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REVIEW: 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 MAX

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Introduction

We have recently seen a few 135mm f/1.8 lenses from various manufacturers. Once considered exotic and rare, this focal length and aperture combination has become increasingly popular thanks to its ability to produce tight portraits, fashion images, and excellent subject separation.

About a month ago, 7Artisans joined the group with its own version in Nikon Z mount, the most affordable of them all. Now, it has also been released for Sony FE and L-mount. Let’s take a closer look.

camera-icon2I tested this lens on a 33 Mp  Sony a7C II.
You can see this review as a YouTube video here!
Sample images in high resolution here.

Sample Images

Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/2.5

Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/5.6
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8

Most of the sample images in this review and many more can be found in higher resolution here.

Specifications

Focal Length 135mm
Angle of View 18.4°
# of Aperture Blades 12
Max Aperture f/1.8
Min Aperture f/16
Min Focus Distance 0.68 m
Filter Size 82mm
Lens Mount Sony E | Nikon Z | L-mount
Weight 1014 g
Size (D x L)
Elements/Group 16/ 13


Buy new: 7Artisans’ store, Amazon (anywhere), B&H  for $689 (Affiliate links)

Disclosure

7Artisans kindly provided this lens for test and review purposes.

Handling and Build Quality

The 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8, with its all-metal construction, feels solid but is relatively large and heavy at just over 1 kg, especially when mounted on a compact Sony A7C series camera.

The mount features a sealing gasket to help keep out dust, as well as a USB-C port. The front element has a coating that repels fingerprints, moisture, and oil.

The aperture ring on the Sony version is clicked in one-third-stop increments and includes an “A” position for automatic aperture control from the camera. However, the clicks are quite light, and there is no option to declick the ring. On the Nikon Z version, the ring is declicked with no option to make it click. One small oddity is that the spacing between f/1.8 and f/2 is much larger than between the other one-third-stop detents—almost as large as a full stop. The rotation also has a dry, draggy feel.

The click between the f/16 and “A” positions is just as light as the other detents, with no barrier or locking mechanism. As a result, it is too easy to accidentally move the aperture ring out of the “A” position. This happened to me several times, both while using the lens and when putting it into or taking it out of my camera bag.

There is another small quirk related to the aperture. It is not a fault, but I noticed that the aperture mechanism operates somewhat harshly. Each time the aperture is changed, either with the aperture ring or from the camera, the movement of the aperture blades is clearly audible in quiet environments.

There are two function buttons (Fn1 and Fn2) on the top and left side of the lens and a AF-MF switch.

Lastly, the manual focus ring is large enough, with smooth rotation and good damping. I could not detect any lag between turning the ring and the actual change in focus.

The autofocus speed is average and accompanied by a faint whirring sound. It can occasionally hesitate before locking focus, but it eventually does. For a lens with such a long focal length, a focus limiter would have been a welcome addition, as it is found on most competitors, such as the Sony GM, Viltrox, and Samyang. The Nikon 135mm Plena does not have a focus limiter either, but its dual-motor autofocus system makes focus acquisition noticeably more confident.

In the box are the usual front and rear caps, along with a basic lens hood. The hood attaches securely to the lens, but there is no locking mechanism or distinct click when it is mounted. At the moment, there is no risk of accidentally losing it, but in five or six years, as the friction wears down, the hood may become easier to rotate. Only time will tell.

Optical Features

MTF

Sharpness (Infinity)

For the infinity sharpness test, we’ll look at three areas of the image — center, mid-frame, and corner — as highlighted below. Focus was set on the center of the image!

Infinity Sharpness Points of Inspection
Infinity sharpness | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8

I focused on the center of the image.

The wide-open performance and f/1.8 is very good; the center is excellent. The midframe is very good and the corners better than just good. Sharpness improves by stopping down and by f4 the midframe is super sharp and just another stop at f/5.6 even the corners catch up to the same excellent sharpness.

