One of the perks of being a member of Nikon Professional Services (NPS) is the ability to borrow lenses from them. For a photographer who shoots mostly events (professionally) and street photos (personally) I have all the lenses I need for coverage and it's a nice resource when I find myself unexpectedly shooting outside of that. I can borrow a $6k lens for a week, and give it back. It also allows me to test out new lenses when released or really put a lens through its paces at an event before purchasing.
At this point I've borrowed three lenses from Nikon:
- Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.2 for a recent trip to Japan
- Nikkor Z 70-200 f/2.8 VR for a recent trip to Nairobi
- Nikkor Z 85 f/1.2 for a recent wedding
I love the 50mm focal length and I own the Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.8. It's my one-and-done lens when traveling, and when working as a second shooter who routinely shoot with a 35mm and an 85mm, I shoot with a 50mm and a 135mm so we're not shoulder to shoulder fighting for the same shots, and to give the main photographer a variety of depth of fields. But the 50mm f/1.2 didn't make an immediate impression with me. After a week in Japan with it, I didn't see a substantial image quality gain to justify the weight and price. Which simply means that the way I use the lens doesn't take advantage of it's strengths.
The Nikkor Z 70-200mm f/2.8 met my Kenyan safari needs: It kept me safely away from the animals and get good pictures. I may return to this lens in the future as my daughter gets older and I find myself taking pictures of sporting events or performances. No rush though as I'm also hoping for the rumored 100-300mm f/2.0 lens to materialize.
This brings us to the Nikkor Z 85mm f/1.2. And all I can say is "wow".
Before the loan, I didn't own an 85mm lens. I've used the Nikkor Z 85mm f/1.8 and didn't fall in love at first click. Even going back to my dark days of micro four-thirds camera use, I had a 45.5mm lens and never fell in love with it. But the instant I put the 85mm f/1.2 on my camera, I fell in love. And here is the exact first picture I took with it
The subject, the room, and the natural lighting certainly helped, but the way this lens isolates the subject and color rendering had me from the start.
Mantas saw a preview of the picture on my camera screen and immediately stole it from me. According to my metadata from the event, I didn't get it back for four hours, because the next picture I took with it, the bride was married, and I once again reclaimed it for the rest of the night.
I'm a big believer in using the gear you have and that the photographer makes the gear, not the other way around. I've shot plenty of events with lenses that cost 1/4 the price of this thing. But for the type of work I do, for the clientele I shoot for who deserve the best--this was a must have.
I'm happy to say that I purchased this lens about six weeks later, cashing in my single annual Nikon Professional Services purchase discount of 10%, and getting it on a day when my local camera store was offering a tax-free holiday, and before the new tariffs hit the camera industry. All moves that saved me around $700. It's been a workhorse for me ever since.
