'Image quality' means absolutely nothing if it isn't the focal length you need, or if the lens can't actually AF fast enough to track a moving subject (for the focal lengths at which that is relevant).
Theoretically perfect manual-focus lenses are all well and good if you're shooting nonmoving subjects in a controlled environment, but are far less useful out in the field where subjects are moving and you can't reshoot at leisure.
On that note:
Sony 12-24 f/2 8 GM - sharper than every other zoom in that range, as well as most of the primes, including all the primes at the wider end of the range.
Sigma 35mm f/1.2 DN - best thing in that focal length range with autofocus. Just pips out the Canon 35mm.
Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 E - sharp corner-to-corner at every focal length, and fast-focusing. No competitor in its class, although Canon and Tamron have a significant size and weight advantage in the RF and the 70-180.
Sigma 105mm f/1.4 - super-sharp, great bokeh. Less of a cat's eye bokeh at the edges compared to the Nikon, so it gets the win, but at a huge penalty in weight.
Sony 135 f/1.8 - this thing's just super-sharp.
Canon 200mm f/2L - super-sharp, smooth bokeh and fast-focusing. A look you can't really replicate with any other lens.
Canon/Sony/Nikon 400mm f/2.8 - all the 400/2.8 lenses are super-sharp. Sony wins this one on weight, but image quality is near-identical among the top-end superteles.
