Considering a Nikon D810 for landscape ... lens suggestions please

[JohnBrew]

I use a Zeiss 21, Zeiss 55 and Nikon 85 1.4G. Thinking of adding a Zeiss 135. Occasionally I toss on my old 105 2.5 Ai - beautiful rendering and bokeh.
A friend uses the 16-35 with good effect.

[E.J. Peiker]

As others have stated, the Sigma Art series 24, 35, and 50 are superior to the Nikons and if AF is not a priority, the Zeiss lenses are also superior.

[BernardLanguillier]

As others have stated, the Sigma Art series 24, 35, and 50 are superior to the Nikons and if AF is not a priority, the Zeiss lenses are also superior.

The Sigmas are a bit sharper (by a fairly small margin), much cheaper but their look wide(er) open is IMHO significantly less pleasing. The Sigmas are also not weather proofed.

Don't get wrong, I like my copy of the Sigma 35mm f1.4, but it is not the perfect lens in my book.

Cheers,
Bernard

[mikeodial]

The Sigmas are a bit sharper (by a fairly small margin), much cheaper but their look wide(er) open is IMHO significantly less pleasing. The Sigmas are also not weather proofed.

Don't get wrong, I like my copy of the Sigma 35mm f1.4, but it is not the perfect lens in my book.

Cheers,
Bernard

Hi Bernard, what exactly do you mean by less pleasing when wider? Is that color rendition, bokeh, or something else. The color rendering of the combination of the lens and the sensor is something hard to nail down, but I seem to gravitate to lenses that have "interesting" characteristics. I have an SD1 with two Sigma lenses for example. Just wondering about your thoughts there.

[E.J. Peiker]

The Sigmas are a bit sharper (by a fairly small margin), much cheaper but their look wide(er) open is IMHO significantly less pleasing. The Sigmas are also not weather proofed.

Don't get wrong, I like my copy of the Sigma 35mm f1.4, but it is not the perfect lens in my book.

Cheers,
Bernard

Didn't say they were perfect, just better   They are quite a bit sharper wide open than the Nikon equivalents which may also be why you don't like them as much wide open since the bokeh isn't quite as smooth as a result but the in-focus zone acuity is actually a lot better with the Sigma 35/1.4 than the Nikon 35/1.4 (had them both on the test bench about a year and a half ago and decided to keep the Sigma).  But he was asking about landscape photography where, except for in night-time photography, you are almost always stopped down significantly and even there, the Sigma's have a slight edge in corner to corner sharpness.  So do the Zeiss lenses but they tend to have a bit more light fall-off in the corners even stopped down.  But quite frankly, at f/8ish or so, the differences do become small and by f/11, on a D810, diffraction starts to dictate the detail rendering in the photograph and by f/16 they are all pretty much equal due to diffraction being the limiter, rather than overall optical sharpness on the lenses that we are discussing.

[Hans Kruse]

When shooting a fishing article and travelling light I bring the 28 1.8G, 60 2.8 macro and 85 1.8G.
All are light, sharp and good value IMHO.
The 28 is exceptional for it's corner to corner sharpness - I'm very impressed with it for what it cost.

I also have the 14-24 and 70-200 2.8's and both are very good lenses, but not much fun to pack around.

For landscape the Nikon 70-200 f/4 VR is a better choice than the f/2.8 and weighs much less.

[synn]

For landscape the Nikon 70-200 f/4 VR is a better choice than the f/2.8 and weighs much less.

I agree. It is a very sharp, beautifully rendering lens and only really gives away that bullet proof build to the 2.8.

Works great for portraits too:
http://www.sandeepmurali.com/p356709065/h73f3c959#h73f3c959

[NancyP]

I also use the AIS Nikkor 105 f/2.5 (via adapter) on my 20 MP Canon, and I like the rendering a lot - meaning, the aberrations are pleasingly balanced and are slightly recognizable, 1970s coating also recognizable. I recently acquired the Voigtlander Apo-Lanthar 125mm f/2.5 macro, a fabulous 1:1 manual-focus macro, but don't think that it totally replaces the Nikkor - rendering is quite a bit different, due to the apochromatic nature. The Voigtlander has a "transparent" rendering suitable for nature photography (which is most of what I do), but maybe a little "clinical" for portraiture. I am keeping my inherited lenses around as "special effects" and also occasionally as compact lenses - and I smile when I manually focus on a real long-throw helicoid - nostalgia - it isn't all about pixel-peeping, your frame of mind when shooting counts too (assuming you photo for esthetics and not for technical representation).

