Nikon shooters are getting a new $690 portrait monster

Image: 7artisans

Earlier this year at CP+, 7artisans showed off a full-frame autofocusing 135mm F1.8 lens. Now, the company is launching it for Nikon's Z mount, and has fully unveiled the specs and price.

The AF 135mm F1.8 (7artisans occasionally adds "Max" to the end of the name, but not consistently) has 16 elements in 13 groups, with six extra-low dispersion lenses and five high refractive index elements. It has a 0.68m (2' 3") minimum focusing distance, and can achieve up to 0.25x magnification. Its aperture has 12 blades, which the company says will provide "naturally circular bokeh" and 12-point starbursts.

Autofocus duties are handled by a stepper motor, and the lens has a switch for going between manual and auto focus. It also has two function function buttons, though it's not entirely clear whether they can be programmed to do different things, or if it's the same function but easy to access whether you're shooting in portrait or landscape. It also has a customizable control ring.

Image: 7artisans

At 1014g (35.8oz), it's relatively hefty, though a touch lighter than Viltrox's AF 135mm F1.8 Lab. Part of that is likely down to its aluminum construction. It's 130mm (5.1") long, and accepts 82mm filters. The company says the mount has a gasket to keep out dust, and that the front element has a coating to repel fingerprints, moisture and oils.

At CP+, the company said the lens would also be coming to L and Sony E mount, and there are references to those versions in recent Instagram posts and product photos. However, at time of writing those don't appear to be available for sale yet. Those versions will have a dedicated aperture ring, rather than the Z mount version's customizable control ring.

The Z mount version of the lens is available now for $690. That's quite an aggressive price point, as Samyang's 135mm F1.8 retails for around $800, with the Viltrox option selling for $100 more.

7artisans AF 135mm F1.8 specifications: