After confirming in June that it would be available in 2021, Nikon has officially announced the Nikkor 40mm f/2, a compact, affordable prime lens for the mirrorless Z-mount.

Affordable, portable, and bright, this new optic checks all the right boxes for a lightweight lens to carry just about anywhere for nearly any occasion. Whether seeking a lens for everyday snaps, unobtrusive street photography, or as a travel companion that easily fits in your carry-on, the new 40mm lets you capture with incredible sharpness, fast focus, and gorgeous blurred backgrounds. Additionally, the fast aperture affords excellent low light performance and exceptional image quality – from portraits to food, or still life to 4K video, users can expect vivid colors and lifelike three-dimensional depth.

“Many creators have told us that they want extremely small lenses with fast apertures to complement their lightweight mirrorless Z series cameras,” said Jay Vannatter, Executive Vice President, Nikon Inc. “The new 40mm f/2 delivers as a great lens for travel, street photography, or everyday use.”

The 40mm f/2 is a versatile lens that can be used with any Nikon Z series full-frame or DX-format camera. The lens is small enough to pair perfectly with a Z 50, Z fc, or Z 5, yet suitable for Z 6II and Z 7II users looking for a light and compact “walk-around” lens.

Full specs:

• A compact, versatile prime lens that is ideal for everyday applications such as close-ups, casual portraits, and food photography.
• Delivers fantastic bokeh and a dramatic separation of the subject from the background.
• The standard focal range hits the sweet spot of a natural angle of view, while still being wide enough for street photography. When mounted on a DX-format camera, the lens is equivalent to 60mm, which is a great focal length for flattering portraits.
• Ultra-compact, weighing in at merely 170g and only 1.8” long, making it easy to carry around for day-long outings.
• Built with 6 elements in 4 groups with a 9-blade diaphragm that creates a gorgeous, circular bokeh that draws attention to the subject.
• Utilizes an electromagnetic diaphragm for precise aperture control and stable exposure during continuous shooting.
• The NIKKOR Z 40mm f/2 offers a short 0.96ft (0.29m) minimum focusing distance, which is excellent for capturing food and top-down photos of décor and tablescapes.
• Designed with consideration for dust and drip-resistant performance with a sealing that prevents dust and water droplets from entering the lens.
• Video shooters will benefit from the quiet operation, natural focus shift that allows for fluid changes when going from close focusing to infinity, reduced focus breathing and smooth aperture control.
• The lens features an integrated control ring, which can be customized and assigned to adjust focus, ISO, aperture and exposure compensation.

Below are some sample images captured with the new 40mm f/2 ultra-compact prime lens: