Lenses for the Nikon D850
May 29, 2021 14:17:43 #
I second the 60mm D for production work. I use it for forensic documentation.
My favorite lens for the d850 is my voigtlander 58mm.
My favorite lens for the d850 is my voigtlander 58mm.
May 29, 2021 14:54:40 #
RWR
Loc: La Mesa, CA
Traveller_Jeff wrote:
Three questions directed only to users of the Niko... (show quote)
Digital is too artificial for my liking, so for top image quality I use the sharpest film available. For color transparencies Fujifilm Velvia 50 is my choice - Adox CMS 20 II for black and white negatives. I think those films equate pretty well with the D850 sensor. Besides a 55 and 85 f/1.4 Zeiss Otus, I’ve adapted 8 of my 15 Leica R lenses from 21 to 560 to Nikon F. I also have a 50mm f/2.8 Schneider PC-TS lens, and so have top quality glass for about anything I’ll ever need. One can never tell, but I may even stoop to digital one day!
May 29, 2021 15:41:23 #
RWR wrote:
Digital is too artificial for my liking, so for to... (show quote)
I know this will be a rabbit hole tangent, but what exactly do you mean by "artificial?" Is that as opposed to "natural?" I don't think there's anything natural about photography, neither with my D850 nor with my old Leice IIIf. Forgive me, but I just don't get it and would appreciate your assistance.
May 29, 2021 19:59:54 #
Jay Drew
Loc: Boise, Id.
photoman43 wrote:
For copy work, the Nikon AF-S Micro NIKKOR 60mm f/2.8G ED Lens.
May 29, 2021 20:17:05 #
Jay Drew
Loc: Boise, Id.
Oh, yeah, Jeff
There's something I forgot to mention, that's very important for shooting art work, I always shoot a standard gray or white card at the beginning & every so often in a session, so you can make sure the colors are correct in the final output.
If you already do this, my apologies for being presumptive.
Happy shooting, Jay
There's something I forgot to mention, that's very important for shooting art work, I always shoot a standard gray or white card at the beginning & every so often in a session, so you can make sure the colors are correct in the final output.
If you already do this, my apologies for being presumptive.
Happy shooting, Jay
May 29, 2021 21:27:49 #
Paul Diamond
Loc: Atlanta, GA, USA
Prime lenses. I didn't answer before because the reply depends upon the subject matter for the D850. I bought a Sigma 50 mm/1.4 art lens but have mostly not used this excellent lens. I also have Nikon 500 mm f/5 (rare), Nikon 500 mm f/8, Nikon 1000 mm f/11, Perkin Elmer 'solid cat' 600 mm f/8 and 800 mm f/8 rare lenses and a Celestron 2032 mm (8") F/8 16,000+ mm catadioptric telescope. (I purchased and returned a Nikon 600 mm F4 prime lens because it was not better than the results obtained with my Nikon 200-500 mm zoom lens for nature subjects.) I also have Nikon, Leitz and Zeiss microscopes - each prime optics for macro/micro subjects.
May 29, 2021 23:41:23 #
Orphoto
Loc: Oregon
1. Just about the only zoom I use on my d850 is the 24-85 VR. Very handy range, smaller/lighter than the 24-120 and sharper. Everything else in my backpack is a prime.
2. Tough call but emotionally most attached to my Zeiss 135 f2 FT.2. Unbelievably sharp, rewards careful use and technique.
3. For your purpose of copying moderate sized artwork I agree with numerous earlier posts that a 50-60mm macro lens would work best.
2. Tough call but emotionally most attached to my Zeiss 135 f2 FT.2. Unbelievably sharp, rewards careful use and technique.
3. For your purpose of copying moderate sized artwork I agree with numerous earlier posts that a 50-60mm macro lens would work best.
May 31, 2021 14:06:58 #
My go-to prime lens is the 24-120mm f/1.4. I also have the 24-70 f/2.8, which I've tested against the 24-120. At wider apertures, it's ever so slightly sharper at the very edges, but the difference is so small as to be negligible. I've tested it against fixed focal-length lenses, 24mm, and 35mm. But the 24-70 is heavy. If I'm taking photographs entailing short walking distances from my car, I can use it. However, if I'm doing a long walk, or strolling through a city, it's too big. I opt the the 24-120.
For your copies of paintings, you should get a longer focal-length lens, something in the 50mm to 85mm range. Most will work just fine, but macro lenses tend to be better corrected for distortion, which is what you're complaining about (the picture frame). Nikon makes a 105mm f/2.8 macro, a 60mm f/2.8 macro, a 55mm f/2.8 micro. I'd go with the 60mm (105mm might be a little too long, since it would require you to back away from the paintings, which you might not be able to do).
