The Nikkor Z tops the A-list

The Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.8 S is simply superb

Typical of most primes in Nikon’s enviable Z-mount range, the Z 50mm has a modest f/1.8 aperture rating, which enables a reasonably compact build to suit slinky mirrorless camera bodies. It’s scary-sharp even wide-open, while the quality of bokeh matches or beats most faster-aperture competitors. It’s simply spectacular, and puts Nikon’s AF-S 50mm f/1.4G for DSLRs firmly in the shade for handling, all-round performance and image quality.

For Canon and Nikon DSLRs, the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art is the best standard prime on the market. It’s big and hefty, but the oversized build pays dividends when it comes to image quality, which is thoroughly excellent. However, if you feel at a bit of a loss without image stabilisation, the Tamron SP 45mm f/1.8 Di VC USD comes to the rescue, and still delivers beautifully smooth bokeh despite its slower aperture rating.

Getting back to lenses for mirrorless cameras, the Canon RF 50mm F1.8 STM is a fabulous little lens that punches well above its weight ,and it’s terrific value at the price. If you’d rather take aperture width to the max and don’t mind focusing manually, the 7Artisans 50mm f/1.05 is a beautifully crafted, high-performance lens that’s amazingly affordable for such a fast prime, and is available in a wide range of mirrorless lens mount options.

For Sony mirrorless cameras in particular, the Samyang AF 50mm f/1.4 FE is an excellent choice, whereas the Fujifilm XF50mm f/2 R WR is a smart buy for X-series bodies. The latter naturally has an ‘effective’ focal length of 75mm, making it more of a short telephoto prime, but the same can be said of other lenses on test if you use them with an APS-C format body.