Zeiss Milvus 135mm f/2.0 ZF.2 Lens

Get up close.

This high-speed telephoto lens excels with its superb color correction and rendition. Thanks to its large aperture and smooth bokeh, it is perfect for medium-distance portrait photography.

Revel in an atmospheric mood at dusk against a breathtaking backdrop – as an inconspicuous observer, the telephoto lens is able to draw you into this unique moment from afar. The ZEISS Milvus 2/135 permits an interplay between fore- and background that is simply incomparable.

It can be used in a host of different situations, meaning you can capture the artist’s emotions onstage from your third-row seat, as well as breathtaking portraits in outstanding detail. The position of the focus rings, which does not change, also makes the lens suitable for video applications with a follow focus system.

Lens Design

A lens with relatively few glass-air surfaces, it was developed by Dr. Ludwig Bertele at ZEISS in 1930. At the time it was one of the fastest high-speed lenses for 35 mm photography, with apertures as large as 1:1.5 and high contrast thanks to effective stray light reduction. Its high speed and high contrast helped give the lens its name, which is derived from the word “sun,” the symbol of maximum brightness. You continue to find the aforementioned benefits with modern lenses in the normal and telephoto ranges whose optical design is based on this basic type.

ZEISS Milvus Lenses

Excellent imagery, even in difficult light conditions

All lenses features a T*® antireflective coating from ZEISS. Outstanding stray light reduction is achieved by combining a number of optimally matched measures. In addition to the ZEISS T* coating, all lens edges are provided with a special pitch-black lacquer in a complex manual process. Light traps in mechanical components and specially designed surfaces are integrated to prevent the occurrence of reflections. Each focal length has its own individual optical design with the use of special types of glass displaying anomalous partial dispersion. This reduces the occurrence of color fringes at high-contrast edges of subjects to an absolute minimum.

Future-proof solution for high-resolution camera systems

The excellent image performance of the ZEISS Milvus Lenses is sharply focused on the requirements of current and future high-performance digital cameras. Thanks to the low level of stray light allowed by the lens design, high-contrast images are also possible with increasing high dynamic ranges of the sensors (HDR). The minimization of coma, astigmatism and spherical aberrations enables constantly high resolution over the entire image field. The optics are designed to ensure full utilization of the performance provided by high-resolution camera systems. Regardless of what the future holds – with the Milvus Lenses from ZEISS you are optimally equipped any time, any place.

Creative still and video photography through precise, manual focusing

Manually focusing a lens means controlling and therefore actively composing an image gently and precisely from your fingertips. Here, a good ergonomic design makes all the difference. ZEISS Milvus Lenses feature a large rotation angle which enables pinpoint focusing. The top-quality focusing mechanism moves smoothly without backlash, optimally supporting the photographer's creative interplay with the focal plane of high-speed fixed focal lengths. Changes are immediately visible in the viewfinder or display. The engraving in meters and feet, and the focus scale provide additional support for manual focusing. The silent, continuous aperture setting (de-click function with ZF.2 mount) and the long focusing range lay optimal conditions for video photography.

Long-lasting product with protection against environmental influences

An optimized ergonomic design enables fatigue-free photography and reduces camera shake. The all-metal housing makes every adjustment a haptic experience. The dynamic, precise barrel design sets new trends in the world of camera lenses. However, the ZEISS Milvus Lenses will impress you not only due to their visual and haptic excellence, but also thanks to their inner qualities. Special seals for protection against dust and splashes expand the photographer's creative potential by guaranteeing the system's functional reliability even in environmentally difficult situations.

Stable image performance over the entire focusing range

State-of-the-art camera systems and high-resolution digital image sensors are now demanding more and more performance from the lenses. The Floating Elements Design permits constantly high image performance in the focal plane – from the minimum object distance to infinity. This is accomplished by changing the axial distance between individual lens elements or element groups. The adjustment of the element spacing is coupled to the distance setting so that it always results in the right correction. The mechanical design of the ZEISS Milvus Lenses is highly complex and the workmanship must be extremely exact – both specialties of ZEISS.