Mitakon Zhongyi Creator 135mm f/2.5 Lens for Canon EF Review

The Mitakon Zhongyi Creator 135mm f/2.5 is a budget-friendly telephoto prime for Canon EF shooters who don't mind manual focus. At $299, it undercuts most autofocus 135mm lenses by a wide margin, offering a 9-blade aperture for smooth bokeh and a respectable f/2.5 maximum aperture. The optical formula includes two extra-low dispersion elements and two ultra-high refraction index elements to help control chromatic aberration and distortion at this focal length.

This lens is strictly manual focus, with depth of field and distance scales built into the barrel for zone focusing or video work. The minimum focus distance of 3.9 feet is typical for the focal length. It's aimed squarely at portraitists, event photographers, and video shooters who want affordable telephoto reach and are comfortable pulling focus by hand. The EF mount means it will work on full-frame and APS-C Canon DSLRs, and with an adapter on mirrorless bodies.