Nikon Z 35mm f/1.2
Full Frame (2025 ~ today)
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Accessories USA Version
Performance Compared Recommendations
Z9 Z8 Z7 II Z6 III Z6 II Z5 II Zƒ Z7 Z6 Z5
DX (APS-C): Zƒc Z50 II Z50 Z30
Nikon Z 35mm f/1.2S (82mm filters, 37.4 oz./1,060g, 1'/0.3m close focus, 0.2× macro ratio, $2,797). bigger. I got mine at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay, or get it used at KEH.
This 100% all-content, junk-free website's biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to my personally approved sources I've used myself for way over 100 combined years when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. Nikon does not seal its boxes in any way, so never buy at retail or any other source not on my personally approved list since you'll have no way of knowing if you're missing accessories, getting a defective, damaged, returned, non-USA, store demo or used lens — and all of my personally approved sources allow for 100% cash-back returns for at least 30 days if you don't love your new lens. I've used many of these sources since the 1970s because I can try it in my own hands and return it if I don't love it, and because they ship from secure remote warehouses where no one gets to touch your new lens before you do. Buy only from the approved sources I've used myself for decades for the best prices, service, return policies and selection.
June 2025 Better Pictures Nikon Z Z Lenses All Nikon Lenses All Nikon All Reviews
Nikon Z 35mm f/1.4 (2024 ~ today)
Nikon AF-S 35mm f/1.4G (2010 ~ today)
Nikon AI 35mm f/1.4s (1969 ~ 2023)
Why Fixed Lenses Take Better Pictures (1826 ~ today)
Sample Images top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Accessories USA Version
Performance Compared Recommendations
These are just snapshots; my real work is in my Gallery.
More samples throughout this review at Bokeh, Falloff, Macro, Spherochromatism and Sunstars.
These are all shot hand-held as BASIC ★ JPGs; no tripods, NORMAL or FINE JPGs or RAW files were used or needed. Bah!
I'm impressed; especially shot wide-open here at f/1.2 it's sharp and free from coma all the way out to the corners. (Of course at f/1.2 there is very little depth of field so of course the corners in some of these are simply out of focus.)
Order Here, Mr. Ruriberto's, Mission Beach, California, 7:51 PM, Thursday, 12 June 2025. Nikon Z5 II, Nikon Z 35mm f/1.2 at f/1.2 at 1/500 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 9.5), Radiant Photo software. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
Arcade and Gull, Belmont Park, Mission Beach, California, 7:55 PM, Thursday, 12 June 2025. Nikon Z5 II, Nikon Z 35mm f/1.2 at f/1.2 at 1/250 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 8.5), Radiant Photo software. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
The Catamaran Resort, Pacific Beach, California, 8:31 PM, Thursday, 12 June 2025. Nikon Z5 II, Nikon Z 35mm f/1.2 at f/1.2 hand-held at 1/10 of a second at Auto ISO 450 (LV 1⅔), Radiant Photo software, perspective correction in Photoshop CC. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
Holy cow! Look at the railings of the rooms on the top floor in the camera-original © JPG file and you'll see they're exciting aliases (false colors) in the sensor of my Z5 II! This is excellent; it means that even wide-open at f/1.2 this lens is so ultrasharp that it can resolve sharp edges as fine as individual pixels. Superb!
Rent Me, The Catamaran Resort, Pacific Beach, California, 8:32 PM, Thursday, 12 June 2025. Nikon Z5 II, Nikon Z 35mm f/1.2 at f/1.2 hand-held at 1/10 of a second at Auto ISO 500, +0.7 stops exposure compensation (LV 1.5), Radiant Photo software. bigger or full-resolution.
Porsche Macan Center Console, 10:01 AM, Thursday, 12 June 2025. Nikon Z5 II, Nikon Z 35mm f/1.2 at f/5.6 at 1/125 at Auto ISO 100, -0.7 stops exposure compensation (LV 11.9), Radiant Photo software. bigger.
Introduction top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Accessories USA Version
Performance Compared Recommendations
I buy only from these approved sources. I can't vouch for ads below. |
This is a magnificent lens, but it's also huge, heavy and expensive, and doesn't do anything special unless you're a night hawk shooting at f/1.2 much of the time as I did in the Sample Images.
