Rankings
The Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro offers superb sharpness, true 1:1 magnification, and effective optical stabilization, making it a strong choice for macro and portrait work. Its bulk, lack of a tripod collar, and occasional focus hunting are the main compromises.
The Meike 85mm f/1.8 delivers portrait-grade sharpness and bokeh at a budget price, with firmware-upgradable autofocus, but its AF speed, lack of weather sealing, and occasional noise limit it for fast action or demanding video work.
The Tokina ATX-i 100mm f/2.8 macro for Nikon F offers razor-sharp resolution, true 1:1 magnification, and a convenient focus clutch, but lacks built-in image stabilization and autofocus on entry-level bodies.
The Irix 45mm f/1.4 Dragonfly is a rugged, weather-sealed manual prime offering a fast aperture, excellent sharpness when stopped down and a pleasing bokeh. Its premium build and focus-lock make it great for portraits and landscapes, though its size, weight and manual-focus nature limit fast-action use.
The Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 EX DC OS HSM FLD is a fast, constant-aperture standard zoom for APS-C DSLRs that adds 4-stop optical stabilization and a quiet HSM motor. It delivers strong center sharpness but shows softer corners and some distortion wide open, and it lacks weather sealing.
The Tokina AT-X 116 PRO DX 11-16mm f/2.8 is a fast ultra-wide zoom for APS-C DSLRs, offering excellent center sharpness, minimal vignetting and rugged, weather-resistant construction. It lacks stabilization and can be soft in the corners, but its speed and build make it a top choice for landscape, architecture and video work.
The Yongnuo YN35mm F2R DF DSM is a versatile, weather-sealed 35mm prime for multiple mounts, offering solid sharpness and a quiet DSM motor, though it can suffer from AF quirks and corner coma.
The Voigtländer Ultron 40mm f/2 SL-II S is a compact, all-metal manual-focus prime for Nikon F-mount offering a bright f/2 aperture, 1:4 macro capability, and classic styling. Reviewers praise its rendering and build, while noting vignetting and the lack of autofocus as trade-offs.
The Yongnuo YN50mm F1.8N for Nikon F-mount offers a bright aperture and solid image quality in a compact, affordable package. It is praised for sharpness and value but hampered by slower autofocus and a plastic barrel.
The Samyang 135mm f/2.0 ED UMC is a manual-focus telephoto prime offering fast optics, solid build quality, and excellent sharpness at a budget-friendly price. Its lack of autofocus, image stabilization, and a tripod foot make it less suitable for fast-moving subjects or handheld low-light work.
The Yongnuo 50mm f/1.8N offers a bright aperture and solid build for Nikon users at a low price, delivering good central sharpness but showing some AF noise and edge softness.
The Yongnuo YN35mm F2N for Nikon F-mount is a budget-friendly prime with a fast aperture and solid optical formula, targeting travel and street shooters. While affordable and lightweight, its autofocus is slower and build quality can be inconsistent.
| Attribute | | | | | | | | Irix Dragonfly 45mm | Tokina AT-X 116 PRO DX | | Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 EX | Ynlens YN50mm F1.8N Nikon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ↓ lower better | 105 mm | 50 mm | 85 mm | 135 mm | 35 mm | 35 mm | 100 mm | 45 mm | 11 mmbest | 40 mm | 17 mm | 50 mm |
105 mm | 50 mm | 85 mm | 135 mmbest | 35 mm | 35 mm | 100 mm | 45 mm | 16 mm | 40 mm | 50 mm | 50 mm | |
| ↓ lower better | 2.8 f | 1.8 f | 1.8 f | 2 f | 2 f | 2 f | 2.8 f | 1.4 fbest | 2.8 f | 2 f | 2.8 f | 1.8 f |
