Nikon Z 20mm f/1.8 S

£1049/$1049 www.nikon.co.uk

Following hot on the heels of the Z 24mm f/1.8 wide-angle lens, Nikon has announced another even wider prime for its mirrorless Z range. The Z 20mm f/1.8 S extends the Nikon Z line-up of high-performance S-line f/1.8 lenses to five primes.

The lens sports a single A/M focus switch and large focus ring. As with other S-line lenses, there’s no built-in VR, with the Z 6/7’s in-body image stabilization doing the honours. Z 50 users will have to do without stabilization.

We’ve yet to put the new lens through our tests, but Nikon claims

it to be, “phenomenally sharp from edge to edge and brilliant in low light, with sharpness particularly exceptional at close distances.” A minimum focus distance of 0.20m enables shooting from close-up to infinity. Autofocus is promised to be fast, smooth and quiet, and focus breathing all but eliminated. The wide Z mount, combined with nine rounded aperture blades, should offer lush starbursts and naturallooking bokeh.

Internally, the lens boasts ED glass and aspherical lens elements to correct chromatic aberrations, and Nikon’s anti-reflective Nano Crystal Coat combats ghosting and flare to offer crisp and clear images. Every movable part of the lens barrel is weather sealed to keep dust and moisture out.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

A 20mm lens completes the arsenal of fast primes for Z cameras, and we have no doubt the optical quality will be sublime. The Z 20mm f/1.8 S should be in the shops from 19 March, and we’ll bring you a full test as soon as we get our hands on a review sample.