This lens is the dream of astronomers, and to some extent people shooting action in very low light. While it sucks in gobs of light for astronomy and action, it doesn't focus very quickly.
This is not a bokeh lens for throwing backgrounds out of focus. This is short enough that backgrounds never get that far out of focus, compared to longer lenses. Focal length is more important for soft backgrounds than f/stop; for soft backgrounds use a longer lens like the much less expensive 50mm f/1.4 or 85mm f/1.8.
This is an optically unbeaten lens, but I wouldn't want to be carrying it around my neck all day when it only really shines at night. One exception is that it makes glorious 22-point sunstars on brilliant points of light from about f/5.6 and smaller, so if sunstars are your thing, this lens is exceptional and you will want it for shooting with the sun or other brilliant points of light in your images.
I got my Z 35mm f/1.2 at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay, or get it used at KEH.
It does the same thing as 2024's Nikon Z 35mm f/1.4, but is far more expensive. It's also much bigger and heavier than the Nikon Z 35mm f/1.4. This chunky f/1.2 dwarfs my Z6 III:
Nikon Z 35mm f/1.2 on Z6 III. bigger.
Nikon Z 35mm f/1.2. bigger.
New intro top
Nikon's first 35mm f/1.2 lens.
Good intro top
Superbly brilliant optics, especially at f/1.2.
Two programmable focus lock buttons
AF/MF switch.
Always-responsive instant manual-focus override, typical for all Nikon Z lenses.
Cloth sack & hood included.
Bad intro top
Huge; not fun to carry for any length of time.
Autofocus speed is fairly slow, so think twice if action is your thing.
Production dumped to Thailand, not made domestically in Japan.
Crappy plastic filter threads are easy to cross thread, typical of consumer lenses in 2025.
Missing intro top
No Stabilizer switch for in-camera stabilization.
Only stops down to f/16, not f/22.
No aperture ring.
Mounting index dot is the same white as everything else, so it doesn't stand out when you need to find it to mount your lens.
No focus or depth-of-field scales, but your camera may display this.
No infra-red focus index.
Will not work with any teleconverters — so?
Specifications top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Accessories USA Version
Performance Compared Recommendations
I got my Z 35mm f/1.2 at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay, or get it used at KEH.
Name specifications top
Nikon calls this the NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.2 S:
NIKKOR: Nikon's brand name for almost all their lenses since 1932.
Z: For Nikon's mirrorless cameras, only.
S: Subliminally suggests sexual satisfaction. The "S" designation has no other purpose than subliminal seduction; Nikon and electronics and automobile and every kind of marketer have been using letters like "S" and "X" in model numbers since the 1940s for this same reason. Nikon called their first 1946 rangefinder lens mount the "S" mount, then went whole-hog to the "F" SLR mount in 1959, used "S" again when they updated their AI lenses to AI‑S in 1983, then they created AF‑S lenses in 1998, and here it is again.
Also has:
AF-P/STM: Stepper (Pulse) autofocus motor: silent and ultra fast.
ARNEO Coat: Magic anti-reflection coating that's especially good for use in high-speed lenses.
Aspherical: Specially curved glass elements for sharper pictures.
D: Couples distance information to the 3D Matrix Meter.
E: Electronic diaphragm for silent operation.
ED: Magic Extra-low Dispersion glass for reduced secondary chromatic aberration.
G: Gelded; has no aperture ring.
IF: Internal focusing; nothing moves externally as focused.
M: Meso Amorphous Coat, Nikon's newest and most advanced antireflection coating, better than any of Super Integrated Multicoating, Nano or ARNEO coatings.
Multi-Focus System: More than one mobile element group ensures even better correction as focuses at every distance.
Nano Crystal Coat (N): Magic anti-reflection coating that has a continuously variable index of refraction that's far more effective against ghosts and internal reflections than traditional multicoating.
∅82: 82mm filter thread.
Nikon's Model Number: 20124.
Optics specifications top
Nikon Internal Optical Construction. Aspherical, ED and Aspherical ED elements. bigger.
17 elements in 15 groups.
3 ED elements: magic Extra-low Dispersion glass for reduced axial secondary chromatic aberration.
3 Aspherical elements.
1 Aspherical ED element for the best of everything!
Nikon Super Integrated multiCoating (SIC).
