Nikon Japan shares its official recommended list of lenses for the Nikon D850, are there any surprises?
posted Thursday, October 12, 2017 at 5:40 PM EST
The Nikon D850 has proven not only to be a very impressive camera in our own testing, but it has been impressing users lucky enough to get their own hands on one as well. As we reported a week ago, the D850 is also the first DSLR to ever hit the century mark in DxOMark's testing, which is fitting for Nikon's 100th anniversary year. Its 45-megapixel sensor is not only impressive, but it is also very demanding of whatever glass you mount on the camera. While it can make a great lens shine, it can also expose weaker optics and illustrate their deficiencies.
Photographer and Nikon aficionado Thom Hogan has his own list of the best lenses for Nikon's newest high-megapixel DSLR, the Nikon D850, Nikon Rumors has found an official list straight from Nikon. Let's take a look at some of the highlights from the official list and see if we can find any odd selections or omissions.
The first thing that becomes immediately apparent when looking at Nikon's official list is that the lenses are almost exclusively AF-S lenses. This makes sense as Nikon has been making AF-S lenses for many years, but it's worth pointing out that of the 40 recommended lenses, two of them are older AI AF lenses: the AI AF DC-Nikkor 105mm f/2 D and AI AF DC-Nikkor 135mm f/2 D. These lenses have not been replaced by newer versions, although you could make the case that the recent Nikon 105mm f/1.4E - which is on the list - somewhat fills the role of the former DC optic. There are also four PC lenses on the list, including the new PC Nikkor 19mm f/4E ED lens.
It ought not to be surprising that some replaced lenses aren't on the officially recommended lens list for the D850, such as the older Nikon 400mm f/2.8G VR telephoto prime, which has been supplanted by the 400mm f/2.8E FL ED VR prime. However, it is interesting that four Nikon 70-200mm zooms have made the cut, including the last three versions of the 70-200mm f/2.8 professional workhorse lens. Likewise, both the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G and newer 24-70mm f/2.8E zooms are listed.
As a Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6E owner, it surprises me a little to see this zoom on the list. It pairs very well with the Nikon D500, but it is not quite on the same level as the (much more expensive) Nikon 200-400mm f/4 zoom, which is of course included. I'll be testing the D850 soon, so I will be sure to see how the 200-500mm f/5.6 handles in real-world shooting with Nikon's new high-resolution full-frame DSLR.
It is nice to see many of the f/1.8 versions of Nikon's prime lenses have made the cut. Many photographers find that the f/1.8 versions deliver very similar image quality to the f/1.4 versions and for a much lower cost. Of course, you give up some potentially valuable light gathering capabilities.
If you'd like to check out the full list, click here. Are there any surprising inclusions or omissions for you? For Nikon D850 owners, which lenses have you used with your new camera and what are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.
(Via Nikon Rumors)