7Artisans expands AF 135mm f/1.8 lens to Sony E and Leica L

7Artisans expanded its AF 135mm F1.8 MAX to Sony E and Leica L, opening orders through its own store and through retailers including Amazon and B&H Photo. The move matters because it brings a fast 135mm prime, one of the most loved portrait focal lengths in mirrorless, to more full-frame shooters without forcing them into flagship pricing.

The lens first arrived on Nikon Z on May 20, 2026, and the new mount support is an expansion rather than a fresh optical redesign. 7Artisans lists the lens as a 16-element, 13-group design with 6 ED elements and 5 high-refractive-index elements, a 12-blade diaphragm, USB-C firmware updates, a minimum focus distance of 0.68 meters, and up to 0.25x magnification. That combination puts it squarely in the sweet spot for compressed portraits, half-body work, and the kind of stage or indoor sports shooting where an f/1.8 telephoto can separate a subject from a cluttered background.

The handling details are where the mount split gets interesting. B&H Photo lists an AF/MF mode switch and an 82 mm filter thread, while Amazon highlights two customizable function buttons. On Nikon Z, the lens uses a stepless multifunction control ring. On Sony E and Leica L, it gets a dedicated clicked aperture ring, a change that should matter to photographers who prefer tactile exposure control over a fly-by-wire feel. That makes the Sony and Leica versions feel more lens-like in the hand, especially for stills shooters who want quick, repeatable settings during a portrait session or on a fast-moving event floor.

Price is the other major part of the story. The Nikon Z launch landed at $689, a figure that puts the lens well below many first-party 135mm f/1.8 options and keeps it in the value lane against competing autofocus primes from Samyang, Rokinon and Viltrox. Nikon’s own 135mm f/1.8 Plena sits in a different price class entirely, which is exactly why this release has attention from buyers weighing reach, autofocus confidence and cost.

For Sony E and Leica L users, the appeal is simple: a classic 135mm f/1.8 look, with modern autofocus and useful physical controls, at a price that makes the jump to fast telephoto glass far easier to justify.