Nano Crystal, Meso Amorphous and ARENEO coatings, thank goodness in such a complex design.
Diaphragm specifications top
Nikon Z 35mm f/1.2. bigger.
11 rounded blades.
Electronically actuated.
Stops down to f/16.
Focal Length specifications top
35mm.
When used on DX cameras, it sees the same angle of view as a 52 mm lens sees when used on an FX or 35mm camera.
See also Crop Factor.
Angles of View specifications top
63º diagonal on FX.
44º diagonal on DX.
Autofocus specifications top
No external movement as focussed, so no air or dust is sucked in.
Focus Scale specifications top
No.
Not on lens, but may be displayed in-camera.
Infinity Focus Stop specifications top
No.
You have to focus somehow to get precise focus at infinity, just like at every other distance.
Depth of Field Scale specifications top
No.
Not on lens, but may be displayed in-camera.
Infrared Focus Index specifications top
No.
Close Focus (distance from subject to image plane) specifications top
1 foot (0.3 meters).
Maximum Reproduction Ratio specifications top
1:5.0 (0.20×).
Image Stabilizer specifications top
NONE.
Caps specifications top
LC-82B 82 mm snap-on front cap (Nikon part number 4196), included.
LF-N1 Z-mount rear cap, included.
Hood specifications top
HB-110 hood, included. bigger.
HB-110 hood, included.
"Case" specifications top
Nikon CL-C2 case. This is a case? bigger.
CL-C2 "case," included.
They're kidding, right? It's just a bag, and not even padded. Geesh.
A tube sock works better.
Size specifications top
3.6" ø maximum diameter × 6" extension from flange.
90 mm ø maximum diameter × 150 mm extension from flange.
Weight specifications top
37.370 oz. (1,059.35g) actual measured weight.
37.4 oz. (1,060 g).
Announced specifications top
11:04 PM Tuesday night, 04 February 2025.
Promised for specifications top
Late February 2025.
Included specifications top
Lens.
LC-82B 82 mm snap-on front cap (Nikon part number 4196).
LF-N1 Z-mount rear cap.
CL-C2 sack.
Nikon's Model Number specifications top
Model number: 20124.
Packaging specifications top
Microcorrugated box with corrugami internal lens supports:
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Price, U. S. A. specifications top
24 June 2025
$2,797 at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon and at Crutchfield.
About $2,322 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
May 2025
$2,797 at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon and at Crutchfield.
About $2,275 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
February 2025
$2,797 at Adorama and at B&H.
None were sold used in February 2025.
Accessories top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Accessories USA Version
Performance Compared Recommendations
HB-110 hood (included).
LC-82B 82 mm snap-on front cap (Nikon part number 4196, included).
LF-N1 Z-mount rear cap (included).
Getting a Legal U. S. A. Version top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Accessories USA Version
Performance Compared Recommendations
I got my Z 35mm f/1.2 at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay, or get it used at KEH.
This section applies in the U. S. A. only.
You must have a printed USA Warranty Card, and the serial number must match the one on the bottom of your lens, otherwise you have no warranty:
Nikon Z 35mm f/1.2 U. S. A. Warranty Card. bigger.
If you don't have this card, if the card doesn't say "VALID IN THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES" or the serial number on the card doesn't match the one on your camera lens exactly, you got ripped off with a gray market version from another country. All legitimate cameras and lenses come with printed warranty cards, even if you prefer to register online. (The serial number on the outside of the box doesn't have to match, but if it doesn't it means you bought from a shady dealer who took lenses out of boxes and then resold these used lenses cameras as new.)
Shifty dealers may include copies of a card from a legitimate U. S. A. product in a gray-market box, hoping you won't check serial numbers and catch their fraud. A card with the wrong serial number means nothing other than that you have no warranty coverage.
The warranty is also valid only if you are the original purchaser and only if it was purchased from an authorized dealer. All because a store or someone claims to be authorized doesn't mean they are. That's why I only buy from my personally approved sources.
Nikon stopped offering 5-year lens warranties in 2021 in an effort to save themselves money at our expense.
Did you notice the clever nod to ancient computer technology? This is printed on tractor-fed paper with tear-off sides and dot-matrix printing of model and serial numbers! If your card lacks these side perforations and tractor holes, beware. Everyone counterfeits laser holograms, but few people have dot-matrix printers floating around to fake these.
