Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2Full Frame (2023-)Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing Compatibility Specifications Performance User's Guide Recommendations & Comparisons Z9 Z8 Z7 II Z6 III Z6 II Z5 II Zƒ Z7 Z6 Z5 DX (APS-C): Zƒc Z50 II Z50 Z30 Z System Z Lenses All Nikon Lenses Flash
Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 (82mm filters, 40.9 oz./1,160g, 2.8'/0.85m close focus, 0.09× macro ratio, $2,797). bigger. I got mine at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay. 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 — but I receive nothing for my efforts if you get it elsewhere. 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, dropped, incomplete, gray-market, 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.
July 2023 Better Pictures Nikon Mirrorless Mirrorless Lenses All Nikon Lenses Nikon Flash All Reviews Z 85mm f/1.8 (2019-today) AF-S 85mm f/1.4G (2010-today). AF 85mm f/1.4D (1995-2010). 85mm f/1.4 AI-s (manual focus, 1981-2006) Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L (2019-today)
Sample Images topSample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing Compatibility Specifications Performance User's Guide Recommendations & Comparisons More samples throughout this review at Bokeh, Falloff, Macro, Spherochromatism and Sunstars. These are just snapshots; my real work is in my Gallery. These are all shot hand-held as 25 MP MEDIUM BASIC ★ JPGs; no tripods, LARGE, NORMAL or FINE JPGs or RAW files were used or needed.
Canary Palm, 11:23 AM, 20 July 2023. Nikon Z8, Z 85mm f/1.2 wide-open at f/1.2 at 1/4,000 at Auto ISO 64 (LV 13.1), as shot. bigger or camera-original © JPG file. What strikes me about this image is how sharp and contrasty it is, even shot wide-open at f/1.2. Lenses never used to be able to do this.
Introduction topSample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing Compatibility Specifications Performance User's Guide Recommendations & Comparisons
This Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 is a giant whopper of a lens. It's ideal for astronomy and people who like to spend a lot of money for lenses that perform wonders in a laboratory, but are so heavy that they will never want to take them out and use them after the first time. This beast weighs almost as much as the Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR, and weighs even more than Canon's RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM, and the pictures are pretty much identical to the small Z 85mm f/1.8 that weighs 60% less and costs 72% less than this f/1.2 beast. This is a very serious lens for people who have a serious and specific need for it; it's not a portrait lens. For portraits I prefer the Z 100-400mm instead; 85mm is too short for anything other than full-body shots. For headshots I shoot around 200mm to 300mm so I can be far enough away for optimum perspective rendering. See more at Portrait Lenses. Its optics are superb, but not better than the far more practical Z 85mm f/1.8. Optically the only advantage of this f/1.2 lens is if you really are going to shoot it at f/1.2, which is only one stop faster than f/1.8. For portraits and photos of three-dimensional objects there is almost nothing in focus at these large apertures with either lens, so don't be misled by Nikon's promise of softer backgrounds; at f/1.2 or f/1.8 only one eye will be in focus and the other will almost always be soft. Just turn the focus ring at any time for instant manual-focus override. I got my Z 85mm f/1.2 at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
New intro top
Good intro top
Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2. bigger.
Bad intro top
Missing intro top
Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2. bigger.
Compatibility topSample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing Compatibility Specifications Performance User's Guide Recommendations & Comparisons
I got my Z 85mm f/1.2 at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
This lens works only on Nikon's Z-series mirrorless cameras. It does not so much as even mount on any other camera.
Specifications topSample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing Compatibility Specifications Performance User's Guide Recommendations & Comparisons
I got my Z 85mm f/1.2 at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
Name specifications topNikon calls this the NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.2 S ∅82:NIKKOR: Nikon's brand name for all their lenses. Z: For Nikon's mirrorless cameras. 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 oh-my-gosh to the "F" SLR mount in 1959, used "S" again when they updated their AI lenses to AI‑S in 1983, created AF‑S SWM lenses in 1998 and here it is again. ∅82: 82mm filter thread.
It also has: AF-P: Stepper (Pulse) autofocus motor: silent and ultra fast. Aspherical: Specially curved glass elements for sharper pictures. D: Couples distance information to the 3D Matrix Meter. ED: Magic Extra-low Dispersion glass for reduced secondary chromatic aberration. IF: Internal focusing; nothing moves externally as focused.
Optics specifications top
Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 internal optical construction. ED and Aspherical elements. bigger. 15 elements in 10 groups. 1 ED extra-low dispersion elements, which helps reduce secondary axial chromatic aberration. 2 aspherical elements. Internal focussing; nothing external moves as focused. Nikon Super Integrated multicoating (SIC). Nano Crystal Coating.
