Introduction

Nikon Z 35mm 1.2 S Nikkor | Viltrox AF 35mm 1.2 LAB FE N | Sigma 35mm 1.2 DG Art II

The year 2025 was the year of the 35mm 1.2 fullframe lenses, as we saw Nikon and Viltrox releasing their first lens with these specifications and Sigma updating their original 35mm 1.2 Art lens from 2019, releasing a completely overhauled second generation model.

How do these lenses compare? Where does the more affordable Viltrox lens stand compared to the lenses from the reknown manufacturers from Japan? Let’s find out all that and more in this comparison.

Disclaimer: I only tested one sample of each lens. As sample variation comes into play, it is possible that any one of these lenses may perform above or below average in certain areas, e.g. corner sharpness.
Furthermore no lens is perfectly symmetrical, so it is possible I picked the best corner of one lens while I picked the worst of another. Sample variation usually has less of an affect on other aspects like bokeh, vignetting and color correction though.

The Viltrox AF 35mm 1.2 FE LAB N was provided by Viltrox prior to its release, the Sigma 35mm 1.2 DG Art II was provided by a reader, the Nikon Z 35mm 1.2 S I bought myself.

No one paid me to do this comparison, but if you found it helpful feel free to use this donation button or one of the affiliate links in the next section when making any purchase from my partners.

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Specifications

	Nikon Z 35mm 1.2 S	Viltrox 35mm 1.2 LAB N	Sigma 35mm 1.2 DG Art II
Diameter	90 mm	89 mm	81 mm
Length	150 mm	120 mm	114 mm
Filter Thread	82 mm	77 mm	72 mm
Weight	1060g	917g	745g
Min. focus distance from sensor	0.30 m	0.34 m	0.28 m
Max. Magnification	1:4.5	1:6.1	1:4.6
Number of aperture blades	11 (rounded)	11 (rounded)	11 (rounded)
Elements/ Groups	17/15	15/10	17/13
Floating Elements	Yes	Yes	Yes
Bayonet	Z-mount	E/Z-mount	E/L-mount
Released	2025	2025	2025

Nikon Z 35mm 1.2 S Nikkor Nikon
$2.897 (new)
buy from amazon.com | amazon.de | B&H | ebay.com | ebay.de (advertisement/affiliate links)

Sigma 35mm 1.2 Art DG II Sigma
$1.499 (new)
buy from amazon.com | amazon.de | B&H | ebay.com | ebay.de (advertisement/affiliate links)

To not always having to write the full lens names, in the following comparisons I will use the abbreviations as highlighted in red above.

Build quality/Handling

There are some notable differences in terms of size, weight, handling as well as build quality here. I will only mention a few specifics, for more detailed information you can always check out their individual reviews.

Nikon Z 35mm 1.2 S Nikkor

The Nikon Z 35mm 1.2 S Nikkor is the biggest and heaviest lens in this comparison. It is also the first 35mm 1.2 lens released by any of the major camera manufacturers. Unlike the other two lenses it comes with a control ring instead of a dedicated aperture ring. The lens hood negatively surprised me as it is made from rather thin plastic.

Viltrox 35mm 1.2 LAB N

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