Always be sure to check your box, warranty card and serial numbers while you can still return it, or just don't buy from unapproved sources or at retail so you'll be able to have your camera serviced and get free updated firmware as needed.
This is why I never buy anyplace other than from my personally approved sources. You just can't take the chance of buying elsewhere, especially at any retail store, because non-USA versions have no warranty in the U. S. A., and you may not be able to get firmware or service for it — even if you're willing to pay out-of-pocket for it when you need it!
Nikon U. S. A. enforces its trademarks strictly. It's unlikely, but possible that US customs won't let your camera back in the country if you bought a gray-market version in the U. S. A., carried it overseas, and try to bring it back in. (If you take the chance of buying one overseas, be sure you have a receipt to prove you bought it overseas and be prepared to pay duty on it.)
If a gray market version saves you $1,000 it may be worth it, but for $200 or less I wouldn't risk having no warranty or support.
Get yours from the same places I do and you won't have a problem, but if you take the risk of getting yours elsewhere, be sure to check everything while you still can return it.
Performance top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Accessories USA Version
Performance Compared Recommendations
Overall Autofocus Manual Focus Breathing
Distance Recording Bokeh Coma Distortion
Ergonomics Falloff Filters Flare & Ghosts
Lateral Color Fringes Lens Corrections Macro
Mechanics Sharpness Spherochromatism
Stabilization Sunstars Teleconverters
I got my Z 35mm f/1.2 at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay, or get it used at KEH.
Overall performance top
This lens has great optics, but it's so huge that it's no fun to carry around all day unless you really need f/1.2.
Nikon's Z 35mm f/1.4 takes exactly the same pictures from f/1.4 on, and once you stop down, even the Z 24-50mm VR plastic kit lens takes exactly the same pictures with a lot less to carry.
Once lenses are stopped down to f/4 or smaller, there is no difference in sharpness between 35mm lenses. For typical photos this lens does not make pictures any different from more casual lenses. The differences are how sharp they are in the far corners shot wide-open, and how fast they are.
This lens is brilliant for people actually shooting it at f/1.2, but otherwise it's just big and expensive.
Autofocus performance top
The autofocus motor is fairly slow.
It makes a quiet whining sound as the motor operates for auto or manual focus. The motor doesn't run at a perfectly constant speed so it sounds a bit cheap and unsure, but it's quiet enough that you won't hear it unless you're in a very quiet place.
It sometimes can hunt just a little and may take a moment to get perfect focus at f/1.2.
Manual Focus performance top
Manual focus is great; there's a big rubberized manual focus ring that's always active.
Manual focusing is entirely electronic; the manual focus ring isn't connected to anything other than a digital encoder.
Just grab this electronic manual focus ring for instant manual-focus override anytime the camera is awake in any mode.
Even if you're in AF-C (continuous AF), once you turn the manual focus ring, it focuses and stays put. This is much better than Canon cameras, which keep autofocusing in that mode as soon as you let go of the manual focus ring, entirely defeating the purpose!
Focus Breathing performance top
Focus breathing is the image changing size (growing and shrinking slightly) as focused in and out. It's important to cinematographers that the image not breathe (change size) as focus gets pulled back and forth between different actors as they speak. The image is said to breathe because it expands and contracts as the focus follows the dialog back and forth.
There's no significant breathing. The image can become very slightly larger as focussed more closely under very close scrutiny at f/16, but I doubt anyone or even I would ever see it in any practical application.
Focus Distance Recording performance top
I see no focused distance in the lower left of my screen in Photoshop's lens correction filter.
Bokeh performance top
Bokeh, the feel, character or quality of out-of-focus areas as opposed to how far out of focus they are, is soft and beautiful. Be forewarned, this is a wide lens and therefore the background never gets that far out of focus unless you're very close, as I am below.
Here are photos from headshot distance wide-open. I'm focused on the DAVIS logo. Click any for the © camera-original file:
Made-in-U. S. A. Davis 6357 Vantage Vue Wireless Sensor Suite (use with WeatherLink console), Wednesday, 14 May 2025. Nikon Z5 II at 1/8,000, 1/4,000, 1/1,000, 1/250and 1/60 at Auto ISO 100, +0.7 stops exposure compensation (LV 13.5, 12.9, 12.9, 12.9 and 12.8). click any for the camera-original © file.
As always, if you want to throw the background as far out of focus as possible, shoot at f/1.2 and get as close as possible.
Coma performance top
Coma, or sagittal coma flare, was often seen with fast normal to wide lenses as weird batwing shapes on bright points of light in the corners at night. Back when LEICA invented the world's first 35mm f/1.4, it was loaded with coma, and people thought it was God's gift to photography. Likewise, Nikon's first 35mm f/1.4 was also loaded with coma.
I see no coma in this lens at f/1.2, which is superb — but that's what I was expecting for such a huge, expensive and exotic lens. A lack of coma and extreme corner definition is this lens raison d'être (reason to be); if it wasn't this good at corner definition, we could just keep using Nikon's much smaller original 35mm f/1.4 and call it a day.
Coma goes away as stopped down. Even the oldest of these lenses all the coma is gone by f/2.8 or f/4, which is why I emphasize that for most uses at other than full aperture, all lenses take the same pictures.
See the Sample Images for examples. Remember, out-of-focus is not coma.
Distortion performance top
This Nikon Z 35mm f/1.2 has no visible distortion with distortion correction ON. It has moderate barrel distortion with correction OFF.
If you shoot raw data rather than JPG images, whatever software you use to create visible images from raw data may or may not correct the distortion as is done in-camera as JPGs. You're on your own there; I don't bother with raw data.
For more critical scientific use, use these corrections in Photoshop's lens correction filter.
These aren't facts or specifications, they are the results of my research that requires hours of photography and calculations on the resulting data.
Correction factor with uncorrected images on Full-Frame |
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| +0.30 | +2.10* |
© 2025 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved.
* Some waviness remains after this correction.
Ergonomics performance top
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Nikon Z 35mm f/1.2. bigger. |
Nikon Z 35mm f/1.2. bigger. |
This is a big, heavy lens. It's about the same size and weight as the plump Z 135mm f/1.8. Actually, this 35/1.2 is 6% (2.3 oz./65g) heavier!
I like the extra rubber grip ring around the front of the barrel. It doesn't do anything and makes a great grip for holding the lens.
Otherwise, half the lens is the manual focus ring, which is great.
Manual focus is superb, and it always has instant manual-focus override. Manual focus locks when you're done moving the ring, even in AF-C (continuous AF), bravo! (All Nikon Z lenses do this.)
There are two programmable buttons, set to AF lock by default. Their function is assigned in your camera.
It has an extra unclicked control ring towards the rear which can be assigned to lots of things like aperture or white balance or exposure compensation, but lacking clicks I find it too weird to use.
Falloff performance top
With correction ON, falloff on full frame is minor to moderate at f/1.2 and insignificant stopped down.
I've greatly exaggerated the falloff by shooting a gray field and placing these on a gray background; it will not look this bad in actual photos of real things:
Falloff on full-frame at infinity, Vignette control at its default of NORMAL:
© 2025 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved. |
If you save only raw data rather than create JPG images in-camera, whatever software you use to create visible images from that raw data later may or may not correct this as is done in-camera as JPGs. You're on your own there; I don't bother with raw data.
If you go out of your way to turn off the correction, or possibly in some raw software, vignetting is strong at f/1.2 and goes away by f/2 stopped down:
Falloff on full-frame at infinity, Vignette control turned OFF:
© 2025 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved. |
Filters, use with performance top
There's no need for thin filters. I can stack a few standard 82 mm filters with no vignetting at any setting on full-frame.
Go ahead and use your standard rotating polarizer and grad filters.
Flare & Ghosts performance top
There are relatively few ghosts considering the complexity of this lens.
See examples at Sunstars.
Lateral Color Fringes performance top
There are no color fringes as shot on Nikon cameras as JPG, which by default correct for any that may be there.
If you shoot raw and then use non-manufacturer software to process that data into images then there is the possibility that there might be some, but I doubt it.
Lens Corrections performance top
The Z9, Z8, Z7 II, Z6 III, Z6 II, Zƒ, Z7, Z6, Z5 II, Z5, Zƒc, Z50 II, Z50 and Z30 correct for any or all of distortion, diffraction and falloff (vignette control). Each of these three may be turned ON or OFF as you like.
