Melville, NY—The Nikon Nikkor Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena is a unique, mid-telephoto prime lens for Nikon Z mirrorless cameras. The company engineered the Nikon Plena S line portrait lens to bestow ultrahigh resolution, edge-to-edge brightness, sharpness and dramatic bokeh.
The name “Plena” is derived from the Latin term plenum. It denotes the state of a space being completely full. The name was chosen to reflect the lens’s ability to “fulfill a photographer’s creative vision with superior light-gathering capability as well as well-rounded bokeh.” Like the Nikkor Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct, the new portrait prime is only the second Nikon lens to be granted a dedicated name. Nikon hopes it will be highly regarded by users for many years to come.
“The Plena is a beautiful lens in every way. From the premium metal exterior to the brightness and image rendering that’s nothing short of breathtaking, this is a lens that needs to be experienced,” said Jay Vannatter, executive vice president, Nikon Inc. “This is exactly the kind of incredible optical innovation that our engineers promised was in our future. It could only be developed with the wider diameter and shorter flange distance of the next generation Z mount.”
The Nikkor Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena is part of Nikon’s S line. Further, it takes advantage of the Z system’s large-diameter mount. The sharpness and clarity of S line lenses aids in rendering the fine textures in hair and skin tones. It also provides enhanced point-light reproduction capabilities for night and urban landscape imagery.
Nikon Plena S Line Portrait Lens Features
This special optic is engineered with a focus on superior peripheral illumination—the ability to deliver the maximum amount of light to the far edges of the frame. “The result is abundant brightness from edge to edge, with clear, bright subject distinction throughout,” the company stated. Moreover, the combination of brightness, bokeh quality and sharpness makes for images with a pop of three-dimensionality.
In addition to enhanced brightness, the optical formula and larger rear element helps to realize well-rounded bokeh throughout the frame, even at maximum aperture. Furthermore, Nikon engineers designed the lens to achieve outstanding sharpness and clarity, regardless of the shooting distance. This includes its close minimum focusing distance of 2.7 feet. The goal here was to enable a “fantastic dreamlike expression that combines delicate textures and beautiful bokeh in portraits, landscapes and more.”
What’s more, the large amount of peripheral light at the lens’s fast f/1.8 maximum aperture helps ensure a consistently bright image to the extreme corners of the frame, for a sense of transparency. An 11-blade diaphragm also contributes to artistic circular bokeh for dreamlike expression to accentuate the three-dimensionality of the subject with smooth gradation.
The Build
Moreover, its optical construction consists of 16 elements in 14 groups. It utilizes four extra-low dispersion elements (ED), one aspherical element and one SR lens element. The SR (short-wavelength refractive) lens is made of extra-high dispersion glass that helps correct chromatic aberration. 
Further, the lens’s Meso Amorphous coat is the most effective antireflection coating in Nikon history. It is said to prevent reflections regardless of the direction from which light enters the lens. Nikon’s original Arneo coat is also used to reduce ghosting and flaring.
Furthermore, the lens’s exterior finish is intended to match its optical performance. Along with the adoption of metal components, the lens features an engraved “Plena” logo like the cursive font and yellow color of the Noct logo.
The lens also features a multi-focusing system. The AF system uses stepping motors (STMs) for fast, accurate and quiet autofocus for both still images and video. What’s more, the body incorporates two Fn buttons for assigning a variety of functions. One is positioned on the top of the lens for adjusting settings even when shooting in vertical orientation.
Additional features include a weather-sealed body; an 82mm filter attachment size; and dimensions of 3.9×5.5 inches. Further, the lens weighs in at 2.2 pounds.
Nikon’s Nikkor Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena lens has a suggested retail price of $2,499.95.
