If you want the best optical quality for portraiture, especially animal portraiture, the Plena comes highly recommended.
These areNikons best lensesfor those with an eye for detail.
The Plena is a more tantalizing prospect than the Noct for a number of reasons.
(Image credit: Future)
This is also an autofocus lens, whereas the Noct is manual-focus only.
Using the Z6 IIs Flexi Spot AF mode proved consistently quicker.
Theres a reasonable balance to the lens I wouldnt call it front-heavy.
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It weighs 35oz / 995g, so you wont need much muscle to handhold the Plena for long periods.
I personally dont mind cats eye bokeh; its all down to taste really.
Nonetheless, at f/1.8 youll struggle to find better optical quality.
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Stop the aperture down and youll see those aperture blades close in on each other.
With its mid-telephoto focal length and dreamy bokeh, the Plena could potentially be an excellent close-up photography lens.
Nikon calls the Plena lens “perfect”, which is a bold statement.
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Put simply, the Plena is also the sharpest Z-mount lens available, bar none.
I can get both sharp detail and focus fall-off that add a real mood to detail-rich vistas.
Optically, the Plena is indeed virtually flawless.
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Should I buy the Nikon Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena lens?
Perfection has never been so close.
The Plena is advertised as a portrait lens, but any lens is only limited as you make it.
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
Portrait GIF demonstrating the change in bokeh as you stop down from f/1.8 to f/4 with the Nikon Plena lens
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
