7Artisans’ Affordable AF 135mm f/1.8 Prime Arrives on Full-Frame E- and L-Mount Cameras

Jul 02, 2026 - 19:10

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7Artisans’ Affordable AF 135mm f/1.8 Prime Arrives on Full-Frame E- and L-Mount Cameras

On the left, a black camera lens; on the right, a woman with wavy blonde hair poses outdoors, wearing a dark top and gold accessories, looking at the camera with a soft expression.

In May, 7Artisans announced the Max AF 135mm f/1.8 full-frame portrait prime, but only for Nikon Z mount. Now Sony E-mount and L-Mount cameras are getting some love.

The brand-new 7Artisans AF Max 135mm f/1.8 prime is now available for E- and L-Mount cameras, arriving with the same relatively affordable and aggressive $689 price as its Z-mount counterpart.

In the case of Sony E-mount, the 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 faces stiff competition. There is, of course, Sony’s own 135mm f/1.8 G Master lens. It’s the cream of the crop and an excellent performer. But this optical prowess comes at a steep price: the lens costs $2,248, over three times as much as 7Artisans’ new lens.

A professional camera lens is displayed horizontally against a gradient gray background, with its reflections visible beneath it. The lens features various controls and textured grip rings.

There are some other 135mm f/1.8 lenses much closer in price to 7Artisans’ offering, though, including the very good Viltrox AF 135mm f/1.8 LAB for $899. As PetaPixel explained in its review last year, the Viltrox LAB 135mm f/1.8 is a superb lens and an excellent value.

Then there are the Samyang and Rokinon 135mm f/1.8 lenses, which are identical, though the Rokinon is $699 and the Samyang is $799.

This makes the 7Artisans AF Max 135mm f/1.8 the most affordable of its kind on Sony E-mount.

That’s also true on L-Mount, but only because the 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 is literally the only option. It’s great that L-Mount owners now have an option like this. It’s a little surprising that Samyang and Rokinon haven’t brought the 135mm f/1.8 to L-Mount, given that they are in the L-Mount Alliance.

the left side displays a camera mounted on a rig, while the right side shows a hand holding a camera with a large lens, pointed downward.

In any event, the 7Artisans 135mm f/1.8 standard telephoto prime promises high-end performance, sharp rendering, and a fast aperture.

A collage showing a golden-brown dog with white markings sitting near white flowers, alongside close-up images of the dog's eye and snout with visible fur and whiskers. Petals are falling around the dog.

7Artisans says the lens delivers “soft, dreamy” bokeh and “exceptional clarity across the entire frame.” The lens features 16 elements arranged across 13 groups, including five HR and six ED elements to reduce aberrations. The lens has a 12-bladed aperture.

Close-up view of the CN Tower at night, illuminated with vibrant pink, purple, and yellow lights. The number "50" is displayed in blue, marking the tower’s 50th anniversary. The sky is dark in the background.

A close-up of a pink tulip bud in focus, surrounded by other pink and yellow tulips with green stems and leaves, set against a soft, blurred background.

Autofocus is driven by a high-performance, quiet stepping motor (STM), and the lens can focus as close as 0.68 meters (2.2 feet), offering reasonable close-up performance.

The 7Artisans AF 135mm f/1.8 Max is not an especially compact lens. It weighs approximately 1,014 grams (2.2 pounds), is 136 millimeters (5.4 inches) long, and has an 82mm front filter thread. While not exceedingly small or lightweight, 7Artisans got pretty close to Sony’s G Master lens. Sony’s premium prime weighs 950 grams (2.1 pounds) and is 127 millimeters (3.5 inches) long. It also takes an 82mm filter.

The lens has a clicked aperture ring on E- and L-Mount, whereas the prior Z-mount iteration had a smooth “multi-function control ring” specifically designed to mimic Nikon’s own control ring functionality. The lens has an AF/MF switch on the barrel, plus dual function buttons. It also includes a USB-C port in the weather-sealed mount for firmware updates.

Sample Images

A woman with long, wavy blonde hair wearing a dark outfit and gold jewelry stands outdoors, looking into the camera with a serious expression. The background is softly blurred.

A brown dog gazes up at a dandelion being blown in the warm, golden light of sunset, with seeds floating gently through the air against a blurred green and orange background.

A young woman with dark hair in a bun, wearing a brown coat with a large fur collar, smiles at the camera. She is outdoors at night, with colorful blurred city lights in the background.

A person paddleboarding on calm water with gentle waves in the foreground, and Mount Fuji towering in the background under a partly cloudy sky.

A young woman in a flowing white dress stands in a sunlit field with her eyes closed, head tilted back, and hair gently blowing in the breeze. The background is softly blurred.

A Siberian Husky with striking blue eyes lies on green moss, gazing directly at the camera. The background is softly blurred with warm golden bokeh, giving the scene a tranquil and dreamy atmosphere.

A wolf stands in a forest with sunlight streaming through the trees behind it, creating a golden glow and illuminating its fur.

A close-up of a pink poppy flower with delicate, crinkled petals and a yellow center. A small black insect is resting on the yellow stamen. The background is dark and blurred.