Yes and the images here show a more realistic view of the bokeh performance, Nikon's marketing or sample images in it's press releases were definitely cherry-picked to show the best of it's capabilities, but now we're seeing a bit more cats-eye effect, whereas the sample images made it appear to have near perfect round bokeh balls. Yet seeing these images, it appears Nikon absolutely must have chosen perfectly round specular highlights or lights.
@@DieHardEddieEdwards First off it’s a completely subjective aspect of image quality and second, yes I’m aware of basic photography knowledge. I’m a near 20 year veteran photojournalist. All I was saying is the images Nikon marketing put out did not exhibit cats-eye effect. So these seem more realistic of what you’ll get wide open. I know many will stop down to f/2 or even f/2.8, however you’re paying $3k for f/1.2! Either way the 85mm f/1.2… looks like a fantastic lens, but I myself would much rather have the 50mm f/1.2 S or the 58mm f/0.95 Noct! I prefer using a prime, such as an 28mm f/1.4E or 35mm f/1.4 along with the 70-200mm f/2.8 on a second or third body. As far as when I’m doing portraits or weddings, which thankfully is not very often, lol. I’ve owned both the 85mm f/1.4G and 105mm f/1.4E, I liked both, probably I’d say I prefer the IQ from the 85mm over the 105mm. However I just absolutely love the latter/newest 70-200mm lenses! Both the FL and Z-mount versions of the 70-200mm are fantastic, super sharp, fast and accurate AF, and most importantly for me…versatility! Some wedding/portrait photog’s prefer using just primes (say 35mm/85mm) and I get that, but having that 85mm-200mm range can be important. The 70-200mm lenses have excellent bokeh wide open, so if you’re going to have to stop down this 85mm to f/2.8 in order to get better bokeh balls, seems like a waste? Idk. To each their own. I’m not arguing with you, since again…it’s subjective. We’d both be idiots to argue about bokeh, lol.
My wife woke me 13 minutes after she got the email from B&H for pre-order for the Z 85mm F1.2 to make sure I still wanted it. YES! In 1984 I got my first Nikon, an FE2 but not with a 50mm. I went for the 85mm F1.4 AI-S. What a great candid people lens! Later, after buying the F100, I bought the 85mm F1.4 AF. After using the 85mm Manual focus lens for 15 years, I got $100 more than I paid new to trade it in. This past March, I got my Z9 and I have been waiting for this 85mm 1.2. I love the 85mm Isolation. The F1.2 will continue in my 85mm photography DNA. Thanks for your GREAT video of this lens.
Oh my word Matt - these images are breath-taking! I’m not crying… but I have butterflies in my stomach! Wonderful review Matt. Your enthusiasm is as contagious as ever 😊
Indeed butterflies will be the only thing in most stomachs of normal people if they buy this lol. Chech out TTartisan 90mm f/1.25 if you want 80% same performance of 7 times lower cost : )
@@ernie28ernie it's not about butterflies but money, as with all tech these days. All the budget went for z9 and z800mm, I don't shoot people much anymore and my previous clients liked the photos when shooting with those alternative lenses not the native Z primes. Not everything is sharpness. People like character and most liked photos were always those when the focus is missed (purposely or not). It's all subjective. Happy shooting with that new 85 1.2 🤠
@@dicekolev5360 Hi dice, I left out the Z9 and the Z800. Wildlife is fun, but not my priority ;) I guess we can both be happy with what we have! I appreciate the great time we live in (gear-wise), where we can buy fantastic gear, which was inconceivable just a few years back!
Matt, I can see a sparkle in your eye when you talk about the 85 1.2 lens. That’s what we as weddings and portrait photographers have been waiting for a while. You have provided one of the more comprehensive reviews in this lens. Bravo!
Ah Matt I'm so happy for you and for Nikon that it turned out to be everything we all hoped it would be. Your enthusiasm about this lens is so infectious, and the photos and videos it has taken are incredible
@@MattIrwinPhotography my aim is to travel everywhere I go with everything I need in just one bag, so the new 26mm pancake would be more up my street I think. But you never know down the line
Matt, I always appreciate your real world approach to "testing" equipment. It is one thing to just sit behind a desk and talk about it but another to show real photo results and usage comments.
Ah Matt, congratulations! Finally Nikon woke up and all your hard work has paid off. Preordered mine this morning and can honestly say I’ve never waited so long or been so excited about a lens. Keep up the great work.
@@MattIrwinPhotography. It’ll be on a Z6II but will also try it out on my Zfc. Both of these I have the option to use on a DJI RS2 Pro for video which I’m super excited about. I was a case of preorder now or later down the line I could be waiting a year for it, such is the way with Nikon pro gear of late.
