Despite its high price and niche characteristics, Nikon, it seems, has misjudged the appeal of its $8,000 Nikkor Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct lens.
The pricey piece of glass was teased last year with the launch of Nikon’s mirrorless Z system and officially unveiled in October 2019.
The lens started shipping last week, but the Japanese company has just announced it can’t keep up with demand so it’s placing a temporary suspension on orders.
Spotted by PetaPixel, a message posted on Nikon’s website said: “Apologies for the temporary suspension of orders for the Nikkor Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct.”
The company explained that producing the lens takes longer than usual because of the advanced technology required to make it.
It added that it may take “a considerable amount of time to deliver the product because we received many orders exceeding expectations.” As a result, it said it will stop taking orders for the lens until further notice.
“We apologize for any inconvenience caused to customers who are considering purchasing it,” Nikon said in its message.
The lens is notable for its eye-watering price tag, together with its incredible low-light capabilities that make it the company’s fastest lens to date. Indeed, Nikon touts the its new glass as being ideal for portraiture thanks to its vast depth-of-field and huge bokeh potential. Wide open, it should also perform exceptionally for night landscapes and astrophotography.
It’s not clear how many of the Nikkor Z 58mm f / 0.95 S Noct have come off the production line so far, but according to Nikon, it’s not enough to meet demand.
But even at $8,000 — a price that exceeds the cost of pretty much every camera on the market — it’s still not the most expensive lens ever produced. Take the Canon EF 1200mm f/5.6L, for example, which cost an astonishing $120,000 when it went on sale in the early 1990s.
“Currently, we are working to resume orders,” Nikon said on its website, adding, “We will inform you again when it is time to resume orders. We will do our best to deliver it as soon as possible. Thank you for your understanding.”
