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What is the sharpest lens for Nikon

Rethmeier

New member
I'm after the sharpest lens for my D3x.
Ideally a slight wide angle.
I've heard that the Voigtlander Ultron 2.0, 40mm SL II is very sharp and the
20 mm / F3,5 Color Skopar SL II as well.
I believe the 28 nikkor ais is also very sharp.
Any idea's here?

I'm photographing rugs and need as much detail as possible.

Cheers,
Willem.
 

pophoto

New member
I think I got that lens already.
It's the Nikon AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8 G ED.
W
It is a very commonly overlooked lenses that is more deserving and this maybe due to sample variation.

Although I know you are photographing rugs, and not sure on your applications, sharpest lenses usually come from telephoto form or macro lenses for detail!
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Just watch your distortion with any zoom for that matter. The 60mm macro was my first thought , well I take that back my first thought was my 200 F2 until you said copy work. LOL
 

docmoore

Subscriber and Workshop Member
I have not seen any lens with greater acuity and sharpness than the 85 PC-E...from Nikon.

Perhaps Zeiss or Leica 100 Macros....

Bob
 

D&A

Well-known member
Actually if you're looking for a lens to use indoor for copy work where flair isn't much of an issue and also a lens which has a relatively flat field....all combined with spectacular high resolution across it's entire image field, it would be the very original and 1st generation Vivitar series 1 90mm f2.5 macro. This lens is very different than succeeding generations of that lens labeled 90mm f2.5 and f2.8, so don't confuse the two. The original 90mm f2.5 (which came in Nikon Ai or Ais versions I believe), consistantly tested at approx 105-109 line pairs/mm by f11 (on axis) and into the corners. It's sharpness is pretty astonishing.

Unfortunately I've run across a few copies that were less than desirable. At more open apertures such as f5.6 and f8, it still run rings around most current lenses. To get to 1:1, there was an matched optical adapter/tube. I haven't tested one out on recent generations of DSLR's, but suppose under proper lighting, it still will give most currently made lenses a run for their money, including the most recent Nikkor Micro's. There was an early Tamrom 90mm f2.5 macro and a early Tokina 90mm macro, but as good a performer these lenses were, the Vivitar was in a class of its own and even today that class is small if a really good copy is found.

Dave (D&A)
 
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Rethmeier

New member
Thanks for all the advise,however nobody read my post properly.
I need something between 20 to 40mm angle on FX.
And yes, I do have a 85 PC-E and it's sharp,very sharp.
The problem is that I shoot these rugs from above and I'm already hovering 30 ft over them.
Cheers,
W
 

glenerrolrd

Workshop Member
Isn t your most important issue distortion and flatness of field ? You are in essence copying a pattern that fills the frame at 30 feet . You can t tolerate field curvature .

Sharpness will be good enough on any of the modern lenses ..if you can get the subject in focus edge to edge . This will require that you stop down significantly .

Also keep in mind that you don t have to fill the frame ....you can center the rug and avoid using the far corners ..if you can get the distance . A D3X has plenty of MP to allow cropping .

What Nikon lens is the sharpest ......shooting a flat subject at 30 ft at f8 or smaller . The one with the flattest field . Without looking my bet is the 24PC (even recognizing its not tops for generally usage ).

LensRentals has good tests on all the Nikon lenses and you will see the differences in resolution are often not material except on the edges .
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
You might try to get a copy of the newest Hartblei Super Rotator, it's a Zeiss lens and exceptional. It does shift and tilt too. The copy I got to demo was excellent corner to corner at f5.6 zeroed. Resolution falls off rapidly after about 5 or 6mm of shift however, but by all appearances an excellent lens.

The other lens I really like is my 35/1.4 AFS G. It is excellent after f4, and probably about equal to the 85 PC-E, little bit of barrel that is easily corrected.

I have an excellent copy of the 24 PC-E, but they do show sample variation, so you have to shop carefully.
 

glenerrolrd

Workshop Member
Jack

Can the raw convertor really correct for curvature of field as it affects resolution? My impression was that it flattened the image making it look normal but that the edge resolution on a flat target would be less than the lens can deliver on the 3 dimensional target . Or do you think that shooting at F8 provides more than enough DOF to cover it ?

You might try to get a copy of the newest Hartblei Super Rotator, it's a Zeiss lens and exceptional. It does shift and tilt too. The copy I got to demo was excellent corner to corner at f5.6 zeroed. Resolution falls off rapidly after about 5 or 6mm of shift however, but by all appearances an excellent lens.

The other lens I really like is my 35/1.4 AFS G. It is excellent after f4, and probably about equal to the 85 PC-E, little bit of barrel that is easily corrected.

I have an excellent copy of the 24 PC-E, but they do show sample variation, so you have to shop carefully.
 

Jan Brittenson

Senior Subscriber Member
If it were me I'd consider the 45 PC-E, assuming it's wide enough.

If you can use DxO Optics Pro, then it has excellent module-based lens corrections that include higher-order complex distortion that takes focusing distance into account. This opens up for a lot of lenses that otherwise would have difficulty reproducing straight lines as such. Most other converters can only correct first-order distortions (pincushion/barrel).

Unfortunately, flat field and wide angle don't go hand in hand.

For a wide angle I'd look into the 28/1.8G, 24/1.4G, or 35/1.4G and stop them down to f/8. But the ones with the flattest fields will also have complex higher-order distortion. The 24-70 might work too, although I'd avoid the widest focal lengths.
 

Rethmeier

New member
These are the lenses I currently have.
All 3 PC-E lenses, the 14-24 and the 24-70.
I have been stopping the 24-70 down to F11, maybe I should go to F9.
Don't get me wrong,I'm sure it's sharp enough,the client is always happy, it's just me.
W
 

Udo

Member
Willem,

the Ultron is indeed a 'sharp' lens, but one has to like its 'clinical' rendering. And it has quite a lot barrel distortion at close distances.

The 20mm Skopar is a nice travel lens for its size, but has its compromises, i.e. very weak corners, which aren't getting that much better when stopping down. In this focal length range I'd consider the Carl Zeiss Zf 21 f2.8.

On the other end of the range there is the Nikkor 45 f2.8 Ai-P (Tessar type) lens, which is a bit overlooked. Stopped down it delivers a very even corner to corner resolving power and it is almost free from aberrations. Distortion is almost non existent. Good micro contrast.

Cheers,
Udo
 

Rethmeier

New member
Thanks for all the info guys,
I might do some test with my lenses at F9 instead.
The D800 E would be no good, imagine shooting rugs, moire hell!
W
 

ptomsu

Workshop Member
I have shot around 500 images with the D800E, some containing fabrics which should show moire - not a single issue with it so far!

I cannot understand why so many people are over-nervous about moire - this is FAR too much hype!
 

Rethmeier

New member
I don't want or need a D800 D800E
And Peter, how many rugs have you shot?
The only camera that will replace my D3x is a D4x or something.
W
 
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