SONY Sonnar T＊ 135mm F1.8 ZA
Sony/Minolta α mount, large aperture, medium telephoto lens
A review and photo examples of the Sonar T* 135mm F1.8 ZA.
Table of contents
Gallery
- The example photo was taken using a SONY A900
Review
1．Overview
The Sonnar T* 135mm F1.8ZA is a large-aperture medium telephoto lens released by Sony under the Zeiss brand in 2006.
With a focal length of 135mm and a specification of F1.8, it is one of the brightest AF 135mm lenses for SLR cameras. A manual focus lens is available from Chinese manufacturer Zhongyi Optics, the 135mm F1.4.
As it is an α-mount lens, there is only a focus ring on the lens barrel and the aperture is controlled from the camera. It uses inner focus, so the lens length does not change regardless of the focus position.
The lens construction is modern and complex, using two ED lenses.
The Sonnar T* 135mm lens motor is a general specification that uses the driving force of the camera side, and does not use SSM (Ultrasonic Motor) / SAM (Smooth AF Motor) that has a motor on the lens side, so like the Planar T* 85mm ZA and older A (α) mount lenses, there are some restrictions when using it with Sony α mirrorless cameras and Sony genuine mount adapters.
When using this lens with autofocus, you need to use LA-EA4 with older E-mount cameras, and LA-EA5 with newer cameras such as α7R IV, α7 IV, α1, α6600 and later.
Sony Lens Compatibility Information
After selecting the body to be used, select the lens to be used, and the site will display what restrictions there are for that combination.
However, this site is very difficult to understand. It clearly states that autofocus is not supported, but does not clearly state that autofocus is supported, and it seems that it is supported unless it says that it is not supported.
| Sensor size | AF support E mount camera | Supports image plane phase detection AF with SSM/SAM lenses | Supports focal plane phase detection AF with lenses without motors (SSM/SAM) | |
| LA-EA1 | APS-C | × | × | × |
| LA-EA2 * | APS-C | ○ | × | × |
| LA-EA3 | 35mm Full frame | SSM/SAM lens | × | × |
| LA-EA4 * | 35mm Full frame | ○ | × | × |
| LA-EA5 | 35mm Full frame | SSM/SAM lens | α7 II、α7R II、α6300、α6500、α7 III、α7R III、α7R IV、α6100、α6400、α6600、α9、α9 II、α7S III、α7C | α7RⅣ、α7Ⅳ、α1、α6600 |
2．Usage
The Sonnar T* 135mm F1.8ZA is a Sony A-mount lens, so when used with an A-mount camera, autofocus (AF) is possible, and when used with the α900, I was satisfied with the AF focusing speed and accuracy.
The lens is large and heavy, and when used with the α900 digital SLR camera, it weighs nearly 2kg. However, the bokeh produced by the maximum aperture of F1.8 is very beautiful, so it was a shooting system that I wanted to take out and use even though it was heavy.
Since the aperture and focus of A (α) mount lenses are driven by a motor on the body, it is many times more troublesome than a normal mount adapter, which requires a motor to be mounted on the adapter side and controlled from the camera side like with a genuine adapter, so there are not many companies that make full-spec mount adapters for A (α) mount lenses, and there are not many used lenses. Since there is little use with other companies’ cameras, there is not much demand for used lenses, and this lens can be purchased cheaply. It is a lens that I would like to use again with the α900 and α99-II.
3．Summary
In conclusion, to sum up the Sonnar T* 135mm F1.8ZA, the existence of a bright 135mm that can use autofocus is valuable. Because it is a large lens, it is not very portable, but its image quality is sharp even at wide open aperture, and the resolution of the entire screen is also excellent.
If you can get over the initial hurdle of carrying this large body, it is a perfect lens for practicing the delicate focal length of 135mm.
Specification and Competitor
Zeiss seems to like 135mm, and released the 135mm F4 and 135mm F3.5 for rangefinders in the past, the Contax brand 135mm F2 and 135mm F2.8, and Cosina Zeiss Apo-Sonnar 135mm F2 1.
Sony Zeiss’ 135mm for FE mount is released under the Batis brand, and the maximum aperture is limited to F2.8, probably because compactness was prioritized.
As I wrote in Leica’s ELMARIT 135mm F2.8, 135mm is an unfortunate focal length that has been swallowed up by the wave of zoom lenses.
Japanese manufacturers also place importance on brightness in zoom lenses, and even for focal lengths including 135mm, the maximum aperture of F2.8 is standard.
Due to the evolution of digital camera sensors, noise reduction in the high ISO range and the inclusion of image stabilization, the existence of single-focus medium telephoto high-speed lenses has decreased. In this situation, it is the trend of the times that some lenses will be eliminated.
SIGMA, a manufacturer that loves prime lenses, released the Art 135mm F1.8 with the same specifications as this lens in 2017, and it is admirable that they have the courage to bring the latest technology to this unpopular category.
| Items | SONY Sonnar 135mm | Zeiss Apo-Sonnar 135mm |
| Focal length(mm) | 135 | 135 |
| Max aperture | 1.8 | 2 |
| Min aperture | 22 | 22 |
| Leaf blade | 9 | 9 |
| Lens Construction | 11elements in 8groups | 11elements in 8groups |
| Min distance(m) | 0.72 | 0.8 |
| Lens length(mm) | 114.5 | 107.8 |
| Max diameter(mm) | 88 | 84 |
| Filter Size(mm) | 77 | 77 |
| Weight(g) | 995 | 930 |
| Model number | SAL135F18Z | – |
| Release date | 2006.10.27 | 2013.7.25 |
| Price(Yen/No-tax) | 200,000- | 200,000- |
Reference links
Update history
- 2025.5.14
- 2024.10.7
- 2024.04.10:update
- 2023.10.07:First draft
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