
Nikon today announced the release of the NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.8 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 f/1.8 S is an S-Line high-performance lens compatible with the FX format. The lens has a total of 12 elements, including two ED elements, along with Nikon’s Nano Crystal and Super Integrated coatings. Adoption of stepping motor (STM) enables fast, quiet, and accurate AF drive for both still-image shooting and movie recording. 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. The NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.8 S is able to acquire 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. The adoption of a very quiet stepping motor (STM) for the AF drive mechanism prevents recording of the sound of AF motor operation with movies.

The NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.8 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. The NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.8 S has a nine-blade aperture, minimum focus distance is 0.8m (2.6ft) and offers a maximum magnification of 0.12x. It further expands possibilities for expression for both still images and movies with rendering capabilities that will change the perceptions of what an f/1.8 mid-telephoto prime lens can do. The NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.8 S will be available in September 2019 at a suggested retail price (SRP) of $799.95.

