Amateur Photographer – 13 July 2019

With its 70cm minimum focus
and large aperture, the 135mm
is great for close-ups
Sony Alpha 7 II, 1/2000sec at f/2, ISO 100

Autofocus is fast,

silent and accurate

Sony Alpha 7R III,

1/3200sec at f/1.8, ISO 100

steps, alongside an A position that

passes control to the camera’s

electronic dials. A large switch under the

barrel de-clicks the ring for movie shooting.

Filters can be attached to an 82mm thread,

and a robust, rubber-tipped plastic lens hood

is supplied in the box.

Sony is promising fast, precise and quiet

autofocus, thanks to the use of four XD Linear

motors which work in pairs driving two focus

groups. This enables a floating focus design

to ensure high image quality across the full

distance range, while minimising ‘breathing’

during movie shooting. The minimum focus

is a class-leading 0.7m, which affords 0.25x

magnification for close-up shooting. Two AF

stop buttons are arranged at 90° around the

barrel for landscape- and portrait-format

shooting. A focus limiter switch is included, with

three positions covering 1.5m to infinity, 0.7m

to 2m, and the full focus distance range.

Build and handling

Sony has developed a reputation for building

sizable lenses that stand in contrast to its

compact Alpha 7-series bodies, and the

135mm f/1.8 is no exception. Indeed at 90mm

in diameter and 127mm in length, it’s larger

than the firm’s equivalent lens for its Alpha-

mount DSLRs. On the other hand it’s slightly

shorter than Sigma’s E-mount alternative, and

the Mg-alloy construction means it’s not as

heavy, either. But at 950g, it’s still absolutely

no lightweight.

As a result, this isn’t a lens you can just throw

in a bag and carry around without noticing. It’s

also, even more than usual, one that you’ll

primarily hold by supporting its weight with

your left hand. However it handles reasonably

well on the Alpha 7-series bodies I used for

testing, with the aperture ring perfectly placed

for operation by your thumb and second finger.

If you need to focus manually, then a slight

stretch forward with your forefinger is all that’s

needed to locate the focus ring.

As with the rest of Sony’s GM range, build

quality is excellent, with a robust-feeling barrel

that should easily withstand everyday use.

The aperture ring has a well-judged feel, with

click-stops that are firm enough to stay put but

don’t require excess force to change. My only

real criticism is that the focus mode and limiter

switches are both a bit too stiff, with the latter

being especially difficult to set to its central

portrait-photography position (0.7–2m).

Autofocus

One of the biggest advantages of mirrorless

cameras over DSLRs becomes apparent when

shooting with this kind of fast prime. On-sensor

hybrid AF means the camera can focus quickly

and perfectly accurately regardless of where

your subject is in the frame, aided by Sony’s

advanced technologies such as Eye AF and

real-time tracking. With an SLR, in contrast,

getting accurate AF with a 135mm f/1.8 prime

would almost certainly require the painful

process of configuring AF micro-adjustment,

which still might not give consistent results,

especially with off-centre focus points.

Used on third-generation bodies such as the

Alpha 7R III, I found the lens focused quickly,

‘The lens focuses quickly,

silently and accurately’