Overview

The Nikon Nikkor 135mm f/3.5 Ai is a compact, all-metal manual-focus telephoto lens known for solid build and smooth focusing (BestLightPhoto). Optically, it is sharp wide open and improves stopped down, with strong contrast and minimal chromatic aberration, though bokeh is modest due to the f/3.5 aperture. It is a budget-friendly alternative to faster 135mm lenses, suited for portraits and landscapes. However, it lacks metering on entry-level cameras and the aperture ring can accidentally be turned past the widest setting, degrading image quality (BestLightPhoto).