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Questions & Answers

Shopper : Why Did You Choose This?HENRY T B : I am primarily an amateur travel and landscape photographer, and decided it was time to change from SLR (D 600), and I bought a Nikon Z7 just before Covid hit, and have been fairly restricted in its use. I am traveling to Scandinavia for a month late this summer, including a two-week voyage along the Norwegian coast, and decided to get a Z format landscape lens, and the 20mm 1.8 has outstanding reviews, so I went with that.PETER T : Great lens for video, storytelling, and interiorsJean B : This is a gift for my husband, who chose this lens after much thought and careful research.GREG R : I wanted a Nikon Z lens for my Z7 camera first of all. The 20mm f/1.8 was on my list for low light shooting the stars.DAVID N : Nice to have all the extras with this lens!!!AARON H S : The NIKKOR Z 20mm lens is produces great star bursts and good clean landscape images. Good clarity edge to edge.CLYDE B : I have both the Nikon Z7 and the Z50. I've been using the FTZ adapter on both cameras. I'm in need of a good Z lens. I recently took some Sunrise photos Christmas 2020 and was amazed at how well my 35mm 1.8 F mount lens performed. So I thought i'd get something a little wider &chose this lens as my first native Z mount lens. The reviews of this lens have been remarkable. On a side note had I known Nikon was coming out with a Z5 I would have not purchased the Z50 and waited on the Z5.

Reviews about this item

Review Summary

2025-06-27T08:47:28

Rated 5 out of 5

Perfect for the Night Skies

Love this lens! Perfect for low light shooting, especially astrophotography!

GAIL B.

2024-07-02T10:12:24

Rated 5 out of 5

Sharp

Sharp lens, perfect for landscape photography. It never comes off my camera.

Kenneth S.

2024-01-24T07:08:08

Rated 5 out of 5

Reliable Performance with Incredible Rendering

The 20mm 1.8mm is the first ultra wide prime lens that I have owned. I was a little hesitant about the purchase due to the length of the lens for a prime. In handling the lens after purchasing I have decided that it handles very nicely. It takes up only a little more space in my bag than I would like but it is still plenty compact when considering the image quality and handling. I went with the 20mm over the 24mm because I wanted that bit of extra width in the images for interiors and landscape. I feel the 20mm focal length offers something unique as there are many more photographs taken at 24mm. Sure there is a some distortion that you have to watch for when using this lens for events and photographs of people; however, with a bit of mindfulness you can use the unique look to your advantage and produce something really interesting. I tested the lens out for a professional job shortly after receiving it. The shoot was a sweet 16 party and this lens produced some of the best dance floor and large group photos I've ever taken. The colors and contrast this lens produces are beautiful and the lens focusing is very quick and accurate. I have solid confidence in this lens for professional use. It pairs really nicely with the 50mm 1.8 for events. Note: When shooting the sweet 16 I was able to shoot mostly in the f 1.8 to 2.5 aperture range with perfectly sharp rendering. The wide focal length at this aperture allows for a great natural fall off bokeh while retaining enough background information to show context. I also took the 20mm 1.8 out and about on our farmland to do some informal landscape photography. Again the colors and contrast this lens produced are among the best I've ever gotten from any camera lens.

Joe P.

2023-09-12T18:52:16

Rated 4 out of 5

Great 20mm lens

Absolutely incredible image quality, wish it was a bit smaller but it is very light. Can't wait to get out and do some milky way and lightning shots. Not sure I really love the new Z lens covers either. They are harder to pinch without slipping than the older F mount covers were.

GERALD F.

2023-07-17T12:35:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Nikon 20mm f/1.8 S lens

Love this lens can't wait to get a shot of the milkyway

DIANE M.

2023-07-17T12:35:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Nikon 20mm f/1.8 S lens

Love this lens can't wait to get a shot of the milkyway

DIANE M.

2023-07-05T03:43:28

Rated 5 out of 5

Beautiful wide angle prime lens.

Amazing speed, sharpness, and bokeh. The design and durability of the lens feels great in hand. I love this lens. I personally prefer panorama images using this 20mm lens vs a singular image using a wider angle lens.

G P.

2023-06-09T09:35:55

Rated 5 out of 5

Nikon NIKKOR Z 20mm f/1.8 S Lens

My first large aperture wide angle lens ever and I just love the image quality. This gives me more options for applying my creativity and expanding my ideas. My first impression was how this did not necessarily require me to raise my camera's ISO for a low light shot. Also having sharpness across the entire frame is so impressive too.

ERNIE K.

2023-02-19T12:27:53

Rated 5 out of 5

Amazing ultra wide lense

100% satisfied with this product.

Juro67

2022-10-25T12:54:15

Rated 5 out of 5

Adorama is GARBAGE.

Lens is fantastic. Adorama is total garbage. $30 for overnight shipping that didn't show up for 3 days, no update or tracking info. Should have just stuck with B&H... last time I make this mistake.

MATTHEW R.

2022-09-20T11:12:52

Rated 5 out of 5

Great lens

Really enjoying this lens. Fast and shape. Great for landscape and Milky Way images. Nice feel in the hand and light weight.

MICHAEL R.

2022-05-20T09:16:22

Rated 5 out of 5

Exactly what it should be

It?s exactly what it should be? not too heavy, sharpest 20mm I?ve ever used, and great in low light. What more could you want.

William S.

2021-10-08T08:22:24

Rated 5 out of 5

Great lens

Great landscape and travel lens.

Matthew R.

2021-09-21T07:37:03

Rated 5 out of 5

Love this lens

Very sharp, responsive

Matthew R.

2021-07-09T08:29:56

Rated 5 out of 5

Love this Lens!

Absolutely love this lens. Takes great photos and does beautiful natural light flares. From my pups, flowers, and landscapes, I'm not disappointed. Also used an IR filter and the images turned out great.

Kimberely S.

2021-04-07T08:39:26

Rated 5 out of 5

Great wide angle and fast glass.

This lens is amazing, no distortion and consistently fast. I've been using it for wide angle street photos and will be trying it soon for indoor real estate.

Melody H.

2021-03-30T08:11:44

Rated 5 out of 5

Super sharp

The lens is super sharp and fast. The whole package arrived in excellent condition.

JENNIFER S.

2021-01-08T07:52:36

Rated 5 out of 5

Love it for video

I got this 20mm 1.8 S for video use, I use my 14-30mm for landscapes. Face tracking is so much quicker and accurate on the Z cameras with native lenses. This lens is fantastic, super sharp and proveides lovely backgrounds when used wide open. I am looking forward to trying this lens out this summer for some astro photography.

CHRISTOPHER C.

2021-01-08T01:14:07

Rated 5 out of 5

Nikkor Z 20mm f/1.8 S

Couldn't be happier with my Nikon Z 20mm f/1.8 S lens.

LOIS U.

2021-01-07T11:19:49

Rated 5 out of 5

Favorite lens

I love this lens! My favorite subjects are astronomy and landscape. Sadly, it has made me regret buying the 35mm. Just don’t use that one anymore.

HAROLD S.

2021-01-07T10:40:56

Rated 5 out of 5

Nikon Z line lenses are simply stunning!

The new Z line 20mm 1.8 S as well as all the other Z line primes which I own as well, blow the F mount equivalents away which I also posess, from CA, color fringing, ghosting, flaring, rendering, micro contrast and center to edge sharpness, there is no comparison! These new Z lenses from Nikon are as good as Zeiss Otis, or better IMO! Simply amazing! Nikon is back with a vengeance!

Jeff R.

2021-01-07T10:29:10

Rated 5 out of 5

It is a Z lens, you would expect nothing less

This is one of the many reasons you buy a Z camera---the GLASS Like all the lenses that have come out for the Z, this too is a great lens.

Drsteven

2021-01-07T09:08:45

Rated 5 out of 5

Excellent wide lens for the Z system

Crystal clear, corner to corner, fast focusing with nice bokeh and visually elegant.

Robert W.

2021-01-07T08:01:43

Rated 5 out of 5

A great wide view for real photography

Wow a great wide angle view with such a great maximum aperture. Why increase noise with high ISO when you don't need to! Now this is photography! I will love using this lens all the time.

EDWARD S.

2021-01-07T07:53:15

Rated 5 out of 5

Love it!!!!

Like my other "Z" lenses, this 20mm is remarkably SHARP! I plan to use this lens specifically for astrophotography and hopefully Northern Lights in Canada this year.

Jess B.

2021-01-07T07:16:14

Rated 5 out of 5

Great lens

I love this lens, so many ways to use this for everything from portrait to general .

Dennis

2021-01-07T07:09:22

Rated 4 out of 5

Optically wonderful.

Optically, this lens is great. The weight is fine. The only complaint I have with this lens (an all the Nikon Z-mount f/1.8 primes) is that they are so long. Why so big?

Michael K.

2020-09-29T08:39:41

Rated 5 out of 5

Excellent lens very sharp corner to corner.

Excellent lens very sharp corner to corner. Really great pictures. Adorama has always been a very good company for me.

ROY A.

2020-07-31T08:21:25

Rated 5 out of 5

WOW !

Amazing piece of glass ! Yes its a lot bigger than expected but it excels in corner to corner sharpness. Very happy shopper.

MARC B.

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Nikon NIKKOR Z 20mm f/1.8 Specifications

General

General

Jump to...
  • Lens Series

    NIKKOR Z

  • Color

    Black

  • Lens Type

    Wide Angle

  • Lens Mount

    Nikon Z

  • Format Compatibility

    FX and DX

Features

Jump to...
  • Image Stabilization

    None

  • Focus Type

    Auto Focus

  • Closest Focus Distance

    0.66' (0.2m) from focal plane

  • Focal Length

    20mm

  • Angle Of View

    Maximum Angle of View (DX-format) 70 Degree
    Maximum Angle of View (FX-format) 94 Degree

  • Maximum Aperture

    f/1.8

  • Minimum Aperture

    f/16

  • Maximum Magnification

    0.19x

  • Filter Size

    77mm

Construction

Jump to...
  • Lens Elements / Groups

    14 Elements / 11 Groups

  • Diaphragm Blades

    9 Rounded diaphragm opening

Physical

Jump to...
  • Dimensions (Dia x L)

    3.4 x 4.3" (84.5 x 108.5mm)

  • Weight

    17.9 oz (505g)

  • UPC Code

    192223160712

About Nikon NIKKOR Z 20mm f/1.8

FEATURED REVIEWS

Nikon Z line lenses are simply stunning!

By Jeff R.

The new Z line 20mm 1.8 S as well as all the other Z line primes which I own as well, blow the F mount equivalents away which I also posess, from CA, color fringing, ghosting, flaring, rendering, micro contrast and center to edge sharpness, there is no comparison! These new Z lenses from Nikon are as good as Zeiss Otis, or better IMO! Simply amazing! Nikon is back with a vengeance!

Perfect for the Night Skies

By GAIL B.

Love this lens! Perfect for low light shooting, especially astrophotography!

Expansive views. Exceptional details.
Combining the unique, ultra-wide perspective of a 20mm prime with the speed and low light capabilities of an f/1.8 maximum aperture, the NIKKOR Z 20mm f/1.8 S brings beautiful context to your full-frame lens arsenal. Its angle of view excels at landscape and wide interior shooting, while its speed makes it superb for environmental portraits with lush, soft backgrounds and low light shots that are sharp and clean with faithful point light reproduction. And the NIKKOR Z 20mm f/1.8 S is truly cinematic with video enhancements that ensure silent autofocusing without breathing, and smooth aperture and ISO control.

