New year, new ‘pro’ portrait prime lens for Nikon shooters with a Z DX mirrorless camera

The Nikon Z50 launched over six years ago but until the recent advent of the Nikon Z DX MC 35mm f/1.7 last October, there was only one single own-brand Nikon Z DX prime for this and other APS-C format Z system cameras. That was the Nikon Z DX 24mm f/1.7, launched a couple of years earlier. Of course, you can use full-frame Nikon Z lenses on DX bodies but they’re generally bigger, heavier and more expensive than they need to be. By contrast, a whole trilogy of Viltrox APS-C format Viltrox AF 23mm, 33mm and 56mm f/1.4 fast, metal-bodied primes in Z mount date back to 2021, plus an ultra-wide AF 13mm f/1.4. Viltrox followed those up with several ultra-lightweight ‘Air’ series lenses, as well as a top-end Viltrox AF 27mm F1.2 Pro about a year ago.

All of the above is history rather than news, but here’s the thing. These Viltrox lenses are generally also available in Sony E and Fujifilm X mount versions, where they’re arguably less important because owners of those cameras are comparatively spoilt for choice when it comes to own-brand primes. Nikon shooters have relatively slim pickings.

That’s why the addition of the existing Viltrox AF 56mm f/1.2 Pro in Nikon Z is such big news. Like the 27mm Pro lens that I mentioned above, it’s from the upper echelons of the Viltrox ‘Pro’ range, complete with a super-fast f/1.2 aperture. Whereas the 27mm lens has a fairly standard ‘effective’ focal length of 40.5mm, the 56mm equates to 84mm in full-frame terms. That makes it perfect as a portrait lens, where the f/1.2 aperture enables a desirable tight depth of field for isolating subjects by blurring the background, promising smooth bokeh in the process.

Build quality lives up to the lens’s Pro badge, with a durable metal construction for the barrel as well as the mounting plate, along with comprehensive weather-seals. A high-grade optical path incorporates a UA (Ultra-large, high-precision Aspherical) element, an ED (Extra-low Dispersion) element and three HR (High Refractive index) elements, along with HD Nano coatings and a fluorine coating in the front element.

Autofocus is based on an advanced HyperVCM (Voice Coil Motor) autofocus system that claims to be much faster than a regular stepping motor, as well as being virtually silent. Handling extras carried forward from the Sony E version of the lens include a dedicated aperture ring with a click/de-click switch, an AF/MF focus mode switch and a customizable function button. The Fujifilm X version has an aperture ring but none of the other switches nor a function button. Either way, the Viltrox looks to be a ‘Pro’ prime through and through.

The lens isn’t overly large or heavy for an f/1.2 prime, measuring 78x92mm / 3.1x3.6" and weighing in at 570g / 20.1oz. As for pricing, you can expect to pay around $580 / £530. For context, the Fujifilm XF 56mm f/1.2 R WR costs nearly twice as much at $1,099 / £999 and there’s no equivalent own-brand Nikon lens.

Read more: Viltrox AF 56mm f/1.2 Pro review