Diaphragm specifications top
Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2. bigger. 11 rounded blades. Electronically actuated. Stops down to f/16.
Filters specifications topPlastic 82mm filter thread.
Angles of View specifications topOn Full Frame FX28½º diagonal. 24º horizontal. 16º vertical.
On APS-C DX18⅚º diagonal. See also Crop Factor.
Autofocus specifications topNo external movement as focussed, so no air or dust is sucked in.
Focus Scale specifications topNo. Not on lens, but may be displayed in-camera.
Infinity Focus Stop specifications topNo. You have to focus somehow to get precise focus at infinity, just like at every other distance.
Depth of Field Scale specifications topNo. Not on lens, but may be displayed in-camera.
Infrared Focus Index specifications topNo.
Close Focus (distance from subject to image plane) specifications top2.8' (0.85 meters).
Maximum Reproduction Ratio specifications top1:11 (0.09 ×).
Reproduction Ratio Scale specifications topNo.
Image Stabilizer specifications topNONE, but works with in-camera stabilization if you have it.
Caps specifications topLC-82B 82 mm snap-on front cap (Nikon part number 4196) and LF-N1 Z-mount rear cap included.
Hood specifications top
Nikon HB-106 hood, included. It has a spring-loaded locking pawl:
"Case" specifications top
Nikon CL-C2 "case." This is a case? bigger. CL-C2 "case," included. They're kidding, right? It's just a fuzzy bag, and not even padded. Geesh.
Size specifications top4.04" ø maximum diameter × 5.57" extension from flange. 102.5 mm ø maximum diameter × 141.5 mm extension from flange.
Weight specifications top40.9 oz. (1,160 g).
Quality specifications top
Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2. bigger.
Announced specifications topMonday, 06 February 2023 at 11:13 PM NYC time.
Promised for specifications topLate March 2023.
Included specifications topLC-82B 82 mm snap-on front cap, Nikon part number 4196. LF-N1 Z-mount rear cap. CL-C2 "case."
Nikon's Model Number specifications top20114.
Price, U. S. A. specifications topJuly 2023$2,797 at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon and at Crutchfield. About $2,600 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
June 2023$2,797 at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon and at Crutchfield. About $2,570 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
February 2023$2,797 at B&H and at Adorama.
Performance topSample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing Compatibility Specifications Performance User's Guide Recommendations & Comparisons
Overall Autofocus Manual Focus Breathing Bokeh Distortion Ergonomics Falloff Filters Flare & Ghosts Lens Corrections Macro Mechanics Sharpness Spherochromatism Sunstars
I got my Z 85mm f/1.2 at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
Overall performance topThe Z 85mm f/1.2 is a huge, plasticy lens with great optics. It's fast, sharp, has little to no distortion as shot and has very good sunstars. Even though it's easy to get things out of focus, bokeh (the quality of the out-of-focusness) is only iffy, and autofocus is on the slow side. Autofocus performance topAutofocus is via a stepper motor that hums. It's quiet but not silent, and it's not particularly fast. It can't be that fast because it needs to be very precise to get perfect focus with the nonexistent depth of field at f/1.2.
Manual Focus performance topManual focusing is entirely electronic; the manual focus ring isn't connected to anything other than a digital encoder. Just grab the electronic focus ring at any time for instant manual-focus override anytime the camera is awake. Better than any other brand, even if you're in AF-C and grab the manual-focus ring, it just swaps to manual focus instantly and stays in manual focus. Other brands will try to fight you for focus if you're in continuous AF, while this lens just does what you tell it to do. Bravo!
Focus Breathing performance topFocus breathing is the image changing size as focused in and out. It's important to cinematographers that the image not breathe because it looks funny if the image changes size as focus gets pulled back and forth between actors. If the lens does this, the image "breathes" by growing and contracting slightly as the dialog goes back and forth. The image from the Z 85/1.2 grows as focussed more closely.
Bokeh performance topBokeh, the feel, character or quality of out-of-focus areas as opposed to how far out of focus they are, is iffy. While things do get so far out of focus that the quality of the defocus doens't usually matter much, when it does matter, bokeh is only fair. Look at the rear fronds in this shot at f/1.2 and they're too busy:
Canary Palm, 11:23 AM, 20 July 2023. Nikon Z8, Z 85mm f/1.2 wide-open at f/1.2 at 1/4,000 at Auto ISO 64 (LV 13.1), as shot. bigger or camera-original © JPG file. Here's a crop from the above:
1,200 × 900 pixel (5.16× magnification) crop from above. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
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 6250 weather station, 11:25 AM, 20 July 2023. Nikon Z8, Z 85mm f/1.2 at 1/16,000, 1/6,400, 1/1,250, 1/500 and 1/100 at Auto ISO 64 (LV 15). 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.
