The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Zeiss Milvus 35mm F1.4 and the Nikon Micro 40mm F2.8 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. Zeiss Milvus 35mm F1.4 is the longer of the two lenses at 126mm. The Nikon Micro 40mm F2.8 with a length of 65mm, is 61mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Zeiss Milvus 35mm F1.4 also has a larger diameter of 85mm compared to the Nikon Micro 40mm F2.8's 69mm 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 Micro 40mm F2.8 weighs 235g, 79% (939g) lighter than the Zeiss Milvus 35mm F1.4's weight of 1174g.
Filter Threads
The Zeiss Milvus 35mm F1.4 has a filter size of 72mm whereas the Nikon Micro 40mm F2.8 has a 52mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 72mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Zeiss Milvus 35mm F1.4:
And these are the 52mm filters that we recommend for the Nikon Micro 40mm F2.8:
Lens Mounts
The Zeiss Milvus 35mm F1.4 has the Nikon F (FX) lens mount whereas the Nikon Micro 40mm F2.8 has the Nikon F (DX) lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Nikon D6, Nikon D780 and Nikon D3500 for the Nikon F (FX) Mount and Nikon D3500, Nikon D7500 and Nikon D5600 for the Nikon F (DX) Mount.
Zeiss Milvus 35mm F1.4 is also available in Canon EF mount.
Focal Range
Zeiss Milvus 35mm F1.4 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 35mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
52.5mm.
On the other hand, the Nikon Micro 40mm F2.8 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 40mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 60mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.