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8 Best Lenses for Nikon D850 [2024 Review]

In: 
Published: 10/03/2023

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If you've recently purchased a Nikon D850, you'll want to make sure you have the best lenses to get the most out of this full-frame camera. Unfortunately, there is no single answer as to which lens is the best for the Nikon D850 because it all depends on the style of photography you plan to do with it.

My Top Nikon D850 Lens Reviews

Among real estate photographers, the Nikon D850 is a popular camera. It contains an extremely high-resolution full-format sensor and is widely regarded as one of Nikon's best SLRs. It only fits that it's partnered with the best Nikon D850 lenses, given its amazing characteristics and features.

Nikkor 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E

The Fisheye Nikkor 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E is the first full-frame fisheye zoom lens. With the 8-15mm focal length range, you can generate full-frame circular effects and full-frame fisheye photographs with the same lens. It can be used with DX-format cameras or with FX cameras when shooting in DX format.

The optical design includes three extra-low dispersion glass components to eliminate chromatic errors and color fringing for exceptional color and resolution neutrality while optimizing the broad field of vision. In addition, two aspherical components suppress spherical aberrations, giving a high level of sharpness and resolution.

The optical system is protected by fluorine coating on exposed parts. The coating repels moisture and grease, making it simpler to keep the lens dry and fingerprint-free even if you don't want to. It's highly useful because the huge front area of a fisheye is usually exposed during use.

A Silent Wave Motor delivers a fast, smooth, and silent autofocus, as well as the option to manually override focus at any moment, in addition to the lens's unique optical qualities.

The curved front element of the lens is its main flaw, as it inhibits the use of normal filters. When dropped, the zoom pieces are delicate, and the intricate glass is sensitive to changes in temperature and moisture.

Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G

The Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G lens is a tiny, lightweight, and fast normal to wide-angle lens. It offers excellent optics and ergonomics. In addition, the Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G produces excellent images with the quality you'd expect from a prime lens.

When employing selective focus techniques, the brilliant f/1.8 maximum aperture is ideal for working in low-light circumstances and gives greater field control depth. In addition, to provide clean pictures with correct rendering, one aspherical element is employed to decrease spherical aberrations and distortion.

A rear focusing system is also employed to preserve the length of the lens during operation and encourage faster focusing rates. Only the back lens group is modified during focusing. The rounded curve of the seven-blade diaphragm creates a charming out-of-focus effect, perfect for shallow depth of field and selective focus methods.

There isn't enough discretion or directness for fine-tuning focus accuracy, which can be a significant disadvantage. The key to creating pleasantly blurred backgrounds in your photos and movies is to choose a lens with a large maximum aperture. For example, the NIKKOR 35mm G's aperture is f/1.8, allowing you to isolate your subject and create breathtaking portraits with precise depth-of-field control.

Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D

The NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8D is a small standard-length prime lens that is both simple and flexible. Its brilliant f/1.8 maximum aperture is suitable for working with a range of lighting circumstances, and it also allows you to isolate focus with more depth of field versatility.

This 50 mm lens's fast f/1.8D aperture generates a stunning bokeh, allowing you to capture the beauty of the interior and outdoors without using flash, especially in low light situations. This lens' aperture control ring lets you manually adjust the aperture for live-view video shooting, allowing you to produce beautiful shots while looking into your camera's LCD.

The AF Nikkor lens is extremely light, weighing only 0.34 pounds, making it better than the 1.06-pound NIKKOR 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E for moving one property to the next. It has a variable aperture control ring that allows for smooth manual adjustments when capturing live videos. The Nikkor lens is appropriate for both beginner and professional photographers, with a focal length of 50 mm.

The focus motor on the f/1.8D lens is surprisingly loud. As a result, it's not a good choice for filming in a quiet environment or other situations when discretion is required. Another fault is the flimsy-looking white rear lens cap, which doesn't stay on well and isn't robust.

Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G

The Nikon 50mm f/1.4G is a great option for photographers looking for a high-quality lens to use on a regular basis. The f/1.4 aperture is excellent for low light photography, and the small depth of field aids in the separation of subjects from the foreground, resulting in beautiful bokeh. The lens allows you to work at a more natural distance from your subject.

The front ring of this lens does not extend or rotate due to its unique optical structure, making circular filters simple to use. The autofocus motor on the lens has been updated to a Silent Wave Motor, allowing it to be used with entry-level Nikon DSLRs like the Nikon D850 while also allowing manual focus override.

Despite the improved Silent Wave Motor, the lens autofocuses slowly. This fault causes the lens to be the slowest of the Nikon 50mm lenses. The Nikon 50mm f/1.4G is the quietest of the three lenses, thanks to its slower AF motor. The lens is accurate once the subject is in focus, and focus tracking works nicely in continuous focus mode.

Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8E

The Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8E is a flexible lens used by many real estate photographers. When used with the Nikon D850, the lens elevates photography to new heights. The aperture of this device is also suited for indoor photography. It gives you the leverage you need, even if you're shooting with a little light.

The lens includes a number of outstanding physical and handling capabilities in addition to its optical capabilities, including a four-stop operative Vibration Reduction system that eliminates camera shake for crisper handheld photography. Silent Wave Motor AF technology aids sharp pictures in both photo and video applications by providing for speedy, silent, and smooth focusing.

Nano Crystal and Super Integrated Coatings have been employed to lens elements to decrease internal and surface reflections, resulting in a considerable decrease in lens ghosting and flare. Fluorine coatings on the front and rear components safeguard the optical system.

The lens is a bit on the pricey side, but it's definitely worth it, and it's still a substantial investment. On the other hand, the zoom is fantastic: touching the zoom ring with a fingertip is straightforward, even when pointing straight up or down.

Nikon 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G

The Nikon 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G is an adjustable aperture lens with a 10.7x zoom range for photographers who need a single "all-in-one" lens for everyday shooting. The silent-wave focus motor on the lens focuses gently and precisely in a range of lighting settings.

The lens is equipped with the newest generation of vibration reduction technology, which reduces camera motion by four stops and allows for slower shutter speeds without camera shake.

Furthermore, unlike the NIKKOR 50mm f/1.4G, which does not have a vibration reduction system, photographers can choose between two VR modes: "Normal" and "Active," to regulate how the Vibration Reduction technology reacts to different shooting conditions.

It is unquestionably enormous and heavy, which is a disadvantage. The heavier weight is due to the larger optics inside the lens. The lens is well-made, with a plastic exterior and focus ring. The zoom ring is made of plastic with a rubber coating that makes it resistant to cold and heat.

A Silent Wave Motor and a full-time manual focus override are utilized to give fast and precise autofocus performance. The rounded curve of the nine-blade diaphragm creates a charming out-of-focus effect, perfect for shallow depth of field and selective focus methods.

Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8E

The Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8E is a versatile lens that may be utilized for a variety of shooting situations. Thanks to its fixed aperture of f/2.8, speedy autofocus motor, and state-of-the-art optics, the lens is not only intended to focus quickly and precisely in low-light circumstances but also to produce remarkable clarity, color, and micro-contrast in images.

The Nano Crystal and Super Integrated Coatings, which reduce lens flare for greater contrast and color accuracy, boost picture quality. The lens is weather-sealed and intended to withstand dust and moisture thanks to fluorine coatings on the front and back elements.

Furthermore, an electromagnetic aperture function has been incorporated into the lens design to improve exposure control resilience, especially when dealing with faster continuous shooting rates. However, this new lens's larger size, weight, and cost, as well as its greater flexibility, are all negatives.

Sigma 14mm f/1.8DG

The SIGMA 14mm f/1.8DG is a pretty high ultra-wide-angle lens with full-frame 35mm coverage and a focal length of 14mm. A large-diameter lens is a valuable ally in photography because it allows you to catch a moving subject without relying on ISO sensitivity by adjusting shutter speed.

Any transverse chromatic aberration, which may be observed in ultra-wide-angle photographs, is reduced by its Super Low Dispersion glass elements. Thanks to its strong peripheral brightness, this lens provides great image quality from the center to the periphery.

Four aspherical components, including the front diameter precision-molded glass element, help to offer better clarity and accuracy by decreasing distortion and spherical imperfections. Component components have also been coated with a Super Multi-Layer Coating to avoid lens ghosting and flare and increase contrast while working in bright light.

The lens barrel is built of Thermally Stable Composite material, allowing it to work in a wide variety of temperatures and environments, and the lens mount is brass for long-term durability and precise connection.

The Sigma USB Dock, which permits fine-tuning of focusing parameters and other lens attributes, is also compatible with this lens. However, it's costly, heavy, and can't use normal filters, to name a few drawbacks.

Nikon D850 camera lens

Features to Consider in the Best Lens for Nikon D850

Real estate photography involves taking exterior and interior pictures of commercial and residential properties. The following features can help you choose a lens that can capture bright photos indoors when paired with a Nikon D850. 

