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What Lenses for the D800?

Can't believe it took 4 weeks for this lens to be mentioned. :)
yes, no question the 105/2 DC will be a main lens. My favorite Nikon portrait lens. My D800 "kit"
17-35
28/1.4
Zeiss 50/2 makro-planar
85/1.4D
105/2DC
70-200 VR I
 
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Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Mine will be
14-24
35 1.4G
50 1.8G
85 1.4 G
180 2.8

Im still on the bubble if the 180 will work okay. I did buy it used though so worth a try.
 

Lars

Active member
Can't believe it took 4 weeks for this lens to be mentioned. :)
I have the 135/2 DC - It's slightly too long to be universally useful.

THe problem with the DC lens is that it's a really complicated design (not just optically) and you have take great care with it in the field. Even in a heavily padded bag, a drop can cause the internal mechanics to misalign. This is what happened to mine. $$$$.

Today's zooms are of course just as complex. They are just built better.
 

tjv

Active member
My 50mm f1.4 G was a total pig. I have replaced it with the 1.8 G and it is much better. I'm a bit doubtful as to whether my 24-70 will hold up on 36mpx, but it's a great all purpose lens.
My ideal D800 kit would be:
14 - 24 G (AMAZING lens)
24 - 70 G
24mm PC-E
45mm PC-E
50mm f1.8 G
35mm f1.4 G
If I had the money I'd also buy the 50mm Zeiss Makro-Planar.
I have no need for anything long in my bag.
 

Jan Brittenson

Senior Subscriber Member
I've been collecting lenses for the D800E as well, testing the out on the D7000.

My D7000 backfocused badly (-13 on AF tune default, even with manual lenses). It went to Nikon and came back spot on. And I mean spot on.

80-400 VR: pretty low contrast lens. Smooth, nice bokeh. Everyone complains about it, but I like this lens a lot. Being low contrast, it gets cut off early by the D7k's AA filter. It's always almost there but never quite sharp; and it looks exactly the same on a D700, so clearly it's a product of the low contrast plus AA filter. The D800E should do better, or so I hope at least. Not sure how the corners will handle on FX, but I'm holding onto it for now and might shoot it in crop mode. 1.2x might be a good option. AF on my copy is spot on.

14-24. Good lens out of the box, in fact quite good. But mine backfocused severely on the 24 end, about a foot at 10'. Had it serviced by Nikon and got back a STELLAR lens with spot-on focus anywhere, everywhere. So they fixed not only AF, but overall improved the lens with whatever adjustments they made.

24-70. Same problem as 14-24; out of the box, good lens with serious backfocus at 70mm (-15 vs 0 at 14mm). Unusable. It's off to Nikon.

50/1.4G. Serious backfocus, but it's fixed with a -17 AF tune. Very glowy wide open (as in flarey, not as in Leica). Lots of tangential chromatic aberration. It's good at f/2.8 and excellent at f/4. But I don't have any use for an f/1.4 lens that needs to be stopped down to f/4. I'll be sending this to Nikon for service regardless of whether I keep it or not. At least I'll be selling a lens up to spec. Given how the 14-24 improved overall with an adjustment, if the 24-70 also improves as dramatically overall I'll be sending the 50 in.

85/1.8G - on backorder.

AIS 105/2.8 Micro. Fine lens, no complaints. Nothing spectacular either.

Mamiya 645 APO 200/2.8 with an adapter. Excellent lens.
Mamiya 120/4 Macro - excellent lens. I like this much better than the 105 Micro.

AIS 105/2.5 - will get one of these just because. Nice lens at a bargain price.

But in general I have little interest in manual focus prime lenses on a DSLR. The M9 is superior for that kind of use and the whole benefit of a DSLR to me is versatility. Don't really need one-trick ponies that just sit unused waiting for the perfect moment. (When I probably won't have it with me anyway. Meh.)

Also, I've observed:
- Nikon cameras and lenses need a trip to Nikon more often than not, so expect this when buying.
- The good news is they come back as 'good copies'.
- If AF is off on a lens, then chances are good it's not performing up to par in general. Send it to Nikon.
 
