Lens Choice 35mm range for D850

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Ado Wolf

Ado Wolf

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I am looking for an F-Mount lens to pair with my D850 for occasional Landscape shots, while I am on a Wildlife walk in the woods (D850 + 500mm or 300mm PF). I have a 24mm and 85.. prime which I very much like, but I find it too wide (24mm) / too long (85mm) for woodland photos. I am looking for a lens that offers a 35mm range (I know this because I usually end up cropping my 24mm photos down to DX on my D850).

My options (due to weight, size and price) are:
- Nikon 35mm f/1.8 G (wide aperture but no zoom flexibility)
- Nikon 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G VR (weak corners but nice zoom range)
- Nikon 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5G-4.5G (weakest at 35mm but OK corners)

Nikon / Tamron / Sigma 24-70mm are just too big and heavy. Sigma 18-35mm is heavy as well..

Do the 18-35mm and 24-85mm resolve enough Details that D850 can deliver? are they "in real life scenarios" sharp enough? or should I stick to the 35mm prime and lose the flexibility of a zoom?

I currently use the 18-140 mm F mount and I actually find the photos "sharp enough" @f5.6.. but I am constraint to DX mode.. which is a shame.. I wanna make use of all 45 MPs.

PS For my usual Landscape work (particularly long hikes) I use my 24-120mm S lens paired with my Z6 / Z8. But I like to keep using my D850 for it's magical photos (X-Factor) and when long battery life is needed.

Thanks in advance and good day.
 
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I saw something about the Samyang 35mm f2.8 being discontinued so are now selling at low prices. They get good press so could suit your needs.

This refers to Sony fit, but it must apply for all mounts:

sonyaddict.com

Samyang AF 24mm f/2.8 FE and AF 35mm f/2.8 FE Discontinued and Deeply Discounted - Sony Addict

Samyang AF 24mm f/2.8 FE: B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama Samyang AF 35mm f/2.8 FE: B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama The Samyang AF 24mm f/2.8 FE and AF 35mm f/2.8 FE are now discontinued and deeply discounted. If you’re looking for a cheap 35mm or 24mm AF lens for E-mount you can’t go wrong with these...
sonyaddict.com sonyaddict.com
 
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Ado Wolf said:
Thanks @dabhand16 for the suggestion. I will check it out.
But in general, I stick to Nikon gear when possible, to get in camera autocorrections ; )

Update: they are selling for 40% cheaper (new!)
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Samyang profiles are in Lightroom so corrections can be applied at import. If you are only going to use it occasionally it shouldn't be too much hassle. IIRC the sister Samyang 24mm F2.8 has got a lot of praise in these forums.
 
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Consider the 35 f/1.8 and the 50 f/1.8. That should fill your gap between 24 & 85 mm nicely. The 50 mm in particular is small, light and well priced. I never leave it behind.

I have the 16-35 f/4 VR but tend to find myself using the 20 f/1.8 and the 50f/1.8. It works for me as I almost never shoot at 35mm.
 
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Thanks @Steve W for your feedback. I had the following lenses, but sold them recently:
- 50mm f1.8 was never happy with it (on full frame) but was good on DX
- 35mm f1.8 DX worked well on DX, but I am looking for an FX 35mm equivalent (sold my D7500)
- 16-35mm VR, was too heavy and not sharp at 35mm (but served well at 16-20mm range)

according to the internet, the 35mm f1.8 ist sharper than both 16-35mm and 18-35mm,
 
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dabhand16 said:
Samyang profiles are in Lightroom so corrections can be applied at import. If you are only going to use it occasionally it shouldn't be too much hassle. IIRC the sister Samyang 24mm F2.8 has got a lot of praise in these forums.
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I can't afford lightroom unfortunately.. I use NX Studio intead.
I also prefer AF lenses.. not patient enough to use manual focus 😅
 
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Alnitak said:
The 24-120 f/4 is my walking around lens. I've been pleased with the results, though it may be a bit heavier than the 18-35.

