Nikon has just announced what is destined to become a classic environmental portrait lens for the Nikon Z mount: the Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.2 S. This beautiful high-end prime lens completes the holy trinity of f/1.2 primes, joining the Nikon 50mm f/1.2 S and the Nikon 85mm f/1.2 S.
The Nikon Z 35mm f/1.2 S is not only the third f/1.2 prime from Nikon, it’s also the third 35mm lens, following the 35mm f/1.8 S and 35mm f/1.4. What does the 35mm f/1.2 bring that the other 35mm lenses do not? Let’s see the basic specifications:
- Format: Full-frame
- Focal length: 35mm
- Maximum Aperture: f/1.2
- Minimum Aperture: f/16
- Lens Elements: 17 elements in 15 groups
- Blades: 11, rounded
- Minimum Focus Distance: 0.3m (0.99ft) / 0.2x magnification
- Filter Size: 82mm
- Length: 150mm (5.9in)
- Weight: 1.06kg (2lb, 5.39oz)
Of course, you get the amazing light-gathering ability of a f/1.2 lens. But beyond that, the 35mm f/1.2 S has been fine-tuned for its rendering. It has 17 elements in 15 groups and 11 rounded aperture blades (its f/1.4 and f/1.8 counterparts have 9). It’s also got the Meso Amorphous Coat, Nano Crystal Coat and ARNEO Coat to handle a variety of intense lighting situations, so it should perform very well in situations where you want to shoot into lighting sources to get dramatic portraits.
It’s also highly corrected, with four ED elements (the f/1.8 S has two) including one aspherical element. You may also remember that we already tested the 50mm f/1.2 S and 85mm f/1.2 S in the lab at Photography life, and if the 35mm f/1.2 S follows suit, it should be very sharp. I’m already loving the rendering just looking at some of Nikon’s sample images!
Here is a crop taken from the full-size image above:
Not bad for f/1.2, right? The Nikon 35mm f/1.2 S also has got some crucial features for video, such as a clickless control ring and silent focusing. Nikon also claims that focus breathing has been minimized, which means your field of view should change very little when shifting between two focus planes. The lens has two lens buttons and is extensively weather-sealed.
Of course, the amazing build, performance, and light-gathering ability will come at a cost. It has an expected MSRP of $2,799.95 and a weight of 1.06kg (2lbs, 5.39oz). But for those who crave the delicious bokeh of this ethereal beauty, it may just be worth the price!
If you’re interested in this lens, you can support Photography Life by pre-ordering it with the following link at B&H:
Here is the full press-release:
MELVILLE, NY (February 4, 2025) – Today, Nikon Inc. announced the highly anticipated release of the NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.2 S, a medium wide-angle prime lens with an impressively fast f/1.2 maximum aperture for professional photographers and filmmakers.
The NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.2 S is Nikon’s latest S-Line lens, a series synonymous with outstanding optical performance and handling. The lens emphasizes the main subjects with soft and beautiful bokeh, a dramatic shallow depth-of-field, and the realistic expression of textures. This classic wide-angle prime lens allows for a creative use of the environment to tell a deeper story that meaningfully connects with the viewer.
“Our latest f/1.2 lens truly demonstrates the power of Nikon’s optical expertise, creating a lens that helps the user to portray more of the environment within a single, beautiful frame,” said Fumiko Kawabata, Sr. Vice President of Marketing and Planning, Nikon Inc. “The NIKKOR Z line of lenses continues to expand as we now offer more than 40 impressive optical solutions for Nikon Z Series users.”
The optical characteristics of the NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.2 S are finely tuned to create the perfect combination of sharpness and atmosphere. Soft, delicate organic textures, such as skin and hair, are rendered with a natural authenticity, while reflective objects like jewelry are sharp and free of distracting color aberrations. The NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.2 S is a must-have lens for those shooting events, weddings, fashion, as well as for cinematography.
Sharing a similar design concept to the NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.2 S and the NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.2 S, the new lens offers superior rendering capabilities as well as depiction of the scene with a sense of depth, even with its wide angle of view. The optical design includes three ED glass elements and one aspherical ED element, enabling effective reduction of false color aberrations. In addition, the application of Nikon’s proprietary Meso Amorphous Coat, Nano Crystal Coat, and ARNEO Coat minimize ghosting and flare and provide outstanding optical performance.
Primary Features of the NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.2 S
- Enables unique imaging styles through the combination of high resolving power achieved by superior optical performance, smooth and beautiful bokeh that takes full advantage of the shallow depth-of-field at f/1.2, and 35mm angle of view.
- Achieves a sense of depth with smooth bokeh that transitions gently as it moves away from the focal plane.
- A lens structure with symmetry in front of and behind the aperture realizes outstanding optical performance.
- Three ED glass elements and one aspherical ED glass elements enable effective correction of various lens aberrations.
- Adoption of Meso Amorphous Coat, Nano Crystal Coat and ARNEO Coat effectively reduces ghosting and flares for clear rendering even in tough lighting conditions.
- Adoption of a multi-focusing system1 that uses stepping motors (STMs) realizes fast and accurate AF drive for both still images and video.
- Features a design optimized for video, including a clickless control ring, silent focusing and stable exposure, and suppressed focus breathing to effectively reduces shifts to the angle of view when focusing.
- Two convenient L-Fn buttons, to which a wide variety of functions can be assigned, enable smooth adjustment of settings, even during vertical shooting.
- Superior dust and drip-resistant performance2 is ensured by sealing various parts of the lens, including movable parts of the lens barrel.
Price and Availability
The new Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.2 S lens will be available in late February 2025 for a suggested retail price of $2,799.95*. For more information about the latest Nikon products, including the vast collection of NIKKOR Z lenses and the entire line of Z series cameras, please visit nikonusa.com.Notes:
Specifications, equipment, and release dates are subject to change without any notice or obligation on the part of the manufacturer.
*1 Multiple AF drive units work together to control the position of multiple focus lens groups with great precision for superior image formation performance regardless of shooting distance.
*2 Thorough dust and drip resistance is not guaranteed in all situations or under all conditions.
*SRP (Suggested Retail Price) listed only as a suggestion. Actual prices are set by dealers and are subject to change at any time.
I thought the idea of mirrorless, was to maintain the quality, while reducing size and weight. This lens looks a monster.
It’s too expensive and too hard.
Sigma 35mm f1.2 dn art + adapter will cost me about twice as much.
Oh and also the official page seemed to suggest 4 ED and 4 aspherical elements, one of both is an aspherical ED element.
It also looked like it would be sharpest slightly off-center on the MTF chart – where it matters! Reviews with exact MTF50 numbers are going to be interesting.
Good catch! I meant 3 ED an one aspherical ED! Corrected!
Felt a sense of deja vu with the bokeh of some of the official samples; Sure enough, the trusty 50mm f/1.8 S could maybe produce something very similar with a 4-shot Brenizer method panorama.
But yes, that kind of thing required more post processing, and is not really good for anything that moves at all.
The new lens is looking good.
Now we’re just missing a 24mm f1.2. :-D