Nikon NIKKOR Z 85mm F 1 2 S Review | 54 Data compared

The Photography Life review identifies the Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 S as an elite, specialized lens offering exceptional sharpness, smooth bokeh, and fast autofocus at f/1.2, designed for professional portrait and wedding work. It boasts a robust, weather-sealed build with advanced handling features, including customizable controls. Conversely, the review notes the lens is very heavy at 1160 grams and unbalanced on smaller bodies, while its high $3,000 price point makes it a significant investment compared to alternatives like the 85mm f/1.8 S. The lens is ideal for those requiring maximum speed and shallow depth of field, but may not be necessary for all photographers.

The Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 S is a premium, high-performance portrait prime lens designed specifically for Nikon's mirrorless Z-system cameras. As the first 85mm f/1.2 lens ever made by Nikon, it serves as a highly anticipated upgrade over older F-mount f/1.4 alternatives, offering an ultra-bright aperture that delivers exceptionally tight depth of field and sumptuously smooth bokeh. In laboratory and real-world testing, the lens showcases exceptional, stellar sharpness across the entire image frame—even when shot wide-open at f/1.2—easily outperforming competing lenses like the Canon RF 85mm F1.2L USM. Built with 15 elements in 10 groups, an 11-blade aperture diaphragm, and multi-weather sealing, this lens maintains remarkably negligible chromatic aberration and distortion, making it a reliable, high-end tool for portrait, wedding, and fashion photographers.

Lens Performance and Features Notable Drawbacks On the downside, the lens is incredibly large and heavy, weighing 1,160 grams and measuring 103 x 142mm, making it quite daunting to handle and resulting in a total kit weight of 2.5kg when mounted to a camera body like the Nikon Z 9. It is also highly expensive at 2,797 USD / 3,349 EUR, which is significantly more than its f1.8 sibling and roughly 500 EUR more than Canon's equivalent RF lens. Additionally, it compromises on premium features found in other S-class lenses by lacking an OLED display, omitting the advanced "ARNEO" anti-reflective coating, and lacking a protective fluorine coating on the front element. Video shooters should also note a 9% increase in magnification due to focus breathing and audible whirring noises from the autofocus drive when forced to focus quickly during internal microphone recordings. Finally, it ships with a poorly designed, flimsy pouch that fails to keep the lens secure.

The Nikon Nikkor Z 85mm f/1.2 S is a premium, specialty prime lens designed for full-frame mirrorless cameras, targeting serious portrait, fashion, and fine art photographers who demand elite optical performance. Its biggest selling points (pros) include class-leading sharpness even when shot wide open at f/1.2, exceptionally smooth and gorgeous background bokeh, and beautiful color and contrast rendering. Mechanically, it offers a robust, fully weather-sealed metal build, a customizable control ring and L-Fn button, and surprisingly fast and precise dual-motor autofocus performance that can track moving subjects. Additionally, it features excellent optical correction with virtually non-existent color fringing, coma, or sagittal astigmatism, making it a powerful tool for low-light and astrophotography. However, the lens has several notable drawbacks (cons) that make it impractical for everyday use or casual photographers. It is incredibly large, heavy at 2.6 lbs (1160 g), and lacks portability, which makes it exhausting to carry during long shoots like all-day weddings. It is also not optimized for macro or close-up photography due to a restrictive minimum focusing distance of 33.46 inches (0.85 m). Ergonomically, the AF/MF switch...

The Nikon NIKKOR Z 85mm F1.2 S lens achieved a record-breaking DXOMARK score of 55 when tested on a 45.7 MP Nikon Z7, making it the highest-scoring lens in their database across all focal lengths. Designed for portraiture, fashion, and low-light indoor sports, this substantial 1160-gram mirrorless lens delivers outstanding optical performance and build quality. Its main advantages include exceptional center sharpness even when shooting wide-open at F1.2, which increases further across the entire frame when stopped down. Additionally, it features superb, class-leading light transmission measured at T1.3, which provides a significant exposure advantage over F1.4 and F1.8 rivals in low-light environments. Despite its record-setting scores, the lens is a pricey investment at roughly $2,799 / €3,049 and comes with a few minor optical drawbacks. Reviewers noted that wide-open vignetting is slightly heavier than expected at -1.6EV in the extreme corners, and there is slight lateral chromatic aberration visible along high-contrast edges in the corners of the frame. The lens also exhibits minor pincushion distortion of -0.3%. However, because these distortions, vignetting, and color fringing are easily corrected either via...

The Nikkor Z 85mm f/1.2 S is a top-tier portrait lens that delivers exceptional real-world performance, earning an overall score of 8.5/10 after 10,000 images. Despite its large and bulky footprint, the lens surprises with a lightweight feel (1,160 grams) that balances remarkably well on compact camera bodies like the Nikon Zf. Its minimal physical design strips away unnecessary complexities, focusing entirely on superior optical glass that requires virtually no distortion or profile corrections in post-production. The autofocus is remarkably snappy even in challenging lighting conditions, and the high-quality lens coatings excel at preserving rich color and contrast when shooting directly into bright, backlit environments. A standout feature is its beautiful, buttery smooth bokeh and impressive sharpness when shooting wide open at f/1.2. However, the lens is not without its drawbacks; it is a hefty and pricey investment that is difficult to justify for photographers who do not consider the 85mm focal length a daily workhorse. Additionally, it is not significantly more compact than its direct market competitors, and it cannot magically defy the laws of physics. The reviewer notes...

