7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 Review: A $650 Telephoto That's Hard to Argue With

The 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 is a fast telephoto prime available for Nikon Z, Sony E, and L mount systems at around $650. At that price, a lens with this spec sheet raises an obvious question: what's the catch?

Coming to you from Andrei Dima, this detailed real-world review puts the 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 through its paces across several cities in Spain, including Seville, Granada, and Oviedo. Dima shot everything in the video with this lens, so what you're seeing is a genuine field test, not a controlled lab comparison. Build quality is one of the first things he addresses, and the news is good: the body is all metal, the focus ring is smooth and well-damped, and the lens includes weather-sealing with a rubber gasket at the mount. There's also a USB-C port for firmware updates and an anti-smudge coating on the front element, which are features you don't typically see at this price point.

On autofocus, Dima reports the STM motor is fast and silent in both single and continuous modes, with only two missed shots during his entire trip, both in very low light. For video, the autofocus stays smooth and precise, and focus breathing is minimal. He used the lens extensively at a flamenco show in Seville, where the combination of low light and moving subjects pushed it hard. The footage he shares makes a strong case for this lens as a serious option for indoor and performance shooting.

Where things get really interesting is the optical performance. Wide open at f/1.8, the center is sharp with solid contrast, and the corners hold up better than you might expect at this aperture. Stopping down to f/2.8 tightens everything up noticeably, and Dima describes the results as impressive corner to corner. Chromatic aberration and purple fringing were essentially non-issues on his Nikon Zf, though he notes a higher megapixel sensor might tell a slightly different story. Flare control is surprisingly good for the price. The bokeh transition from sharp to soft is smooth without harsh edges, and at f/11, you get clean sun stars. The minimum focus distance of 68 cm is close enough to open up some near-macro style shooting, and Dima walks through exactly what that looks like in practice. The color rendering has a subtle vintage character that works especially well for street and travel work.

Check out the video above for the full breakdown, including the close-focus image quality samples and Dima's final verdict on whether this lens earns a genuine recommendation.