Distortion performance topThe Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 has no visible distortion as shot with Distortion Correction ON, and it's just about invisible with Distortion Correction OFF as well. At 30 feet (10 meters) I measure a correction factor of +0.3 to use in Photoshop's lens correction filter to JPG images with Distortion Correction ON, or -1.2 for use with with Distortion 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. Nikon's own software probably also corrects this from RAW CR3 files, but be warned that other brands of raw processing software probably won't correct the distortion, and Heaven only knows what distortion you may see then.
Ergonomics performance
This is a huge, but simple, lens. The front rubber ring is just for grip; it doesn't rotate. The biggest rubbery ring is focus. It's electronic and always active, bravo! The L-Fn button is usually focus lock, and can be programmed in your camera to control other things. The thin rear ring usually controls aperture, and can be programmed in your camera to control other things like ISO, aperture or exposure compensation. The available functions will vary over the years with your camera. Good is that there is a switch for Auto and Manual focus. There's no switch for in-camera Image Stabilization; you have to set this in a menu if your camera has this.
Falloff performance topFalloff is invisible, with correction at its default of ON. 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. 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:
Filters, use with performance topThere's no need for thin filters. I can use quite a stack of standard 82mm filters with no vignetting at any setting on full-frame. Go ahead and use your standard rotating polarizer and grad filters. Be careful; a lens this long and fast can be sensitive to poorly made filters. Check any filter your hope to use with this lens for flatness. Hold it over the front of one side of a pair of binoculars or a small telescope. The image should be perfectly sharp with or without the filter. If the filter is even slightly unflat, the image seen through the telescope will look awful!
Flare & Ghosts performance topThis is a complex lens with a lot of elements. It has more flare than simpler lenses if shot into the light. If you want low flare and ghosts, the Z 85mm f/1.8 is much better. See examples at Sunstars.
Lens Corrections performance topIf you shoot raw data rather than JPG images, whatever software you use to create visible images from raw data may or may not correct aberrations as is done in-camera as JPGs. You're on your own there; I don't bother with raw data. Nikon Z cameras correct for any or all of distortion, diffraction and falloff (vignette control), and all of these can be set on or off.
Macro Performance performance topThis lens doens't focus closely. This lens focuses no more closely than Nikon's other 85mm lenses have focused since the 1970s. This is as close as it gets on full-frame, and it is sharp even wide-open at f/1.2:
Casio G-Shock Solar Atomic Watch at close-focus distance, 20 July 2023. Nikon Z8, Z 85mm f/1.2 wide-open at f/1.2 at 1/16,000 at Auto ISO 64 (LV 15.1). bigger or camera-original © file.
1,200 × 900 pixel (6.8× 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, the complete image would print at a large 14 × 21″ (35 × 55 cm) at this same high magnification. If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at a huge 27½ × 41¼″ (70 × 105 cm) at this same high magnification. If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at a mammoth 55 × 82½″ (1.4 × 2.1 meters) at this same extremely high magnification!
Mechanical Quality performance top
Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2. bigger. This lens is mostly plastic on the outside. It feels a bit like getting ripped off after paying nearly $3,000 USD.
FinishMostly black plastic.
HoodPlastic bayonet.
Front BumperNone.
Filter ThreadsPlastic.
Hood Bayonet MountPlastic.
Gold ED BandNone.
Front Barrel ExteriorPlastic.
Focus RingRubber-covered plastic.
Mid Barrel ExteriorSection with L-Fn button: plastic.
L-Fn ButtonPlastic.
Focus Mode Slide SwitchPlastic.
Programmable Rear RingMetal.
Rear Barrel ExteriorAnodized aluminum.
IdentityPrinted around front of lens, also engraved on top of barrel.
InternalsSeem like mostly metal.
Dust Gasket at MountYes.
MountChromed metal.
MarkingsSome painted, some engraved.
Serial NumberLaser engraved on bottom of barrel:
Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2. bigger.
Date CodeNone found.
Noises When ShakenNone; it's as solid as an ebony coconut.
Made inMade in China.
Sharpness performance topLens 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, avoid shooting across long distances over land which can lead to atmospheric heat shimmer, be sure everything is in perfect focus, set your camera's sharpening as you want it (I usually 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 ultra sharp and contrasty corner-to corner at every aperture, limited of course by diffraction at the very smallest apertures. This is a great lens for anything that needs sharp under any condition, especially astronomy. |
Huge.
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.