Anybody on this lens... AF-S Micro-Nikkor 60mm f/2.8G ED Macro Autofocus Lens.
I never known anyone owning it. I kind of like the idea. On Photozone has great ratings..

ACH
 
Minimalist kit for me.

24-70 f2.8
28 f2.8 Schneider PC Super Angulon (already have it; currently testing)
50 1.8g (something small fast cheap)
 

tjv

Active member
Hang on a second.. Schneider do a PC Super Angulon in F mount?!?! That I did not know! How does it compare to the Nikon?

Minimalist kit for me.

24-70 f2.8
28 f2.8 Schneider PC Super Angulon (already have it; currently testing)
50 1.8g (something small fast cheap)
 

TimothyHyde

Subscriber Member
I have the 135/2 DC - It's slightly too long to be universally useful.

THe problem with the DC lens is that it's a really complicated design (not just optically) and you have take great care with it in the field. Even in a heavily padded bag, a drop can cause the internal mechanics to misalign. This is what happened to mine. $$$$.

Today's zooms are of course just as complex. They are just built better.
I haven't tried this it on my new D4 yet, but I love the 135, often take it on trips abroad rather than the less-compact 70-200. I've beat it around pretty badly but it hasn't mis-aligned yet, and always considered it fairly rugged. Now you will have me coddling it.
 

monza

Active member
IMHO, the DC lenses are über-built. All that metal and crinkle paint. :) I suppose a drop of the right distance and angle could mis-align almost any lens, zoom or otherwise...
 
Hang on a second.. Schneider do a PC Super Angulon in F mount?!?! That I did not know! How does it compare to the Nikon?
Here's the lens.

I only use the Nikon 24 tilt/shift once ... rented for a commercial job, which is something I don't do often. The Nikon was very good, although the mechanics of it seemed a bit convoluted ... there's a wee locking knob, and there's the whole tilt assembly adding complication, which I found no use for in the 24.

It's hard for me to compare optical quality of the two, since I just used the Nikon for magazine pictures, and I wasn't fussing over them like I do with personal work that's intended for bigger prints and longer shelf life.

Reviews I've read by people who have owned both lenses pretty uniformly give the optical nod to the Schneider.

A friend who shoots architecture with a Canon system says that the Schneider trounces the older Canon TSE lenses, but that their brand new ones are more or less its equal.

I'll link to a couple of my test images later.
 
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mark1958

Member
I had one of these a number of years ago with a canon mount. It was not that great of a lens. It might have been better than the original 24mm TSE but it produced horrible chromatic aberration and non-sharp corners especially when shifted. I am sure it is not as good as the new 24mm TSE from canon-- which i own and think is a wonderful lens
 
V

Vivek

Guest
IMHO, the DC lenses are über-built. All that metal and crinkle paint. :) I suppose a drop of the right distance and angle could mis-align almost any lens, zoom or otherwise...
I am surprised that you could not identify polycarbonate as plastic. :shocked:
 
I had one of these a number of years ago with a canon mount. It was not that great of a lens. It might have been better than the original 24mm TSE but it produced horrible chromatic aberration and non-sharp corners especially when shifted. I am sure it is not as good as the new 24mm TSE from canon-- which i own and think is a wonderful lens
There might be a lot of sample variation with these. I read an online review from someone else saying the same thing as you, and responses from other people saying they couldn't imagine what he was talking about.

I know someone who has both the Schneider and the new generation Canon TSE lenses. He prefers the Canon because 24mm is more useful for him but he finds them optically similar.
 

tjv

Active member
Thanks Paul,
Good to know there are a few options. When I get my D800 I'm almost certainly going to order a PC lens, most probably the Nikon 24mm although a 28mm would suit me just as well. I've never seen the Schneider before so I can't compare. There doesn't seem to be many reviews directly comparing the two online either.
 

Aaron

New member
I don't see many listing the PC-E lenses....

I'd have thought for landscape orientated work on the D800 the perspective control lenses would be on any list,

Why the lack of interest? :confused:
 
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