Best Lenses for Nikon D850

The Nikon D850 is one of the most versatile and capable full frame DSLR cameras on the market. With its high-resolution 45.7MP sensor, fast continuous shooting speeds, and excellent autofocus capabilities, the D850 excels for everything from landscapes to portraits to action shots.

To get the most out of the powerful D850, having the right lenses is essential. But with Nikon’s vast array of lens options, it can be difficult to determine which are the absolute best choices specifically for the D850. This article breaks down the top lenses in various categories – from wide angle and telephoto to primes and zooms – to help you build the perfect lens kit for your D850.

All-Around Zoom Lenses

Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8E ED VR If you could only buy one lens for your D850, the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 would be it. This versatile focal range covers everything from wide landscape shots to cropped portraits. With a fast constant aperture of f/2.8, the lens performs incredibly well in low light. The vibration reduction (VR) system provides up to 4 stops of compensation, allowing for sharp handheld shots even with the high resolution demands of the D850 sensor. From studio work to weddings to travel, this lens delivers exceptional image quality in a rugged, weather-sealed body. It’s extremely versatile and a workhorse for any Nikon full frame camera system.

Nikon 24-120mm f/4G ED VR For those looking for a more extended zoom range in an affordable package, check out the Nikon 24-120mm f/4. While you sacrifice a little on maximum aperture, the VR stabilization provides up to 4 stops of advantage. And the lens still delivers excellent sharpness, contrast, and color rendition. The versatility to go from true wide angle to mid-telephoto in one lens makes this an outstanding choice as a walkaround lens for landscapes, portraits, vacations and day-to-day shooting.

Wide Angle Lenses

Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G ED No list of lenses for the D850 would be complete without mentioning this Nikon staple. The Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 is widely considered to be the best ultra wide angle zoom lens ever created. With incredible corner-to-corner sharpness, fast aperture, virtually no distortion, and gorgeous color and contrast, this lens delivers images of breathtaking depth, detail and dynamic range. From sweeping architectural shots to dramatic landscapes, the 14-24mm helps photographers fully realize the incredible potential of the D850’s sensor. Just be aware that the lens does not take screw-on filters and there is pronounced focus breathing. But for image quality, it simply doesn’t get any better than this for an ultra wide.

Nikon 20mm f/1.8G ED For a wider prime lens optimized for low light performance and astro-photography, check out the Nikon 20mm f/1.8. The incredibly bright maximum aperture of f/1.8 gives photographers the ability to shoot sharp images even in extremely dark conditions. The lens also delivers excellent control of sagittal coma flare for brilliant point light sources when shooting the stars or cityscapes at night. The fast aperture also helps create glorious background bokeh blur for subject isolation. And the relatively compact and lightweight body make it highly portable for those willing to give up a little on the zoom range side.

Telephoto Lenses

Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR
Possibly Nikon’s most versatile telephoto zoom, the refreshed 70-200mm f/2.8 delivers outstanding image quality and performance for everything from sports to portraits to nature shots. One of the standout features of this lens is its robust fluorite element, which provides superior control over lens aberrations and contributes to its tack sharp images across the entire frame. With a fast constant aperture, great color rendition, fast and virtually silent autofocus, and 5 stops of vibration reduction, this lens has everything needed to get clear shots at distance in challenging lighting. And the reach provided between 70mm and 200mm works beautifully for subjects ranging for framed portraits to isolated wildlife.

Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR For even more serious telephoto reach on a budget, the Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6 zoom lens is hard to top. Costing less than $1,400, photographers get a massive amount of range in single robustly constructed lens. With Nikon’s high-end optics and coatings, images show beautiful color rendition, contrast and sharpness through 500mm. And Nikon’s powerful vibration reduction provides up to 4.5 stops of advantage for sharpness in challenging light. While the aperture doesn’t remain constant at the higher end of the zoom range, photographers have the ability to stop down to boost sharpness when needed. And yet still maintain faster shutter speeds thanks so the VR abilities. This makes it a compelling choice for birding, wildlife, sports and aviation photographers.

