There can be only one...

gathomas72

New member
I know this is a broad question and a total noob one at that but I feel with the vast lens selection out there it is one that really needs to be asked. I got the word from the boss-woman that Santa would be bringing me the D800e for xmas, which for those of you who shoot on a budget know is a costly venture for the body alone. I've been shooting another brand (to remain nameless..teehee) for a while now and have made several lens purchases for it so I'll be starting over from scratch with the 800e, so my question is this. If you had the choice only purchasing one lens to pair up with the D800e what would it be? Now I know most of you will say that it depends on what you plan on shooting. As a hobbyist I shoot everything from portraits to motorsports to still-life, and landscapes. Now I know one lens will not cover the range of subjects listed overall, but I'd like to make a solid lens purchase that I can utilize well through a variety of settings until I can afford to purchase more lenses. Oh and my goal is to eventually crossover into a pro environment so I'm not afraid of spending some dough on quality glass.

Thank you in advance.
 

Marcel

Happily retired
Staff member
Super Mod
The first lens I would get would be the 24-70 2.8, second, the 70-200 2.8. Third, 16-35 f4. At first I never thought I'd need these and got other lenses " in the meantime". But now I have all these lenses that stay in the bag and I use the 3 above mentioned.
 

Geoffc

Senior Member
One lens. For me the 24-120f4 covers a lot of bases and i chose it over the the 24-70 for reasons other than cost. In a lab it's not quite up to the 24-70 2.8, however I find the extra reach and VR for low light handheld shots more of a benefit. It spends more time on my D800 than anything else.

If you go down this route you could also pick up the 50mm 1.8g within the cost of a 24-70.
 

Ruidoso Bill

Senior Member
The first lens I would get would be the 24-70 2.8, second, the 70-200 2.8. Third, 16-35 f4. At first I never thought I'd need these and got other lenses " in the meantime". But now I have all these lenses that stay in the bag and I use the 3 above mentioned.

Fully agree except just used my 14-24 and it is an awesome lens. Had an interior product kitchen gig on tuesday and after a little perspective correction it is an extremely sharp lens.

These were shot with my 24-70 & 14-24

http://www.wjyphoto.com/p39734899/h312cdbd9#h312cdbd9
 
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aroy

Senior Member
Try what people normally did before the DSLR and AF era. Get a fast 50mm prime, preferably a 50mmf1.4 and from there explore further. Nothing beats a 50mm on a FF(or film) camera for versatility. You can later explore the Telephotos and/or wide angles depending on your inclination.
 

gathomas72

New member
Thank you for all the responses and helpful information.  I'm really looking forward to getting in some serious shutter time with the D800e.  One of the down falls I'm dealing with in my current setup is lowlight shooting and I'm really looking forward to having a camera that can step up my game in this area.   Also living in the Midwest I spend a great deal of time outdoors and would like to find an appropriate wide angle lens that will compliment the full frame feature of the D800.   I also would like to have at least a midrange zoom for when shooting most subjects because I find people as well as animals tend to lose their natural state once they know a camera is pointned in their direction.   My most important desire though is to capture the sharpest images possible.    There have been several times this year while shooting macro situations that I just couldn't achieve the quality of image that I desired, which was highly frustrating.


Gregg Thomas

500px / Gregg Thomas / Photos
 
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aroy

Senior Member
There are plenty of wide angle lenses both zooms and primes. The best indicator of what you want is to rent a good zoom in the 18-50mm range and then see what you use the most.

If you do not want to spook the subjects then 150-200mm telephoto range is the best
 

Dave_W

The Dude
You can not go wrong with Nikon's holy trinity lenses. The holy trinity is comprised of the three finest zoom lenses ever made (better, I contend, than Canon's equivalents). They are the 14-24mm f/2.8; 24-70 f/2.8; and 70-200mm f/2.8. My 24-70mm spends a lot of its time on my camera, so much so that I occasionally wish I hadn't bought my primes since I hardly ever use them (except, of course, my 85mm f/1.8. I don't think there's a better portrait lens out there. It can make ugly people look good! ;)).
 

wud

Senior Member
Good question. I guess I would say 24-70mm too, even though I don't own it, but this would give plenty to work with.

If it should be a prime, I would say 35mm f/2 :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

nmccamy

Senior Member
Why don't you try renting a lens or two?

I highly suggest that every serious photographer set aside money to use toward camera and lens rentals. I have learned so much renting countless times over the years. Don't just rely on reviews, word-of-mouth, or anything else. See for yourself! Rent a lens or camera and design your own experiments based on your style of photography. You will discover many surprises along the way! And your opinion offerings will be truly informed.
 

JDFlood

Senior Member
If I had no lenses (I think I have 12+ contemporary Nikon FX lenses), no question I would buy the 35mm f1.4 first and stay with it for a long long time. Fast, sharp, perfect for street, architecture, landscape and general purposes. It is the lens I use most. JD
 

perry1963

New member
If $ is not an issue I'd get the 27-70 f2.8, if you want to save a little go for the 28-70 f2.8, if $ is an issue I'd look at something form Tamron or Sigma but in the same focal range as the 24-70mm.
 

wrxified

New member
First time post. Here's my thoughts on it.

Have owned the D800 for 7 months now. Took some getting used to. To be honest I loved my Nikon 24-70 f2.8 on my previous D700. It's not seemed quite as glorious on my D800. You've probably read all the controversy surrounding the D800 and it's pre-requisites for a quality lens, and more importantly the shooters attention to stepping up their game on the overall shooting technique. This camera will expose both the shooter's and lenses flaws quicker than anything I've ever used.

That said my decision for one and only one lens on the D800 would be completely different than most cameras I've owned. 9 times out of 10 if you ask someone this question I think the default answer would be one of the higher quality zooms available. I would say no. While I agree that the Nikon 24-70 is one of, if not the best, standard zoom option for an FX body, I see more flaws in it now than I ever saw before. The corners get rather soft especially in the 35mm range where I find myself shooting a lot. The Nikon 85mm f/1.4 is stunning on the D800 but it's honestly too long to consider as an only option.

This brings me to choice which is one I don't currently own but know first hand what it's capable of. If I could have one, and only one lens, it would be the Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM | A. It's hard to even say that with a straight face because I'd never have considered Sigma in the past but their new Art Series lenses are absolutely, positively stunning. I would put this specific lens up against nearly anything out there today. And for your purpose with the type of shooting you mentioned I think it's worth considering. Unless of course you know it has to be a zoom. In that case if I had to have a zoom and fx I'd go back to the d700 or the d610. Sigma's 35mm is only $899. You could buy that and their new 24-105 f/4 for less than the Nikon 24-70 f/2.8

I'm excited to see more releases from Sigma in the Art series. I can't wait to see some tests on their new 24-105 f/4 with image stabilization. There is also some viscous rumor out there that they're working on a 24-70 f/2. Seems crazy to believe because the lens would need to be massive. I wouldn't have believed this rumor until they announced the 18-35 f/1.8 for APS-C senors.

If their 24-105 f/4 compares as well as their 35mm f/1.4 compares to Nikon's, I'll seriously be considering it.
 
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nmccamy

Senior Member
The reviews I've read of the Sigma AF 35mm f/1.4 indicate that it is a great lens, especially for the price, and compares very favorably with lenses costing much more.
 
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