The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Zeiss Milvus 18mm 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 18mm F2.8 with a length of 93mm, is 13mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Nikon 17-35mm f2.8D ED-IF also has a larger diameter of 83mm compared to the Zeiss Milvus 18mm F2.8's 73mm 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. Zeiss Milvus 18mm F2.8 weighs 721g, which means it is 24g (3%) lighter than the Nikon 17-35mm f2.8D ED-IF which has a weight of 745g.
Filter Threads
Both the Zeiss Milvus 18mm F2.8 and the Nikon 17-35mm f2.8D ED-IF have the same Filter thread size of 77mm.
Below are links to the 77mm filters that we recommend you to consider for these lenses:
Lens Mounts
Both the Zeiss Milvus 18mm 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 18mm F2.8 is also available in the Canon EF mount.
Focal Range
Zeiss Milvus 18mm F2.8 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 18mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
27mm.
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.