Nikon AF-S 35mm f/1.8G ED £480/$530

Fairly small for a full-framer Despite being a third of an f/stop faster than the competing Zeiss lens, the Nikon 35mm is smaller and less than half the weight, tipping the scales at just 305g. It has the same 58mm filter thread as the Zeiss, being the joint smallest in the group.

Typical of this class of Nikon lens, autofocus is courtesy of a ring-type ultrasonic system. It’s fast, effective and whisperquiet, as well as enabling full-time manual override. Manual focusing is aided by a distance scale but it’s of limited benefit, with no markings between 0.7m and infinity. The positions of which are very close in terms of rotational adjustment of the focus ring. Accurate zone focusing therefore isn’t really a useful option for this lens. Performance Sharpness at the corners of the frame is relatively disappointing, especially at wide apertures, but it’s pretty amazing in the central region, all the way from f/2.8 to f/11. Vignetting is a little more severe than with most competing lenses and the seven-blade diaphragm isn’t the most well-rounded.