Nikon Z 35mm f/1.2 S Review

Introduction

Not too wide, not too narrow – just right. I’m talking about the 35mm lens, a classic for documentary and street photography (and more). Today, I am here to review not just any 35mm lens, but the most extreme 35mm that Nikon has ever made: the Nikon Z 35mm f/1.2 S.

This ultra-bright lens joins the Nikon Z 50mm f/1.2 and 85mm f/1.2 as just the third autofocus f/1.2 lens that Nikon has ever made. It is heavy (1060 grams) and expensive ($2800), and it features many of Nikon’s bells and whistles in its 17-element, 15-group optical design.

I have taken this lens around Prague while Spencer tested a second copy in the Photography Life lab. Today, I would like to bring you my complete review of the Nikon Z 35mm f/1.2 S, including a side-by-side comparison with Nikon’s two other 35mm mirrorless lenses: the 35mm f/1.8 S and the 35mm f/1.4.

Why 35mm?

I’ve mentioned more than once on the pages of Photography Life that this focal length is one of my favorites. I think that if I had to choose just two focal lengths to shoot with, it would be a 500mm and yes, a 35mm. Why do I like this one so much?

• Natural Field of View: The 35mm lens offers a perspective that feels just right. Wide enough to include the environment, but not so wide that it distorts reality. To me, it closely mimics how I see the world with both eyes, which makes images feel intimate and honest. Moreover, it is still tight enough that, by a relatively small change in camera position, you can eliminate distracting elements in the image.
• Versatility: Need to shoot a street scene, an environmental portrait, a landscape, or even a close-up? The 35mm can do it all. It’s one of those lenses you can reach for when you want to be prepared for anything. Of course, zooms are even more versatile, but none of them has such a fast maximum aperture or bokeh this smooth.
• Lightweight, Compact and Unobtrusive: Normally, a 35mm prime won’t weigh you down or draw unwanted attention. Today’s 35mm f/1.2 is an exception. But most 35mm lenses blend in with your camera. They make you look less like a professional photographer and more likely to disappear into the crowd. Again, not true for the 35mm f/1.2.
• Fast Aperture: You’ll hardly ever find a lens brighter than f/1.2, especially with autofocus. 35mm lenses are also readily available at f/1.4, f/1.8, and f/2. Because of this, 35mm primes perform brilliantly in low light and create attractive separation between subject and background.
• Sharp: Thanks to their simpler optical design, 35mm primes usually deliver very good sharpness and image quality.
• Inexpensive: Again, you can forget this point with the Nikon Z 35mm f/1.2. But most 35mm lenses are cheaper than other focal lengths, except for 50mm lenses.

Nikon Z 35mm f/1.2: Size and Weight

In the previous section, you probably noticed that the Nikon Z 35mm f/1.2 S stands out in more than a few ways. Where most 35mm lenses are small, this lens is big. Where most 35mm lenses are cheap, this lens is expensive.

And it’s definitely not unobtrusive. Mount it on a Z9, stroll across the Charles Bridge in the heart of Prague, and the crowds will part in awe (or perhaps fear?).

But don’t just take my word for it, see for yourself in the image below. This is a comparison between the Nikon Z 35mm f/1.2 S, the Nikon Z 35mm f/1.4, and the Nikon Z 35mm f/1.8 S:

If you can look past the price and the lens’s portly silhouette, you certainly won’t be disappointed. I will have more to say about that later. However, size and weight are not the strong points of the Nikon Z 35mm f/1.2 S.

• Nikon Z 35mm f/1.2 S: 1060 grams, 150 mm length (2.33 pounds, 5.9 inches)
• Nikon Z 35mm f/1.4: 415 grams, 87 mm length (0.91 pounds, 3.5 inches)
• Nikon Z 35mm f/1.8 S: 370 grams, 86 mm length (0.82 pounds, 3.4 inches)

The 35mm f/1.2 feels lopsided on the smaller Nikon Z cameras, a little heavy but not bad on the Nikon Z8, and just right on the Z9. It is nearly heavy enough for me to want a tripod collar, but not quite.

Build Quality

There isn’t much to say about the build quality of the Nikon Z 35mm f/1.2 S except that it is very well-built. The lens focuses internally, and it’s fully weather sealed. There is a focus ring, a custom ring, an A-M switch, and a function button.

Like most Nikon Z lenses, the 35mm f/1.2 S is mostly plastic rather than metal (with metal used in the portion of the barrel nearest the lens mount). Only the 135mm f/1.8 Plena and 58mm f/0.95 Noct feature an all-metal build. When this 35mm f/1.2 lens was rumored, I thought Nikon might give it a metal build and a unique name. (I would propose “Latus,” related to the concept of “wide” in Latin.) But they decided not to add it to the exclusive Noct/Plena club. Maybe Nikon is waiting for a 28mm f/1.2 or 24mm f/1.2?

Specifications

• Full Name: Nikon Z 35mm f/1.2 S
• Mount Type: Nikon Z Mount
• Focal Length: 35mm prime
• Angle of View (Full Frame): 63°
• Angle of View (APS-C): 44°
• Maximum Aperture: f/1.2
• Minimum Aperture: f/16
• Aperture Blades: 11
• Filter Size: 82mm
• Lens Elements: 17
• Lens Groups: 15
• Special Elements: 3 aspherical, 3 ED glass, 1 aspherical ED
• Fluorine-Coated Front Element: No
• Other Lens Coatings: Meso Amorphous, Nano Crystal, ARNEO
• Image Stabilization: No
• Internal Focusing: Yes
• Control Rings: Focus, custom
• Function Button: Yes (Fn-1, duplicated once)
• Switches: A-M
• Focus Motor: Dual STM
• Minimum Focus Distance: 30 cm (11.8 inches)
• Maximum Magnification: 0.2× (1:5)
• Mount Material: Metal
• Weather/Dust Sealing: Yes
• Dimensions (Length × Diameter): 150 x 90 mm (5.9 x 3.5 inches)
• Weight: 1060 g (2.33 lbs)
• MSRP: $2799 (check current price and sales)

Here is the construction of the lens, courtesy of Nikon:

The next page of this review covers the optical characteristics of the Nikon Z 35mm f/1.2 S, including focusing performance and sharpness tests in the lab. Click the menu below to go to “Optical Performance”: