Kase 85mm F1.4 Lens

I bought the Z-mount version directly from Kase at the beginning of August and I've used it to photograph a wedding, among other things. This lens is a match made in heaven for the Nikon Zf! Lighter and more compact than most 85mm f/1.4 options, and the aperture ring completes the tactile shooting experience on the retro-styled Zf. I find Nikon's programable function rings pretty useless because of how easy they are to accidentally bump and change your settings unintentionally. This Kase lens has what I've been looking for: a smooth, precise aperture ring with nice distinct clicks.

More importantly, though, the image quality is excellent! Too me it has the perfect balance between sharpness and character when shooting portraits. The rendering reminds me of my old Nikkor AF-S 85mm f/1.4 G (which is a good thing) but the Kase is much sharper wide open. I've also owned the Nikon Z 85mm f/1.8 S, which is a bit sharper, especially in the corners, but f/1.8 is a bit pedestrian--the images I got from it never really seemed that exciting. I've also owned the exotic Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 S, which is a really special piece of glass--however, it is also very large, heavy, and expensive. I also sometimes struggled with autofocus accuracy on the 85mm f/1.2 S, especially for subjects that where somewhat distant. The Kase lens has fast, accurate autofocus, even in low light. Tracking worked brilliantly with the Zf's eye-detect and 3D-tracking AF modes.

If Kase releases a fast standard prime with the same type of aperture ring and (ideally) the same 72mm filter size I'll probably buy it immediately! My dream lens would be an AF 40mm f/1.4 to replace my old Sigma 40mm f/1.4 Art, but a 50mm or 35mm would be great, too.