Nikon Z 50mm F1.2 Review – Is This Nikon’s Best 50mm Lens?
By a professional photographer with 15 plus years of hands on experience. Published 25th of January 2026
My Nikon Z 50mm F1.2 Review – Everything you need to know.
Welcome to my Nikon Z 50mm F1.2 review, and I’ll be honest right from the start — I think I made a mistake by not buying this lens.
The Nikon Z 50mm F1.2 is Nikon’s flagship 50mm prime lens for the Z system and after using it extensively, I finally understand why it has the reputation it does.
In this review, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know about the Nikon Z 50mm F1.2, including sharpness, bokeh, real-world performance, distortion, vignetting, chromatic aberration, focus speed, focus breathing and whether this lens is actually worth its high price tag.
If you’d rather watch than read, I’ve also included my full Nikon Z 50mm F1.2 review video below.
Nikon Z 50mm F1.2 – overview
The Nikon Z 50mm F1.2 S is designed for photographers who want the very best image quality possible from a 50mm lens. With its ultra-wide aperture, advanced optical design, and S-Line build quality, it sits firmly at the top of Nikon’s Z-mount lens lineup.
As a fashion and portrait photographer, the 50mm focal length is one I rely on heavily — and pairing that with F1.2 opens up serious creative potential.
Despite already owning several 50mm lenses, spending time with the Nikon Z 50mm F1.2 completely changed my perspective.
It’s jaw dropping shallow depth of field and how it renders backgrounds left me considering why I never bought this lens myself.
Now I should also say that Nikon did send this lens out to me for this review for a few weeks but I awas not paid to review it and these are my own thoughts on this Bokeh monster.
Build quality and first impressions
The build quality of the Nikon Z 50mm F1.2 is exactly what you’d expect from a professional S-Line lens.
It feels incredibly solid in the hand and gives immediate confidence that it’s built to last. The large manual focus ring is smooth and precise, the control ring is well damped, and the OLED display is bright and easy to read.
The Fn button and display button both have a very positive tactile feel, and the lens is fully weather sealed (though not waterproof).
Despite its size, the lens feels extremely well balanced on cameras like the Nikon Z8, Z7II, and Zf.
First impressions? Premium in every sense.
Nikon Z 50mm F1.2 price – is it worth it?
At the time of writing this Nikon Z 50mm F1.2 review, the lens costs around $2,099, which places it firmly in professional territory.
That’s a serious investment — but after using it, I can confidently say this lens earns its price.
The Nikon Z 50mm F1.2 delivers outstanding sharpness, exceptional focus accuracy, and some of the best rendering I’ve ever seen from a standard prime lens.
If image quality is your top priority, this lens absolutely delivers.
Check the Price…
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Real-world performance
In real-world shooting, the Nikon Z 50mm F1.2 performs flawlessly.
I used it in low light, fast-moving street environments and busy situations where focus accuracy really matters. The lens locked focus consistently and confidently, with no noticeable hunting.
It always felt responsive and reliable — exactly what you want from a professional lens.
I have a sample image gallery below that you can view.
Simply click on an image to view it full screen.
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- F1.2
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- F1.2
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- F1.2
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- F1.8
Nikon Z 50mm F1.2 sharpness
Calling the Nikon Z 50mm F1.2 “sharp” doesn’t really do it justice.
Centre sharpness
Even wide open at F1.2, centre sharpness is outstanding. Fine detail is crisp, contrast is strong, and images hold up perfectly even when viewed at 100%.
Stopping down improves things slightly, with peak sharpness occurring around F4 — although from F2.2 onward the difference is minimal in real-world use. You can see it for yourself in the 100% zoomed in test chart images below.
Simply click on an image to view it full screen.
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- F1.2
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- F1.4
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- F1.8
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- F2.2
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- F2.8
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- F4
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- F5.6
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- F8
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- F11
Corner sharpness
At F1.2, the corners are understandably softer. By F1.8 they improve significantly, and by F2.8 to F4 they become impressively sharp.
For everyday shooting, the Nikon Z 50mm F1.2 delivers excellent sharpness across the frame, again don’t take my word for it have a look for yourself at the images below which are again zoomed in at 100%
Click on an image to view it full screen.
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- F1.2
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- F1.4
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- F1.8
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- F2.2
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- F2.8
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- F4
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- F5.6
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- F8
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- F11
Nikon Z 50mm F1.2 bokeh and rendering
This is where the Nikon Z 50mm F1.2 truly shines.
Background blur is incredibly smooth, with beautiful transitions from in-focus to out-of-focus areas. Subject separation is outstanding, and images have a real sense of depth.
