Because the Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 S is primarily a portrait 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 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 85mm 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. The tests are divided into two stages with different camera-to-subject distances. This should give you a good idea not only of the bokeh of these four lenses, but also the perspective distortion and rendering of each.
Test #1: Constant Tripod Position
First, let us look at the background blur and compositions when shooting from a fixed tripod position approximately 5 meters / 16 feet away from the subject. This is a very common distance to take portrait photos because it is 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.
Of the two 85mm photos, however, the shallower depth of field of the f/1.2 maximum aperture is clearly apparent. To me, it really benefits the photo.
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. The Plena has the least “cat’s eye” look to any out-of-focus specular highlights in the corners. It also has the least vignetting.
However, to my eye, the 85mm perspective feels the most natural at this distance. My favorite image of the set comes from the Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 S – it has a really nice perspective, neither too compressed nor too exaggerated. I also find it considerably better than the photo from the 85mm f/1.8 S, with the shallower depth of field drawing the viewer’s attention directly to the subject’s eyes.
FYI, you can find the relative depth of field of any of these lenses by doing a simple calculation to find the lens’s entrance pupil size. All you need to do is divide the focal length by the maximum aperture. For the 85mm f/1.2, that gives you an entrance pupil size of 85mm/1.2 = about 71mm. That’s only a little smaller than the entrance pupil of the Nikon Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena (75mm) and considerably larger than that of the Nikon Z 50mm f/1.2 and 85mm f/1.8 (which are 42mm and 47mm respectively). No wonder that in the photos above, the Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 and Nikon Z 135mm f/1.8 Plena are on another level when it comes to subject isolation.
Sharpness Comparisons
Although I believe that a bokeh comparison is more relevant than a sharpness comparison, it’s also worth showing just how good the Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 S is in a head-to-head where pure resolving power is concerned. Here’s a sampling of various portrait lenses and how they perform in the lab:
We’re looking at some of Nikon’s sharpest-ever lenses here, and the Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 S is right up there with them. It handily beats its F-Mount predecessor, the Nikon AF-S 85mm f/1.4G, and its performance at the wider apertures is especially impressive relative to the other lenses here.
That said, I’m also struck by the fact that from f/2.8 and narrower, there really is no reason to pick the Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 S over a lot of the less expensive lenses here. The Nikon Z 85mm f/1.8 S comes away from this comparison looking especially strong, with a very comparable performance to the f/1.2 version in the range from f/2.8 and narrower (a little weaker in the corners, but even sharper in the center). It goes to show that you really are paying – both in price and bulk – for the f/1.2 maximum aperture more than anything else
The next page of this review sums up everything and explains the pros and cons of the Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 S. So, click the menu below to go to “Verdict”:
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