It does look stellar, but to get the most out of anything comes down to the operator, you are a brilliant photographer and educator. While I love my D850 and associated lenses, your videos of the Z9 and as new lenses come out makes me realise there are simply things I cannot do with my gear; so this year I will jump to the Z9 and begin collecting lenses
Thanks Anthony, it was a joy to create this video and explore this lens. I look forward to much more time exploring and creating with this extraordinary lens. Cheers Matt
Matt, absolutely incredible photos and your enthusiasm is a drug. Those beautiful people at Grays of Westminster owe you more than a coffee when you’re next in London because as soon as we saw your video we pulled the trigger and ordered it. Can’t wait to fall in love with this lens 😍😍 thank you 🙏
Bravo Nikon! I shoot the Fujifilm GF 110mm f/2 (87mm, F/1.5 FF equivalent) with the GFX 100S and was blown away by the images produced. The Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 looks even more spectacular. Hopefully it will actually be available without months of backorders as we have seen with other Nikon lenses.
Nobody I looked forward to reviewing this more than Matt.. the passion is oozing out him.. I freaking love it.. now I just need to win the lottery to justify getting. A z9 and 85 1.2
Never mind the lens… who was that model? She was stunning!! Seriously, I’m really looking forward to getting the new 85mm f/1.2! I placed the order as soon as I received the email from NPS. Thanks for another great review Matt. And don’t forget to send me the name of that model. She’s worth the trip to Australia😉
Yes, i will get it as soon it comes to Sweden, pre-ordered it as soon it was announced. Today i work a lot with the 105f1.4, its a fantastic lens but still a F-mount and im getting everything over to the Z-mount.
I pre-ordered this lens the day it was announced - it now looks like it will ship on the 24th of March (fingers crossed). I am crazy excited to start shooting with this lens on my Z9! Great review, I’ve watched it three times. Thanks for all you do!
Hi Matt, bit of a mini-essay rather than comment here, but there's a couple of questions later, if you've time to answer. Another video from Matt that I've not only enjoyed so much, but found so useful I've watched multiple times. I've been watching for years now, initially thinking about what to upgrade to from my D7000 - the choice was D850 vs. Z7 at the time (and pie in the sky, given I needed to save first) - 2 yrs of deliberation later, I went into my independent shop to get both in hand and judge ergonomics, having been leaning toward D850, and quickly concluded that my choice was Z7 - at the time I was intimidated by the D850 (no auto!) but reckon now (with a touch more knowledge under the belt (I promise I don't shoot auto)) that it was a closer thing than I thought at the time. Another couple of years on with saving, it was the Z7ii I ended up with. I watched this immediately after Ricci Chera's video, and once again you have me drooling over a lens I can neither afford nor have much use case for (yet, I can hope...financially prohibitive or not). Love my 50mm 1.8 and might love the 50 1.2 one day, but not convinced I'd justify the cost difference for the extra bokeh! I do have the 85 1.8, but it's not had much use yet given my enjoyment of the 50...and, when I want tighter, I find myself loving the 105 MC! Hopefully my habit of pausing and rewinding your sample shots doesn't ruin your RU-vid analytics! QUESTIONS: you're obviously testing out wide open at 1.2 here, and the bokeh and separation is dreamy! Also, night street shooting in Melbourne means light gathering is a must, but: do you find shooting at 1.2 that viable in terms of DoF? Surely a 3/4 pose of someone in a more day-to-day studio scenario makes for their eyes potentially being on different focal planes at this depth of field? Perhaps in such a case, you aren't fussed by this subjective opinion, or wouldn't someone shoot at 5.6 or stopped down a little further? Shallow depth of field is course lovely, soft ears or no, I'm just wondering for your day to day client work. On the night street portraits you've done here with the young man and female model, your EXIF data had me wondering. For the purposes of this, were you in Aperture priority to maintain 1.2? If so, wanting to keep shutter speed viable for handheld (as these were) and ISO as low as feasible, some of the ISOs look less high than I might (from limited experience) expect? Is this due to the 1.2 aperture's light gathering? Or am I just not experienced enough to gauge yet? Also, I realise in some cases you're using speedlight as well as ambient, perhaps freezing things a little this way, and reducing ISO. Lastly, focus hit rate is astonishing given your subjects walking towards you when shooting at 1.2! Is this chiefly a result of coupling to the Z9, and how different an experience do you think this would've been on my Z7ii? I so enjoy watching your stuff - a truly lovely bloke! And, thanks for the word of mouth regarding Gray's of Westminster (your fault I'm losing productivity on Friday afternoon to their stream, 🤣 and I couldn't be happier to).
