Nikon AF DC 135mm f/2D Reviews

I bought this lens because I needed something longer than my 85mm f/1.8 for taking photos at concerts in low-light.

The DC control allows you to effect the smoothness of out-of-focus backgrounds. This is only noticeable at the maximum aperture, which isn't terribly sharp anyway but it's great for portraits.

I have a strip of duct tape holding the DC control ring in place, because I used to lose pictures which were made unsharp by the ring slipping when I removed the lens from my bag, so I never use it.

As I said before, f/2 is a little soft, but stop the lens down only a third of a stop and the improvement is dramatic. By f/2.8 this lens knocks the socks off Nikon's 70-200VR and 80-200 tele-zooms for sharpness.

The build quality is superb, and it weighs a ton. I bought the lens used fairly cheaply (considering the £1000+ price tag new) and it had been well used and abused by its previous owner. I feel that even with the rough treatment I give it, this lens will continue to function properly for many years to come.

AF is quick, and the extra stop over an f/2.8 lens really improves performance in low-light.