| ↓ lower better | 726 g | 203 g | 420 g | 816 g | 280 g | 318 g | 525 g | 905 g | 200 gbest | 274.9 g | 565 g | 203 g |
| ↓ lower better | 126.4 mm | 86 mm | 77 mm | 81 mm | 72 mm | 59 mm | 95.2 mm | 103 mm | 152 mm | 45.99 mmbest | 91.8 mm | 60 mm |
| ↓ lower better | 31.2 cm | 45 cm | 85 cm | 80 cm | 35 cm | 25 cm | 11.5 cmbest | 40 cm | 30 cm | 25 cm | 28 cm | 45 cm |
1 xbest | 0.15 x | 0.13 x | 0.13 x | 0.13 x | 0.23 x | 1 xbest | 0.179 x | 0.086 x | 0.25 x | 0.2 x | 0.15 x | |
48 monthsbest | 12 months | — | — | — | 12 months | 36 months | — | — | — | — | 12 months |
Click an attribute name to sort · Green = best, red = worst (relative to this comparison)
| Attribute | | | | | | | | Irix Dragonfly 45mm | Tokina AT-X 116 PRO DX | | Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 EX | Ynlens YN50mm F1.8N Nikon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Performance(1) | ||||||||||||
Image Stabilization | true | false | false | false | false | — | false | — | false | false | true | false |
Mount & Compatibility(2) | ||||||||||||
Mount Type | Nikon F | Nikon F | Multiple (Nikon F, Sony E, Canon EF, Fujifilm X, L-mount) | Nikon F, Canon EF, Sony A, Pentax K, Fujifilm X, Sony E, Micro Four Thirds, Canon EF-M, Samsung NX, Sony FE | Multiple | Nikon F | Nikon F | Nikon F | Nikon F, Canon EF, Sony A | Nikon F | Nikon F DX | Nikon F |
Autofocus Motor Type | HSM | DC motor | STM / DC | — | DSM | DC motor | None | — | screw-drive | Manual | HSM | DC |
Optical(6) | ||||||||||||
Focal Length (Min) (mm) | 105 mm | 50 mm | 85 mm | 135 mm | 35 mm | 35 mm | 100 mm | 45 mm | 11 mm | 40 mm | 17 mm | 50 mm |
Focal Length (Max) (mm) | 105 mm | 50 mm | 85 mm | 135 mm | 35 mm | 35 mm | 100 mm | 45 mm | 16 mm | 40 mm | 50 mm | 50 mm |
Maximum Aperture (f-number) (f) | 2.8 f | 1.8 f | 1.8 f | 2.0 f | 2.0 f | 2 f | 2.8 f | 1.4 f | 2.8 f | 2.0 f | 2.8 f | 1.8 f |
Minimum Focus Distance (cm) | 31.2 cm | 45 cm | 85 cm | 80 cm | 35 cm | 25 cm | 11.5 cm | 40 cm | 30 cm | 25 cm | 28 cm | 45 cm |
Maximum Magnification Ratio (x) | 1.0 x | 0.15 x | 0.13 x | 0.13 x | 0.13 x | 0.23 x | 1.0 x | 0.179 x | 0.086 x | 0.25 x | 0.2 x | 0.15 x |
Coating Type | Super Multi-Layer Coating | Multi-coated | Multi-layer nano coating | UMC | Nano | Multi-coated | — | Neutrino | Multi-coated with water-resistant | Multi-coated | Super Multi-Layer | Multi-coated |
Build & Durability(2) | ||||||||||||
Weather Sealing | true | — | false | — | true | — | — | true | true | — | false | — |
Warranty Period (months) | 48 months | 12 months | — | — | — | 12 months | 36 months | — | — | — | — | 12 months |
Physical(3) | ||||||||||||
Weight (g) | 726 g | 203 g | 420 g | 816 g | 280 g | 318 g | 525 g | 905 g | 200 g | 274.9 g | 565 g | 203 g |
Length (mm) | 126.4 mm | 86 mm | 77 mm | 81 mm | 72 mm | 59 mm | 95.2 mm | 103 mm | 152 mm | 45.99 mm | 91.8 mm | 60 mm |
Filter Thread Diameter (mm) | 62 mm | 58 mm | 67 mm | 77 mm | 52 mm | 58 mm | 55 mm | 77 mm | 77 mm | 52 mm | 77 mm | 52 mm |
Products in the top-left offer the best value (high score, low price).
Professional reviewers laud the Sigma 105mm f/2.8 Macro for its outstanding sharpness, effective optical stabilization, and versatile 1:1 magnification, noting that the rounded 9-blade diaphragm yields pleasing bokeh for both macro and portrait applications. They point out the older EX design, absence of a tripod collar, and minor corner softness at the widest aperture as drawbacks.
Everyday users overwhelmingly praise the lens for its sharpness, creamy bokeh, and the usefulness of optical stabilization in handheld macro shooting. The build quality and splash-proof construction receive positive remarks, while the lack of a tripod collar and occasional autofocus quirks are the most common complaints.
