Nikon Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct Review

Introduction

The Nikon Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct was one of the first lenses announced for the Nikon Z system in October of 2019. It is an optical marvel and a shock that it even exists. The lens costs $8000, weighs 2000 grams (4.4 pounds), and does not support autofocus. Although at some level it is simply a statement piece – showing what Nikon is capable of in modern lens design – it also stands as a unique product on the market that offers something to highly specialized photographers. While I don’t believe that the Nikon Z 58mm f/0.95 Noct will attract a wide audience (hence why this is one of the last Nikon Z lenses to get a review from Photography Life), the narrow range of photographers in the target audience of this lens are surely drooling over it.

Nikon’s “Noct” terminology has a long history. The original Noct-Nikkor lens was a 58mm f/1.2 AI lens that Nikon released in 1977, followed by an AI-S version in 1981. Today, it continues to command very high prices on the used market and practically has become a collector’s item. (We previously reviewed it and found that it holds up very well in many ways, even 40 years later.)

Although the Nikon Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct shares its name with this older optic, the two lenses are very different. The new f/0.95 lens weighs more than four times as much as the previous f/1.2 version, and the maximum aperture of f/0.95 captures about half a stop more light. Both are manual focus, all-metal lenses, but the new 58mm f/0.95 Noct is designed with computer-aided precision for maximum image quality at the expense of all other considerations. Again, I’m still surprised this lens even exists. It strikes me as the type of thing that may go down in history, and up in price, as soon as Nikon discontinues it.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. How does the Nikon Z 58mm f/0.95 Noct perform? Is it a viable professional optic, or do the weight and price make it merely a statement piece? In this hands-on review, I’ll answer those questions and more!

Build Quality

The Nikon Z 58mm f/0.95 Noct is one of the most impressively-built lenses that I’ve ever used. It is all metal, including the focusing ring, and feels extremely sturdy. In today’s world, first-party manufacturers have mostly switched from metal to plastic, making the 58mm f/1.2 Noct feel a bit nostalgic. (Interestingly, Nikon’s other “named” mirrorless lens, the 135mm f/1.8 Plena, also sports a similar all-metal construction.)

Where size and weight are concerned, though, this is one of the heaviest non-telephoto lenses on the market. At 2000 grams (4.4 pounds), it’s not a lens for the minimalist photography. The metal construction isn’t why it weighs so much – that would be the fault of the glass itself – but the metal does contribute to the distinct feeling of denseness when holding the Noct.

Interestingly, the Nikon Z 58mm f/0.95 Noct is not an internally-focusing lens. There’s an inner barrel that extends slightly as you focus more closely, which is rare for any prime lens these days, let alone such a high-end optic. I believe it goes back to Nikon’s ultimate goal with this lens: image quality and brightness at all costs. Nikon went through some large tradeoffs in price, weight, and size – and even made the lens focus externally – on this journey to optical bliss.

Where build quality is concerned, the last thing I’ll mention is a small potential drawback. Because Nikon has gone with a painted black finish over the metal, it is possible for the paint to wear thin over time or scratch, revealing the silver color below. If you’re bringing along multiple metal lenses at a time, make sure they’re totally secure in your bag, or the risk of damaging each other’s paint can be high.

Handling

The Nikon Z 58mm f/0.95 Noct handles like butter. And thank goodness for that, given that you need to focus this lens manually rather than relying on autofocus. The large manual focus ring turns almost a full 360 degrees, offering very fine control over where you place your plane of focus. It is the nicest manual focus ring that I can recall using.

As for other handling features, as a manual focus lens, some minimalism is not a problem. No sense in an AF-MF switch or a focus limiter! But Nikon did still put a lens function button on the Noct, as well as an EL display that can be customized to show things like your aperture and focusing distance. Nikon has recently avoided adding an EL display to their high-end glass – and the Noct already sports engraved focus distances anyway – but it’s there if you need it, I suppose.

There’s also a tripod foot – unusual for a lens of this focal length, but logical for a chunk of glass that weighs a full two kilograms / 4.4 pounds. Like all Nikon lenses, it’s not Arca-Swiss compatible, so most photographers will want to replace the tripod foot or keep a plate on it at all times.

A final note about the handling of the Nikon Z 58mm f/0.95 Noct is that the lens hood (also metal) hides the external focusing design of the lens! Definitely a nice benefit. That said, the hood on this lens is a little unusual in design, screwing into place rather than clicking into grooves. The result is that it takes a little longer to attach or detach. But given the various benefits of a lens hood, I would simply leave it on all the time. The small added bulk probably won’t bother you, given that the lens still takes up a lot of room either way.

Nikon Z 58mm f/0.95 Noct Specifications

• Full Name: Nikon NIKKOR Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct
• Mount Type: Nikon Z Mount
• Focal Length: 58mm prime
• Angle of View (DX): 27°20′
• Angle of View (FX): 40°50′
• Maximum Aperture: f/0.95
• Minimum Aperture: f/16
• Aperture Blades: 11 (rounded)
• Filter Size: 82mm
• Lens Elements: 17
• Lens Groups: 10
• Special Elements: 3 aspherical, 4 ED glass
• ARNEO Coating: Yes
• Nano Crystal Coating: Yes
• Super Integrated Coating: Yes
• Fluorine Coated Front Element: Yes
• Electronic Diaphragm: Yes
• Vibration Reduction: No
• Internal Focusing: No
• Control Rings: Manual focus and custom
• Function Button: One
• Focus Motor: N/A
• Minimum Focus Distance: 0.5 meters (1.6 feet)
• Maximum Magnification: 0.19× (1:5.3)
• Mount Material: Metal
• Weather/Dust Sealing: Yes
• Dimensions (Length × Diameter): 153 × 102 mm (6.0 × 4.0 inches)
• Weight: 2000 g (4.4 lbs)
• MSRP: $8000
• Lowest Sale Seen: $8000 (check current price)

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

The next page of this review covers the optical characteristics of the Nikon Z 58mm f/0.95 Noct, including sharpness tests in the lab and extensive examples of bokeh. So, click the menu below to go to “Optical Performance”: