Lens for the Nikon D7100.

[gryffinwings]

I'm trying to do some research regarding lens for the D7100, which I'm planning on getting. I know the D7100 has some serious resolving power and needs lens that are as good.

I was wondering which lens are good enough for the D7100. I've heard the kit lens really isn't up to the resolving power.

So I'm wondering if the 35mm f1.8, 50mm 1.8D and G, and 85mm f1.8 D and G are good enough.

Also wondering what else is good.

Any links to the information I'm looking for would be great as well. I don't remember if there is a website that has resolving power of cameras and lens.

 

[snowbear]

It kind of depends on what you want to shoot. I use the 50mm f/1.8D and the 24mm f/2.8D almost exclusively. The lack of AF on the D40 is a pain at times, but not a show stopper (for me, at least.)

 

[gryffinwings]

It kind of depends on what you want to shoot. I use the 50mm f/1.8D and the 24mm f/2.8D almost exclusively. The lack of AF on the D40 is a pain at times, but not a show stopper (for me, at least.)

It's not a matter of what I want to shoot, because I know what I'd use the lens for, it's a matter of resolving power, which lens will make the most of the D7100's sensor resolving power.

This is mostly a technical question.

 

[BlkdOutGsxr]

I would suggest the Sigma 35mm F/1.4 over the Nikkor, everyone is all the rage over it. If you want to research lenses side by side, DXOmark.com is a great site for doing so. I have not shot the Sigma 35mm yet, but its the highest rated lens in that range that they tested. They also break it down into test categories, and I'm guessing that what you looking for is 'sharpness'? Not really sure what you mean by 'resolving power'

 

[TheLost]

It's not a matter of what I want to shoot, because I know what I'd use the lens for, it's a matter of resolving power, which lens will make the most of the D7100's sensor resolving power.

This is mostly a technical question.

It is a question of what you shoot....

As @blkdoutgsxr said, the new Sigma 35mm f/1.4 is an awesome lens... unless you are trying to shoot birds.

If you want the best lenses for ANY Nikon this would be the best place to start:
DxOMark - Which lenses for your Nikon D800?

 

[goodguy]

Best lenses ?

With these 3 lenses you will cover most of your needs and get best quality possible

1.Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G ED AF
2.Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8
3.Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR II

It wouldn't be cheap but they will give you best results if that's what you are looking for.

On the other hand I have the 24-85mm VR for my D7000, its not the best lens but for the need of most non pro users this lens is all that they will need and cost a fraction of what the lens on my above list.
Kit lens while not at the same level as pro lenses are still very good lenses and I think most non pro will not need more then that.

I may add the 50mm f/1.8 which is great for portraits and low light photography. This is a cheap lens that give great results.

 

[BlkdOutGsxr]

I am in a very similar situation as you for choosing lenses, I don't have any specifics of what I typically shoot, but mostly just randomly find something interesting and make a project out of it. I decided to wait a little bit because of the new offerings from Sigma. With the popularity of the 35mm and the great quality I wanted to see what they will have to offer in the rest of the 'Art' Series, particularly the 30mm F/1.4. Currently waiting on the 30mm to release to see the reviews, in the meantime I picked up a Nikkor 50mm F/1.8G, Which everyone seems to agree is a great walking around lens, which suits my random shooting perfectly. I know I will be shooting prime lenses over zoom because I am quite the night owl, and I want the extra light of F/1.4-1.8.

Like others have stated, its difficult because there really is no 'best lens' if we don't know what your shooting, I will say that for walking around and the research I have done the Sigma 35mm F/1.4, Nikkor 50mm F1.8g, and the Nikkor 85mm F/1.8g are a great set up if you can afford the price. I will probably be buying the Sigma 30mm F/1.4 over the 35mm F/1.4 depending on the reviews, because I'm a college student and it saves me $400. If the reviews suck I'll save for the proven 35mm.

 

[SeanE]

I would say that any prime lens, especially the newer "G" primes will perform great. I will also say that I have the D7100 and the "kit" 18-105 lens also performs great (providing you get a good copy), getting slightly soft at 105mm but only really noticeable when viewing at 100%.

The 70-300mm VR lens is outstanding on the D7100 up to about 240mm. At 300mm it is still sharper than the 18-200 VRII @200mm.

The 18-200 VRII is somewhat soft from 135mm-200mm (at 100%) but is sharp on the wider end of its range. So the 70-300mm VR is much better on the D7100 than the 18-200mm.

 

[Derrel]

DxOMark's web site has some good tests on lens/camera resolving capabilities. The new G-series primes are pretty sharp. The new 28mm f/1.8 and the 85mm f/1.8 are quite,quite good lenses; the 85mm f/1.8 AF-S G is in fact the top lens for sharpness in the DxOMark tests for the D800, scoring a 40!!!! By comparison, the 14-24 f/2.8 Nikkor scores a 28, which places it AHEAD of all these primes:

Carl Zeiss Distagon T* 2.8/15 ZF.2 Nikon	2950	27
Sigma 20mm F1.8 EX DG ASP RF Nikon	629	26
Carl Zeiss Distagon T 21mm f/2.8 ZF2 Nikon	1732	25
Samyang 14mm f/2.8 IF ED UMC Aspherical Nikon	409	25
Nikon AF Nikkor 20mm f/2.8D	570	25
Carl Zeiss Distagon T 18mm f/3.5 ZF2 Nikon	1395	22
Sigma 14mm F2.8 EX Aspherical HSM Nikon

Now, keep in mind: if you shoot hand-held at slow speeds, or your focus is off by six inches to a foot, the best lens in the world goes down to middle-of-the road. Ken Rockwell's web site just put up a D600-D7000-D7100 three-camera test yesterday. The D7100 does VERY well. Its images look virtually identical to those from the also-24-MP D600 full-frame, when seen at 8-foot-print-sized magnification...

 

[2WheelPhoto]

Yeah cuz modern technology has pushed the zoomers ahead of the primes

 

[Derrel]

Yes, newer lenses are being designed to be digital-capture-oriented. More telecentric designs, and better integration between lens performance and sensor- and microlens array characteristics are bringing us better and better performing lenses. Since digital sensors are PERFECTLY FLAT, and have no curvature, like film had, it has become very important to make lenses that have VERY good flat-field performance. Digital demands a lens that focuses its rays well to a flat-flat-flat surface!!!

I think too that the microlens design used in front of the sensors plays a big part in this; for example, the new Leica M camera does notably better in the corners and edges of the frame than the M9 does, with the same,exact lenses; the camera's sensor makes the lenses perform better! I suspect that the knowledge and familiarity that NIKON possesses about the sensors they are going to use means that NIKON can design lenses that are truly optimized for their high-end cameras, and vice-versa. Whereas, the Zeiss-designed ZE and ZF lenses...are designed by Zeiss, and manufactured by Cosina, but are not specifically tailored to ONE company's camera offerings.

Older wide-angle lenses, designed for film use, are easily out-performed by newer, digital-centric lens designs. The 14-24 Nikkor, tested by just about every single testing site and enthusiast site, like the 16.9net group of hardcore landscapers, out-shoots almost all prime wide-angle lenses from Nikon, Canon,Zeiss, Yashica-Contax, and so on...and the 16.9 people tested the 14-24 against their own "cherry-picked" super-good primes...not just random Zeisses or random Canons, but their very own personal,highly-tested,cherry-picked, best-of-many-samples "honeys". This is why I trust the DxOMark tests that confirm the 14-24 is still the best...'cause I have seen it confirmed over and over and over...it was the lens that spawned the NIKON G-series to EOS-mount lens adapter development.

Nikon's new 85/1.8 G is another amazing lens. Same with their 200/2 VR. Simply outstanding optics. Out-fricking-standing.

 

[gryffinwings]

Finally getting some answers.

I'm not asking about any lens particular use. I'm asking about lens that can make the best use of the 24 MP sensor the D7100 has, now I know that there are lens that are just not able to bring out the full potential of the D7100. I figured I'd make up a list of those lens that can and go from there.

 

[satya]

Hi gryffinwings, I am exactly in the same situation. I got D7100 with 18-200mm kit lens but I don't like the lens much. I am looking for alternatives.

Did you come up with a list of lenses or buy/try out any? I would like to know your experience.

Thanks.
Satya