Zeiss continues to stun with the rate at which they pump out near-perfect glass, this time with the introduction of the Batis 135mm f/2.8 lens for full-frame Sony E-mount cameras. Before jumping into our hands-on impressions, let me run through the core features and specs of this new lens. It is a relatively compact telephoto lens with an f/2.8 maximum aperture, an apochromatic Sonnar design, fast autofocus, and built-in optical stabilization. In addition, it is weather sealed and designed to match the construction and considerations of Sony’s full-frame mirrorless system—being compact, yet extremely high performing.
One might wonder why Zeiss didn’t choose to go with a faster aperture, along the lines of the company’s Milvus 135mm. This was to create a lens that balances and handles naturally with the sleeker mirrorless bodies. The lens is a near-ideal match for the a7-series cameras, and I appreciated the comfortable operation and a lighter bag much more than having that extra stop. The lens also has a smooth rubber focusing ring and, as with the other Batis lenses, an OLED screen for focus distance and depth of field. One foible I must mention is Sony and Zeiss’s co-implementation of a notorious focus-by-wire system. Compared to the manual focus Loxia line or even Sony’s latest G Master lenses, the finicky manual focusing of this lens is disappointing, especially with everything else feeling extremely good.
Photographs © Shawn Steiner
The lens feels great when you pick it up, but it really impresses once you see how sharp it can be, even wide open. As you can see from the samples, the f/2.8 aperture isn’t really a limitation. Thise lens captures smooth bokeh and extremely shallow depth of field when wide open. And, thanks to the apochromatic design, I never had a single instance of chromatic aberration during my tests. These features are what distinguish Zeiss’s Batis 135mm from the rest of the pack, especially since it has practically no distortion and is an extremely flattering focal length for portraits, making it an easy choice for users looking for their new go-to headshot lens.
Optically, I would say this is one of the best lenses for the Sony E-mount system. The optical construction features 14 elements in 11 groups and it can focus as close as 2.9'. This minimum focus distance is about what I would expect from such a focal length, but it still lets you get close enough to capture detail shots or to isolate just the head of your subject. Flare is a non-issue, thanks to the renowned T* coating and included lens hood.
Add in the fact that it has fast, responsive autofocus and support for Sony’s Eye AF feature, and you have an extremely capable lens. On top of this, the Batis 135mm features optical stabilization, making it just the second Zeiss lens to do so—quite helpful when shooting handheld. It is threaded for 67mm filters, matching the Batis 25mm and 85mm. If you want a compact telephoto portrait lens for your mirrorless Sony camera, this one is going to be tough to beat, especially if you want autofocus and stabilization.
