FTn

Let me start out by saying that I shoot with a D850 and love it. Keep in mind though the D850 demands very sharp lenses to really take advantage of its 45 megapixel sensor. According to Photgraphylife.com very few of Nikon's current F mount lenses can resolve adequate detail on modern high resolution cameras. Read their article Why Nikon Should Not Make DSLRs Over 36 Megapixels. I have found that the lenses that they recommend for the D850 is pretty spot on.

- FTn

DaveyDitzer Loc: Western PA

Call me nuts if you like, but here is what I did and still do. If I am considering a particular focal range, I buy a less expensive lens on ebay and use it to see if the focal range is what I want. Then if that's what I want, I can buy a much better lens and sell the first one. One such candidate is my Nikon AF 16-35 f3.5-4.5 D lens. It was used from a pawn shop with good Ebay ratings and I liked it, kept it and don't have to move on. Make sure your camera body can accommodate the lens you like, e.g., my FF camera bodies have a motor to drive the AF lens. If I wanted more IQ, then I know what to look for and consider any loss in reselling as a "rental fee".

Photec

This is what was posted as the best 6 lenses for the D850: https://photophique.com/best-nikon-d850-lenses/

cameraf4 Loc: Delaware

Hey, Nutsey, that's actually not a bad idea.

FTn

It looks like photophique's basis for selection was convenience and price. The 28-300mm Nikon lens is one of softest lenses in the Nikon lineup especially above 200mm. Using it on a D850 defeats the purpose of buying a 45 megapixel camera. The Nikon 35mm f1.4 does not have the resolving power to give you the sharpest images on a D850. Only Nikon's 20mm f1.8 and 28mm f1.4 can do that. I don't know much about Tamron and Sigma lenses. I have never shot with them. I would instead go with Nikon's 24-70 f2.8, non VR, and the 105mm f2.8 Micro Nikkor. Staying with the same manufacturer for both camera bodies and lenses removes the finger pointing if you have a problem. The 200-500mm f5.6 barely exceeds 36 megapixels at 300mm f5.6 so I'm not sure that this heavy lens is a best pick for a D850. My gut tells me that the 500mm f5.6 might be a better choice but I have never had a chance to shoot with one. This is only my opinion.

- FTn

DaveyDitzer Loc: Western PA

that and the fact that the 500 f5.6 seems to scarce even at its lofty price.

Paul Diamond Loc: Atlanta, GA, USA

As a D850 owner, I have and use many of the recommended lenses. Suggest you go to dxomark.com, input the D850, select the fixed/zoom range of interest and see their test results. When you do, click on the top of the "sharpness" column so it now becomes the primary selection sorting of the test results, highest sharpness performance first.

I have the Sigma ART 50mm F/1.4, the great Nikon 200-500 zoom, the Tamron 90mm macro, the Nikon and Tokina 24-70 (Tokina is sharper but less weather sealed), Tamron 15-30 for wide vistas and nature close ups. Don't feel a burning need for more glass at this time, just more opportunities to use what I've got. (Have added a 600mm F4 prime, not arrived yet, for birds/nature.)

Predict you will enjoy your D850 as you learn to use it and its features. You will want the best lenses you can afford. Wide angle with nature or buildings/architecture, etc. should have low distortion and great control of chromatic aberration. Ultrawides and wide zooms are somewhat notorious for distortion and aberrations at wide angle views.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

I would use a series of lenses, where no lens ranges more 3X focal length - long range forces designers into too many compromises.

wwjd38 Loc: Wyoming

The 24-70 F2.8L is a great versatile lens. I use it for landscape and love it. I shot this photo at the beginning of sunrise. I do shoot Canon and not Nikon, but my friend that I go shooting with has a Nikon and shoots with a 24-70 F2.8 also. Her photo's turn out wonderful.

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User ID

Yes really great and not overpriced.

Actually better than you indicate:

No need to understand the aperture ring. Just set the lockout on it and control aperture from the camera body same as with the newer lenses.

Keen

The Nikon 16-35mm, Nikon 17-35mm, Nikon 14-24mm, and Tamron 15-30mm Would be worth considering. There is no one all around ‘Best’. One may have truer color, while having less focal range, or being unable to use filters, or such. If you live by filters, two of the above will be useless....or only useful at greater trouble, and expense. If you don’t use filters, it will depend on other factors. Only you can decide. I am going with the 17-35mm Nikon f/2.8.