A compact portrait lens for Sony E-mount cameras is the new element from Zeiss’s Batis family, which now has three prime lenses to offer: 2/25, 1.8/85 and the new 2.8/135.

Fans of Sony’s mirrorless full-frame cameras have a reason to smile: Zeiss has added a further tele lens focal length to its Zeiss Batis lens family. The new Zeiss Batis 2.8/135 is the first 135 mm AF focal length for Sony’s Alpha 7 system with E-mount.

Like all lenses from the Zeiss Batis range, this new addition is equipped with fast and precise autofocus. To avoid shaking, which can occur very easily with tele lenses, an optical image stabilizer has also been incorporated into the design.

The Zeiss Batis 2.8/135 proves it worth particularly in portrait photography: “The tele focal length means the subject can stand out nicely against the blurred background”, says Product Manager Michael Pollmann from Zeiss. “The bokeh works very well indeed, and the optical design – an Apo Sonnar – ensures outstanding images time and again.” The new ZEISS Batis could also be a great option for event and wedding photography.

“The advantage of Sony’s mirrorless full-frame system is that despite its compact size, it delivers exceptional image quality,” says Pollmann. Zeiss has continued to bring the design of the Zeiss Batis 2.8/135 into line with the needs of Sony photographers. “It was important to build a comparably handy lens – in spite of the rather long focal length. We made a conscious decision to strike a balance between compactness, weight and light intensity.”

Like all other Batis lenses, this latest addition features an OLED display that enables precise visualization of the depth of field. So you can be sure that the image is in focus in all the right places. The metal housing gives the lens its robust and durable character. Zeiss assures us that its dust and dirt shield means photo shoots in poor weather are a walk in the park.

The image quality leaves nothing to be desired: “We have put a lot of effort into the optical design and into correcting our lenses,” says Pollmann. “For example, we are experimenting with special types of glass in order to rule out as many kinds of image errors as possible. We have thus been able to ensure corrected chromatic aberration in the Zeiss Batis 2.8/135 so that we have virtually no image errors.” 14 lenses have been built into 11 groups in the camera lens.

The Zeiss Batis 2.8/135 will be on display at NAB 2017. The lens will be available from specialist dealers starting May 2017 and will retail at $ 1,999.