The Z9, Z8, Z7 II, Z6 III, Z6 II, Zƒ, Z7, Z6, Z5 II, Z5, Zƒc, Z50 II, Z50 and Z30 always correct for lateral color fringes (lateral chromatic aberration). This is part of Nikon's secret sauce and never appears in any menu.
Macro Performance performance top
56 years since Nikon's first ultra speed 35mm f/1.4 lens of 1969, this exotic new 35mm lens has the same 1 foot (0.3 meter) close focus distance as every other Nikon 35mm lens. This lens offers an 0.2× macro ratio, while Nikon's first 35mm f/1.4 offers an 0.18× ratio like all the other 35mm lenses.
Here's how close it gets on full frame:
At f/1.2
It's amazing I got anything in focus at f/1.2. I'm focused on the LCD behind the watch face, so the face is a little out of focus and the bezel is completely out of focus. That's normal at f/1.2.
Here's what you get with a vapor-thin depth of field:
Casio G-Shock Solar Atomic Watch at close-focus distance, 14 May 2025. Nikon Z5 II at 1/8,000 ISO 50, +1.3 stops exposure compensation (LV 14.5). bigger or camera-original © file.
1,200 × 900 pixel (5× magnification) crop from above. bigger or camera-original © file.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same large magnification would be about 10 × 15" (25 × 38cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 20 × 30" (50 × 75cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same insanely high magnification would be about 40 × 60" (1 × 1.5 meters).
At f/8
Like every lens, it's ultra sharp at f/8:
Casio G-Shock Solar Atomic Watch at close-focus distance, 14 May 2025. Nikon Z5 II at 1/250 ISO 50, +1.3 stops exposure compensation (LV 15.0). bigger or camera-original © file.
1,200 × 900 pixel (5× magnification) crop from above. bigger or camera-original © file.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same large magnification would be about 10 × 15" (25 × 38cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 20 × 30" (50 × 75cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same insanely high magnification would be about 40 × 60" (1 × 1.5 meters).
Mechanical Quality performance top
Nikon Z 35mm f/1.2. bigger.
It has an Aluminum mount and is otherwise a mix of plastic and metal.
Exterior Finish
Black plastic.
Hood
Plastic bayonet.
Front Bumper
None.
Filter Threads
Plastic.
Hood Bayonet Mount
Plastic.
Barrel Exterior
Plastic.
Focus Ring
Rubber-covered plastic.
Extra Control Ring
Metal.
Rear Barrel Between Extra Control Ring and Mount
Black-anodized aluminum.
Dust Gasket at Mount
Yes.
Mount
Aluminum.
I'm a little baffled; the inexpensive, plasticy Z 35mm f/1.4 seems to have a sturdy chromed brass mount, while this big, heavy exotic lens instead uses lightweight, light-duty aluminum.
Markings
Just paint; nothing's engraved except the serial number.
Serial Number
Nikon Z 35mm f/1.2. bigger.
Laser engraved in the bottom of the anodized aluminum barrel.
Identity
Printed along top front of lens, also "35/1.2" printed on top of barrel.
Internals
I can't see, probably a mix of metal and plastic.
Date Code
None found.
Noises When Shaken
Mild clicking from the diaphragm blades.
Truth & Ethics
Made in Thailand.
Never disclosed in any advertising, marketing materials or online offers for sale.
Sharpness performance top
Lens sharpness has nothing to do with picture sharpness; every lens made in the past 100 years is more than sharp enough to make super-sharp pictures if you know what you're doing. The only limitation to picture sharpness is your skill as a photographer. It's the least talented who spend the most time worrying about lens sharpness and blame crummy pictures on their equipment rather than themselves. Skilled photographers make great images with whatever camera is in their hands; I've made some of my best images of all time with an irreparably broken camera! Most pixels are thrown away before you see them, but camera makers don't want you to know that.
If you're not getting ultra-sharp pictures with this, be sure not to shoot at f/11 or smaller where all lenses are softer due to diffraction, always shoot at ISO 100 or below because cameras become softer at ISO 200 and above, be sure everything is in perfect focus, set your camera's sharpening as you want it (I set mine to the maximum) and be sure nothing is moving, either camera or subject. If you want to ensure a soft image with any lens, shoot at f/16 or smaller at ISO 1,600 or above at default sharpening in daylight of subjects at differing distances in the same image.
People worry waaaaay too much about lens sharpness. It's not 1968 anymore when lenses often weren't that sharp and there could be significant differences among them; ever since about 2010 all new lenses are all pretty much equally fantastic.
This lens is super sharp corner-to corner at every aperture, duh, limited by your vision as an artist and of course by diffraction at the smallest apertures. Avoid f/11 and smaller unless you really need them for extreme depth of field because diffraction takes its toll. See also How to Calculate the Sharpest Aperture.
This lens is ultrasharp everywhere, especially at f/1.2, but then again, so is the Z 35mm f/1.4. While you may see slight variation in the MTF curves, any actual photographic difference between the two is invisible:
Nikon's MTF chart measured at f/1.2 at 10 cyc/mm and 30 cyc/mm. The solid lines are the sagittal (radial) and the dotted lines are the meridional (tangential) measurements.
While it's usually valid to compare rated MTFs between different lenses of similar vintage from the same maker, every maker measures or simply calculates MTF very differently, and therefore one cannot compare these curves between brands. For instance, Sony seems to ignore diffraction and simply calculate overly optimistic MTFs that hug 100%, which no real lens can do at f/8, while other brands are more realistic and include diffraction. Only Canon offers any insight on how they arrive at their curves.
Spherochromatism performance top
Spherochromatism, also called secondary spherical chromatic aberration or "color bokeh," is an advanced form of spherical and chromatic aberration in a different dimension than lateral chromatic aberration and therefore cannot be corrected with software or automatic corrections. It happens mostly in fast normal and tele lenses when spherical aberration at the ends of the color spectrum are corrected differently than in the middle of the spectrum. Spherochromatism can cause colored fringes on out-of-focus highlights, usually seen as green fringes on backgrounds and magenta fringes on foregrounds. Spherochromatism is common in fast lenses of moderate focal length when shooting contrasty items at full aperture. It goes away as stopped down.
It has a some minor to moderate spherochromatism, with the usual green fringes behind and magenta fringes ahead of the plane of perfect focus. Considering the speed of this lens, this is pretty good:
Mondaine A132.30348.11SBB at close-focus distance, 14 May 2025. Nikon Z5 II at 1/2,000 with Tiffen ND 0.9 at Auto ISO 100, +1.3 stops exposure compensation (LV 14.5). bigger or camera-original © file.
1,200 × 900 pixel (5× magnification) crop from above. bigger or camera-original © file.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same large magnification would be about 10 × 15" (25 × 38cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same high magnification would be about 20 × 30" (50 × 75cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 40 × 60" (1 × 1.5 meters).
Image Stabilization (VR) performance top
This lens has no Optical Image Stabilization (OIS, IS or VR (Vibration Reduction)), but it works reasonably well with in-camera stabilization.
I get 3½ stops of real-world improvement with my Z5 II, allowing me to get perfectly sharp shots half of the time at a quarter of a second, and all of the time at an eighth.
"Percent Perfectly Sharp Shots" are the percentage of hand-held, free-standing with no support or bracing, frames with 100% perfect tripod-equivalent sharpness as viewed at 300%. Hand tremor is a random occurrence, so at marginal speeds some frames will be perfectly sharp while others will be in various stages of blur — all at the same shutter speed.
This rates what percentage of shots are perfectly sharp, not how sharp are all the frames:
| % Perfectly Sharp Shots on stabilized Z5 II | 2s |
1s |
1/2 |
1/4 |
1/8 |
1/15 |
1/30 |
1/60 |
1/125 |
| Stabilization ON | 0 |
0 |
33 |
60 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
| Stabilization OFF | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
10 |
20 |
100 |
100 |
I see 3½ stops of real-world improvement.
Sunstars performance top
With an 11-bladed rounded diaphragm, I get glorious 22-point sunstars on brilliant points from about f/5.6 and smaller.
Ignore the crazy rainbow streaks at f/16; these are sensor artifacts caused by interference among the divisions between pixels on the sensor. These are made visible because we're using enough exposure to show the dark underside of a huge palm tree, and then putting the blinding disk of the mid-day sun in it. Doing this will show everything due to the insane lighting range.
Click any to enlarge:
Click any to enlarge.
