M
oney no object, the Nikon Z 50mm f/1.2 S is arguably the
‘best’ in the group but it’s a specialist lens that’s big and heavy for a standard prime, and fiendishly expensive to buy. The Viltrox AF 27mm f/1.2 PRO Z is ‘only’ a DX format lens, but lives up to its title with pro-grade build quality and exotic handling characteristics, while delivering superb image quality and
all-round performance, at a fraction of the price. Sticking with DX format lenses, the Viltrox AF 33mm f/1.4 Z is our second choice and the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN | C comes in third place.
In the FX camp, our favourite lens for premium performance with an easily manageable size and weight (and reasonable price tag) is the Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 S, although the Yongnuo YN50mm f/1.8Z DF DSM runs it very close. The Nikon Z 40mm f/2 is a little ‘slower’ but has the advantage of being very compact and lightweight for an FX format standard prime, and it’s inexpensive to buy. The slower and relatively pricey Nikon Z MC 50mm f/2.8 is only really worth considering if you want the addition of a full 1.0x macro facility from an everyday standard prime.