Nikon announces the development of the Z 26mm F2.8 and Z 85mm F1.2 S prime lenses

 

 

At CES, Nikon announced the development of a pair of new full-frame prime lenses for its mirrorless Z system. The Z 26mm F2.8 is a compact, pancake prime lens. The Z 85mm F1.2 S, on the other hand, is an extremely fast portrait prime lens that promises better bokeh and light-gathering capabilities than Nikon's impressive Z 85mm F1.8 S prime lens.

While full specifications are not yet available, the Z 26mm F2.8 looks thin. Nearly half its length is comprised of the control/focus ring. It's difficult to say with precision, but it appears to be roughly half the size of the Nikkor Z 28mm F2.8 lens. Presumably, the new Z 26mm F2.8 will also be lighter than the Z 28mm F2.8, which weighs just 155 grams (5.5 ounces).

 

Nikon Z 85mm F1.2 S (left) and Nikon Z 26mm F2.8 (right)

There's little else to say about the Z 26mm F2.8 yet. Still, Nikon describes the lens as follows: "The Nikkor Z 26mm f/2.8 achieves outstanding slimness and lightness, as well as high rendering performance, making it an ideal lens for advanced amateur photographers who take their camera everywhere so as not to miss a moment." Availability and pricing information has yet to be made available.

The Nikon Z 85mm F1.2 S lens, which has been on Nikon's Z lens roadmap as an "S-Line 85mm" prime lens, has been much anticipated among Nikon photographers. The S-Line 85mm F1.8 prime is excellent. Still, many professional portrait, wedding and event photographers have been keen to have a true Z system competitor to Canon's popular RF 85mm F1.2 L USM. Well, it's finally here.

Like with the Z 26mm F2.8, there's no word on specific dimensions or the optical formula, but it's safe to assume, looking at the supplied product images that the Z 85mm F1.2 S is a pretty large lens. It has an 82mm front filter thread and is unsurprisingly much longer than the Z 26mm F2.8 pancake lens. The Z 85mm F1.2 S includes a wide dedicated focus ring and a separate control ring. The lens doesn't appear to include the OLED information display featured on some other S-Line Z lenses, such as the 24-70mm F2.8 pro zoom.

 

 

Nikon writes, "The Nikkor Z 85mm F1.2 S is part of the S-Line Nikkor Z lens series, and realizes both superior rendering performance and large, beautiful bokeh. It expands possibilities for users capturing portraits in areas such as weddings and fashion."

The Nikkor Z 85mm F1.2 S is Nikon's second F1.2 prime lens, joining the superb Nikkor Z 50mm F1.2 S lens. Based on Nikon's current Nikkor Z roadmap, we expect that the S-Line 35mm prime listed will also be an F1.2 lens, joining the existing Z 35mm F1.8 S, although that's just speculation. An S-Line 135mm prime is also on the roadmap, although we expect that to be F1.8, or maybe F1.4, although that's a pretty lofty expectation. In any event, Nikon users have many excellent, fast prime lenses to choose from in the Nikkor Z lineup.

We hope to learn more about the new Nikon Z prime lenses soon, including availability and pricing information. Until then, stay tuned to Imaging Resource for the latest photography news.