The bokeh quality alone is enough to justify why this lens exists.
Simply put — it’s stunning.
See a sample of images below to give you an idea how it performs at different apertures.
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- F1.2
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- F1.4
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- F1.8
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- F2.2
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- F2.8
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- F4
Starbursts
Th is lens again does well as you can see below as regards starburst with them starting to peek through from F8 with F11 and F16 of course giving you the best results.
If you click on the image it will show them full screen.
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- F11
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- F16
Distortion
Distortion on the Nikon Z 50mm F1.2 is virtually nonexistent.
In real photography, you simply won’t see it. This is one of the cleanest 50mm lenses I’ve ever tested.
You can see for yourself what I mean in the images below.
Vignetting
There is mild vignetting at F1.2, but it’s subtle and rarely noticeable in real images.
By F1.8 it’s almost gone, and by F2.8 it disappears completely. Profile corrections remove it instantly if needed.
Again just click on one of the images below to see it full screen.
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- F1.2
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- F1.4
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- F1.8
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- F2.2
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- F2.8
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- F4
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- F5.6
Chromatic aberration
Chromatic aberration is extremely well controlled on the Nikon Z 50mm F1.2.
Even in high-contrast scenes, I was unable to produce any visible fringing — a testament to Nikon’s optical design.
Focus speed and focus breathing
Focus speed is fast and reliable, even though this isn’t the absolute fastest lens I’ve tested — likely due to the large amount of glass involved.
Where the Nikon Z 50mm F1.2 really impressed me was focus breathing. It’s minimal, making this lens an excellent option for hybrid shooters and video work.
Size and weight
There’s no avoiding it — the Nikon Z 50mm F1.2 is a large and heavy lens, weighing approximately 1.09kg.
If you prefer a lightweight travel setup, this may be a drawback. However, on larger Z-series bodies, the lens balances well and feels perfectly usable for professional work.
| Specification | Nikon Z 50mm F1.2 S | Nikon Z 50mm F1.8 S |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum Aperture | f/1.2 | f/1.8 |
| Minimum Aperture | f/16 | f/16 |
| Weight | Approx. 1090g | Approx. 415g |
| Size | Large & heavy professional lens | Compact and lightweight |
| Depth of Field | Extremely shallow, strong subject isolation with excellent results | Shallow depth of field, but less extreme |
| Sharpness | Excellent wide open, outstanding stopped down | Good sharpness across the frame once stopped down it’s excellent. |
| Bokeh Quality | Very smooth, creamy background blur | Clean and pleasing, slightly busier though. |
| Autofocus | Fast and extremely accurate | Fast and reliable |
| Build Quality | Premium S-Line construction, weather sealed | S-Line build, weather sealed |
| Best For | Professional portraits, low light, artistic work | Everyday photography, travel, value-focused users |
| Price Range | High-end / premium | Mid-range / excellent value |
Nikon Z 50mm F1.2 review conclusion
After extensive use, the Nikon Z 50mm F1.2 has completely won me over.
It delivers exceptional sharpness, beautiful bokeh, near-perfect optical performance, and consistently reliable results.
Yes, it’s expensive. Yes, it’s large and heavy.
But if you’re looking for the best possible 50mm lens for the Nikon Z system, this is it.
My only real regret? Not buying this lens myself.
Where to buy…
I have a few more Nikon reviews you might be interested in also…
You can read my full Nikon Z8 review here or my Nikon Z7iii review here or my Nikon Z6iii review here.
My Nikon Z mount lens reviews… The awesome Nikon Z 85mm F1.2 review here or if you want a cheaper portrait lens that still produces amazing images then check out my TTArtisans 75mm F2 Review here for the wildlife or sports shooters you can find my Nikon Z 180-600mm Review here.
See you out there,
Kieran.
About the Author
Kieran is a professional fashion and commercial photographer with over 15 years of experience and a long-standing passion for landscape photography.
He works with photography gear in real-world, professional environments where reliability, performance, colour accuracy and durability matter most.
His reviews reflect the practical demands of both paid client work and the creative freedom of his own personal projects.
Nikon Z 50mm F1.2 Review – The Lens I Wish I Bought Sooner
An in-depth Nikon Z 50mm F1.2 review covering sharpness, bokeh, autofocus, size, weight and real-world performance. Is it worth the price?
4.9
Pros
- Exceptional sharpness
- Breath taking rendering
- Practically no distortion
- Fast Reliable autofocus
- Very little focus breathing
Cons
- Heavy
- Large size
- Price