Thanks so much Netzbaer, it was such a joy to work with these tools. And truly allows for me to reach into the corners of my image making imagination. Happy place indeed :) Is the 85 1.8 or 85 1.2 on your horizon? :) Cheers matt
I used to shoot GFX, and considered the 110mm in that system the best lens I had ever used. In the end though the slow sensor readout and blah to absolutely poor ergonomics has brought me back to Nikon and the Z system for the greater flexibility and usability. I have hoped the 85mm 1.2 would fill the 110mm void I’ve felt since giving up the GFX, and I would say your review hints at a winner. However, I didn’t see much in your examples to demonstrate the close focus abilities of the lens. From the specs I’m reading online, the minimum focus distance is about the same as the 110mm, meaning the lateral field of view should come out very similar. The rest I will have to see for myself when I start to shoot. Hopefully my gut will have the same reaction as I had with the 110. I’ve had an order in for months. So hopefully I don’t have to wait long to find out. Thanks very much for the demo.
Hello Matt, It is so good to see you be one of the first photographers with this amazing bit of kit, in fact this is the first RU-vid of any I have seen with it been used other than a Nikon them self. Just so much separation just have to wait until I can get my hands on one. Keep well, keep safe and keep smiling as I am sure your own 85mm f1.2 is coming soon.
@@phenomdark27 Yes I think so, it was lower than it could have been. Some will think it is affordable, some that it is spot on, and some will think it is expensive. It all comes down to your use case. What will you do with it? What joy does it bring you? How can you express yourself today, which you perhaps you felt you could not do yesterday. Confidence and opportunity, inspiration, the value you place on these qualities and so much more, it is a very personal calculation. :) What do you think you will do?
First time to your site, Matt. A splendid and professional review (as Blythe Warland has commented below). No hype, just the facts. More than most other sites reviewing lenses and cameras, I found myself staring at the quality of the pictures. I am not a photographer, per se; while my daughter is. Perhaps one day, she will add this alongside the 50mm for stunning wedding photography.
I do a lot of pet photography - and this particular lens will be an acquisition for me. This will be a great lens for my purposes. Thanks for the video, Matt.
For a RU-vid video with it's compressed files, these images are stunning. Which drives me crazy, because now I'll be thinking about adding yet another lens to my stable.
Not only youtube compression, but I forgot to mention everything was also shot in HE*, which just shows how good this compression is ... truly great tech. :)
Wow, I just picked up a 100-400 last year and now I'd rather have the 85 1.2. It's a different lens for a different use, but from what you've shown here it's absolutely a game changer for portrait work.
This lens is a huge YES for me. I'll take the 85mm over the 70-200mm if I had to choose 1 lens. Really makes me look forward to the mirrorless transition to the Z9 or perhaps the Z8 which I'm tired of waiting for.
Man, I'm torn. I was super hyped for this lens, but I was pretty let down with the sharpness in Ricci's video. Now I'm at your video and your hype is contagious, haha.
I have the 105 1.4E it’s the best so far, but I wanna see how much difference there will be, compared to the 85 1.2s They have both beautifully characteristic bokeh.
Hi Devil Angel, I have the 105/1.4E and it's simply fantastic. I have the 50/1.2 too. So I predict, the 85 will be even better than the 105. It will be a little sharper wide open, some more microcontrast an presumably focus faster. Bokeh balls might be a little smaller, but super smooth. ;)
@@johncooper9746 Hi John, I'm not one of the illostrious youtubers who had the lens for testing, so I can only sepculate... But every singe Z lens I had in my hands was clearly better as any F lens I've ever seen. So I trust Matt 100% that this lens will me like 'God-mode' ;) Sure, there are other fine lenses out there, so if you need or want it, it's up to you ;) I have it preordered 4 weeks ago...
After watching this video and getting caught up in your excitement, I ordered it the morning it was announced. I'm just an old retired guy with GAS. This will be a wonderful addition to my collection.
Hey Matt. I love the energy and positivity that you put into your videos. I own a Z50 and always look for your videos because they are full of information and fun to watch. Keep the good work
@@MattIrwinPhotography I own the 2 kit lenses that came with the Z50 (16-50mm and 50-250mm) and then I got a Viltrox 13mm 1.4 plus 2 older nikon aps F mount lenses - the 35mm 1.8 and 50mm 1.8. I'm looking into getting some new lenses this year, though I have not made a choice yet.
