Sony Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* 135mm F1.8 ZA (SAL135F18Z) vs Sony Minolta/Sony AF 500mm F8 Reflex
Side-by-side comparison from our catalogue data. Better values are highlighted only where a clear difference exists.
Verdict at a glance
- Sony Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* 135mm F1.8 ZA (SAL135F18Z) is faster by 16.2 stops (f/1.8 vs f/500.0), letting in more light.
- Sony Minolta/Sony AF 500mm F8 Reflex is lighter by 385g.
- Sony Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* 135mm F1.8 ZA (SAL135F18Z) goes wider (135mm vs 500mm).
- Sony Minolta/Sony AF 500mm F8 Reflex reaches further (500mm vs 135mm).
| Spec | Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* 135mm F1.8 ZA (SAL135F18Z) | Minolta/Sony AF 500mm F8 Reflex |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Sony | Sony |
| Mount | Sony A | Sony A |
| Type | Prime | Prime |
| Focal length | 135mm (wider) | 500mm |
| Max aperture | f/1.8 (faster) | f/500.0 |
| Released | 2006 | n/a |
| Blades | 9 | n/a |
| Format | full-frame | full-frame |
| Groups | 9 | 5 |
| Af motor | screw-drive | screw-drive |
| Elements | 11 | 7 |
| Weight g | 1050 | 665 (lighter) |
| Filter mm | 77 | 82 |
| Length mm | 115.0 | 118.0 |
| Min focus m | 0.72 (closer focusing) | 4.0 |
| Max magnification | 0.25 | 0.13 |
Sony Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* 135mm F1.8 ZA (SAL135F18Z)
A Zeiss 135mm f/1.8 telephoto for A-mount, widely admired for portrait rendering. It uses body-driven screw-drive autofocus and is built heavy at about 1,050 g.
Pros
- Bright f/1.8 aperture at 135mm
- Famous for smooth, natural rendering
- Min focus 0.72 m
- Full-frame coverage
Cons
- Heavy at about 1,050 g
- Screw-drive AF is not as fast as SSM
- Slow to refocus in low light
Sony Minolta/Sony AF 500mm F8 Reflex
A compact mirror lens for A-mount with a fixed f/8 aperture and screw-drive autofocus. It weighs about 665 g and uses an 82mm filter.
Pros
- Very compact for 500mm
- Autofocus on A-mount
- Light at about 665 g
- Much lighter than conventional 500mm lenses
Cons
- Fixed f/8 aperture
- Donut-shaped out-of-focus highlights
- Minimum focus 4.0 m
More comparisons for Sony Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* 135mm F1.8 ZA (SAL135F18Z)
- Sony Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* 135mm F1.8 ZA (SAL135F18Z) vs Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art
- Sony Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* 135mm F1.8 ZA (SAL135F18Z) vs Rokinon 135mm f/2.0 ED UMC
- Sony Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* 135mm F1.8 ZA (SAL135F18Z) vs Samyang 135mm f/2.0 ED UMC
- Sony Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* 135mm F1.8 ZA (SAL135F18Z) vs Zeiss Apo Sonnar T* 135mm f/2 ZE