Best glass for D800?

[hasselbladfan]

I hear from previous posts that the following lenses are top to maximise the potential of the sensor (please disagree if you feel so):

AFS 24mm 1.4
AFS 35mm 1.4
None of the Nikon 50mm seem to be good. Any Zeiss ones?
AFS 85mm 1.4
Zeiss 100mm 2.0

Any other suggestions? Any 135mm? Any 180-220mm?

I only work with primes. 1.4 / 2.0 / 2.8 is irrelevant. Just the best image quality.
Thanks.

[Ellis Vener]

I detect a note of fear in your post. Don't listen to it.

The 50mm f/1.4G Nikkor is fine. My advice is find the focal focal lengths you need and then do your own tests on individual lenses in those lengths. I've been using an 85mm f/1.8G, first generation 24-70mm f/2.8G, and the lastest generation 24-120mm f/4G . All are producing results ranging from outstanding to fine.

The thing you really need to do with each lens is to fine tune the AF performance with each lens for your specific individual lenses or use a magnified Live view and a 3 or 4x loupe  when manual focusing. If you don't do that it won't really make a difference how much you spend on lenses - but that has been true of all cameras and lenses forever.

[eleanorbrown]

I'm the sort of person that would usually have one really great prime than several just OK zooms, but I hear that the Nikkor 14-24 is superb. Eleanor

I hear from previous posts that the following lenses are top to maximise the potential of the sensor (please disagree if you feel so):

AFS 24mm 1.4
AFS 35mm 1.4
None of the Nikon 50mm seem to be good. Any Zeiss ones?
AFS 85mm 1.4
Zeiss 100mm 2.0

Any other suggestions? Any 135mm? Any 180-220mm?

I only work with primes. 1.4 / 2.0 / 2.8 is irrelevant. Just the best image quality.
Thanks.

[LKaven]

Any other suggestions? Any 135mm? Any 180-220mm?

Yes. 

The 135/2 DC works beautifully on the D800.  From f/3.2 it is sharp from corner to corner. 

And the 180/2.8D also works beautifully. 

Luckily, they aren't that expensive either.  The 180 is Nikon's biggest bargain in my view.

[flbrit]

There is a very interesting Blog at LensRentals which discusses this issue.

Their business is to rent glass (they also sell Zeiss Glass - I bought a Zeiss Distagon ZF.2 21mm f2.8 from them - full disclosure!)

http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2012/03/d800-lens-selection

Not saying this is the 100% definition of what to buy (they do not claim it either) but worth plugging into your lens purchasing decission.

[Hulyss]

I detect a note of fear in your post. Don't listen to it.

The 50mm f/1.4G Nikkor is fine. My advice is find the focal focal lengths you need and then do your own tests on individual lenses in those lengths. I've been using an 85mm f/1.8G, first generation 24-70mm f/2.8G, and the lastest generation 24-120mm f/4G . All are producing results ranging from outstanding to fine.

The thing you really need to do with each lens is to fine tune the AF performance with each lens for your specific individual lenses or use a magnified Live view and a 3 or 4x loupe  when manual focusing. If you don't do that it won't really make a difference how much you spend on lenses - but that has been true of all cameras and lenses forever.

Actually, the 85f1.8G is an excellent lens. Very good job from Nikon around this one  I can't stop using it.

[wildlightphoto]

None of the Nikon 50mm seem to be good. Any Zeiss ones?

IDK about the Nikon primes but if money is truly not an issue the Coastal Optics UV-VIS-IR 60mm Apo Macro ought to be considered.

[deejjjaaaa]

Just the best image quality.

http://www.jenoptik-inc.com/coastalopt-standard-lenses.html

[rgmoore]

Diglloyd has written about the Coastal Optics UV-VIS-IR 60mm Apo Macro and indicated that it's better than other lenses including Leica and Zeiss.
Others, including LensRentals, report that it is a highly specialized lens for forensic and scientific purposes leaving some doubt if it provides a significantly
better image quality in the visible light spectrum.  Certainly there is ample evidence how well the lens does in the UV and IR area.

It would be much appreciated to know how this lens performs in real world experience in general nature or studio photography in the visible light light spectrum.