Wow, what a stunning lens and results. I can't recall a review that you've done where you seemed to be as in your element as this. Another stellar review Sir! 🎉
Matt Matt MATTTTT How fantastic for you! As the RU-vidr who did portraits with the 800PF what a joy it must be to have a true portrait mega beast in your hands. Very artistic work on this video. Some beautiful shots. Especially liked it near the end where the bokeh balls of light behind where you were sitting were revealed as a glorious cityscape. This lens was just made for you … we can all see it’s inspirational effect on you!!
Thanks so much Bruce. It was a joy to work with this equipment and create with these fantastic humans and this beautiful landscape. Is one of the 85's on your radar? Cheers Matt
@@MattIrwinPhotography I’ve ordered the 26mm as I really fancy the lightweight Z7ii street photography Ricoh alternative, and the discipline of a fixed lens. I also like the two in one notion of 26/39 with the Z7 resolution. The 85 1.2 looks fabulous but I’m not sure I can justify it. Mostly I’m a landscapes and wildlife guy but….. I totally loved what you were getting with it. It just seems made for how you perceive light, shapes, focus blur, atmosphere, people, places, design, creativity. For me I’m interested mostly in a Z8 or Z7iii i.e. 45/50 MP FF awesome autofocus n tracking Z7 size body less video capacity than Z9 and hence not overheating!!
You are the best, Matt! You are the ultimate ambassador for Nikon! Here in the US, where there are not as many of us Nikon users, your voice and passion keeps us looking forward to times like this- when Nikon raises the bar with a perfect lens! Thanks for all that you do... Nikon should have you on their payroll! -JB
@@MattIrwinPhotography I'm all Z9 at this point and unless the mythical Z8 offers something better I'll be trading the Z7II up on a second Z9 body. Cheers Matt and good preview video!
If it was in my budget it would next on the list to buy. Fantastic videos and photos Matt. Nikon needs to hire you for the promotion of all of their products.
Hello @MattIrwinPhotography! Excellent video. One of the best on RU-vid, without a doubt. It was this video that encouraged me to buy the 85mm 1.2. I already have it, and I love it! God mode! 😎
Hi Matt, I'm sooo happy for you having the lens for so long! That's a big honor from Nikon, you deserve so well!! Thanks for sharing all those great images of your beautiful models/Rockstars! Unbelievable the 85 may be even a little better than the fantastic 50/1.2 I love so much. Glad I ordered the 85/1.2 four weeks ago at my local dealer, I have the No. 1 spot Can't await to see myself. Please share more content with us, a series like with the 50/1.2 would be highly appreciated ;) Cheers, good light and have fun with the pre production model! Martin
Thanks Ernie, it has been a pleasure to use. You will be super happy with it :) Well done for being in the No. 1 spot. Much more to come on this lens. Cheers Matt
Considering that Nikon is involved in the medical field as well, I truly hope they'll come up with an insomnia treatment for those who cannot afford to buy this jewel!! Absolutely stunning!! She's Mine !!
Great video, great sample footage! I can see why you're so enthusiastic about this lens - the way it renders the background is quite something! Indeed a tool designed to create! Not for me, however, size doesn't play for me, too large for what I do. Glad you (and many others) got a great new 85 1.2 coming! Enjoy.
Hi Matt - great video and nice sample images. I enjoyed seeing this and am looking forward to getting mine - ordered it this morning! Keep up the great work! -PD
Awesome review- amazing photos! Matt, how would you compare this lens vs. the Nikon 105 1.4E when it comes to background separation, and also contrast and colors?
Thanks so much Jake. I don't own that lens, when my copy of the 85mm 1.2 arrives I will borrow the 105 1.4 from NPS and let you know. Might be in a month or 3. Cheers Matt
Loving it Matt Irwin! Love chatting with you in the shop last week.... a true gentleman.... Matt can you shed light on why Jared Polin hates Nikon Auto Focus so much? Imagine if the 135mm is 1.2 as well?
It looks like the wait was worth it! Good job Nikon. Wonderful video Matt !!! I am sure it was hard for you to keep this one secret!! "GOD MODE", love it. Question, what kind of lights are you using, The stick LEDS. I am sure there are lots of photographers that will never take this lens off!!!
You've produced some stunning images with this new lens. 85mm is right in your wheelhouse. $4799 is a bit outside my price range to be sure, so I'll stick withe the 1.8S version for now, which is also stellar.
Cheers Geoff. For sure either 85mm S lens is a fine choice. :) Still love and use my 1.8 all the time. And my entire talking head in this video was shot with the 1.8, and it looks super fine ...
