Nikon Zf: Budget vs Expensive Lens for Portraits (Z 50mm f/1.8 S vs Z 85mm f/1.2 S)

Portrait of a woman with curly hair in a white dress crouching against blue bokeh, shot on the Nikon Zf

Do you need an expensive lens for dreamy portraits? I took the Nikon Zf to a golden hour shoot by the water with two lenses: the Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 S, which has the most stunning bokeh, and the much more budget friendly Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 S. Here's how they compare.

Every photo in this post was edited with my Florence Lightroom preset pack. In the video you can also see the straight out of camera files.

Portrait of a woman with curly hair in a white dress with her hand on her chin, close-up in golden light, shot on the Nikon Zf with the Z 85mm f1.2 S

Edited with my Florence preset.

Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 S vs Z 50mm f/1.8 S specs and price

Z 85mm f/1.2 S Z 50mm f/1.8 S
Focal length 85mm 50mm
Maximum aperture f/1.2 f/1.8
Weight About 1,160g About 415g
Filter thread 82mm 62mm
Price US$2,799.95 at launch US$599.95 at launch

Golden hour portraits with the Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 S

I started on the 85mm f/1.2, which meant walking quite far away for full body shots. The light was coming through the trees and sparkling on the water behind my model, and at f/1.2 it melts into the most beautiful bokeh. Keep an eye on the tide if you shoot by the water: it came in so fast it almost got her dress! Watch the 85mm shoot.

Portrait of a woman with curly hair in a white dress lifting her dress as she walks along the shore, shot on the Nikon Zf with the Z 85mm f1.2 S

Edited with my Florence preset.

Portrait of a woman with curly hair in a white dress looking over her shoulder in front of sparkling water

Edited with my Florence preset.

Portrait of a woman with curly hair in a white dress crouching with her hand near her face

Edited with my Florence preset.

Portrait of a woman with curly hair in a white dress smiling with her arms by her sides, shot on the Nikon Zf with the Z 85mm f1.2 S, uneditedUnedited
Portrait of a woman with curly hair in a white dress smiling with her arms by her sides, shot on the Nikon Zf with the Z 85mm f1.2 S, edited with FlorenceEdited with Florence

Unedited on the left, edited with my Florence preset on the right.

Portrait of a woman with curly hair in a white dress walking out of the water with a big smile

Edited with my Florence preset.

Portrait of a woman with curly hair in a white dress with her arms crossed in front of dark trees

Edited with my Florence preset.

Portrait of a woman with curly hair in a white dress with her hands in her hair, backlit by the sun

Edited with my Florence preset.

Portrait of a woman with curly hair in a white dress laughing with her hands together by the water

Edited with my Florence preset.

Nikon Zf for portrait photography

I was using a pre-production Nikon Zf, so some specs could change in the final version. For my full thoughts on the camera, including autofocus for people, animals and birds, video and low light, read my Nikon Zf review. Hear more about the camera.

Portrait of a woman with curly hair in a white dress standing on the shore, full body from far away, shot on the Nikon Zf with the Z 85mm f1.2 S

Edited with my Florence preset.

Switching to the Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 S

Then I switched to the 50mm, and my model got to hold the massive 85! I'm so impressed with this lens. Even though it's f/1.8 and a slightly shorter focal length, it's more than capable of dreamy portraits with sharp, high quality results. We also moved into a small river where it was a bit darker for some moodier shots. Watch the 50mm shoot.

Portrait of a woman with curly hair in a white dress in front of sparkling water and trees, shot on the Nikon Zf with the Z 50mm f1.8 S

Edited with my Florence preset.

Portrait of a woman with curly hair in a white dress walking along the shore with the water behind her, shot on the Nikon Zf with the Z 50mm f1.8 S

Edited with my Florence preset.

Portrait of a woman with curly hair in a white dress walking along the shore, wide shot on the 50mm

Edited with my Florence preset.

Portrait of a woman with curly hair in a white dress walking away along the shore on the 50mm

Edited with my Florence preset.

