diff --git a/array.go b/array.go
index 7052eb1ff..6113552a1 100644
--- a/array.go
+++ b/array.go
@@ -311,7 +311,17 @@ func (errs errArray) MarshalLogArray(arr zapcore.ArrayEncoder) error {
 		if errs[i] == nil {
 			continue
 		}
-		arr.AppendString(errs[i].Error())
+		arr.AppendObject(errArrayElem{errs[i]})
 	}
 	return nil
 }
+
+type errArrayElem struct {
+	error
+}
+
+func (e errArrayElem) MarshalLogObject(enc zapcore.ObjectEncoder) error {
+	Error(e.error).AddTo(enc)
+	return nil
+
+}
diff --git a/array_test.go b/array_test.go
index 4b0d3ec44..cd7ccb04c 100644
--- a/array_test.go
+++ b/array_test.go
@@ -94,7 +94,11 @@ func TestArrayWrappers(t *testing.T) {
 		{"uint16s", Uint16s("", []uint16{1, 2}), []interface{}{uint16(1), uint16(2)}},
 		{"uint8s", Uint8s("", []uint8{1, 2}), []interface{}{uint8(1), uint8(2)}},
 		{"uintptrs", Uintptrs("", []uintptr{1, 2}), []interface{}{uintptr(1), uintptr(2)}},
-		{"errors", Errors("", []error{nil, errors.New("foo"), nil, errors.New("bar")}), []interface{}{"foo", "bar"}},
+		{
+			"errors",
+			Errors("", []error{nil, errors.New("foo"), nil, errors.New("bar")}),
+			[]interface{}{map[string]interface{}{"error": "foo"}, map[string]interface{}{"error": "bar"}},
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {
diff --git a/field.go b/field.go
index d0af48615..27be5c726 100644
--- a/field.go
+++ b/field.go
@@ -171,19 +171,23 @@ func Time(key string, val time.Time) zapcore.Field {
 	return zapcore.Field{Key: key, Type: zapcore.TimeType, Integer: val.UnixNano()}
 }
 
-// Error constructs a field that lazily stores err.Error() under the key
-// "error". If passed a nil error, the field is a no-op. This is purely a
-// convenience for a common error-logging idiom; use String("someFieldName",
-// err.Error()) to customize the key.
-//
-// Errors which also implement fmt.Formatter (like those produced by
-// github.com/pkg/errors) will also have their verbose representation stored
-// under "errorVerbose".
+// Error is shorthand for the common idiom NamedError("error", err).
 func Error(err error) zapcore.Field {
+	return NamedError("error", err)
+}
+
+// NamedError constructs a field that lazily stores err.Error() under the
+// provided key. Errors which also implement fmt.Formatter (like those produced
+// by github.com/pkg/errors) will also have their verbose representation stored
+// under key+"Verbose". If passed a nil error, the field is a no-op.
+//
+// For the common case in which the key is simply "error", the Error function
+// is shorter and less repetitive.
+func NamedError(key string, err error) zapcore.Field {
 	if err == nil {
 		return Skip()
 	}
-	return zapcore.Field{Key: "error", Type: zapcore.ErrorType, Interface: err}
+	return zapcore.Field{Key: key, Type: zapcore.ErrorType, Interface: err}
 }
 
 // Stack constructs a field that stores a stacktrace of the current goroutine
@@ -303,7 +307,7 @@ func Any(key string, value interface{}) zapcore.Field {
 	case []time.Duration:
 		return Durations(key, val)
 	case error:
-		return String(key, val.Error())
+		return NamedError(key, val)
 	case []error:
 		return Errors(key, val)
 	case fmt.Stringer:
diff --git a/field_test.go b/field_test.go
index 16503041e..6de2bd431 100644
--- a/field_test.go
+++ b/field_test.go
@@ -100,12 +100,14 @@ func TestFieldConstructors(t *testing.T) {
 		{"Reflect", zapcore.Field{Key: "k", Type: zapcore.ReflectType, Interface: ints}, Reflect("k", ints)},
 		{"Error", Skip(), Error(nil)},
 		{"Error", zapcore.Field{Key: "error", Type: zapcore.ErrorType, Interface: fail}, Error(fail)},
+		{"NamedError", Skip(), NamedError("foo", nil)},
+		{"NamedError", zapcore.Field{Key: "foo", Type: zapcore.ErrorType, Interface: fail}, NamedError("foo", fail)},
 		{"Stringer", zapcore.Field{Key: "k", Type: zapcore.StringerType, Interface: addr}, Stringer("k", addr)},
 		{"Object", zapcore.Field{Key: "k", Type: zapcore.ObjectMarshalerType, Interface: name}, Object("k", name)},
 		{"Any:ObjectMarshaler", Any("k", name), Object("k", name)},
 		{"Any:ArrayMarshaler", Any("k", bools([]bool{true})), Array("k", bools([]bool{true}))},
 		{"Any:Stringer", Any("k", addr), Stringer("k", addr)},
-		{"Any:Error", Any("k", errors.New("v")), String("k", "v")},
+		{"Any:Error", Any("k", errors.New("v")), NamedError("k", errors.New("v"))},
 		{"Any:Errors", Any("k", []error{errors.New("v")}), Errors("k", []error{errors.New("v")})},
 		{"Any:Bool", Any("k", true), Bool("k", true)},
 		{"Any:Bools", Any("k", []bool{true}), Bools("k", []bool{true})},