This is a very strong performance and on par with or even better than more expensive lenses like Viltrox 135/1.8 LAB or Samyang 135/1.8.

Sharpness (Portrait)

Let’s look at the points of interest for portraits at the portrait distance: the very centre, the centre’s inner periphery  (1/3 rule intersection), and the centre’s outer periphery (1/4th intersection).

Portrait Sharpness Points of Interest

Here, I focused independently on the center, mid-frame, and corner areas to account for field curvature.




The center and mid-frame actually outperforms the AC7 II’s 33 Mp sensor already at f/1.8 and at f/4 even the area near the edge of the frame does it.

Moire effect | | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | Sony 7AC II

This is a an exceptional performance, on par with or even better than more expensive lenses like Viltrox 135/1.8 LAB or Samyang 135/1.8.

Sharpness (Close-up)

For the close-up test, I focused on the center of the frame and only included 100% center crops. The 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 has a very short minimum focusing distance of 0.68 m, allowing it to achieve relatively high magnification.

The sharpness is “just” good, though. It is certainly strong, but not as impressive as at longer focusing distances, nor does it match the Viltrox 135mm f/1.8 LAB or the Samyang 135mm f/1.8. However, by f/4, it catches up.




Lens Distortion

Lens distortion is very well controlled. While there is a small amount of pincushion distortion, it is negligible. A value of -1 in Lightroom or Photoshop is enough to correct it. I did not apply any distortion correction to the sample images.

Performance is on par with the Viltrox, while the Samyang is marginally better, though not by enough to be a deciding factor.

Vignetting

The vignetting figures are another strong characteristic of this lens and are much better than those of almost all competitors. It is virtually invisible right from wide open at f/1.8.

  • F/1.8: 0.7 EV
  • F/2.8: ≈0 EV
  • F/4.0: ≈0 EV
  • F/5.6: ≈0 EV
  • F/8.0: ≈0 EV

Chromatic Aberrations

Longitudinal chromatic aberration is also well corrected. It is visible only in very extreme situations, such as sunlight reflecting off metal surfaces, and even then it is negligible.





The same applies to lateral chromatic aberration. It is present, but not easily visible and negligible in practice. Here is a 100% crop of the top right corner of an image:

Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8

However, there is a faint purple fringing at infinity at wider apertures that clears up by f/4 or so.  See the midframe shots in the Infinity Sharpness section for an example

Flare Resistance

Flare resistance is always difficult to evaluate, as you can make almost any lens look bad if you try long enough. That said, I think we have found this lens’s first weak point. It is fairly easy to provoke veiling flare, especially at wider apertures. This is a more or less common weakness among telephoto lenses—Samyang, Viltrox 135mm LAB, the Sigma 135mm, and the Sony 135/1.8 GM are not immune to it either. At smaller apertures, the lens can also produce some ghosting alongside the veiling flare. Using the lens hood is therefore strongly recommended whenever the sun is in or near the frame.

For this particular lens, however, this is not always a bad thing. It is not primarily a landscape lens, and the flare can be used creatively in portrait photography.













Coma

Another strong chapter for the 7Artisans 135mm is coma correction, which is virtually flawless.

Coma | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 @f/1.8 | Sony 7AC II

Sunstars

If you are into sunstars, you should not be disappointed here either, as the 7Artisans 135mm can produce attractive 12-pointed stars from f/5.6 onwards. The rays become more distinct and longer at f/8 and smaller apertures.





Focus Breathing

Focus breathing is possibly the weakest optical characteristic of this lens as it shows a clearly visible breathing when pulling focus.

Focus breathing | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | Sony 7AC II

Bokeh

As the 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 has passed almost every optical test with flying colors, we come to the last—and possibly one of its most important—optical characteristics: the bokeh. For that reason, I have put a little extra emphasis on this section and included more sample images than usual.

Let’s take a closer look at the background blur at different focusing distances.