[mikeodial]

I also use the AIS Nikkor 105 f/2.5 (via adapter) on my 20 MP Canon, and I like the rendering a lot - meaning, the aberrations are pleasingly balanced and are slightly recognizable, 1970s coating also recognizable. I recently acquired the Voigtlander Apo-Lanthar 125mm f/2.5 macro, a fabulous 1:1 manual-focus macro, but don't think that it totally replaces the Nikkor - rendering is quite a bit different, due to the apochromatic nature. The Voigtlander has a "transparent" rendering suitable for nature photography (which is most of what I do), but maybe a little "clinical" for portraiture. I am keeping my inherited lenses around as "special effects" and also occasionally as compact lenses - and I smile when I manually focus on a real long-throw helicoid - nostalgia - it isn't all about pixel-peeping, your frame of mind when shooting counts too (assuming you photo for esthetics and not for technical representation).

Hi Nancy, I understand what you are saying. One reason I really love the Sigma SD1 and one or two old lenses I still hung onto. I am interested to see how my Zeiss Medium format 80mm T* and 150 T* from my Hasselblad will play on the D810 for the same reason. I am not expecting technical glory but interesting rendering and colors I can put to use once I figure them out. The Sigma often produces images that look like KodaChrome 64, something which excites me.

[BernardLanguillier]

I am interested to see how my Zeiss Medium format 80mm T* and 150 T* from my Hasselblad will play on the D810 for the same reason. I am not expecting technical glory but interesting rendering and colors I can put to use once I figure them out.

I am using those V lenses on the D810 also. The color rendering is indeed different from modern Zeiss *T lenses.

The modern Zeiss feel totally transparent while the older ones, probably in part because they are less well corrected, have more personality.

Cheers,
Bernard

[LKaven]

The newer Sigma ART primes use an outsized image circle in order to achieve superior performance on the edges and in the corners.  [You can actually buy versions of the ART primes that are joined to tilt-shift mounts, allowing 12-15mm of shift.]  This explains why they are larger and heavier.  The very clean edges/corners should make them very good for landscape.

[mikeodial]

The newer Sigma ART primes use an outsized image circle in order to achieve superior performance on the edges and in the corners.  [You can actually buy versions of the ART primes that are joined to tilt-shift mounts, allowing 12-15mm of shift.]  This explains why they are larger and heavier.  The very clean edges/corners should make them very good for landscape.

Can you point me to where these are available? I am interested in the Art Series lens from Sigma.

[LKaven]

Can you point me to where these are available? I am interested in the Art Series lens from Sigma.

That's from Stefan Steib at Hartblei, and it's called the Hcam-Master TS.  www.hcam.de

He's here, discussing tests on the new Canon ultrawide and the Sigma ARTs:

http://forum.luminous-landscape.com/index.php?topic=99985.0

Check out the amount of shift he gets from the ART 35 and 50!

I don't know that these are available /just yet/, but if you get in touch with Stefan, he'll tell you.  Keep in mind that these lenses are sold with modified mounts.  They are not adapters for stock lenses. 

[mikeodial]

I am using those V lenses on the D810 also. The color rendering is indeed different from modern Zeiss *T lenses.

The modern Zeiss feel totally transparent while the older ones, probably in part because they are less well corrected, have more personality.

Cheers,
Bernard

Hi Bernard, do you have any examples of your work on the V lenses on the D810? I would be very interested in your take on the rendering. Right now I am considering selling those lenses with my film gear, but might hold off if I am going to regret it.

Thanks,

Mike

[Ellis Vener]

For Landscape work:
the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 HSM DG Art lens
Either the Zeiss ZF 100mm Makro (manual focus or the Nikon AFS 105mm f/2.8G Micro-Nikkor (manual and auto focus

Add to this:
Either the Really Right Stuff Pano Elements Package with Lever-Release package http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/Shop/Panorama-Packages-for-Single-Multi-Row/Pano-Elements-Package-with-Lever-Release.html  if you are only interested in Single row panos

or the , LR http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/Shop/Panorama-Packages-for-Single-Multi-Row/Multi-Row-Pano-Elements-Package.html for doing multi-row work as well.

for macro work, add the FAS-Clamp  http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/Shop/Sliding-Clamps/FAS-Clamp.html . Using this in combination with the CB-10 camera bar that is part of the Multi-Row Pano Elements Package makes positioning the camera for macro-work much easier.