“Great lens to learn on”
“Sharp images for portraits and street photography”
“Lightweight and easy to carry all day”
Professional reviewers position the YN50mm F1.8N as a budget-friendly entry-level prime that delivers surprisingly good image quality, solid multi-coating, and reliable EXIF support, while noting slower autofocus and less premium build.
Everyday users appreciate the low price, sharpness, and lightweight feel, but complain about slow and hunting autofocus, plastic barrel, and filter size confusion.
Professional reviewers praise the Meike 85mm f/1.8 for its impressive sharpness, low chromatic aberration, smooth bokeh and solid build, noting that firmware updates have turned its initially mediocre autofocus into a usable system, especially the STM versions which are quiet enough for video.
Everyday users love the lens's image quality, bokeh and value, while recurring complaints involve early AF reliability, noise on DC-motor versions and the lack of weather sealing.
Professional reviewers from LensTip, CameraDecision, and B&H Photo Video commend the Samyang 135mm f/2.0 for its outstanding sharpness, fast aperture, and smooth bokeh, noting it rivals much more expensive lenses.
Everyday users overwhelmingly praise the lens for its razor-sharp resolution and beautiful bokeh, while common complaints focus on its manual-focus nature and heaviness.
Professional reviewers praise its near-professional image quality, solid build and weather-sealed construction, while noting early firmware AF issues that were later fixed via USB-C update.
Everyday users love the sharp, compact lens and premium feel, but report occasional AF hunting in dim light and corner coma when shooting stars.
Professional reviewers acknowledge the YN35mm F2N's solid 7-element formula and fast aperture, positioning it as a compelling budget alternative, but caution that its DC-motor AF is noticeably slower and less reliable than Nikon's Silent Wave Motor lenses.
Everyday users praise the lightweight build, fast aperture, and price-to-performance, but note slow hunting autofocus, occasional softness, and concerns over filter threads.
Professional reviewers praise the Tokina 100mm f/2.8 macro for its razor-sharp resolution, flat-field performance and ergonomic focus clutch, while noting the absence of IS and limited compatibility with entry-level Nikon bodies.
Everyday users highlight outstanding sharpness and the focus clutch, with complaints about missing autofocus on entry-level DSLRs and the plastic feel of some components.
Professional reviewers rate the Dragonfly at 4.5/5, highlighting its sharpness, robust weather-sealed build and effective flare control, while noting its modest wide-open performance and manual focus as drawbacks.
Everyday users love the sharpness, color fidelity and creamy bokeh, but complain about its bulk, manual focus and poor astrophotography performance due to coma and chromatic aberration.
Professional reviewers consistently highlight the lens's outstanding center sharpness, minimal vignetting, and well-controlled distortion, calling it the fastest and sharpest ultra-wide option for crop-sensor DSLRs. They also praise its rugged metal construction, weather-resistant coating, and video-friendly parfocal behavior, while noting corner softness at f/2.8 and the lack of image stabilization.
Everyday users love the lens's solid, "beastly" build, fast f/2.8 aperture and the intuitive One-Touch Focus Clutch. Common complaints focus on soft corners wide open, occasional live-view AF quirks, and difficulty using filters due to the large front element.
Professional reviewers praise the Ultron 40mm for its distinctive rendering, solid construction, and useful macro capability, noting that its character outweighs technical imperfections like vignetting and manual focus.
Everyday users love the compactness, build quality, and beautiful bokeh, but complain about heavy vignetting on full-frame and the lack of autofocus.
Professional reviewers consistently commend the Sigma 17-50mm for its fast constant f/2.8 aperture, effective 3-4 stop optical stabilization, and quiet HSM autofocus, noting that it delivers excellent center sharpness and solid build quality at a fraction of OEM prices. However, they also point out soft corners wide open, noticeable barrel distortion at the wide end, lack of weather sealing, and a rotating focus ring that can interfere with accessories.
Everyday users love the lens for its affordability, strong central sharpness, and useful stabilization that enables low-light shooting without a tripod. Common praise centers on its lightweight design and suitability for events, portraits, and travel, while recurring complaints focus on soft corners, distortion at 17mm, the rotating focus ring, and the absence of weather sealing.
Reviewers note a split between early plastic-mount versions and newer metal-mount iterations, with the latter praised for solid build, reliable AF and respectable optics as a low-cost alternative to Nikon's 50mm f/1.8G.
Users appreciate the price-to-performance ratio, sharp central images and smooth bokeh, while complaining about noisy AF, cheap-feeling barrel and lack of a supplied lens hood.
