Nikon 135mm Plena goes to Car Show
Porsche cars parked close to each other in Ikea car show - Nikon Z8, Nikkor 135mm f1.8 Plena - 1/3200sec, f1.8, ISO100
The Dream Glass
Finally, I pulled the plug and purchased it: the Nikon NIKKOR Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena. Paired with the Nikon Z8, it’s a combo built for isolation. In the context of a car show—where a wide angle or 50mm might work great—this lens transforms a crowded parking lot into a series of intimate vignettes, and a new challenge for me to take shots of cars from a distance.
First challenge: people usually don’t see you when you are taking photos. Normally when someone see a photographer taking a photo, they usually either wait, or change their walk path to not blocking the photographer. With a 135mm lens, I have to step further back and because of that, people can’t see someone staying away and taking a shot.
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Narrow field of view, good for portraits
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MAXIMUM BOKEH POTENTIAL! Camera setting is on Aperture Mode to have control of aperture and leave shutter speed and ISO (auto between 100 - 3200) to camera to set based on the scene.
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45MP, UV filter mounted on lens
The Arenas
Two distinct gatherings, one specific goal: see the familiar differently. I went to a car show in Ikea parking lot in Costa Mesa, and then Cars & Coffee gathering in San Clemente Outlet parking lot. Ikea parking lot is more crowded, and cars are parked closer to each other. Cars & Coffee in San Clemente is also crowded (more people come by for this show), but its wide open set allows to have better chance of getting a shot with Plena.
The Aperture Dance
Shooting cars at f/1.8 from 20 feet away is a risk. Here is how depth of field impacts the visual narrative of automotive details.
At 135mm, you aren't standing with the crowd—you are standing behind it. This created a unique rhythmic challenge. I found myself anticipating foot traffic like a street photographer waiting for a "decisive moment" between two strangers.
Stationary vantage points far from the vehicle.
Patience for the 'flow' of enthusiasts to clear the line of sight.
Total invisibility: people don't realize they're in your frame.
The Verdict
Ultimately, bringing the Nikon 135mm f/1.8 Plena into the dense, static rows of a weekend car meet is an exercise in intentional restriction. It is definitively not the most practical tool for documenting an event, but it is undeniably a masterful tool for interpreting one. The sheer optical isolation of the Plena, paired with the Z8’s precision, forced me to abandon the safety of environmental wide shots and instead hunt for the hidden, liquid-light geometry of automotive design. It proves that sometimes, the most effective way to break out of a creative rut is to deliberately limit your options. If your familiar local shoots are starting to feel visually stagnant, leave your versatile zoom lens at home. Pack your longest, fastest prime, embrace the spatial frustrations of the crowd, and allow a radically different focal length to completely rewrite your visual narrative.