S-Line
NIKKOR quality at its absolute best.

At the top of the ever-expanding NIKKOR Z lens lineup, S-Line lenses push Nikon's tradition of optical excellence and innovation to unprecedented new heights. Superior performance and resolution. Sophisticated features and operability. Specialized technologies and reliability enhancements. All while taking full advantage of the monumental Nikon Z mount and adhering to the strictest image quality and build standards.

The beauty is in the details.
Premium NIKKOR S-Line lenses are known for their stunning resolution, elaborate detail and impeccable build quality. The NIKKOR Z 20mm f/1.8 S is no exception. With an ultra-wide 20mm field of view and a brilliant f/1.8 maximum aperture, so much more of a scene can be captured with exceptional point-light clarity and minimal distortion.

Video with a fresh perspective.
With its gorgeous artistic qualities and natural, wide perspective, the NIKKOR Z 20mm f/1.8 S is exceptional for video work in tight spaces or anywhere you want your subject to pop. Autofocusing is fast and silent with minimal focus breathing. Aperture control is smooth as silk. And the customizable control ring can be used to quietly create fluid iris transitions or ISO changes on the fly.

Get the story straight.
The ultra-wide 20mm focal length is embraced by pro photographers for capturing more of the story they're trying to tell. Expansive landscapes, scene-setting interiors, unique environmental portraiture-all with more context and less edge distortion than similar shots at longer focal lengths.

Sharpness in darkness.
The fast, wide f/1.8 aperture of the NIKKOR Z 20mm f/1.8 S produces remarkably sharp images when available light is in short supply. Its speed and light gathering capability enable the use of faster shutter speeds when shooting indoors, at night or when shooting handheld.

Soft, dreamy backgrounds.
Beautifully blurred backgrounds naturally direct the viewer's eyes to the main subject. Attached to the largest full frame mount in the industry, the nine rounded aperture blades of the NIKKOR Z 20mm f/1.8 S give defocused points of light a soft, round, consistent shape.

Comprehensive distortion control.
3 Extra-low Dispersion (ED) elements correct chromatic aberrations (optical color defects). Nano Crystal Coat (N) virtually eliminates flare, ghosting and coma. And optical advancements of the Z mount and S-Line render point-light sources sharper than ever without the usual diamond-shaped distortion-perfect for environmental portraits, nightscapes and more.

Edge-to-Edge Brightness.
One of the many advantages of the larger Z mount is its ability to retain even illumination, especially at the corners of the frame. This results in bright, even exposures with minimal vignetting.

Multi-Focus System.
Finely detailed high resolution photography can sometimes be susceptible to lens aberrations, such as color fringing, especially at close ranges. The NIKKOR Z 20mm f/1.8 S incorporates an all-new multi-focusing system, consisting of two AF drive units precisely synchronized to deliver fast, accurate autofocusing and drastically reduce aberrations, even when focusing close to your subject.

Enhanced Build and Reliability.
S-Line features and quality control.

Unwavering Autofocus
Powered by an ultra-quiet stepping motor and enhanced by the additional light gathered by the Z Mount, focusing is fast, silent and accurate. Great for stills; even better for video.

Dust and Drip Resistant
Extensively sealed to keep dust and moisture out, especially around all moving parts of the lens barrel, for worry-free durability.

Dual Detect 5 Axis VR
Uses Z cameras' superior in-camera image stabilization system for up to 5 stops of pitch, roll, yaw, X and Y shake correction when used with Z cameras that feature in-camera VR. Additional electronic VR (e-VR) during video capture.

Customizable Control Ring
The control ring can be used for quiet aperture control (great for iris transitions during video recording or situations where complete silence is critical), exposure compensation or ISO adjustments.

