Nikon Z primes – the 1.8 series

The Nikkor Z 35mm f1.8 S – one of Nikon’s fantastic new prime lenses.

Nikon Z primes – the 1.8 series

Right with the beginning of the Z system Nikon launched their first f1.8 primes and subsequently added others to an almost complete set; a 28mm prime is the only one missing in this series of common focal lengths between 20mm and 85mm. So far there are:

Prime lens	Launch Date
Nikkor Z 20mm F1.8 S	February 2020
Nikkor Z 24mm F1.8 S	September 2019
Nikkor Z 35mm F1.8 S	August 2018
Nikkor Z 50mm F1.8 S	August 2018
Nikkor Z 85mm F1.8 S	July 2019

At first there was a lot of criticism – and there still is some – because those lenses are fairly large/long and expensive for f1.8 primes when compared to some of the older F designs. Other complaints came from the opposite spectrum, being ‘just’ f1.8 was not good enough. What was ignored however was the excellent performance of those lenses, taking image quality to a new level – at a more affordable price than the previous F-mount f1.4 primes.

The Z 1.8 primes – the ‘new 1.4’?

What Nikon really did with those f1.8 primes was elevating the image quality above the former f1.4 F series, those new primes being extremely sharp from edge to edge already when wide open. Going f1.8 instead of f1.4 allowed them to make those lenses lighter and more affordable. In this sense they are the “new f1.4”, with the premium line seemingly going f1.2. The Z 50mm f1.2 S is now out there, and a very large 85mm (f1.2?) on the Z lens roadmap.

Of course all those who expected f1.8 primes to be cheap and small were disappointed, while for many others they were too slow, forgetting that during the film days – even without the insane usable high ISO of today – there were precious few f1.8 prime lenses, and those were definitely not regarded as slow back then. An Ai-S f2.0 (or even f2.8) prime in the range of 20mm, 24mm, 28mm, 85mm, 105mm or 135mm was a fast lens, with only 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm having faster offerings of at least f1.8 (plus later the first 1.4 AF lens, the legendary AF-D 28mm.) Bottom line is that the Nikon f1.8 Z series are fast lenses, with great image quality across the field wide open, offering great and smooth background separation, at a reasonable size and price. Additionally, they are well suited for video, showing little focus breathing.

Where’s my favorite – the Nikkor Z 28mm f1.8 S

Out of the current range my favorite focal length, 28mm, is still missing. In the F system this used to be my go-to low light setup, combined with an 85mm. For the time being I use the Z 28mm f2.8 combined with the Z 85mm f1.8 S for this purpose. I really like my Z 28mm f2.8, and will likely get more such lenses if Nikon launches them. The compact size combined with the high ISO performance of modern sensors makes turns them into very useful primes. However, as I use my primes so often during dusk and well into the night I really would like to have a Z 28mm f1.8 one day.

All of the S 1.8 prime lenses are weather sealed.

Alternatives and combinations

I won’t get rid of the f2.8 prime then, rather the opposite, add another longer f2.8 prime and have the choice of the faster, bigger setup (used with the z7) or the really small one (mainly used with the z30). The low price of those f2.8 primes makes it quite affordable to have two such sets of primes. I look at it this way: with the Z 85mm f1.8 S you get one of the best 85mm primes made so far, throw in the Z 28mm f2.8 and you’re at US$1200 and 625g combined – against the single AF-S 85mm f1.4 G at US$1650 and 595g! Yes please.