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Preview data: all rankings, scores, votes, refresh labels, methodology, testing and editorial-process statements in Top 49 are illustrative demo content, not live measurements or documented reviews.
Rank 021Down 1Editor’s pick
#2 in Portrait Lenses
of 14 ranked entries
Nikon Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena
Nikon · Z-mount prime
Nikon built this specifically to chase apochromatic correction and genuinely round bokeh at the edges of the frame, and the result is arguably the best portrait lens available on any mount right now. Recorded specifics: price 2499, max aperture f/1.8, weight 995 g. Panel highlighted bokeh stays round to the very edge of the frame, unusual at this focal length and apochromatic design controls colour fringing exceptionally well. The reservation on record is nearly 1kg makes it a deliberate carry, not a grab-and-go lens.
PortraitPrimeBokeh king
Score breakdown
How Nikon Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena earned 94.2
Each criterion is scored independently, then combined using the weights published on Portrait Lenses.
- Optical sharpness wide openweight 30%
- 91.9
- Bokeh renderingweight 25%
- 93.4
- Autofocus speed & accuracyweight 25%
- 95.5
- Value at street priceweight 20%
- 96.9
On the record
Recorded detail
| Price | $2,499 |
|---|---|
| Max aperture | f/1.8 |
| Weight | 995 g |
| Rating | 9.3 |
Panel verdict
Strengths and reservations
What it gets right
- Bokeh stays round to the very edge of the frame, unusual at this focal length
- Apochromatic design controls colour fringing exceptionally well
Where it gives ground
- Nearly 1kg makes it a deliberate carry, not a grab-and-go lens
1 appearance
Where this entry ranks
From the same list
Ranked alongside it
Rank 01Editor’s pickSony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM II
Sony · E-mount prime
Sony shaved 30% of the weight off the original GM while improving corner sharpness wide open, which is the rare lens refresh that improves everything and compromises nothing.
96.6/100 Top 49 score2Up 2
Rank 03Editor’s pickCanon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM
Canon · RF-mount prime
Canon’s heaviest 85mm by a real margin, and the tradeoff buys genuinely creamy background separation that the f/1.4 competitors in this list do not quite match.
92.6/100 Top 49 score2Down 2
Rank 04Sony FE 135mm f/1.8 GM
Sony · E-mount prime
The focal length wedding photographers reach for specifically to compress a background into something unrecognisable, with autofocus fast enough to track a walking subject reliably.
90.2/100 Top 49 score2Up 2
Rank 05Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 S
Nikon · Z-mount prime
Nikon’s answer to Canon’s f/1.2, and the S-Line coating control over flare is the detail that shows up specifically when shooting into venue lighting at a wedding.
88.2/100 Top 49 scoreNewNew entry
Rank 06Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art
Sigma · L-mount / E-mount prime
Roughly 60% of the price of the first-party equivalents with sharpness that holds its own in a blind comparison — the Art line’s autofocus motor is the one place it still trails the majors.
86.2/100 Top 49 score1Up 1
Rank 07Canon RF 135mm f/1.8L
Canon · RF-mount prime
Canon’s late entry into this focal length was worth the wait — the L-series coating and weather sealing bring genuine reliability to outdoor portrait and event work.
84.2/100 Top 49 score1Up 1
Rank 08Sony FE 50mm f/1.2 GM
Sony · E-mount prime
A 50mm fast enough to isolate a subject nearly as aggressively as an 85mm, for photographers who want the wider framing without giving up background separation.
83.1/100 Top 49 score—No change
Rank 09Fujifilm XF 56mm f/1.2 R WR
Fujifilm · X-mount prime
The APS-C portrait standard, equivalent to roughly 85mm on full frame, finally weather-sealed in this revision after years of the original going unprotected.
80.8/100 Top 49 score2Up 2
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Top 49 rankings are editorial. Scores are produced from the published criteria on each list and are refreshed on the cadence stated there. Figures shown across this section are curated demonstration data.