Nikon 1 32mm f/1.2 ultra-bright portrait lens announced

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Nikon has given its Nikon 1 compact system cameras a big dose of credibility with today's announcement of a new 32mm portrait lens, which is equivalent to 86.4mm in full frame currency. What's really impressive is that this lens has an open aperture of f/1.2, making it the fastest (brightest) compact system camera lens on the market.



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[Ian]

Re: Nikon 1 32mm f/1.2 ultra-bright portrait lens announced

This looks like a superb lens but the price is £799...

Ian

[Barr1e]

Re: Nikon 1 32mm f/1.2 ultra-bright portrait lens announced

Ouch!

Regards. Barr1e

[Bob Ross]

Re: Nikon 1 32mm f/1.2 ultra-bright portrait lens announced

But the "Ouch" will get lots of optical quality that Nikon seems to have loaded on this one. The Nikon 1 V2 is my happy snapper camera and I got it only with the 18.5mm f/1.8 lens and adapters for my Leica M and Oly OM lenses. With the M adapter I can put my f/1.1 50mm (Nokton M) on the V2 for a 135 f/1.1......though I have to use a separate meter and thereby doubling the kit's bulk...
I think that this will be impressive lens and probably worth the price.
Bob

[Ian]

Re: Nikon 1 32mm f/1.2 ultra-bright portrait lens announced

I would like to know where the expense is in making this lens so that it costs £799 when Olympus can make a 45mm f/1.8 and sell it for less than a third of the price.

I think part of the economics is in the sales expectations - Olympus banked on selling lots of 45mm f/1.8s and that is exactly what has happened. Nikon probably thinks it won't sell many, hence the high price.

Ian

[OlyPaul]

Re: Nikon 1 32mm f/1.2 ultra-bright portrait lens announced

I've always thought the supposed better AF of the V1/2 might be down to the extreme dof of the smaller sensor and the bigger leeway the af has because of it rather than it's accuracy.

It will be interesting to see if the af is as accurate and works as well with this lens.

[Ian]

Re: Nikon 1 32mm f/1.2 ultra-bright portrait lens announced

Interesting point, Paul. Very bright lenses can bring new problems for autofocus - the AF sensors could be over-whelmed, for example. Softness in very large aperture lenses at full-aperture can also cause problems with AF. Of course modern lenses are now much sharper than they used to be. I have a 50mm f/1.4 Olympus OM from the late 70s and it's certainly not sharp until you stop it down to around f/2-f/2.8. I use it as a soft focus lens!

I guess the greater dof with smaller sensor cameras is a potential benefit but I also wonder if it could hinder very precise focusing?

Ian

[Bob Ross]

Re: Nikon 1 32mm f/1.2 ultra-bright portrait lens announced

The AF on the Nikon 1 camera is a hybrid PDAF/CDAF and not as sensative to the wide aperture issues. The V2 is amazingly fast in normal use.
I think DOF is more an issue with the shorter focal legth lenses rather than a smaller sensor, though they go hand in hand. When 4/3rds came out it was said that the lense needed to resolve twice as well as FF lenses. This is also the case with maedium format to 35mm format tough I think my Bronica lenses out resolved more of their 35mm versions. The CX lenses may need to be better on that count.
Why the High price? Well, most superfast lenses do merit a premium for the design/assembley complexities. Lenses in the f/2 zone are common place with normal pricing ( except for the 50mm f/2.0 asph Summicron, just out). The f/1.1 50mm CV lens that I mentioned does cost more than the new Nikkor and it weigh a lot more, too. The 18.5mm f/1.8 Nikkor that I have only cost $186. and don't put it down in high winds
This lens' price will make N1 owners wonder if the overall system is worth fleshing out for them or leave it to having fun.
Bob

[Ian]

Re: Nikon 1 32mm f/1.2 ultra-bright portrait lens announced

Nikon tried to convince me that the Nikon 1 system was not a competitor to DSLRs because the kind of users that used the respective systems were different. The Nikon 1 was for young people upgrading from compacts who wanted to have fun with their photography, being creative in the camera rather than in post processing. That may have been the case then but by introducing a lens like this that explanation has had its time if you ask me

Back to costs and pricing; I do wonder if the standard 10-30 kit zoom lens costs that much less than the 32mm prime to manufacture.

Ian

[Bob Ross]

Re: Nikon 1 32mm f/1.2 ultra-bright portrait lens announced

Hi Ian,
I think that more than a few marketing folk were surprised by what happened with their small camera consumer bait, and some of the desirable up-priced things like Sony's RX-1 and probably our subject are marketing experiments, to see what it will bear.
At the moment I'd guess the m4/3rds lens that might fit into this catagory is the 75.1.8 going for $899 and what are the cost differences between it and the 45/1.8 that goes for $399. Have you got your 75mm yet? That is a nice lens to lust after.
If there is any expert human involvement in the assembly, the price goes up fast.
My lens that might equal the 32/1.2 is the old Minolta 85/1.4 which I paid around $850 for in the 90s. I still love that one.
It will be fun to see what the other mfrs will do to respond to things like that.
Bob

[Ian]

Re: Nikon 1 32mm f/1.2 ultra-bright portrait lens announced

Yes, I have a couple of m.Zuiko 75mm f/1.8 examples in the cupboard for our hire business - very popular it is too! I think Olympus would probably sell more if they lowered the price. Olympus wanted £700 for the m.Zuiko 75-300 zoom when it first came out. They have now produced an improved version and it sells for £200 less

It is true that lowering a price is better than starting off too cheap!

Ian

[Bob Ross]

Re: Nikon 1 32mm f/1.2 ultra-bright portrait lens announced

The one thing we haven't mentioned is the "Premium Grade" designation: Nikon's Gold N and, of course that is something for which they can charge. This should parallel Panasonic's Leica, Sony's Zeiss, Zeiss's *T and all the others.
If you get a chance to visit any lens fabricating plants again this would be a great investigation theme.
Bob

[Ian]

Re: Nikon 1 32mm f/1.2 ultra-bright portrait lens announced

I am hoping to visit a lens factory later in the summer - can't say any more than that

Ian

[Bob Ross]

Re: Nikon 1 32mm f/1.2 ultra-bright portrait lens announced

I am hoping to visit a lens factory later in the summer - can't say any more than that

Ian

Here is hoping that they fab premium marks, so that you can get to the bottom of this pricing situation for us.
Bob

[yoshi]

Re: Nikon 1 32mm f/1.2 ultra-bright portrait lens announced

I found here some sample photos of this lens.

http://dc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/review/lens_review/20130611_602954.html

yoshi