Silverrails

Whatever lens you decide on, first maybe RENT the lens for a week, to see how it performs, if you like it and feel comfortable with it. There are Camera & Lens Rental companies online, for a few days, a week, etc.

SteveR Loc: Michigan

I do like the 24-70mm on my D800 for landscape purposes, but sometimes it's not wide enough. Keep your crop camera and pick up the new Tamron 10-24mm wide angle lens. What the 24-70 won't give you the 10-24mm will. However, when you do pick up the D850, you might consider a nice prime wide angle like the Nikon 20mm.

Note: I keep the 10-24 on my D7000, so it's my dedicated wide angle setup. I very rarely have to change lenses since the 24-70 meets most of my needs on the D800.

Gspeed Loc: Rhinebeck, NY

I have the 24-70 and highly recommend. Look around for a good used Nikon version and save a ton of $.

CWGordon

I have all 3 of the lenses most people would consider for doing landscapes. The 14-24 is an awesome lens. One of the sharpest lenses you will ever find. It is very expensive. Worse yet, it is very big and heavy. A lot to carry around. I rarely use it, but am glad I have it, just in case. The 24-70 is also an excellent lens and has a better, more usable range. Still, heavy, and big, and expensive. Lastly, the 24-120 lens is the best lens for an all-around usage. That is just my opinion, but I like having the additional focal length. Less expensive, smaller and lighter, it does just about everything you could want other than subjects requiring longer telephotos or macro-lenses. Those that scoff at this lens may never have used it. Supposedly, it is not as sharp as some competitors’ lenses. I am fairly sure that in a laboratory this may be true. In real life, in the field, I have never found this to be so. The lens is plenty sharp. I use it more than the other two, by far. I think it may be the better lens for more uses and I highly recommend it. However, if you plan on ONLY do
ing landscape with a lens and will be using it without lengthy carry time being necessary and maybe often using a tripod, then the 14-24 lens would almost certainly be your preferred lens. It is one of Nikons’ few lenses that are commonly referred to as “legacy” lenses. Start saving money now. I do think you would be ecstatic with the quality it will provide you. Good luck with your thought process and consequent eventual purchase.

SteveR Loc: Michigan

I never thought of the 24-70 as heavy. Also, as far as the range of the 24-70, whenever shooting landscape with it, if I wanted more range it would have been on the wider side, not the longer side. However, Graham Smith is a proponent of the 24-120, and I can't argue with Graham.

CWGordon

Weight, etc. certainly can be in the eye of the holder. Heavy to me might be light to a NFL lineman!

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

Right now you are using a Nikon D5600 and you want to use the "best" Nikon lens made for landscapes. As soon as you find out which is the "best" Nikon lens for landscape I would appreciate it very much if you let me know about it.

Let me give you a little piece of advise. If you are not happy now with the landscape photography out of your 18-55 kit lens a professional lens like the 24-70 VR will not make you happy either. It is not my intention to offend you but the quality of an image starts with the photographer.
Your 18-55 is a very nice lens. I used one for several years always with excellent results. I sold it to get some more range and I went with the 18-70 AF-S but that little lens was as good optically. Your 70-300 is not in the same league and if I were you I will trade it for the 70-300 VR, a far superior lens in all respects with the convenience of VR.

Nikon manufactures many lenses that start at 18mm and all of them make for very good landscape lenses but you have to do your part when you use them. Their 35mm f1.8 DX lens I know is very good and sharp but you will have to walk to do the zooming. Going into full frame is a different story because you will need FX lenses, the lenses that were designed for use with full frame bodies.

Improve your technique and concentrate in learning exposure and seeing the light. Your images will take a turn for the best.

Addendum: I am sorry I repeated my opinion by mistake.

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

Right now you are using a Nikon D5600 and you want to use the "best" Nikon lens made for landscapes. As soon as you find out which is the "best" Nikon lens for landscape I would appreciate it very much if you let me know about it.

Let me give you a little piece of advise. If you are not happy now with the landscape photography out of your 18-55 kit lens a professional lens like the 24-70 VR will not make you happy either. It is not my intention to offend you but the quality of an image starts with the photographer.
Your 18-55 is a very nice lens. I used one for several years always with excellent results. I sold it to get some more range and I went with the 18-70 AF-S but that little lens was as good optically. Your 70-300 is not in the same league and if I were you I will trade it for the 70-300 VR, a far superior lens in all respects with the convenience of VR.

Nikon manufactures many lenses that start at 18mm and all of them make for very good landscape lenses but you have to do your part when you use them. Their 35mm f1.8 DX lens I know is very good and sharp but you will have to walk to do the zooming. Going into full frame is a different story because you will need FX lenses, the lenses that were designed for use with full frame bodies.

Improve your technique and concentrate in learning exposure and seeing the light. Your images will take a turn for the best.....regardless of the lens in use.

hammond

I love the Sigma 10-20mm - it's just so cheap for what it delivers for large landscapes.

You can do some awesome landscape photography with a fisheye: the Nikkor 8mm-15mm is a cool lens for unique shots that capture everything.

My third option would be the Nikkor 24mm f1.4
Expensive and not as much coverage as wider angles, but a really fine piece of glass for landscapes.

treadwl Loc: South Florida

When I bought my 24-70 lens the quality of images almost instantly improved. The lens is that good. I have been taking photos for decades and know how to capture excellent images but this lens just make my good work look even better. Even my wife notices the clarity, sharpness overall appearance of the images had changed. It is my go to lens and is married to my Nikon D810. It is big, heavy and just magnificent. I never even think about the weight or this size. I just pick up my camera rig and set forth. I'm always pleased with the results. my advice:

JUST GET THE LENS!! YOU WILL NOT BE SORRY.

Bullfrog Bill Loc: CT

Don’t buy the VR version of the 24-70, it is a beast in size, weight and it uses 82 mm filters while all other “pro” lenses use 77mm. The older version is just as good and do you really need VR in the mid range?

ColoPete

An important fact to remember in choosing a lens is that your current D5600 is a crop sensor (DX), while the D850 is full frame (FX). You will want the best glass for the D850, as its high resolution will amplify any shortcomings in lenses, and while it will automatically adjust for a crop lens, by doing so you lose some of that resolution. Therefore, I would avoid investing in DX lenses that only work on crop sensor cameras and would instead invest in lenses that are made for full frame, but which also will work on your D5600 in the meantime. I made a similar conversion a year ago from a D7200 to a D850 and now use the Nikkor 16-35mm F4 lens when I need ultra-wide angles, or the 24-120mm F4 for general purposes including landscapes. On a crop-sensor camera, those lenses would give you a similar angle of view as a full-frame lens 24-52 mm and 36-180 mm respectively.

That said, I used the Nikkor 10-24 mm F3.5-4.5, DX lens on my D7200, and it was always sharp. It gave me an angle of view equivalent to a full frame lens of 15-36. But I would not use it on my D850.

Honestly, I don’t often use the ultra-wide zoom lenses for landscapes, unless I am in a city or narrow canyon, etc. where you need the extra width to get it all in.

Haenzel Loc: South Holland, The Netherlands

According to Landscape Photograper of the Year 2018 (Adam Gibbs):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUVfLx5hPbQ

yssirk123 Loc: New Jersey

Check out the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5G ED. It's a full frame zoom lens, and is rated by DXOMark as equal in sharpness to the 14-24mm f 2.8 lens. Presently a bargain for $747 at B&H. No VR, but that hasn't been a problem for me.

raferrelljr Loc: CHARLOTTE, NC

Take a look at the Nikon 16-35 great sharp lens, got mine used in perfect condition for about $650.00