Good news for Sony and Leica shooters chasing that creamy portrait look on a budget: the 7Artisans AF 135mm F1.8 MAX has expanded beyond Nikon Z to now cover Sony E and Leica L mounts. Announced on June 30, 2026, it lands with the same aggressive $689 price tag as its Z-mount sibling — and that number is the whole story here.
Consider the competition. Sony’s own 135mm f/1.8 G Master is the benchmark, but it costs $2,248 — more than three times as much. Viltrox’s excellent AF 135mm f/1.8 LAB runs $899, while the identical Samyang and Rokinon versions sit at $799 and $699 respectively. That makes the 7Artisans the cheapest 135mm f/1.8 you can put on a Sony E-mount body. On L-Mount it wins by default, because it is currently the only 135mm f/1.8 available — a genuinely useful arrival for L-Mount owners who’ve been stuck watching from the sidelines.
Price aside, the optical formula is ambitious. The lens packs 16 elements arranged in 13 groups, including 6 ED and 5 high-refractive elements to keep chromatic aberration and softness in check. A 12-blade aperture promises the kind of round, dreamy bokeh that makes a fast 135mm worth carrying, and 7Artisans claims strong clarity right across the frame. The aperture range runs from f/1.8 to f/16, and the angle of view is a tight 18.4 degrees.
Autofocus is handled by an STM stepping motor tuned for quick, quiet operation — important on a heavy telephoto that portrait and event shooters will swing around all day. Minimum focusing distance is a reasonable 0.68m, giving you a bit of close-up flexibility for tighter headshots and detail work.
This is not a featherweight. The lens tips the scales at roughly 1,014g, measures 130mm long, and takes chunky 82mm front filters. That said, it’s remarkably close to Sony’s premium G Master, which weighs 950g and also uses 82mm filters, so you’re not paying a size penalty for the savings.
The controls tell you 7Artisans has thought about handling. On the E- and L-Mount versions you get a clicked aperture ring — a change from the Z-mount model’s smooth multi-function control ring, which was designed to mimic Nikon’s own system. There’s an AF/MF switch on the barrel, dual customizable function buttons, and a USB-C port built into the weather-sealed mount for firmware updates.
It all adds up to a compelling value proposition: high-end aspirations, real-world weather sealing, and a price that reads like a typo next to the first-party alternatives.
The 7Artisans AF 135mm F1.8 MAX is available now for Sony E and Leica L mounts at $689. The Nikon Z version is also on sale at the same price.
