Sony Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* 135mm F1.8 ZA (SAL135F18Z) vs Samyang 135mm f/2.0 ED UMC

Side-by-side comparison from our catalogue data. Better values are highlighted only where a clear difference exists.

Sony

Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* 135mm F1.8 ZA (SAL135F18Z)

Samyang

135mm f/2.0 ED UMC

Verdict at a glance

Sony Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* 135mm F1.8 ZA (SAL135F18Z) is faster by 0.3 stops (f/1.8 vs f/2.0), letting in more light.

Specification comparison
Spec	Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* 135mm F1.8 ZA (SAL135F18Z)	135mm f/2.0 ED UMC
Brand	Sony	Samyang
Mount	Sony A	Sony A
Type	Prime	Telephoto
Focal length	135mm	135mm
Max aperture	f/1.8 (faster)	f/2.0
Released	2006	n/a
Blades	9	n/a
Format	full-frame	n/a
Groups	9	n/a
Af motor	screw-drive	n/a
Elements	11	n/a
Weight g	1050	n/a
Filter mm	77	n/a
Length mm	115.0	n/a
Min focus m	0.72	n/a
Max magnification	0.25	n/a

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

Samyang 135mm f/2.0 ED UMC

Samyang 135mm f/2.0 ED UMC: a fast short-telephoto prime lens with a 135mm focal length and a maximum aperture of f/2.0, made for Sony A mount cameras, with extra-low dispersion glass. The focal length is a classic choice for portraits and details.

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