Nikon Z 50mm f/1.2 S Review

Bokeh Comparison

Because the Nikon Z 50mm f/1.2 S is often used as a portrait photography lens, I’ve added a bokeh comparison to this page of the review before my typical sharpness comparison. The test below will be very familiar if you read our Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 S review or our Nikon Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena review. I’ve decided to show it again here because of its relevance to anyone who is considering the 50mm f/1.2 S.

I tested four Nikon Z portrait lenses side-by-side for this comparison: the Z 50mm f/1.2 S, 85mm f/1.2 S, 85mm f/1.8 S, and 135mm f/1.8 S Plena. My goal was to offer a good sense of the bokeh of each lens as well as the different perspectives given by each focal length.

Test #1: Constant Tripod Position

First, let’s look at the background blur and compositions when shooting from a fixed tripod position approximately 15 feet from the subject (about 5 meters). This is a very common distance to take portrait photos because it’s considered a “natural” perspective that does not distort the subject’s face in an unpleasant way. Here, I took a series of photos at the maximum aperture value for each lens.

I invite you to draw your own conclusions, but to me, the difference in this comparison is more about the perspective than anything else – and that’s a question of which story you are trying to tell. Personally, I like the 135mm f/1.8 Plena photo the best of the series, but it’s a subjective judgement. There is definitely something interesting about combining the wider field of view with a blurry background, as is achieved with the Nikon Z 50mm f/1.2 S.

Test #2: Constant Subject Size

This next test shines a light on how shallow your depth of field can be with each lens and how much subject distortion/compression takes place at the various focal lengths. The subject’s size in the frame was kept constant by standing farther back when using longer lenses.

This time, it’s clear that the blurriest backgrounds are from the Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 S and the Nikon Z 135mm f/1.8 Plena. However, the 135mm focal length does feel a little more impersonal and distant – the 50mm and 85mm images feel more natural to me. My favorite image of the set comes from the Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 S, while my second favorite comes from the Nikon Z 50mm f/1.2 S. However, every photographer will see things differently, and I know that many people prefer the look of a 50mm lens for portrait photography.

Sharpness Comparison

How does the Nikon Z 50mm f/1.2 S compare to other 50mm alternatives? While it is an incredibly sharp lens and certainly sharp enough for any application, there are actually other 50mm primes that manage similar or even higher sharpness. Here’s what we measured in the lab from a variety of different lenses (with Copy #1 of the Nikon Z 50mm f/1.2 S shown below):

The sharpest lens here, and actually one of the sharpest that I’ve ever tested in the lab, is the Sony 50mm f/1.2 GM. I’m not sure quite how Sony managed this performance given that it’s lighter than both Canon and Nikon’s similar lenses, so congrats to them. That said, all three 50mm f/1.2 mirrorless lenses from the major brands are simply amazing. So is Nikon’s Z 50mm f/1.8 S.

For some context in this comparison, I included results from two of Nikon’s F-mount 50mm primes – not slouches, but clearly worse than Nikon’s modern 50mm lenses. Today’s mirrorless lenses are often heavier than the DSLR equivalent, but they sure make up for it in sharpness, especially wide open. Except for Canon’s RF 50mm f/1.8. That lens is… not great.

The next page of this review sums up everything and explains the pros and cons of the Nikon Z 50mm f/1.2 S. So, click the menu below to go to “Verdict”: