at the previews on-screen. I was SO ready to BUY, BUY, BUY!

...until I got home and looked at the images in Lightroom. I used this lens under almost every lighting condition imaginable and at a full spectrum of shutterspeeds and apertures. Everything from F2.0 to F8 1/640 and could NOT get a sharp image!

Everything is SOFT, and I wanted to cry for the bride whose almost entire ceremony was shot with this lens. If they weren't all I had I would consider these images undeliverable, as they do not meet my standards for deliverables. I shoot with a Nikon D700 and have 7 other lenses that deliver tack sharp images.

I absolutely love Nikon gear, but this lens is a DUD.

Comments about Nikon Telephoto AF DC Nikkor 135mm f/2.0D Autofocus Lens:

I use this lens for photographing children and it has served me well in the short time I have owned it. It has the most amazing bokeh and is unlike any other lenses that I have. It focused fast, even with a moving target, (children). I use it with a Nikon D700. I have not used the Defocus feature as of yet, but with the backgrounds that I ma getting with lens, I have not seen the need. I would definitely recommend this lens!

Comments about Nikon Telephoto AF DC Nikkor 135mm f/2.0D Autofocus Lens:

Just had the Nikkor 135mm f2.0 DC lens for a couple of weeks and I'm not disappointed. Tack sharp, great bokeh. Using it for portraits as well as street photography with my D300s. Have yet to really leverage the Defocus Control.

Comments about Nikon Telephoto AF DC Nikkor 135mm f/2.0D Autofocus Lens:

Personally I dislike "zoom" lenses. The uneven compression, the lack of fast glass, yes even at 2.8, and the clarity.

The 135mm 2.0 is not a soft focus lens. It allows you full control of feel of the photo. Read the manual for specific use of the Defocus control. I use this lens for weddings specifically, because where else can you find a 200mm, 2.0 lens (obviously on a DX crop camera), for less than 4,000 dollars, that's compact, and easy to use. You can't.

Diamond in the rough.

To be honest? Nothing is wrong with this lens. Auto focus is lighting fast, clarity is unmatched, the feel is incredible, the list goes on.

Comments about Nikon Telephoto AF DC Nikkor 135mm f/2.0D Autofocus Lens:

Absolutely stunning pictures and beautiful bokeh; I am blown away by the sharpness. The lens is well made, sturdy; not very heavy.

Comments about Nikon Telephoto AF DC Nikkor 135mm f/2.0D Autofocus Lens:

On my D700 is sharp from f2.0 Awesome bokeh, nice skin tones. A must for wedding/portrait photographer.

Comments about Nikon Telephoto AF DC Nikkor 135mm f/2.0D Autofocus Lens:

I write this review with extreme sadness. Today I am sending the SECOND one of these lenses back to B&H, in the same week. I learned of this supposed legendary lens all over the internet. Everyone praises it as one of the sharpest lenses in Nikons line up. Thats why when I ordered the first copy a week ago, I was surprised at how soft and non-sharp the lens was. I did test shots on tripod, in great outdoor light. The lens wasn't even close to as sharp as my 85mm 1.4D or my 50mm 1.4G! Not until f/4-f/8 did it create sharp images. But, who wants this lens for f/4-f/8??

I sent it back, and right away ordered a new one. It came yesterday, and I had the same experience. I wanted to LOVE this lens, but sadly it was nothing as described by others online.

I have to say, if you are lucky to get a cherry picked copy, like the ones you "hear" about, then the bokeh is simply unbeatable. But, who cares how the bokeh looks when the subject is softer than a baby's bottom, and not in sharp-focus.

This lens in my opinion is is a 1:10 lens, or a 1 in 10 lens. 1 out of 10 are so amazing that it has developed a reputation. The other 9 are average joe lenses needing a lot of work.

Comments about Nikon Telephoto AF DC Nikkor 135mm f/2.0D Autofocus Lens:

I have been using 24-70 f2.8 as my to-go lens. But when I saw portrait photos this lens, I was very surprised. It's quite old lens and focusing is not so fast, but that doesn't stop me using this one. it's worth every penny.

Comments about Nikon Telephoto AF DC Nikkor 135mm f/2.0D Autofocus Lens:

I bought this lens to be my primary portrait lens. I love the construction of it. It feels solid and I like the built in hood. Glass was totally clean and the lens looked pristine. From the first shot though, I found focus to be FAST, but terribly unreliable. I could not get eyes sharp. Instead it got the nose sharp--even when I totally locked focus on the EYE. I tried every level of AF Fine Tune on my D700 with no success. It does not focus past 15 feet or so. I want to LOVE this lens. Today I'm shipping it to Melville for testing.

My D700 works flawlessly with 7 other lenses. Tack sharp AF on the 85G. Ditto for 24G, 50G, 70-200 blows me away, 14-24 does too, 105VR sharp, 300 f/4--well, even this is super sharp with no fine tuning when I can hold it steady.

Comments about Nikon Telephoto AF DC Nikkor 135mm f/2.0D Autofocus Lens:

This lens is great for portraits. The bokeh is simply amazing. I have a studio that enables me to use a 135mm fixed lens by being able to get further away from my subject. The subject's proportions look very natural compared to shorter focal length lenses and I think it beats the 85 1.4 lens in creamy bokeh by a hair. That's saying a lot and I wasn't sure if I was really going to "need" this lens or not, but now I couldn't live without it. Buy it and don't look back!

Comments about Nikon Telephoto AF DC Nikkor 135mm f/2.0D Autofocus Lens:

So far I have used the lens both in studio and for portraits outside. The depth of field is great and I had no problems with the lens.

The defocus control can take some tinkering to figure out how to utilize well but once you figure that out it is very effective.

If you are shooting all day portrait shoots, the lens can get a bit heavy after a few hours but it is not sufficiently noticeable that I would put this lens down.

I have had great results and plan to use this lens for a while.

Comments about Nikon Telephoto AF DC Nikkor 135mm f/2.0D Autofocus Lens:

So i'm a somewhat capable photographer who only recently chose to take the plunge and bought the camera i was waiting for (the Nikon D700 for its ability in low light) and started with the 50mm f/1.4 and was really happy with its abilities. Not getting close enough to my subjects seemed to be my biggest complaint. So after reading Ken Rockwell's review (to which i direct you for a thorough eval), i decided to take out this triple advanced lens. It does everything it says on the box, but you have to know what you're doing. I have only begun to understand the bokeh feature of this lens, which is what makes it so special. So far it's been difficult to get just what i want. But with continued experimentation, it's getting better. For someone with more time behind the lens, this is probably your holy grail of portraiture, and the speed is killer for the focal length.

Comments about Nikon Telephoto AF DC Nikkor 135mm f/2.0D Autofocus Lens:

This is a the type of lens that stays in its own class: itself and its younger brother.

I had wanted to get this lens for sometimes. My first one had some small particles and one spot right in the middle of glass and I don't know what that is. It looks like a bubble inside the glass. So I exchanged one. The second one has more dirts inside the glass and it has severe front focusing. I had to send it to Nikon repair. Unfortuanately they said their old lens line is like this when used on newer camera. Lens returned to me still with those dirts inside.

Comments about Nikon Telephoto AF DC Nikkor 135mm f/2.0D Autofocus Lens:

I use this lens most for Portrait/Street Photography, DC feature takes times to master but you can get some good results.