Prime Lenses

Nikon 85mm f/1.8G
A short telephoto prime like the Nikon 85mm f/1.8 is considered by many portrait photographers to be an essential part of their gear kit. The fast f/1.8 aperture combined with an 85mm field of view on full frame provide the ultimate combination for subject isolation with creamy background bokeh. The fast aperture also excels in low light scenarios. And images show exceptional sharpness, color and contrast. When shooting portraits on either full frame or cropped sensor bodies, an 85mm prime lens really helps subjects pop thanks to flattering perspective that avoids distortions. This affordable, compact and lightweight lens delivers outstanding results for both studio and on-location portraiture.

Nikon 105mm f/1.4E ED On the higher end of the prime spectrum, Nikon delivers its legendary 105mm f/1.4. With an incredible maximum aperture, this lens is renowned for its ability to create stunning images with gorgeously soft background blur. Part of what makes such soft backgrounds possible is the degree to which chromatic aberrations even on extreme edges of the frame are controlled. No fringing distracts from the glorious bokeh. The lens also utilizes a powerful 9-blade diaphragm to maintain gorgeous circular out of focus highlights, even when stopping down the aperture a bit. Anyone looking to isolate subjects with tack sharp focus transitioning into the ultimate creamy background will instantly fall in love with the drawing from this masterpiece of a lens.

Macro

Nikon 105mm f/2.8G VR Micro In Nikon’s macro lens lineup, the 105mm f/2.8 stands out in terms of performance for the price. With life-size 1:1 reproduction ratio allowing for extremely close focusing ability, and stellar optical design providing corner-to-corner sharpness, this lens excels for macro photography. With extra-low dispersion elements controlling chromatic aberrations and both vibration reduction and a silent wave autofocus motor built right in, the lens performs incredibly well in the field. The added working distance compared to shorter macro lenses helps provide more natural light and avoid frightening away tiny subjects. For reasonably priced near life-size macro capability optimized for the D850 and a versatile mid telephoto focal length, this is a compelling choice.

Specialized Lenses

Nikon 19mm f/4E ED Tilt Shift One of the more unique lenses in Nikon’s arsenal, the 19mm f/4 tilt-shift offers perspective control unseen in other Nikkor lenses. Specifically, the tilt and shift functions provide enormous control over depth of field and perspective by allowing adjustments to the plane of focus and orientation of the lens relative to the image sensor. This allows photographers to correct distortions and creatively adjust depth of field. The resulting images when used appropriately showcase incredible edge-to-edge sharpness. The lens also includes vibration reduction and nano crystal coating for flare control when shooting wide open. For architectural, landscape and creative applications, no other lens provides flexibility quite like a tilt-shift.

Nikon 58mm f/0.95 S Noct On the completely opposite end of the spectrum lies one of Nikon’s most specialized lenses ever created. The manual focus 58mm f/0.95 S Noct was designed specifically for two purposes – extremely shallow depth of field with pure creamy bokeh and low light photography with maximum light gathering ability. At over $7,000 it’s far from a mainstream lens. But those looking for an ultra-fast lens that can create portraits with almost impossibly thin depth of field rendering need look no further. With 9 rounded aperture blades and extreme aberration control, beautifully artistic images are possible at wide apertures where almost nothing else can even function. For the right photographers, this lens offers creative possibilities beyond any autofocus lens in Nikon’s lineup.

Conclusion

With the variety of superb prime and zoom lenses available from Nikon, photographers have incredible options when building out a pro-level kit around the impressive D850 camera body. From all-in-one performer like the 24-70mm f/2.8 to specialized lenses like macros and tilt-shifts, Nikon offers stability, reliability and stunning image quality. Factor in robust weather sealing, fast apertures for low light photography, vibration reduction for sharpness and extended creative control through tilt-shift movements and the potential is limitless. When paired with the right lenses, the power of the D850 sensor can be fully utilized by amateurs and professionals alike. So whether you’re focused on landscapes, portraits, sports, macro or architectural work, Nikon surely has you covered with some of the best lenses ever engineered.