Noct, Noct, who’s there? Mr Ding, with the Noxlux DG 50mm f/1.2 Nikon Z lens!
According to a report by Nikon Rumors, this interesting little nifty fifty will be announced “soon” – and I have to say, it’s certainly piqued my interest. Sure, it’s not a like-for-like representation of the legendary Nikon Noct 58mm f/1.2, but the comparisons were enough that it immediately made me think of the most beautiful hunk of glass the Big N ever produced.
It’s certainly got that retro AI/AI-S vibe going on, what with the metal build, tire-tread grip, aperture ring and numericals all over the barrel. And while it would be unfair to compare this lens’s glass with the Noct’s supreme-quality optics, the Noxlux DG 50mm f/1.2 is constructed using 7 elements in 6 groups, just like the Noct.
It's also roughly the same weight as the Noct, weighing in at a rather hefty 475g for a lens of this size. And of course, it has a standard 52mm filter thread.
A notable difference – beyond the focal length – is that the Noxlux has a 12-bladed aperture. The Noct only had seven-bladed (Ai) and nine-bladed (AI-S) diaphragms, but I’m certainly not going to complain about the potential for perfectly circular bokeh.
So why the comparison? Well, the Noct has been a very expensive lens ever since it was introduced in 1977 – and used examples are still going for around $3,000 / £3,000 / AU$4,000 today.
And while you can pick up the Nikon AI/AI-S 50mm f/1.2 for considerably less (also comparably specced to the Mr Ding lens), all of these vintage Nikon optics are F-Mount.
That’s why news of the Mr Ding Noxlux DG 50mm f/1.2 excites me so much: it’s a native Z-Mount lens with Noct-like specs – and judging by Mr Ding’s other wears, it won’t break the bank. It’s an ideal lens to pair with the Nikon Zf or Nikon Z fc, if you hadn’t already clocked from the product images.
If you haven't heard of the brand before, Mr Ding was established in 2022 and is based in Guangzhou, China. Many of its releases have focused on the Leica M Mount, making the Noxlux DG 50mm f/1.2 its first Z Mount product.
As somebody who’s always wanted a Noct, but could never justify the outlay, this one’s right up my street. I’m looking forward to finding out more.
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Did you know Nikon has made a modern-day iteration of the Noct, that's even faster? The Nikon Z 58mm f/0.95 Noct. And if you're looking for other iterations of the 'nifty fifty', take a look at the Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 S and Nikon Z 50mm f/1.2 S.