You can also check out Thom's article:

Thom’s Recommended Lenses for FX Users | DSLRBodies | Thom Hogan

Recommended lenses for Nikon FX cameras
www.dslrbodies.com www.dslrbodies.com
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Thanks @Alnitak, the F version 24-120 seems to be the lens that photographers either love or hate. Most reviews say it is too soft and doesn’t resolve enough details, which is ironic because it was the kit lens sold with the D850.
 
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NorthernFocus said:
I have the 18-35 3.5-4.5g and it is plenty sharp for natural landscape. Also very light weight. I don't shoot architecture so can't speak to suitability for that.
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Thanks @NorthernFocus , I too don’t shoot architecture.. but according to a few reviews, the 18-35mm suffers from strong distortion, which does affect my woodland type of photography. Have you noticed that too?
 
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Ado Wolf said:
Thanks @Alnitak, the F version 24-120 seems to be the lens that photographers either love or hate. Most reviews say it is too soft and doesn’t resolve enough details, which is ironic because it was the kit lens sold with the D850.
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But that was the AF-S 24-120, not the Z which is supposed to be better. Having said that, most comparisons I've seen put the Z 24-70 f4 above the Z 24-70 f4. I agree that it was an odd choice for the D850 kit lens though.
 
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I had the 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G VR, but found it not suitable for the D850 as that lens could not keep up with the 45 megapixels sensor.
I have the 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5G-4.5G. It handles the D850 sensor just fine. Love how light weight it is.
 
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Ado Wolf said:
Thanks @NorthernFocus , I too don’t shoot architecture.. but according to a few reviews, the 18-35mm suffers from strong distortion, which does affect my woodland type of photography. Have you noticed that too?
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I rarely shoot anything with strong lines and don't think I've done at all with that lens. Also I very rarely shoot at the wide end. I let LR do auto correction and have not noticed anything in the images I've shot with it. But again for the subject I've shot I would have to look specifically to notice. Sorry I can't help much there.
 
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dabhand16 said:
But that was the AF-S 24-120, not the Z which is supposed to be better. Having said that, most comparisons I've seen put the Z 24-70 f4 above the Z 24-70 f4. I agree that it was an odd choice for the D850 kit lens though.
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Exactly. The F version 24-120mm was not really popular (and suffered from high production variations).. the Z version on the other hand is an exquisite lens → speaking from experience. Sharp, compact and light. It is permanently mounted on my Z6 for hiking / travel / every day. Comes highly recommended.
 
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Doug A. said:
I had the 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G VR, but found it not suitable for the D850 as that lens could not keep up with the 45 megapixels sensor.
I have the 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5G-4.5G. It handles the D850 sensor just fine. Love how light weight it is.
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Thanks @Doug A. for your feedback. I am starting to lean more towards the 18-35mm for it's weight and flexible zoom range.
 
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jerrylwatson said:
One of the best F-mount lens I own.
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Thanks @jerrylwatson for your feedback. I didn't know this lens existed, but it is discontinued (not available on the European Sigma shop). the only problem with this lens (and the well reputed Sigma 18-35mm) is the hefty weight of 940g / 33.2oz... I need something lighter (under 500 g) as this lens will be a companion lens to my heavy wildlife gear.
 
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NorthernFocus said:
I have the 18-35 3.5-4.5g and it is plenty sharp for natural landscape. Also very light weight. I don't shoot architecture so can't speak to suitability for that.
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I second your opinion. It must be the sharpest, underrated and cheapest Nikon lens for what you get. I recently took that lens to NYC and used it on my new Z9 and I was blown away by the sharpness. I bought a 14-24 and have rarely used it because the 18-35 is a fraction of the weight and unless you are doing big prints, you wouldn't notice the difference except in better contrast with the 14-24. I will never part with that lens. I have seen people asking $160 for it in Canada.
 
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