NIKKOR Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena

Reviewers place it at or near the top of the 135mm class. It is extremely sharp from f/1.8 across the frame, LoCA is close to zero, and the bokeh is described as the cleanest of any current portrait lens, with highlights staying circular almost to the edges and no onion-ring texture.

Autofocus is fast, quiet and accurate for portraits and events, and flare resistance is excellent. The reservations are the weight, the price, the lack of VR (relying on IBIS), and that 0.82m minimum focus gives a modest 0.2x magnification.

Owners talk about it the way people talk about a signature lens: images that look different from other 135s, especially in busy backgrounds and backlit scenes. Portrait and wedding photographers report a high keeper rate at f/1.8.

The complaints are about carrying it all day and the cost. A few note it is front-heavy on smaller Z bodies and that the long hood adds bulk in a bag.