Nikon has announced a new 50mm f/1.4 lens for its Z mirrorless cameras. The Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.4 will be available from September 2024 for 560 euros.
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The relatively low price of the new lens is noteworthy. At 560 euros, the recommended retail price is only slightly higher than the street price of the less bright one Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.8 S (from €530.10). Nikon is continuing a strategy that has already been seen with the Z 35mm f/1.4, introduced in June 2024. In the current issue of C’t Fotografie we tested the reportage focal length.
Unlike the f/1.8 model, the new 50mm f/1.4 is not part of Nikon’s S line for the highest quality standards. Nevertheless, the manufacturer promises “impressive imaging performance”.
technical details
The optical structure consists of ten lenses in seven groups, including an aspherical lens. Nine aperture blades are intended to ensure attractive bokeh. Autofocus works with a multi-focusing system, which, according to Nikon, focuses quickly and accurately.
PlayStation 5 Pro at 800 euros: what was Sony thinking?With dimensions of 74.5 mm × 86.5 mm (diameter × length) and a weight of 420 grams, the lens is compact and relatively lightweight. It has a 62 mm filter thread and is sealed against dust and water splashes. The closest focusing distance is 37 centimeters, which means that the lens achieves a maximum magnification of 1:5.9.
With the Nikkor 50mm f/1.4, Nikon is offering a fast alternative to the S-class lens for the second time this year.
(Image: Nikon)
Nikon promotes the lens as being versatile for different genres such as portrait, landscape and street photography. The high aperture of f/1.4 enables shooting in low light and creative work with shallow depth of field.
Interestingly for videographers, according to the manufacturer, focus breathing has been minimized – meaning that the image section changes only slightly when the focus changes – and a continuously variable adjustment ring without clicking noise.
The Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.4 will be available in stores from September 2024 for 560 euros. We expect the price to drop below the 50mm f/1.8 S soon.
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