Canon EF 135mm ƒ/2.0L USM
- Art: Festbrennweite
- Brennweite: 135 mm
- Lichtstärke: ƒ/2.0
The Canon EF 135mm ƒ/2.0L USM lens stands as a testament to Canon's optical engineering prowess, offering a compelling blend of exceptional image quality, a wide maximum aperture, and robust construction. This prime telephoto lens is celebrated for its ability to isolate subjects with beautiful background blur, making it an indispensable tool for portrait photographers, event shooters, and those seeking to capture nuanced details with stunning clarity. Its fast ƒ/2.0 aperture not only excels in low-light conditions but also provides incredibly sharp images even when shooting wide open, a hallmark of Canon's L-series optics.
OPTICAL PERFORMANCE AND IMAGE QUALITY
The optical design of the EF 135mm ƒ/2.0L USM is meticulously crafted to deliver outstanding image quality across the entire frame.
Construction: The lens incorporates 10 elements in 8 groups, featuring two UD (Ultra-Low Dispersion) glass elements. These special elements effectively suppress chromatic aberrations, which are common in telephoto lenses, ensuring superb color accuracy and contrast.
Sharpness: Images captured with this lens are renowned for their exceptional sharpness and detail, even at its widest aperture. This allows photographers to achieve critically sharp focus on their subjects while rendering backgrounds into a smooth, pleasing blur.
Bokeh: The nine-blade circular aperture diaphragm contributes to a beautiful, creamy bokeh, making subjects pop against soft, dreamlike backgrounds. This characteristic is highly prized in portrait photography.
Flare and Ghosting: Canon's Super Spectra coatings are applied to lens elements to minimize flare and ghosting, maintaining high contrast and fidelity even when shooting into strong light sources.
AUTOFOCUS SYSTEM
The autofocus system of the Canon EF 135mm ƒ/2.0L USM is designed for swift, silent, and precise operation, crucial for capturing fleeting moments.
Motor Type: It utilizes a ring-type USM (Ultrasonic Motor), which provides incredibly fast and quiet autofocus. This is particularly beneficial for discrete shooting environments and video recording where motor noise can be distracting.
Focus Accuracy: The high precision of the USM ensures accurate focus acquisition, even in challenging lighting conditions.
Manual Override: Full-time manual focus override is available, allowing photographers to fine-tune focus without switching out of autofocus mode, offering greater control and flexibility.
Internal Focusing: The lens employs an internal focusing system, meaning the front element does not rotate during focusing. This simplifies the use of polarizers and other special effects filters.
DESIGN AND BUILD QUALITY
As an L-series lens, the Canon EF 135mm ƒ/2.0L USM boasts Canon's professional-grade build quality, designed to withstand the rigors of professional use.
Material Construction: The robust barrel is constructed from high-quality materials, ensuring durability and a premium feel.
Weather Sealing: While not fully weather-sealed to the same extent as some of Canon's newer L-series lenses, it offers a degree of dust and moisture resistance, providing reliability in various shooting conditions.
Weight and Balance: Weighing approximately 750 grams (1.65 lbs), the lens strikes a good balance between portability and substantial build, feeling comfortable to handle on most Canon DSLR and mirrorless bodies (with adapter).
Filter Thread: A 72mm filter thread is provided for attaching a wide range of filters.
CLASSIFICATION
The Canon EF 135mm ƒ/2.0L USM is a quintessential professional-grade telephoto prime lens, occupying a distinct and highly valued position within Canon’s EF lens lineup. It is primarily categorized as a portrait and low-light specialist due to its exceptional ƒ/2.0 maximum aperture, which allows for remarkable subject isolation and beautiful background blur, often referred to as bokeh. Its 135mm focal length on a full-frame camera provides a flattering perspective for headshots and full-body portraits, compressing backgrounds and creating a sense of intimacy with the subject. Furthermore, its ability to gather significant light makes it an outstanding choice for indoor events, theater photography, and any scenario where available light is scarce. The inclusion of two UD elements and the ring-type USM motor firmly places it in the high-performance segment, aligning with Canon's L-series standards for optical excellence and robust construction. While it lacks image stabilization, its fast aperture often mitigates the need for it in many shooting situations by allowing faster shutter speeds. Compared to zoom lenses covering a similar focal range, this prime lens offers superior sharpness, a wider maximum aperture, and a more compact design, making it an indispensable tool for photographers who prioritize ultimate image quality and creative control over focal length versatility. Its enduring popularity among professionals and enthusiasts alike solidifies its status as a classic and high-performing L-series lens.