Short Distance

The combination of a very short MFD, a 135mm focal length, and a bright f/1.8 maximum aperture results in an extremely shallow depth of field. Near the minimum focusing distance, it is only a couple of millimetres, if even that. At these close distances, everything just a few millimetres away from the subject melts into an unrecognizable veil of blur.

Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8

So, I took a couple of shots from a couple of decimeters farther away to get the subjects fully in focus.

Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8

Smooth background blur without anything to complain about. So far, so good.

Mid-Distance

This is where the lens is likely to see the most use: tight portraits, from headshots and head-and-shoulders portraits to half-length portraits, or subject separation.

Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8

Fortunately, the 7Artisans 135/1.8 does not leave much to wish either. It separates the subjects easily at this distance and the background blur is completely fine, at least to my eye.

Long Distance

With its relatively long focal length and fast f/1.8 max aperture, one should hope for good separation even at long distances.

Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/2.2

Even here, the lens manages to separate the subjects from the foreground and background with a pleasant blur.

All in all, I think this is one of the main reasons to buy a lens like this, and in this regard it does not disappoint. Of course, bokeh is highly subjective, and to my taste it is very likeable. Take a look at these images, as well as the many other samples included throughout the review, and judge for yourself.

Conclusion

I LIKE AVERAGE I DON’T LIKE
  • Sharpness
  • Distortion control
  • Vignetting
  • Chromatic aberrations
  • Coma
  • Sunstars
  • Bokeh
  • Build
  • Handling
  • AF speed
  • Flare resistance
  • Focus breathing

Looking at the like/dislike table, it is easy to conclude that this lens excels optically. In fact, it goes far beyond what you would normally expect at this price point and punches well above its weight. It delivers excellent sharpness, distortion control, low vignetting, outstanding chromatic aberration and coma correction, attractive sunstars, and beautiful background rendering.

The only real optical weaknesses are flare resistance—which may not be an issue for the lens’s intended applications and is common among lenses with similar specifications—and focus breathing, which is primarily relevant for video work. Where the lens falls short of becoming a truly outstanding professional portrait and fashion lens is in areas other than optical quality: autofocus speed, handling, and overall build quality. On the other hand, given its price, those compromises are hardly surprising.

If you are an enthusiast looking for outstanding optical performance and image quality at the lowest possible price, this lens can deliver results comparable to those of the most expensive professional lenses on the market, as long as you avoid placing the sun in the frame.

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Buy new:7Artisans’ store, Amazon (anywhere), B&H  for $689 (Affiliate links)

Alternatives

For a comparison between the reviewed lens and its alternatives, see the relevant sections of the review where I discuss how they compare.

Samyang 135mm f/1.8
Buy new:  Amazon (anywhere), B&H  for $799 (Affiliate links)

Viltrox 135mm f/1.8 LAB
Buy new:  Viltrox store, Amazon (anywhere), B&H  for $899 (Affiliate links)

Sony 135mm f/1.8 GM
Buy new:  Amazon (anywhere), B&H  for $2248 (Affiliate links)

Nikon 135mm f/1.8 Plena
Buy new:  Amazon (anywhere), B&H  for $2359 (Affiliate links)

More Sample Images

Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/11
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8
Sony a7C II | 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 | f/1.8

Most of the sample images in this review and many more can be found in higher resolution here.

Further Reading

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Martin

Martin M.H. lives outside Stockholm, Sweden. He is a M.Sc. in Computer Technology but he has been a passionate photographer for over 50 years. He started his photographic adventures when he was thirteen with an Agfamatic pocket camera, which he soon replaced with a Canon rangefinder camera that his mom gave him in his teenages. After that he has been using Canon SLR, Nikon SLR manual focus and Autofocus, Sony mirrorless crop sensor, Nikon DSLR and Nikon Mirrorless. He has photographed any genre he could throughout the years and you can see all kind of images in his portfolio. During the later years though it has been mostly landscape, nature, travel and some street/documentary photography.

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