[Ellis Vener]

The Nikon 85mm f/1.8G is indeed an excellent lens.

[BernardLanguillier]

IDK about the Nikon primes but if money is truly not an issue the Coastal Optics UV-VIS-IR 60mm Apo Macro ought to be considered.

There was a time when I was very close to purchasing this lens.

In fact had their sales dept shown even an tiny bit of flexibility in terms of shipment options I would be shooting with one now. :-)

Cheers,
Bernard

[Petrus]

The Nikon 85mm f/1.8G is indeed an excellent lens.

I just did the first shoot with D800 and this lens: best combination ever... Tack sharp fast shots at full open.

I have been playing with the new Nikons for a week now and I am moving from Canons to D4 & D800 this summer.

[MarkL]

Nikon 200mm f/2 is one of the best lenses they have ever made
Leica 180mm 2.8 APO can be used I believe

[BernardLanguillier]

Leica 180mm 2.8 APO can be used I believe

Indeed, the Leica 180 f2.8 is highly usable.

Cheers,
Bernard

[JohnBrew]

Zeiss 50 Makro-Planar. If you go to www.diglloyd.com blog you can see an example taken with the Zeiss and D800. Scroll down to the post "D800 resolution vs D3s".

[stevesanacore]

If I go ahead with my D800E plans, I intend on using a set of Leica R's that I own by converting them to a Nikon mount. Otherwise I was planning on buying a set of Zeiss lenses with it. I was also planning on buying the Nikkor 14-24 which is consistently rated as the best in it's class with outstanding optical performance for a WA zoom. I only wish I could convert my Canon 24mm and 17mm shift lenses to Nikon mount.

[BernardLanguillier]

If I go ahead with my D800E plans, I intend on using a set of Leica R's that I own by converting them to a Nikon mount. Otherwise I was planning on buying a set of Zeiss lenses with it. I was also planning on buying the Nikkor 14-24 which is consistently rated as the best in it's class with outstanding optical performance for a WA zoom. I only wish I could convert my Canon 24mm and 17mm shift lenses to Nikon mount.

Two comments:
- there are also real gems in the Nikon line up, like the 24mm f1.4 AF-S, 85mm f1.4 AF-S,... in fact most of their lenses released these past 5 years are brilliant designs,
- the 24mm PCE is functionaly a bit dated compared to the current Canon, but is optically excellent (not merely very good).

Cheers,
Bernard

[hasselbladfan]

Thanks a lot.

I learned a lot of new things (interesting articles from Lensrentals, Jenoptik, ..etc).

Now the though part (sorry, fun) part starts now.

[erickb]

Diglloyd has written about the Coastal Optics UV-VIS-IR 60mm Apo Macro and indicated that it's better than other lenses including Leica and Zeiss.

he says
A big part of the appeal of the Coastal 60/4 images comes from a complete absence of any color errors of any kind, which leads to an unusual clarity. No other lens can match its color correction
not that it is better than Leica or Zeiss lenses


on a D800E I shall use Zeiss and Leica R lenses

[ErikKaffehr]

Hi,

I don't think that Leica and Zeiss lenses generally are better than other lenses. It simply so that some lenses are better than others.

It may be that a series of lenses have desirable features, like having good manual focus and smooth mechanical operation. Some other lenses may have more advanced antireflex coating.

MTF curves give very good information about sharpness in the focal plane, but little about out of focus images.

If we look at Zeiss lenses for instance the 21/2.8 seems to be really excellent from sharpness point but the 18/3.5 is far less impressive, according to Diglloyd. The Zeiss 25/2.8 was really not very good from sharpness point of view but may nevertheless be attractive. I would suggest to try out the lenses you are interested in as rentals.

A general characteristic of Zeiss lenses seems to be that they are not optimized for sharpness in the corners.

Best regards
Erik

he says
A big part of the appeal of the Coastal 60/4 images comes from a complete absence of any color errors of any kind, which leads to an unusual clarity. No other lens can match its color correction
not that it is better than Leica or Zeiss lenses


on a D800E I shall use Zeiss and Leica R lenses