Nikon Z 85mm f/1.8S vs. Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2S Review Summary The Nikon Z 85mm f/1.8S is an affordable, lightweight, and compact portrait lens that integrates seamlessly with mirrorless bodies like the Nikon Z6 II. In real-world testing, it delivers exceptionally sharp images and reliable, rapid autofocus performance. However, the lens lacks character, producing clinical colors straight out of the camera. Its maximum aperture stops at f/1.8, and the reviewer notes that it ultimately feels unexciting and mundane to use. In contrast, the premium Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2S provides a dreamy aesthetic with stunning bokeh and flattering edge distortion. It is outrageously sharp, handles glowy haze beautifully, and features fast focusing. On the downside, the lens is very expensive, heavy, and physically massive. Its large 82mm front glass diameter can also intimidate young children during photo shoots. Additionally, it suffers from a slight softness when shot wide open at f/1.2 and lacks noticeable vignetting.

In a DPReview TV portrait battle, the Nikkor Z 85mm F1.2 S is tested in challenging winter conditions, showcasing excellent autofocus, smooth bokeh, and minimal focus breathing. The lens features robust S-line construction, including weather-sealing and customizable controls, making it a high-end choice for portraits and video. Conversely, the lens is very heavy at 1.1kg, which can cause fatigue, and its large size can be intimidating to subjects. Other downsides include a premium price, the lack of an OLED panel, and noticeable cat's-eye bokeh at f/1.2.

In lab testing, the lens demonstrates outstanding sharpness from its widest aperture down to f/16, maintaining high contrast even when shooting into strong backlights. Despite its optical excellence, the review highlights several performance limitations. The dual STM autofocus system takes roughly a second to rack from close to far distances, making it less than ideal for fast-moving sports and action tracking. It exhibits noticeable focus breathing, which detracts from its use in professional cinema applications. Additionally, with a close-focus limit of 2.8 feet and a meager 1:9 magnification ratio, it is a poor choice for macro photography. For users seeking a more practical option, the author suggests considering the lighter, $799.95 Nikkor Z 85mm F1.8 S or the $2,499.95 Nikkor Z 135mm F1.8 S Plena.

The Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 S is a premium, high-end prime lens priced at US$2,800 that delivers exceptional image quality and dreamy bokeh, making it highly effective for both food and travel photography. When used for food photography, its standout pros include remarkable sharpness that highlights textures, a wide aperture for a shallow depth of field, and great low-light performance. For travel, the lens excels with gorgeous bokeh for portraits, robust build quality, and accurate color rendition. Additionally, it lacks built-in vibration reduction (VR) but pairs successfully with the Nikon Z8’s in-body image stabilization (IBIS) to capture crisp images while on the move. However, the lens has notable drawbacks, primarily its massive size and heavy weight, which make it less ideal for packing light or enduring lengthy handheld sessions. In tight restaurant spaces, food photographers will face limitations due to its restrictive 0.85-meter minimum focusing distance and a focal length that is often too tight to capture an entire table setup. Travel photographers may also find the prime focal length less versatile than a zoom lens when adapting to unpredictable...

The Photography Life review concludes that the Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 S is an elite, professional-grade portrait lens delivering exceptional sharpness across the frame, with outstanding performance even at its widest aperture. Key pros highlighted include robust build quality with excellent weather sealing, fast dual-motor autofocus, and versatile handling features like a custom control ring, resulting in incredible optical performance that rivals top-tier glass. Conversely, the review notes that the lens is significantly heavy at 1160 grams and physically large, which can cause balancing issues on smaller camera bodies. Its high $3,000 price point and specialized nature make it a substantial investment compared to lighter, more affordable alternatives in the Nikon Z system, such as the 85mm f/1.8 S.

The Nikon 85mm f/1.2 S is a large, high-end portrait lens for the Z-mount that delivers exceptional central sharpness and beautifully smooth background blur wide open, even outperforming the Zeiss Otus 85mm f/1.4 in studio testing. Its optical design is complex, featuring 15 elements, an 11-blade aperture diaphragm, and specialized coatings to maximize contrast. In terms of advantages, the lens boasts virtually perfect correction for linear distortion when in-camera fixes are applied, highly controlled lateral chromatic aberration, and a rendering style that provides an outstanding transition from focus to blur. However, the lens comes with notable drawbacks, primary among them being its massive size—weighing 40.9 ounces (1160g)—and its high $2,800 price tag, which makes it front-heavy on smaller bodies like the Z6, Z7, and Zf. Performance flaws include slower autofocus pulls that can overshoot in dim light, a noticeable 10% focus breathing effect during long video pulls, and a susceptibility to prismatic ghosting and veiling glare when dealing with bright light sources. Additionally, its close-focus magnification is poor, and a close inspection of the bokeh reveals "turtle skinning" along with...

Ken Rockwell's review highlights the Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 as a lens of extreme contrasts, praising its exceptional sharpness, fast operation, and lack of distortion, while criticizing its massive, "plasticy" build made in China and high $2,800 price. While it removes the undesirable OLED screen of previous models, the lens is faulted for having only one programmable button, a low-quality pouch, and a hard-to-see mounting dot. YouTube · Performance-wise, the lens features slow autofocus due to the heavy glass elements required for f/1.2, paired with bokeh that is described as merely "iffy". It lacks in-lens stabilization, stops down only to f/16, and is considered a specialized, bulky tool for portraits and astronomy compared to the lighter 85mm f/1.8 alternative.