Outstanding wrote:
Truth be told, I never had mediocre 85 or 135 prime, I guess there's something about this focal length which makes it easier for manufacturers to design.
Definitely, especially in the 135mm f/1.8 category, the overall quality is very high across the board, since, in addition to the OEM models from Nikon, Canon, and Sony, there have been various new releases from third-party manufacturers with high optical quality.
So if you’re just looking for the classic look of a 135/1.8 and high sharpness even at wide-open apertures, you don’t need the Plena.
What really sets the Plena apart here—aside from the fact that it has the fewest weaknesses when you consider all its characteristics as a whole—is its incomparably low optical vignetting; in other words, even wide open, there’s hardly any “cat’s eye” effect all the way to the edges.
As a side effect, the light falloff at the edges is also remarkably low, but the most decisive unique selling point is the unrivaled, minimal optical vignetting even at wide-open aperture and its effect on the bokeh in the peripheral areas around highlights.
If that doesn't matter, then the Plena naturally loses one of it's strongest arguments to justify its premium price compared to third-party solutions that cost not much more than one-third of the price.
That’s why I’m a bit surprised by the choice of the AF-S 105/1.4 here, since in terms of optical vignetting it’s practically the polar opposite of the Plena—it’s a lens with massive, above-average optical vignetting, cat’s eyes/swirly bokeh.
Of course, that doesn’t change the fact that it’s a wonderful lens, and tastes in this area vary.
Aug 21, 2026 at 03:46 PM
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