The S-Line series of Nikkor Z optics has been steadily proving itself to be something special. Joining the fray and eager to prove its own excellence is the new Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.2 S, in itself an ambitious specification. 50mm lenses are considered the standard lens for full-frame DSLR cameras and range from the diminutive “plastic fantastics”, through to the conventional high-quality lenses and then on to the new batch of exceptionally high quality, very large and heavy optics that are being seen across the whole range of manufacturers. Many of these are 50mm f/1.4 lenses, but a few push that maximum aperture to f/1.2, squeezing the last third of a stop at a very high cost in the price. We now couple the new lens with the 45.7MP Nikon Z7 body and see if it lives up to its potential and can justify its price-point.
Nikon Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.2 S Handling and Features
As we might expect, this is a big lens, weighing in at a hefty 1090g, although to be fair this balances well with the Z7 body and doesn't seem too excessive in use. The lens has extensive weather sealing, a very welcome and now becoming expected feature, and overall the high quality of construction is impressive.
There is a provided petal-shaped lens hood and this bayonets nicely on to the front of the lens. A locking catch is provided. Within the bayonet fit for the hood is a standard 82mm filter thread.
The manual focusing ring is very substantial and, being electronic, utterly smooth in operation. Focusing is down to 0.45m or 1.48 feet, a maximum magnification of 0.15x. This is exactly what we would expect from a 50mm lens and it does enable fairly close photography, but not anywhere near macro magnification. The positioning of the focusing ring means that it could be accidentally moved during AF if the left hand is used to cradle and hold the lens. Fortunately, if this is a problem the option for continuous manual focusing in AF can be switched off.
Immediately behind this is the OLED display. When switching on, this displays NIKKOR and then changes to the selected value. The choice is controlled by a button close by on the lens marked DISP and we can select aperture value or distance. The distance scale can be set to feet or metres. It also incorporates a sliding bar to indicate depth of field. However, the visible scale is very small and there are not enough figures to make this a useful feature. To be more practical, the display would need to be much larger, allowing a wider spread of figures on the scale.
Further round the lens barrel at this point there is also the L-Fn button, which can be programmed to perform various functions using the camera menu.
The final control ring, closest to the camera, can be set to adjust aperture, ISO or exposure compensation. The aperture function could be very useful for videographers as the electromagnetic diaphragm, coupled with this control, makes for totally silent aperture control. The diaphragm has 9 blades, a positive feature for beautiful bokeh.
Optical construction is 17 elements in 15 groups, with 2 ED (Extra Low Dispersion) and 3 Aspherical. Nikon's ARNEO coating plus Nanocrystal coatings complete the picture. The diaphragm has 9 blades for enhanced bokeh.
The lens handles beautifully, it is a total pleasure to use. The weight and bulk has to be accepted, and the cost of course, but in terms of actual usage it is a beauty. In a practical sense, using the camera to control the aperture may be preferable for some, but the option of having the control ring to do this is extremely useful.
As regards the focal length, 50mm is a standard lens for a very good reason, equating the field of view to give an image very similar to that seen naturally by the human eye. The 50mm lens has been largely replaced by the kit zoom for the initial purchase, but the increased quality of a prime lens is not to be underestimated.
Nikon Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.2 S Performance
Sharpness is remarkable. At the centre, it is outstanding from f/1.2 through to f/8, and excellent at f/11 and f/16. The edges are excellent from f/1.2 to f/2, outstanding from f/2.8 to f/8, excellent at f/11 and very good at f/16.
Nikon Z 50mm f/1.2 S MTF Charts
How to read our MTF chartsThe blue column represents readings from the centre of the picture frame at the various apertures and the green is from the edges.The scale on the left side is an indication of actual image resolution and sharpness as LW/PH and is described in detail above. The taller the column, the better the lens performance. For this review, the lens was tested on a Nikon Z7 using Imatest. Want to know more about how we review lenses? |
CA (Chromatic Aberration) is measured with any in-camera corrections switched off, as far as we can know anyway, and the end result is almost no CA at all. Further correction in software might be possible, but it is very doubtful that it would ever be needed.
