Most professional photographers pray at Holy Trinity Church. That is to say, they make their daily bread with an ultra-wide f/2.8 zoom, a general-purpose 24-70mm f/2.8 and a 70-200mm f/2.8 telephoto. This is a tradition that has persisted for decades, from the time of autofocusing film SLRs to today’s modern mirrorless cameras. Good things come in threes so today we take a look at three of the best lenses from the three biggest companies.
I took a look at the three big full-frame companies to see how each respective holy trinity of lenses stacks up. Nikon, Canon and Sony all make excellent optics and I wanted to know which ones really stand out in the queue. I want to understand that the goal of this article is not to make it a competition between the three brands, but rather as a way to look at where each company’s professional lineup stands and how it might attract someone willing to invest. Is. These precious pieces.
nikon’s holy trinity
Nikon makes a great ultra-wide zoom that is perhaps more versatile than competitors. This is because the Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 S reaches maximum width and is still able to take filters. However, it is important to understand that this requires a very heavy and expensive filter adapter and an equally large 112mm filter. The actual lens itself is remarkably compact and weighs only 23 ounces (650 grams). It’s quite sharp throughout the range and the Bokeh is quite pleasant when most ultra-wide zooms normally have moderate Bokeh. It will cost you a whopping $2,500.
Nikon’s general purpose 24-70mm f/2.8 S is older but it still offers excellent optical performance. It’s in the middle of the pack when it comes to weight, at exactly 28.4 ounces (805 grams). I was quite impressed with how fast the Nikkor was as it performed center-to-corner at the top of the pack. It also has a beautiful rendering of out-of-focus backgrounds and provides clean specular highlights. One of the best 24-70mm lenses can be easily purchased for $2,400.
Nikon’s 70-200mm f/2.8 S is significantly heavier and physically larger than the competition, weighing in at 48 ounces (1360 g). Unfortunately, this lens starts to show its age, becoming a little soft throughout its focal range at f/2.8. It’s still perfectly capable of professional-grade shots, but it benefits from having the aperture stopped down a bit. Otherwise, it has nice, soft and smooth Bokeh and will cost you around $2,700.
canon of the holy trinity
Canon has an ultra-wide with a little extra width in the form of the RF 15-35mm f/2.8 IS L. The lens takes 82 mm filters and weighs about 30 ounces (840 g). Canon puts image stabilization into the 15-30mm which helps when using the lens on cinema bodies that lack IBIS support. The lens is decently sharp but could be a little better in wide-open corners and the Bokeh is quite harsh, although this is common with most ultra-wide zooms. There is also a bit of vignetting in the corners but the Canon 15-35mm is a useful lens for any working professional and is priced around $2,400.
The Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 L has also been around for a while, and it’s certainly a strong lens. The 24-70mm measures 31.7 ounces (900 grams) and is also physically thick. It takes 82mm filters and is built to survive in any environment you encounter. It’s a heavy lens but at least it’s sharp. However, more in the center rather than the corners. At f/2.8 it lags the competition when it comes to corner sharpness but the Bokeh is beautiful. If you want the best general purpose lens Canon has to offer, the entry fee is $2,400.
Canon’s 70-200 f/2.8 IS LZ is a brand new design aimed towards a more video/photo hybrid way of shooting. The lens has a smooth-turning aperture ring primarily for video work and a mount for an additional Canon power-zooming module. It is physically larger than the original RF 70-200mm f/2.8 L but weighs only 39 ounces (1115 grams). This is a very sharp lens with excellent detail throughout its range. The corners are also very sharp at f/2.8 and the lens is uniform across the frame. It will cost you a whopping $3,000, making it the most expensive of the group.
Sony’s holy trinity
Sony makes a very classic 16-35mm f/2.8 zoom as part of their trinity and now we have the G Master 16-35mm f/2.8 II which was recently released to improve the Sony ultra-wide range. Was updated for. It uses an 82 mm filter diameter, but is smaller and lighter than other lenses, weighing only 19.3 ounces (547 g). The manual focus ring feels a little choppy and it likes to shine a little too much in bright conditions. As far as focal length is concerned, the Sony is the least ambitious, but it is also the most consistent lens for sharpness at f/2.8. The Bokeh is fair with some onion rings present in the specular highlights and a somewhat harsh rendering of the background.
Another lens that recently received an update is the Sony G Master 24-70mm f/2.8 II. It is very compact and lightweight at only 24.5 ounces (695 grams) and takes 82mm filters. It’s well-appointed with customizable buttons and an aperture ring, plus it has a smooth/tight switch that puts more or less tension on the zoom ring. This is a very sharp lens that rivals the Nikon at f/2.8 in both the center and corners. This sharpness is maintained throughout the focal range. I have no complaints with the Bokeh on this lens as it produces smooth changes in image depth and has nice looking highlights.
I sound like a broken record but Sony has also recently updated their older 70-200mm lens and the new G-Master II version is a vast improvement. It takes 77mm of filter thread and weighs just under 37 ounces (1045 grams), making it very pleasant to carry. The Bokeh is just as gorgeous as the Nikon and Canon options and it’s a sharp lens no matter where you zoom it. Sharpness is consistent across the frame and offers similar performance to the Canon version. Overall this is a great lens but it will cost you $2,800.
Where do Canon, Nikon and Sony stand in 2025?
Comparing these three series of lenses from Canon, Nikon and Sony gave me some thoughts about each of the company’s three pro lenses and I analyzed some numbers to see how they compare.
The total weight of all three lenses is important as most professional photographers will carry all three in a bag. The Nikon and Canon weigh basically the same, with a total weight of 99.3 ounces (2,815 g) and 100 ounces (2,855 g), respectively. It’s the Sony system that really shines in terms of weight reduction, with a total weight of just 80.7 ounces (2,287 grams). This makes a big difference when shooting a long day with all three lenses.
Each system is going to represent a big investment in money no matter which route you go but I wanted to see the total current cost for each kit. The Nikon system will set you back about $7.600 right now and the Canon will top it off at a total of $7,800. Sony will save you a little money at about $7,400, but I’d say your total investment in lenses will be about the same. I can’t think of many people who are going to consider all three systems without already being heavily invested in one of the brands. However we can draw some conclusions about each company’s position when it comes to the holy trinity of lenses.
Sony has clearly paid a lot of attention to making its system as compact and lightweight as possible and recently updating all three lenses has also benefited. The result is that the Sony system is probably the most optically consistent of all three lenses. They also have a distinct advantage, with far better third-party lens support than the other two.
Nikon has some of the oldest lenses out there but its ultra-wide and normal zooms are still excellent today. However, I will say that the Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 could benefit from a new design.
Canon, on the other hand, has an excellent, albeit expensive, new 70-200mm lens, but I found the other two in its trinity to lag behind in corner sharpness compared to Nikon and Sony. Hopefully, we’ll see Canon continue to update their line with some new and lightweight ultra-wide and normal zoom lenses.
No matter what system you’re using, though, rest assured that you have some of the best lenses money can buy.
