Nikon 32mm f/1.2 1 Nikkor 1

Against the background of the absence of f / 1.2 optics for Nikon “adult” cameras, such a fast solution for Nikon 1 mirrorless cameras is both surprising and admiring. The high aperture of the lens is designed to compensate for insufficient background blur due to the small physical size of the matrix of the Nikon 1 series cameras.

crop factor

Mirrorless cameras from the Japanese giant of the photo industry differ from competitors in the class by the sensor size reduced to 1 ", which makes them more related to the family of advanced compacts. Therefore, in order to find out the focal length of the lenses in the line in full-frame equivalent, it must be multiplied by a crop factor of 2.7. Simple calculations show that the Nikon 1 Nikkor 32mm f/1.2 is a classic portrait lens with a focal length of about 86mm.

Minimalism

The lens boasts good build quality and a minimalistic style of execution — its metal body completely lacks any controls other than a small focus ring. And although the body expands from the base to the front lens, its diameter at the edge is only 52 mm, which allows you to install inexpensive filters of the appropriate size in front of the lens.

Quality

The owners of the model have no complaints about the quality of colour reproduction and sharpness of the picture. Maximum image detail is achieved at f / 2.8-5.6, and sharpness in the centre deserves an “Excellent” rating from the most open aperture. But when shooting at f / 1.2-1.4, chromatic aberrations are possible, which are easy to overcome in post-processing.

Problem solving

Focus on the subject occurs from a minimum distance of 45 cm. Note that the elements in the blur zone will have an imperfectly round shape — a 7-blade diaphragm simply does not contribute to obtaining such bokeh. If you need to shoot portraits in backlight, it is advisable to take care of purchasing a lens hood, since the manufacturer did not include this useful accessory in the package. But even without it, the lens handles with most of the tasks set very, very well.

Reference. The crop factor is a measure that measures the ratio of the diagonal of a standard 35mm film frame to that of a cropped sensor. The cameras of the Nikon 1 line have the physical dimensions of the sensor 2.7 times smaller than the diagonal of the full-frame matrix.