Nikon AF-S 14-24mm f/2.8G ED

£1315, $2000

This pro-quality lens aims to be a heavyweight champion with mighty wide-angle coverage Compared with the other Nikon zoom lenses on test, this one pushes the maximum viewing angle to 114 degrees, only losing out in this respect to the Sigma 12-24mm. However, it beats the Sigma in terms of its constant-aperture f/2.8 design, which makes the Nikon more than a stop faster at the short end of the zoom range, and two full stops faster at the long end. It’s also a stop faster than the constant-aperture Nikon 1835mm lens.

These enhancements come at a price, and not just in financial terms. As well as being the most expensive zoom lens in the group, it’s also the biggest and heaviest, with a massively bulbous front element. As such, the lens hood is a fixed, built-in design that, as with the Sigma 12-24mm and Tokina 16-28mm zoom lenses, prohibits the easy use of filters.

Performance

Autofocus is incredibly fast – it’s noticeably more rapid than in any other of the lenses on test. Centre sharpness is very good, even at the widest available aperture. More impressively, considering the extra-large angle of view, sharpness is retained very well into the extreme corners of the frame, while performance is also impressive in terms of chromatic aberrations and distortions.