You'll also want the BD810-L: L-Plate for the D810 http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/Shop/D810/BD810-L-L-Plate-for-Nikon-D810.html

[dwswager]

For landscape the Nikon 70-200 f/4 VR is a better choice than the f/2.8 and weighs much less.

I concur, however, there are 3 valid choices from Nikon in this range:

AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8 VRII - $2400
AF-S 70-200mm f/4 VR -$1400
AF-D 80-200mm f/2.8 EDIF -$1200

I shot with the last lens for 17 years and the first one for the last 2.  While VR is helpful for handholding in low light for stationary subjects, it doesn't help with moving subjects.  Also, the f/4 has 67mm filter threads as opposed to 77mm of the other 2.  These are not trivial points for those of us that shoot more than landscapes.

In addition these lenses make great portrait lenses and the f/2.8 aperture is helpful for popping the subject.  If I had the money, I would probably own both the 1st and 2nd as well as the 24-70mm f/2.8 and the 24-120mm f/4 VR!

[David Anderson]

For landscape the Nikon 70-200 f/4 VR is a better choice than the f/2.8 and weighs much less.

True that. I've shot with both for landscape/travel sort of stuff and the f4 wins on handling, but for my music/portraits stuff, the 2.8 is better IMHO.

I wish that like Canon, there was an f4 version without the IS to further reduce cost and weight - I think I would get one for sure.

[brandtb]

I use my D810 primarily with a 24-70 and 14-24 f2.8...this for landscape and arch. work...both superb. The 70-200 f2.8 is a fantastic lens for cam as well...longer focals especially for "stitching panos" as J. Schewe mentioned...very very useful. Your lens list of primes looks like it is for reportage work? I think you might need to reconsider your list if it is indeed for "landscape" /B

[mikeodial]

For Landscape work:
the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 HSM DG Art lens
Either the Zeiss ZF 100mm Makro (manual focus or the Nikon AFS 105mm f/2.8G Micro-Nikkor (manual and auto focus

Add to this:
Either the Really Right Stuff Pano Elements Package with Lever-Release package http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/Shop/Panorama-Packages-for-Single-Multi-Row/Pano-Elements-Package-with-Lever-Release.html  if you are only interested in Single row panos

or the , LR http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/Shop/Panorama-Packages-for-Single-Multi-Row/Multi-Row-Pano-Elements-Package.html for doing multi-row work as well.

for macro work, add the FAS-Clamp  http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/Shop/Sliding-Clamps/FAS-Clamp.html . Using this in combination with the CB-10 camera bar that is part of the Multi-Row Pano Elements Package makes positioning the camera for macro-work much easier.

You'll also want the BD810-L: L-Plate for the D810 http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/Shop/D810/BD810-L-L-Plate-for-Nikon-D810.html

Hi Ellis,

Very helpful information. You recommend the 50mm Sigma, is there a reason you would not use the 35mm Sigma or the 24mm Sigma?

Thanks

Mike

[mikeodial]

Thank you all for the great input here on this forum. I have placed the order for the D810 and have started out with a 50mm f1.2 and an adapter for my Hasselblad lenses.

I have sold my Hasselblad film camera and almost all my Pentax stuff (just a few items left on eBay). It is a time of change.

Anyway, I am going to continue to muse over the options and advice in this thread. For me I am very interested in quality, but also the "character" of the lens and this sensor. It is at that intersection I find things most interesting.

Here is a recent one from the SD1 which represents some of pictures in nature that excite me.


Any further thoughts and suggestions are most welcome I still have most the budget to go, but right now am leaning in the direction of:

105 Nikon Macro G
70-200mm zoom G f.4 (smaller one)

Perhaps a 35mm Nikkor or Sigma (not sure what to do here)

Maybe the 24mm Sigma?

Zeiss is still very inticing.


But I need to learn the camera each lens well.

Thanks again.

Mike