Next-Generation Z Design and Optics
Designed and optimized to take full advantage of the Z system's larger mount, Z lenses gather substantially more light, providing even illumination and improved sharpness from the center of the frame to the far edges. Autofocusing is fast and quiet. Video recording is clean and smooth with highly minimized focus breathing and reduced wobbling. Intuitive on-lens controls can be customized to your individual shooting style and so much more. Z lenses are designed with a sense of consistency that combines reliability and beauty with next-dimension optical performance for complete freedom in image creation.

Technology

Stepping Motor
NIKKOR Z lenses use a stepping motor for fast, accurate, smooth, quiet autofocus with reduced wobbling. This quiet drive system makes the lenses ideal for use when shooting video.

Electromagnetic Diaphragm Mechanism
An electromagnetic diaphragm mechanism in the lens barrel provides highly accurate electronic diaphragm or aperture blade control when using auto exposure during continuous shooting. With conventional D/G type lenses, the diaphragm blades are operated by mechanical linkage levers.

ED (Extra-Low Dispersion) Glass
An optical glass developed by Nikon that is used with normal optical glass in telephoto lenses to obtain optimum correction of chromatic aberrations.

Nano Crystal Coat
An anti-reflective coating developed by Nikon that virtually eliminates internal lens element reflections across a wide range of wavelengths. Nano Crystal Coat solves ghost effects caused by red light and effectively reduces ghost and flare caused by light entering the lens diagonally.

Aspherical Lens
A lens with a curved, non-spherical surface. Used to reduce aberrations and enable a more compact lens size. Aspherical lenses minimize coma and other types of lens aberrations, even when used at the widest aperture. They are particularly useful in correcting distortion in wide-angle lenses and help contribute to a lighter, more compact design by reducing the number of standard (spherical) elements necessary. Aspherical lens elements correct these distortions by continuously changing the refractive index from the center of the lens.

IF Lens
A NIKKOR lens in which only the internal lens group shifts during focusing. Thus, IF NIKKORS do not change in size during AF operation, allowing for compact, lightweight lenses capable of closer focusing distances. These lenses will be designated with the abbreviation IF on the lens barrel.

Super Integrated Coating
Nikon Super Integrated Coating is Nikon's term for its multilayer coating of the optical elements in NIKKOR lenses.

Nikon NIKKOR Z 20mm f/1.8 Features

  • Expansive views. Exceptional details
  • The beauty is in the details
  • Video with a fresh perspective
  • Get the story straight
  • Sharpness in darkness
  • Soft, dreamy backgrounds
  • Comprehensive distortion control
  • Edge-to-Edge Brightness
  • Multi-Focus System
  • Enhanced Build and Reliability
  • Unwavering Autofocus
  • Dust and Drip Resistant
  • Dual Detect 5 Axis VR
  • Customizable Control Ring
  • Next-Generation Z Design and Optics
  • Stepping Motor
  • Electromagnetic Diaphragm Mechanism
  • ED (Extra-Low Dispersion) Glass
  • Nano Crystal Coat
  • Aspherical Lens / IF Lens
  • Super Integrated Coating

Key Features

  • Expansive views. Exceptional details
  • The beauty is in the details
  • Video with a fresh perspective
  • Get the story straight
  • Sharpness in darkness
  • Soft, dreamy backgrounds

What's in the box:

  • NIKKOR Z 20mm f/1.8 S Lens
  • LC-77B 62mm Snap-On Front Lens Cap
  • LF-N1 Rear Lens Cap
  • HB-95 Bayonet Hood
  • CL-C1 Lens Case
  • Nikon 1 Year Limited Warranty
  • Bundle With:
  • ProOPTIC 77mm Digital Essentials Filter Kit
  • LensPen Lens Cleaner
  • Universal Lens Cap Tether
  • Complete Optics Care and Cleaning Kit
  • Corel Photo Video Art Suite Software Kit