by DxO - "Best lenses for the Nikon D810"

[ruifo]

While the first ranking took into account the overall DxOMark score of the lenses for the D810, below another ranking, now based on DxOMark sharpness rating, measured in P-Mpix (Perceptual MegaPixel), intended to express the resolution of which a combination of camera and lens is capable of resolving image data, being the maximum result for the D810 36 P-Mpix, given its 36 mpix sensor.

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Camera Lens Ratings by DxOMark - DxOMark
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Sharpest Primes Lenses for the D810:

1. 35 P-Mpix - Carl Zeiss Apo Sonnar T* 2/135 ZF.2 Nikon
2. 35 P-Mpix - Carl Zeiss Apo Planar T* Otus 85mm F14 ZF.2 Nikon
3. 33 P-Mpix - Nikon AF-S Nikkor 200mm f/2G ED VR II
4. 33 P-Mpix - Carl Zeiss Distagon T* Otus 1.4/55 ZF.2 Nikon
5. 33 P-Mpix - Nikon AF-S Nikkor 400mm F2.8G ED VR
6. 32 P-Mpix - Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/2.8G ED VR II
7. 30 P-Mpix - Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM A Nikon
8. 30 P-Mpix - Nikon AF-S Nikkor 85mm f/1.4G
9. 29 P-Mpix - Carl Zeiss Distagon T 25mm f/2 ZF.2 Nikon
10. 28 P-Mpix - Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 28mm f/1.8G
11. 27 P-Mpix - Samyang 14mm f/2.8 IF ED UMC Aspherical Nikon
12. 27 P-Mpix - Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G ED
13. 27 P-Mpix - Nikon AF Micro-Nikkor 200mm f/4D ED-IF
14. 26 P-Mpix - Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G
15. 26 P-Mpix - Tamron SP 90mm F/2.8 Di MACRO 1:1 VC USD Nikon
16. 25 P-Mpix - Samyang 24mm f/1.4 ED AS UMC Nikon
17. 25 P-Mpix - Nikon AF-S Nikkor 58mm f/1.4G
18. 25 P-Mpix - Nikon AF Micro-Nikkor 60mm f/2.8D
19. 25 P-Mpix - Carl Zeiss Distagon T 28mm f/2 ZF2 Nikon
20. 24 P-Mpix - Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4G ED VR
21. 23 P-Mpix - Sigma 85mm F1.4 EX DG HSM Nikon
22. 23 P-Mpix - Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM Nikon
23. 23 P-Mpix - Carl Zeiss Distagon T 35mm f/2 ZF2 Nikon
24. 23 P-Mpix - Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T 100mm f/2 ZF2 Nikon
25. 23 P-Mpix - Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D
26. 23 P-Mpix - Sigma 150mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM APO Macro Nikon
27. 23 P-Mpix - Carl Zeiss Distagon T 35mm f/1.4 ZF2 Nikon
28. 23 P-Mpix - Nikon AF-S Nikkor 24mm f/1.4G ED
29. 23 P-Mpix - Sigma 28mm F1.8 EX DG ASP Macro Nikon
30. 23 P-Mpix - Sigma 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM Nikon

Sharpest Zoom Lenses for the D810:

1. 29 P-Mpix - Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/4G ED VR
2. 29 P-Mpix - Sigma 120-300mm F2.8 DG OS HSM S Nikon
3. 28 P-Mpix - Tamron SP 70-200mm F/2.8 Di VC USD Nikon
4. 27 P-Mpix - Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II
5. 26 P-Mpix - Sigma APO 120-300mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM Nikon
6. 23 P-Mpix - Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED
7. 23 P-Mpix - Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5G ED
8. 22 P-Mpix - Tamron SP 24-70mm F2.8 Di VC USD Nikon
9. 22 P-Mpix - Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G ED VR II
10. 21 P-Mpix - Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 IF EX DG HSM Nikon
11. 21 P-Mpix - Nikon AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED
12. 20 P-Mpix - Nikon AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G IF-ED
13. 20 P-Mpix - Tamron SP AF 70-200mm F/2.8 Di LD (IF) MACRO Nikon
14. 19 P-Mpix - Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 EX DG APO OS HSM Nikon
15. 19 P-Mpix - Tokina AT-X 16-28 F2.8 PRO FX Nikon
16. 19 P-Mpix - Nikon AF-S Nikkor 16-35mm f/4G ED VR
17. 18 P-Mpix - Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR
18. 18 P-Mpix - Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 EX DG APO HSM Nikon
19. 17 P-Mpix - Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED
20. 17 P-Mpix - Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G ED VR
21. 17 P-Mpix - Sigma 50-500mm F4.5-6.3 APO DG OS HSM Nikon
22. 17 P-Mpix - Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 EX DG APO Macro HSM II Nikon
23. 16 P-Mpix - Tamron SP AF 28-75mm F/2.8 XR Di LD Aspherical [IF] Nikon
24. 15 P-Mpix - Nikon AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 24-120mm f/4G ED
25. 15 P-Mpix - Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 24-85mm f/2.8-4D IF
26. 15 P-Mpix - Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 APO Macro Super II Nikon
27. 15 P-Mpix - Nikon AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED
28. 15 P-Mpix - Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5D IF-ED
29. 14 P-Mpix - Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 17-35mm f/2.8D IF-ED
30. 14 P-Mpix - Sigma 120-400mm F4.5-5.6 DG APO OS HSM Nikon

 

[KmH]

How about the 3 Samyang primes on the list.

Their only problem is that they are manual focus only lenses.

Why is that a problem?
There are a lot of shooting circumstances when auto focus can't work.
Consequently, being proficient at manually focusing a lens is a skill photographers still need to have.

 

[Solarflare]

Third party lenses are kicking butts. Now people on a budget can have the best for half the price.

Err, there is A LOT MORE to lenses, than just good old plain sharpness

+ Focal length range
+ Maximum and minimum aperture
+ Contrast
+ Transmission
+ Distortion
+ Vignetting
+ Over a douzen of errors lenses can have optically, such as coma, CAs, ...
+ Flare
+ Quality of Bokeh
+ Quality of color transmission
+ Build quality, including quality of extras like lens hood and tripod mount
+ Size and weight
+ Autofocus performance
+ Image stabilization
+ Minimal Close Focus and magnification
+ Focus breathing
+ Focus shift when stopping down
+ Being parfocal, or not, for zooms
+ Probably even more, but thats just out of the top of my head

Even sharpness isnt just sharpness - low CAs for example also improve the impression of sharpness, as does better contrast.

There are a lot of shooting circumstances when auto focus can't work.

Many modern cameras dont even allow manual focus in a non-masochistic way.

 

[hamlet]

You should really look into what is out there. My 50mm cream machine delivers incredible results across the frame.

 

[PaulWog]

You should really look into what is out there. My 50mm cream machine delivers incredible results across the frame.

The 50mm 1.4 Art is clearly a great lens across the board. It isn't a 'cream machine' though!!! On a crop body, you're getting just over a 75mm comparable field of view, and approximately an f2.15 comparable depth of field (calculations = f1.4 x 1.533). The term "cream machine" should be reserved for portraiture lenses, or maybe a fast 50 on a full frame body (even then...). Just my take.

I am pretty surprised that the 50mm 1.4G made it on that list, as well as the 70-300 f4/4.5 - 5.6 lenses. Some of the stuff I see listed doesn't make use of the D810's pixel count. I would assume an article which addresses the "best lenses for the D810" would be focused on sharpness... otherwise, the article might as well say "... and for the D750, D610... and so on..."

 

[Solarflare]

Yes "cream machine" refers to lenses with

(a) very large maximum apertures (i.e. low f-numbers)
(b) very good bokeh (i.e. "creamy" out of focus areas)

Examples for "cream machines" I heard of are:
- Canon TV Lens 50mm f/0.95 [This is a rangefinder optic, not compatible to EOS DSLRs]
- Canon EF 85mm f1.2
- Canon EF 50mm f1.0
- Minolta/Sony 135mm f2.8 [T4.5] STF SAL-135F28
- Nikon AF DC 105mm/135mm f2
- Leica Noctilux 50mm f/0.95
- The new Fuji X 56mm f1.2 APD

Sharpness is not that much of a priority in this definition.