Nikon Z 50mm f/1.2 S Chromatic Aberration Charts
How to read our CA chartsChromatic aberration (CA) is the lens' inability to focus on the sensor or film all colours of visible light at the same point. Severe chromatic aberration gives a noticeable fringing or a halo effect around sharp edges within the picture. It can be cured in software.Apochromatic lenses have special lens elements (aspheric, extra-low dispersion etc) to minimize the problem, hence they usually cost more. For this review, the lens was tested on a Nikon Z7 using Imatest. |
Distortion measures +0.16% pincushion, virtually rectilinear, and again a challenge to many macro lenses, just as the 58mm f/0.95 Noct is. Architectural shots will be reproduced with straight lines, even at the edges of the frame.
Bokeh is really smooth, bright highlights sometimes appearing somewhat elongated at the edges of the image, but always smooth in gradation.
Flare resistance is excellent and no flare is generally visible, even under quite demanding situations.
Vignetting is obvious wide open, but stopping down soon sees it brought under control to quite reasonable levels.
| Aperture | Vignetting |
| f/1.2 | -2.4 stops |
| f/1.4 | -2 |
| f/2 | -1 |
| f/2.8 | -0.8 |
| f/4 | -0.8 |
| f/5.6 | -0.8 |
| f/8 | -0.8 |
| f/11 | -0.8 |
| f/16 | -0.7 |
It is also worth mentioning that with an f/1.2 lens accurate focus can be quite a challenge. The AF of this lens is extremely precise in this respect and nails the point of focus every time. A superb performance all round.
Nikon Z 50mm f/1.2 S Aperture range
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Value For Money
The Nikon Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.2 S lens is priced at £2299. There are alternatives for the Nikon Z system.
Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.8 S, £439
Nikkor Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct, £8299
There are also various Nikkor lenses that could be used via Nikon FTZ mount adapter.
Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 G, £199
Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 G, £389
Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 D, £289
And then we have independent lenses.
Tokina Opera 50mm f/1.4, £879
Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4 FE, £1299
Zeiss Milvus 50mm f/1.4, £1159
Zeiss Otus 55mm f/1.4, £3199
Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art, £599
Samyang 50mm f/1.4 AS UMC, £330
Samyang XP 50mm f/1.2, £799
And as a comparison with other marques.
Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L, £1449
There are very few 50mm f/1.2 or faster lenses, and even fewer that can take on the new Nikkor Z in terms of performance. This lens is at the top of the game, as indeed all the S-Line lenses reviewed so far have proven to be. If quality is the only criterion, then the answer is totally clear, this is a lens of refinement and choice. There are things that it cannot do, such as focus to macro distances, and it relies on the camera body for vibration reduction. This latter point is not a major gripe as the VR system is very good, but it does preclude the concept of dual VR between lens and body.
The conclusion is that despite the price, which is inevitable considering the standard of performance, the lens is very good value for money.
For more options have a look at the Top 44 Best Portrait Lenses.
Nikon Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.2 S Verdict
Another very expensive standard lens for the Nikon Z system, offering a lens not quite as fast as the f/0.95 Noct but at a fraction of the price. In terms of performance, the two lenses act in a very similar way and at the widest apertures the more expensive lens just has the edge. However, all we are comparing are degrees of outstanding, so it is doubtful that the difference will be seen in images. If you don't need the f/0.95 aperture then a fair bit of cash can be saved by going for the new f/1.2 lens.
Of course, all 50mm lenses tend to be pretty good, so differences will be in terms of construction quality, longevity, and the absolute performance at the top grade of lens making. Photographers do buy the highest quality lenses at sometimes very high prices indeed, but they also have a need for the specific subtlety that they extract for their particular style; the character of the lens.
The Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.2 S has plenty of performance and plenty of character to justify its price. Editor's Choice.
| The Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.2 S is an amazing standard lens of the highest quality for the Nikon Z system. |
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