Nikon has made some awfully impressive lenses in their long history, but the new NIKKOR Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena has been turning heads as possibly one of the best lenses the company has ever put out. Can it match that hype in practice? This excellent video review takes a look at the new lens and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in usage.
Coming to you from Matt Irwin Photography, this awesome video takes a first look at the new Nikon NIKKOR Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena lens. Though you might think of 85mm as the focal length one should use for portraiture, 135mm lenses are an excellent alternative with a rich history of excellent optical designs nearly on par with or of the same caliber as their shorter focal length counterparts. Many photographers prefer the longer focal length for the extra bit of telephoto compression it offers, which can both add drama by compressing the distance between elements of the frame and also be more flattering on some facial features. The one thing to be aware of is that 135mm necessitates a longer focal length, so if you plan on using one in a studio, beware of the space requirements. Check out the video above for Irwin's full thoughts on the lens.
Many years ago I saw a comparison between an 85mm, 105mm, and a 135mm lenses taking a portrait of a model. In looking at all three portraits the 105mm lens was the most normal looking of the three. This was 50 years ago and the 105mm has been my go to portrait lens ever since.
It doesn't matter what lens you use, the person will look exactly the same if the camera is in the same spot. The only thing that effects how a person looks is where the camera is positioned relative to the subject (perspective). The reason people think that longer focal lengths make people look better is because they tend to stand further back when using them, while they often get too close to the subject when using a shorter focal length lens. If there was a difference in how the model looked in the three images it wasn't due to the lenses but because the photographer (or model) moved when they used a different lens.
It depends on the approach: do you decide on the look first and then choose a focal length, or do decide on the focal length first and then choose the look? If the latter then yes the focal length will push you to stand at a certain distance, but you shouldn't do that unless you can't change your focal length for whatever reason (or you just want use a particular lens that day). The most basic guideline in photography is that you first decide what you want the shot to look like and then select the appropriate settings, lighting, focal length, and position.
"Many photographers prefer the longer focal length for the extra bit of telephoto compression it offers, which can both add drama by compressing the distance between elements of the frame and also be more flattering on some facial features."
To be clear, there is no such thing as telephoto compression or lens compression. If you take a picture of a scene using a 35mm lens and 135mm lens from the same spot, the compression will be the same and peoples' facial features will look the same, only the field of view and depth of focus (bokeh) will be different. So using shorter focal lengths for portraits is perfectly fine so long as you aren't trying to do headshots that will require you to get too close to the subject. Use the short focal length to show the room or area around the subject and/or for large groups. Use longer focal lengths when you want to do headshots or for maximum bokeh. If you use a short focal length for headshots, don't fill the frame with the person's face but step back for the shot and crop afterward.
Don't think of a particular focal length as being best for portraits, rather think of different focal lengths as being good for different types of portraits.
There is a saying in photography that goes: Get it right in camera.
If you follow that rule, lens compression definitely is a thing.
There are no rules in photography, only guidelines. Getting it right in camera is good advice, but sometimes that isn't possible. Understanding that there is no such thing as lens compression will help photographers make better choices regarding focal length and where they position their camera.