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Nikon Announces Nikkor Z 85mm f1.8 S
30 July 2019
Nikon has announced the Nikkor Z 85mm f1.8 S for its full-frame mirrorless Z System. The fast prime features a classic portrait focal length for the brighter, faster Z mount.
The optical design includes two ED glass elements. Nano Crystal Coat, Nikon's anti-reflection coating technology, reduces ghosting and flare as well.
The lens barrel's control ring can serve as a focus ring for manual focusing. Functions such as focus (M/A), aperture and exposure compensation can be assigned to the control ring. In addition, the quiet stepping motor for the AF drive mechanism prevents recording the sound of the AF motor operation in movies.
SPECIFICATIONS
Specifications for the 85mm include:
NIKKOR Z 85mm f1.8 S LENS SPECIFICATIONS Mount Nikon Z Mount Focal Length 85mm Aperture f1.8 to f16
9 diaphragm bladesAngle of View DX: 18°50'
FX: 28°30'Minimum Focus 2.62 feet Magnification 0.12x Optical Design 12 elements in 8 groups
Two ED elements
Nano Crystal Coat, Super Integated CoatingAutofocus Yes Image Stabilization No Filter Thread 67mm Dimensions 3.0 x 3.9 inches Weight 16.6 oz. PRICE, AVAILABILITY
The 85mm prime will be available in September for $799. Adorama and B&H are both now accepting pre-orders.
For more information see the news release below.
Nikon Releases the Nikkor Z 85mm f1.8 S, a Fast, Mid-Telephoto Prime Lens for the Nikon Z Mount System
The perfect portrait lens with a sharp and clear focal plane and natural bokeh that emphasizes the subject
TOKYO -- Nikon Corp. has announced the release of the Nikkor Z 85mm f1.8 S, a fast, mid-telephoto prime lens for the Nikon Z mount system's full-frame (Nikon FX format) mirrorless cameras.
The Nikkor Z 85mm f1.8 S is an S-Line high-performance lens compatible with the FX format. It supports a focal length of 85mm and a fast maximum aperture of f1.8, allowing users to enjoy taking advantage of beautiful blur characteristics (bokeh) with the recording of high-quality still images and movies.
The beauty of the natural bokeh that increases gradually as the distance from the focal plane increases is best seen with portrait photography. The gentle, rounded bokeh generated when point light sources are blurred exhibits very little color fringing and remains pleasing all the way to the edges of the frame, enabling expression of a dreamy ambiance. Adoption of a multi-focusing system greatly suppresses aberrations at all focus distances, including close distances, demonstrating superior imaging performance all the way from maximum aperture. Superior resolving power can be achieved regardless of the focus distance or subject. The exquisite balance between the stunning bokeh made possible with the f1.8 maximum aperture and superior imaging performance enables impressive portraiture in which the human subject is emphasized.
Lens optics are constructed with two ED glass elements. In addition, the use of Nano Crystal Coat, Nikon's exclusive anti-reflection coating technology, effectively reduces the ghost and flare generated by incident light for sharp and clear images, even when a light source is included in the frame. Furthermore, while many lenses are bright only at the center of the frame and exhibit peripheral illumination falloff, which results in diminished brightness at the edges of the frame, the Nikkor Z 85mm f1.8 S is able to acquire the large amount of light needed for a frame that remains bright all the way to the extreme edges.
The lens barrel is equipped with a control ring that can serve as a focus ring for manual focusing. Functions such as focus (M/A), aperture and exposure compensation can be assigned to the control ring. For example, if the exposure compensation function is assigned to the control ring during movie recording, smooth exposure control that minimizes flicker caused by frame-by-frame variations in exposure is possible, enabling the video to exhibit natural changes in brightness. In addition, adoption of a very quiet stepping motor for the AF drive mechanism prevents recording of the sound of AF motor operation with movies.
The Nikkor Z 85mm f1.8 S makes the most of the Nikon Z mount system's large-diameter mount and short flange focal distance to achieve the polished optical performance required of a portrait lens. It further expands possibilities for expression for both still images and movies with rendering capabilities that will change the perceptions of what an f1.8 mid-telephoto prime lens can do.
Primary Features
- A high-performance lens that is part of the S-Line, a newly designated grade of Nikkor Z lenses that adheres to a new benchmark in optical performance, creating new definitions of design principles and quality control
- Achieves the three-dimensional appearance so vital to portrait photography with natural bokeh that gradually increases as the distance from the focal plane increases
- Images that are sharp and clear all the way to the extreme edges of the frame stand in conspicuous contrast to the smooth and beautiful bokeh, which the lens is also capable of
- A multi-focusing system that dramatically reduces aberrations for excellent imaging performance at any focus distance, including close distances
- Adoption of two ED glass elements provides effective compensation for axial chromatic aberration
- Acquisition of an abundance of peripheral light enables worry-free shooting at maximum aperture with a slight and gradual drop in light volume
- Nano Crystal Coat, Nikon's exclusive anti-reflection coating technology, effectively reduces ghost and flare for sharp and clear images
- Effective suppression of sagittal coma flare for superior point image reproduction characteristics beginning at maximum aperture
- A control ring that demonstrates superior operability with quiet and smooth operation
- Adoption of stepping motor enables fast, quiet and accurate AF drive for both still-image shooting and movie recording
- Quiet and smooth aperture control optimized for movie recording minimizes flicker
- Designed with consideration given to dust- and drip-resistant capability with sealing throughout
- An electromagnetic diaphragm mechanism enables extremely precise aperture control