Teleconverters performance top
Not compatible with either of the Nikon Z TC 1.4× or 2× teleconverters.
There's no space at the back to accommodate the protruding elements of these converters. Sorry.
Compared top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Accessories USA Version
Performance Compared Recommendations
I got my Z 35mm f/1.2 at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay, or get it used at KEH.
This lens is the biggest, heaviest and most expensive 35mm lens ever made by Nikon. While it excels at speed, wide-open sharpness and sunstars, 99% of the time for normal photography its images will be indistinguishable from any other Nikon 35mm lens or zoom.
Versus Nikon's first 35mm f/1.4
Nikon's first 35mm f/1.4 is strictly manual focus and silly to try to use on mirrorless unless you like to fiddle, but it's also made to last a lifetime out of all metal and glass - not a microgram of plastic on it. Its optics are less contrasty and loaded with coma at f/1.4, but honestly I'm all about feel and I love my original 35mm f/1.4 and will be sending back this plastic f/1.2 wonder — I'm not an astronomer and I prefer zooms for mirrorless (but that's just me).
Nikon AI-s 35mm f/1.4 and Z 35mm f/1.2. bigger.
Versus the Z 35mm f/1.4
Nikon's Z 35mm f/1.4 is also optically superb, and a fraction of the size, weight and cost.
If you have to ask if this huge f/1.2 lens is worth the price over the Z 35mm f/1.4, then obviously, it's not. These two lenses perform identically under most conditions. See also Is It Worth It.
Recommendations top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Accessories USA Version
Performance Compared Recommendations
I got my Z 35mm f/1.2 at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay, or get it used at KEH.
This is a big, heavy lens intended for astronomers, camera aficionados and gear hogs, as well as full-time pros who need it — especially if you love sunstars in your outdoor photos. If you're on any sort of budget, of course the Z 35mm f/1.4 will take the same pictures. See also Is It Worth It.
This is a special purpose lens for people who deserve the very best and aren't shy about paying for it or having to carry it around.
This is an optically unbeaten lens, but I wouldn't want to be carrying it around my neck all day unless sunstars or astronomy was my thing.
This isn't a bokeh lens for throwing backgrounds out of focus. This is wide enough that backgrounds never get that far out of focus. Focal length is more important for soft backgrounds than f/stop; for soft backgrounds use a longer lens like the much less expensive 50mm f/1.4 or 85mm f/1.8. Longer focal lengths give much softer backgrounds as well as much better portrait facial rendition.
The real reason for ultrafast 35mm lenses has always been for sports and action and hand-held low-light use, primarily because there is more in focus with a 35mm than a 50mm lens for deeper depth of field (thus sharper pictures at large apertures), and because we can hand-hold 35mm lenses at a half-stop slower shutter speed before camera shake becomes a problem.
I use a clear (UV) protective filter instead of a cap (exactly like an iPhone) so I'm always ready to shoot instantly. I only use a cap when I throw this in a bag with other gear without padding — which is never. The UV filter never gets in the way, and never gets lost, either.
The very best protective filter is the 82mm Hoya multicoated HD3 UV which uses hardened glass and repels dirt and fingerprints. The Nikon NC 82mm is also an excellent choice, but not as resistant to the environment, fingerprints and physical abuse as the HD3 UV.
For much less money, the Hoya multicoated 82mm UV is also optically superb, but the Hoya HD3 is the toughest.
Any of these filters protects as well and gives ultrasharp images, but since filters last a lifetime, you may as well get the best since the Hoya HD3 is tougher and stays cleaner than the others since it repels oil and dirt.
If I was working in nasty, dirty areas and don't want to spring for the HD3 filter, I'd use a plain glass (uncoated) 82mm Tiffen UV filter instead. Plain glass filters are much easier to clean with soap and water or Windex out in the field, but more prone to ghosting.
The Nikon 82mm Polarizer is superb.
All these filters are just as sharp and take the same pictures, the difference is how much abuse they'll take and stay clean and stay in one piece. Since filters last a lifetime or more, there's no reason not to buy the best as it will last you for the next 40 years. Filters aren't throwaways like digital cameras which we replace every few years, like it or not. I'm still using filters I bought back in the 1970s!
I got my Z 35mm f/1.2 at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay, or get it used at KEH.
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