Portrait of a woman with curly hair in a white dress with her arm raised to her forehead, shot on the Nikon Zf with the Z 50mm f1.8 S
Portrait of a woman with curly hair in a white dress crouching on the sand

Edited with my Florence preset.

Portrait of a woman with curly hair in a white dress crouching with her hand on her face

Edited with my Florence preset.

Portrait of a woman with curly hair in a white dress with her hand in her hair by the water

Edited with my Florence preset.

Portrait of a woman with curly hair in a white dress with her arms raised above her head among the trees

Edited with my Florence preset.

50mm f/1.8 vs 85mm f/1.2: which should you buy?

While I really love the 85mm f/1.2, I know it's out of a lot of photographers' budgets, and the 50mm f/1.8 is a great alternative. In some of the photos I actually like how the 50mm shows a bit more context in the background, whereas the 85mm does a better job of isolating your subject. See my comparison.

Portrait of a woman with curly hair in a white dress sitting by the water with her hand on her chin, shot on the Nikon Zf with the Z 50mm f1.8 S

Edited with my Florence preset.

Portrait of a woman with curly hair in a white dress laughing by the water, shot on the Nikon Zf with the Z 50mm f1.8 S, uneditedUnedited
Portrait of a woman with curly hair in a white dress laughing by the water, shot on the Nikon Zf with the Z 50mm f1.8 S, edited with FlorenceEdited with Florence

Unedited on the left, edited with my Florence preset on the right.

Close-up headshots on the 85mm

To finish, I switched back to the 85mm for some close-up headshots with sun on my model's face. I crouched down low to get the sparkles on the water in the background, which turn into those dreamy bokeh balls at f/1.2. See the close-ups.

Portrait of a woman with curly hair in a white dress, close-up headshot with bokeh from the water, shot on the Nikon Zf with the Z 85mm f1.2 S

Edited with my Florence preset.

Portrait of a woman with curly hair in a white dress sitting on a rock with her chin on her arm
Portrait of a woman with curly hair in a white dress sitting on a rock with her knee up

Edited with my Florence preset.

Portrait of a woman with curly hair in a white dress crouching with her hand on her chin against blue bokeh

Edited with my Florence preset.

Using a seashell as a portrait prop

I had a seashell in my pocket the whole day and almost forgot about it! It ended up being such a fun little prop for a few extra shots, held casually in her hand, resting on her shoulder or covering one eye. See the seashell photos.

Portrait of a woman with curly hair in a white dress holding a seashell beside her face, in black and white

Edited with my Florence preset.

Portrait of a woman with curly hair in a white dress holding a seashell against her chest

Edited with my Florence preset.

Is the Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 S worth it over the 50mm f/1.8 S?

If you want the ultimate subject isolation and bokeh, the 85mm f/1.2 S is stunning, and this felt like a dream photo shoot. But if it's out of your budget, the 50mm f/1.8 S is a much lighter, cheaper lens that still gives you sharp, dreamy portraits, with a little more of the location in the frame.

Nikon Zf portrait lens FAQ

Is the Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 S good for portraits?

Yes. Even at f/1.8 it produces sharp, dreamy portraits, and it shows a little more background context than an 85mm.

Is the Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 S worth the price?

If you want the strongest subject isolation and creamy bokeh, it's stunning, but it's heavy and expensive. The 50mm f/1.8 S is a great budget alternative.

Which lens is better on the Nikon Zf for portraits?

The 85mm isolates your subject more, while the 50mm is lighter and cheaper and shows more of the location.

What preset did you use for these photos?

All the photos were edited with my Florence Lightroom preset pack.

All the photos in this post were edited with my Florence Lightroom preset pack. You might also like my Nikon Zf review, Nikon Z8 portrait photography with the 85mm f1.2 and 35mm f1.8 and my Nikon Z 135mm f1.8 Plena review. Browse all my packs in the Lightroom Presets for Portraits collection, and if you're stuck between a few, you can buy any 3 presets and save 10%.

0 comments

Leave a comment

Julia Trotti's Lightroom Presets: