The highly anticipated Nikon Z 35mm f/1.2 S marks a significant milestone in Nikon’s lens lineup, representing their fastest-ever 35mm optic. With its extraordinary light-gathering capabilities and premium build quality, this lens has generated considerable excitement among photographers and videographers alike. But at $2,799/£2899, does it deliver on its premium promise?
Build Quality & Handling
At 1,060g (37.39 oz), this is undeniably a substantial piece of glass. The lens’s size and weight reflect its professional-grade construction, though it remains well-balanced on Nikon’s Z-series bodies. The build quality is exactly what you’d expect from Nikon’s S-line series, featuring comprehensive weather sealing and robust metal construction.
The lens features a customizable control ring and two function buttons, providing excellent handling customization. However, one minor criticism relates to the aperture ring. While it’s a welcome feature, some users report it’s a bit too easy to accidentally adjust, leading many to disable it entirely. This seems like a missed opportunity that could be addressed with a firmer click mechanism.
Optical Performance
Sharpness
Testing reveals exceptional sharpness, even wide open at f/1.2. The lens demonstrates remarkable edge-to-edge clarity, with minimal softening in the corners – a particularly impressive feat for such a fast lens. By f/2.8, it achieves outstanding sharpness across the entire frame, though many users will be perfectly happy shooting wide open given the excellent performance at f/1.2.
Bokeh
The bokeh characteristics of this lens are nothing short of outstanding. The 11-blade rounded aperture creates a beautifully smooth, natural-looking background blur. Unlike some competitors that can produce a “busy” or “nervous” bokeh, the Z 35mm f/1.2 S renders out-of-focus areas with a pleasing, three-dimensional quality that enhances subject separation without becoming distracting.
Chromatic Aberration & Flare
The lens’s sophisticated coating system (combining Nano Crystal Coat, ARNEO Coat, and Meso Amorphous Coat) effectively controls flare and ghosting in most situations. Some purple fringing can appear in extreme backlit scenarios, but it’s easily correctable in post-processing and well-controlled compared to other fast aperture lenses.
Autofocus
The Multi-Focus System, powered by dual STM motors, delivers fast and accurate autofocus performance. In real-world testing, the lens demonstrates excellent eye-detection accuracy, even at f/1.2 where the depth of field is extremely shallow. For video work, the focus transitions are smooth and nearly silent, though there can be some hunting in extreme close-up situations.
Video Performance
Videographers will appreciate several key features:
- Minimal focus breathing
- Smooth, de-clickable aperture control
- Silent autofocus operation
- Excellent subject-tracking capabilities
The lens performs particularly well for mid-distance shots, though it may struggle slightly with extreme close-up focus transitions during video recording.
Image Quality
The overall image quality is remarkable, with several standout characteristics:
- Excellent contrast and colour rendition
- Natural-looking skin tones
- Clean, well-controlled flare characteristics
- Beautiful sun stars when stopped down
- Exceptional detail retention at all apertures
Who Is It For?
This lens will particularly appeal to:
- Wedding photographers require excellent low-light performance
- Documentary photographers need environmental context with subject separation
- Portrait photographers want a wider perspective with a shallow depth of field
- Videographers seeking cinematic depth of field
- Low-light event photographers
- Architectural photographers requiring edge-to-edge sharpness
Value Proposition
While the $2,799/£2899 price tag positions this lens firmly in professional territory, it delivers exceptional value for those who need its unique capabilities. The combination of outstanding image quality, professional build, and versatile focal length makes it a worthwhile investment for serious photographers and videographers.
Verdict
The Nikon Z 35mm f/1.2 S is a remarkable achievement that sets a new standard for 35mm lenses. While its size and price may give some photographers pause, its exceptional optical performance, beautiful rendering, and professional-grade build quality make it a worthy flagship lens for the Z system. For those who can justify the investment, it offers a unique combination of capabilities that make it one of the finest 35mm lenses ever created.
Pros:
- Exceptional sharpness, even wide-open
- Beautiful, natural bokeh rendering
- Excellent build quality and weather sealing
- Fast, accurate autofocus
- Superb video capabilities
- Outstanding low-light performance
Cons:
- Considerable size and weight
- Premium price point
- Slightly loose aperture ring
- Some chromatic aberration in extreme situations
- Close-up video autofocus can hunt occasionally
Buy The NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.2 S
Ready to elevate your photography with this exceptional lens? Visit Campkins Cameras in Cambridge to get hands-on with the Nikon Z 35mm f/1.2 S and receive expert guidance from our knowledgeable staff.