The following table further highlights the most critical features you should consider when choosing the lens. 

Comparing Lenses for Nikon D850

LensesImage StabilizationMaximum ApertureWeight (Pounds)
Nikkor 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5 Nof/3.5-4.51.07
Nikon 35mm f/1.8 Nof/1.80.44
Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 Nof/1.80.34
Sigma 14mm f/1.8 Nof/1.82.57
Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 Yesf/2.82.35
Nikon 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 Yesf/3.5-5.61.76
Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 Yesf/2.83.1
Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 Nof/1.40.64

Low-Light Performance

One of the reasons you might want to get a Nikon D850 is the full-frame sensor that gives it excellent performance in poor lighting. However, this might not be the case if you pair it with the wrong lens. When choosing the lens, consider the value of the maximum wide aperture. 

Typically, the aperture is a member of the exposure triangle and directly affects the amount of light reaching the camera sensor. If you open the aperture wider, more light will reach the sensor, and the camera will take brighter photos. The aperture is indicated as a fraction of the focal length. 

Since this is a fraction, the widest aperture is one with the smallest denominator. For instance, the Nikon 50mm f/1.4 lens can allow more light to reach the camera sensor than the Nikon 50mm f/1.8 lens under the same shooting conditions when the aperture is wide open. 

Focal Length

The focal length of a lens determines its angle of view. Usually, lenses with shorter focal lengths are wider angles than their long focal length counterparts. That means a short focal length lens can capture the entire exterior of a real estate property in a single shot.  

In the same way, a lens with a short focal length can capture the entire room, even when you're standing by the doorway. This makes short focal length lenses such as the Nikon 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5 excellent for capturing exterior photos of landscapes and interior photos in cramped rooms. 

Note that you need to balance between the aperture suitable for interior photography and a wide-angle perspective suitable for indoor photography. Additionally, wide-angle lenses tend to cause distortions that might make the exterior of the property look curved. 

Magnification

Sometimes you might want to capture tiny subjects, such as insects in the backyard or birds on the roof of the property. This requires a lens that can crop out the background and magnify the main subject. This magnification typically uses the same concept of focal length. 

When the lens has a long focal length, the angle of view is narrow. Keeping in mind that some parts of the image sensor can't be empty, it means the frame will be filled with the scene viewed by the narrow-angle of view. This creates a magnification effect, whereby a distant subject appears bigger and more prominent in the frame. 

For instance, a lens such as the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 can magnify and fill the frame with a distant bird without a noticeable loss in quality. 

Zoom Capability

A lens is categorized as a zoom lens if the angle of view can be narrowed or broadened. For you to adjust, the angle of view means the focal length should be variable. For instance, the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 is a zoom lens as you can vary the focal length. 

Keep in mind that zoom capability doesn't necessarily mean the lens can capture both a wide angle and a telephoto perspective. The perspectives the lens can capture depend on the minimum and maximum focal length. The wider the range of the focal length, the more versatile the zoom is. 

That means you can find zoom lenses that can only capture wide-angle perspectives or zoom lenses that can only capture telephoto perspectives. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Nikon D850 Have an Optical Low-Pass Filter?

No, the Nikon D850 camera does not come with the optical low pass filter, which makes it capable of delivering maximum details in every shot. Considering that it's equipped with a 45.7 megapixels sensor, the D850 can give better sharpness, especially when you are using modern lenses such as the Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G.

Why Are There Clunking Sounds in My Nikon Camera?

Normally, the clunking sound does not come from the Nikon camera itself. In most cases, it comes from the camera lens motors. The sounds come as the result of the image stabilizer disengaging from the optics, which is normal operation. However, you can go for a Nikon lens such as the Nikkor 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E, which comes with a silent motor.

Which Is the Difference Between Camera Built-in Image Stabilization and Lens Image Stabilization?

Generally, the camera's built-in image stabilization is used to reduce movements that affect the wide-angle and close-up shooting. On the other hand, lens image stabilization is designed to deal with large pitch corrections, especially when using longer focal lengths.

Conclusion 

Pairing your Nikon D850 with the proper flash system and lenses can produce better images. Choosing the perfect lens for the Nikon D850 DSLR might be difficult, especially if you are new to photography. The lens market is massive, and with so many options and manufacturers, selecting the appropriate lens is critical. Each lens is unique; however, the ones in our buying article are more suited to the requirements of a real estate photographer.

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