The ultimate prime lens trinity

The NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.2 S: The Storyteller

Loved by photographers and filmmakers alike, the 35mm focal length is often called the ‘storyteller’ lens. I myself used only a 35mm lens for years after getting my first full-frame camera, and it was such a versatile piece of kit that I almost never wished I had something else. 

The NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.2 S has an extremely narrow depth of field wide open at f/1.2, making it a perfect lens to create editorial scenes with a sharp focus on the subject. The wider focal length can capture enough of the environment to help tell the story, while the razor-thin (and razor-sharp) depth of field keeps just the subject in focus. 

“The 35mm focal length gives the viewer a realistic view of the story,” explains photographer Derek Harbinson, who tested the lens. “It puts them at the heart of the scene, as if they were standing there watching events unfold. The creative flexibility and overall capability of the NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.2 S, as well as its robust build, make it a perfect match for a Nikon Z8 or Z9 on assignment.”

This lens, and the others in this powerful trinity of primes, have some seriously impressive optics built in. The NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.2 S has 17 lens elements in 15 groups. All of that glass means excellent texture rendering, incredibly smooth focus falloff, and buttery bokeh. Painstaking effort has been made to ensure the ‘storyteller’ lens renders lifelike detail. 

The NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.2 S: the workhorse

When people just getting into photography ask me what lens they should get if they can only buy one, I tell them to get either a 35mm or a 50mm. The term ‘nifty fifty’ exists for a reason: it’s a multitasking lens meant to mimic what our eye actually sees, giving it a more natural perspective. Pair that versatility with great optics, and you have the NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.2 S.

A focal length that fits almost anywhere, 50mm is a standby for everyone from wedding photographers to photojournalists. “If I could only choose one lens to shoot weddings, this would be it,” photographer Colton Simmons says of the NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.2 S in his video review.

With glass just as impressive as its 35mm counterpart, the  Z 50mm f/1.2 S is for photographers or videographers who either need or prefer a slightly tighter field of view, from the studio to the street. 

NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.2 S: the portrait master

For many, 85mm is the sweet spot for intimate portraits. Our final pillar of the prime trinity, the NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.2 S, is a force to be reckoned with.

In the DSLR days, the AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.4G was considered the portrait master. Now, that title has passed to the NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.2 S. The barrel compression of the 85mm provides just the right degree of separation from the background, and the super-wide f/1.2 aperture lets you separate the tiny details from your background.

Despite its size, the 85mm f/1.2 is lighter than you’d expect, and the design is pared back to emphasise simplicity and ease of use. “The bokeh is out of this world,” Nikon Ambassador Frøydis Geithus reported when she tested the NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.2 S. “This is important when you’re photographing a couple and you don’t want to have a lot of distracting things in the background. I need f/1.2 or f/1.4 to make the blurry, beautiful background.”

What all these lenses share

All three lenses in this trinity are low-light powerhouses. Their extra-wide aperture and wide Z mount let in a ton of light to your sensor, allowing you to work in environments that may previously have been too dark to capture anything worthwhile. That aperture also gives you a huge amount of creative options with its thin focal plane and wonderful bokeh.

Since they’re S lenses, all three primes listed here are built to last and weather-sealed with a hardy metal and rubber construction. Their glass elements are coated with multiple layers to help eliminate chromatic aberration, ghosting and flares. The three lenses also share the same filter attachment size (82mm) so the same filters can be used on all three.

These three lenses are the ultimate prime trinity, covering some of the most useful and impactful focal lengths in photography and filmmaking. If you’re a professional who makes their living behind a lens, these are all worthy additions to your kit.