Two new Nikon lenses were announced for CES season, the
much-wanted 85mm f/1.2 and a nifty 26mm f/2.8 pancake
(Image credit: Nikon)
Nikon has announced the development of two key new prime lenses for the Z-mount mirrorless system: the Nikkor Z 85mm f/1.2 S and the Nikkor Z 26mm f/2.8 pancake lens, delivering two key optics at different ends of the scale.
The 26mm is an interesting one, offering the first true pancake lens for the Z system (aside from the Nikkor Z DX 16-50mm zoom lens, which is quite a niche kit lens for Nikon's APS-C mirrorless bodies). With its wide angle (which translates to 39mm on an APS-C camera) it should serve as a great knockabout lens for all-purpose street photography, landscapes and everyday shooting.
The real meat of the story, though, is the announcement of the Nikkor Z 85mm f/1.2 S – which looks set to be one of the best lenses for portraits. This fast mid-telephoto prime lens promises superior rendering performance, as well as great subject separation and beautiful bokeh. Nikon suggests that this new lens will expand the possibilities of portrait photography, and it feels especially well suited for wedding and fashion photographers in particular.
The Nikon Nikkor 85mm f/1.2 S (Image credit: Nikon)
The Nikkor Z 26mm f/2.8 from Nikon boasts an incredibly slim and lightweight design, which could make cameras like the Nikon Z30 even more pocketable for street and travel photography. Accordingly, this lens is being aimed at amateur photographers looking to take their cameras with them on the go.
(Image credit: Nikon)
This prime lens might be the perfect photography companion, ensuring that shooters never miss an opportunity to capture beautiful images with its wide focal length. Regardless of whether you're shooting indoors and want to get the whole space into frame, or you just want to fit as much of the landscape into your composition as possible, this might be the ideal "always-on" lens for those new to the Nikon Z system, or those just wanting the most compact solution.
For nearly two decades Sebastian's work has been published internationally. Originally specializing in Equestrianism, his visuals have been used by the leading names in the equestrian industry such as The Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), The Jockey Club, Horse & Hound, and many more for various advertising campaigns, books, and pre/post-event highlights.
He is a Fellow of The Royal Society of Arts, holds a Foundation Degree in Equitation Science, and is a Master of Arts in Publishing. He is a member of Nikon NPS and has been a Nikon user since the film days using a Nikon F5 and saw the digital transition with Nikon's D series cameras and is still to this day the youngest member to be elected into BEWA, The British Equestrian Writers' Association.
He is familiar with and shows great interest in street, medium, and large format photography with products by Leica, Phase One, Hasselblad, Alpa, and Sinar. Sebastian has also used many cinema cameras from the likes of Sony, RED, ARRI, and everything in between. He now spends his spare time using his trusted Leica M-E or Leica M2 shooting Street photography or general life as he sees it, usually in Black and White.
