The eagerly awaited Nikkor Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct lens for Nikon's mirrorless Z cameras will be launched imminently – and its eye-watering price tag of $7,996.97 (£6538.98) has been leaked ahead of schedule.
Marketed with much furore as "the fastest Nikkor lens ever", the Nikkor Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct is a monstrously fast, monstrously sized and monstrously priced optic designed to showcase the unique capabilities of the Z mount on Nikon's full-frame mirrorless cameras. The manufacturer crows that:
"Made possible by innovations of the new Z mount, it will deliver thrilling new capabilities for the Z series mirrorless system – vast depth-of-field control and elaborate bokeh for portraiture, superb point-image reproduction and low-light performance for night landscapes and astrophotography – all in an immaculately constructed lens with precision feel and brilliant operability."
• Read more: The 7 fastest camera lenses in 2019
The lens was revealed way back when the Nikon Z6 and Nikon Z7 first debuted, and has toured trade shows around the world ever since inside a glass case – leading many to believe it was a 'vaporware' product that might never materialize.
However, sites like Nikon Eye report that the optic will be launched this week, with the inimitable Nokishita going a step further and leaking the purported American price: “'Nikkor Z 58mm f / 0.95 S Noct' was added to North American retailers for $7,996.95".
This price actually comes in above the estimated $6,000 ball park that had been floating around for the past year, making this a prohibitively expensive purchase for most photographers – particularly given that the lens is manual focus only.
As always, rumors should be taken with a pinch of salt – but it's rare that Nokishita's sources are proven wrong. If the lens is indeed to be announced this week, however, we won't have long to find out how many kidneys we'll need to sell.
Read more:
The 7 fastest lenses in 2019 – break the speed limit with glass as fast as f/0.75
Nikon Z lens roadmap: new lenses for the Z system and when they are coming
The best Nikon lenses in 2019: from telephotos to ultra-wide lenses and more
