The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Zeiss Milvus 15mm F2.8 and the Nikon 17-35mm f2.8D ED-IF for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
The size of a lens is a crucial factor to consider when comparing two lenses. Nikon 17-35mm f2.8D ED-IF is the longer of the two lenses at 106mm. The Zeiss Milvus 15mm F2.8 with a length of 100mm, is 6mm shorter. On the other hand, the Zeiss Milvus 15mm F2.8 has a larger diameter of 102mm compared to the Nikon 17-35mm f2.8D ED-IF's 83mm diameter.
The weight of a lens is equally significant as its external dimensions, particularly if you intend to handhold your camera and lens combination for extended periods. Nikon 17-35mm f2.8D ED-IF weighs 745g, 21% (202g) lighter than the Zeiss Milvus 15mm F2.8's weight of 947g.
Filter Threads
The Zeiss Milvus 15mm F2.8 has a filter size of 95mm whereas the Nikon 17-35mm f2.8D ED-IF has a 77mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 95mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Zeiss Milvus 15mm F2.8:
And these are the 77mm filters that we recommend for the Nikon 17-35mm f2.8D ED-IF:
Lens Mounts
Both the Zeiss Milvus 15mm F2.8 and the Nikon 17-35mm f2.8D ED-IF has the same Nikon F (FX) lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Nikon F (FX) lenses are Nikon D6, Nikon D780 and Nikon D3500.
Zeiss Milvus 15mm F2.8 is also available in the Canon EF mount.
Focal Range
Zeiss Milvus 15mm F2.8 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 15mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
22.5mm.
On the other hand, the Nikon 17-35mm f2.8D ED-IF has a focal range of 17-35mm and 2.1X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 25.5 - 52.5mm.