For your copies of paintings, you should get a longer focal-length lens, something in the 50mm to 85mm range. Most will work just fine, but macro lenses tend to be better corrected for distortion, which is what you're complaining about (the picture frame). Nikon makes a 105mm f/2.8 macro, a 60mm f/2.8 macro, a 55mm f/2.8 micro. I'd go with the 60mm (105mm might be a little too long, since it would require you to back away from the paintings, which you might not be able to do).
May 31, 2021 15:38:00 #
Leitz
Loc: Solms
reverand wrote:
My go-to prime lens is the 24-120mm f/1.4.
The 24-120 is a zoom lens, NOT a prime!!
May 31, 2021 19:49:00 #
Traveller_Jeff wrote:
Thank you for your reply and interesting suggestion, Mundy.
The flat field Nikon 105 lens should fit your needs depending on the distance between your camera on tripod w/ remote shutter release and the framed painting.A zoom lens and distance should provide precise dimensions at the expense of image sharpness.
May 31, 2021 19:56:14 #
lightyear wrote:
The flat field Nikon 105 lens should fit your needs depending on the distance between your camera on tripod w/ remote shutter release and the framed painting.A zoom lens and distance should provide precise dimensions at the expense of image sharpness.
Nikon 105mm 1.4 is an incredible portrait lens.
May 31, 2021 21:00:41 #
You also must consider how much space you have for your setup. For example if your photo rig is vertical and you have 8 foot ceilings, then an 85mm lens or above won't work for you. Your 35mm lens only needs to be about 3.5 feet away to capture your canvas.
This list from Nikon shows the 1:1 reproduction ratio lenses. You can download an app for your phone that will calculate the diagonal FOV for a given distance, focal length, and camera.
https://www.nikonusa.com/en/learn-and-explore/a/products-and-innovation/macro-lenses.html
Notice that none of the lenses are below 40mm. There are a lot of distortions that come along with short focal lengths. And once you get above 85mm the costs are excessive in my opinion for a 1:1 reproduction ratio. I think 60mm is kind of the sweet spot for cost and features in a reproduction lens.
If eliminating lens distortion is very important then you can also apply a lens correction in LR.
This list from Nikon shows the 1:1 reproduction ratio lenses. You can download an app for your phone that will calculate the diagonal FOV for a given distance, focal length, and camera.
https://www.nikonusa.com/en/learn-and-explore/a/products-and-innovation/macro-lenses.html
Notice that none of the lenses are below 40mm. There are a lot of distortions that come along with short focal lengths. And once you get above 85mm the costs are excessive in my opinion for a 1:1 reproduction ratio. I think 60mm is kind of the sweet spot for cost and features in a reproduction lens.
If eliminating lens distortion is very important then you can also apply a lens correction in LR.
Jun 1, 2021 00:12:42 #
Paul Moshay
Loc: Los Angeles, CA
Perhaps I can offer some advice. My business for the last 28 years has been the photography of fine art for reproduction. I use the Nikon D800 but any FF camera will do. The lens is all that matters. Using a Macro lens would be advised as they are more flat field than others. The Nikon 105mm f4 Macro is very good. My favorite lens is the 90 -180mm f4.5 Vivitar Series 1 Flat Field Macro lens. As a zoom lens, it simplifies filling the frame without a lot of tripod movement. It has very good color rendering, and even though they are old they may be available on eBay. I have bought three of them over the years that way. Contact me directly if I may offer any more suggestions. Paul
Jun 1, 2021 01:38:37 #
The 70-200 Nikor would be my 2nd choice after the very useful 24-70,2.8. The 60 & 100 Micros in Nikon are excellent. I don’t think you’ll like the 200Micro. I have one and it’s cumbersome. I’ve used a D-850 since it first came out. A wonderful camera. Always stick with Nikon glass.
Jun 3, 2021 17:38:33 #
SteveR wrote:
An excellent camera like the D850 will make the best of many lenses. However, it takes the very best lenses to make the most of the D850.
Amen.
What a drag that most Hogsters find no value in the first part of that dichotomy.
For my own “D850” (made by Canon) I use a set of five “ordinary good” primes.
If I’d won the lottery I couldn’t actually find any upgrades from these lenses at any price. They’re all optically stabilized. OIS primes are of very limited variety :-)
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IIRC there is an OIS equipped upgrade for one of that five. The rest are unique, no alternatives available. For handheld use, “upgrading” to the best optics won’t improve the IQ ... unless the 5DS-R has IBIS that no one has yet discovered.
With a big tripod and a borrowed ultra premium lens I spoze I could compare one of my “ordinary good” lenses to an ultra premium lens, to find out if 50MP reveals any difference. But without that big tripod, OIS means everything and premium lenses mean nothing.
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