This post originated from an RSS feed registered with Ruby Buzz by Nathaniel Brown. Original Post: Highest Quality Nikon (Nikkor) Lens Choices Feed Title: Nathaniel Brown Feed URL: http://feeds.feedburner.com/nshb Feed Description: Insight as a professional Technology Consltant and Photographer. Latest Ruby Buzz Posts Latest Ruby Buzz Posts by Nathaniel Brown Latest Posts From Nathaniel Brown

I was just speaking with a photographer out of LA today and he had asked what lenses I used, and what I perceieved as the highest quality choices of the array of lenses Nikon offers. Here are my picks. Understand that most of these lenses start at about $1,700 and go up to just under $10,000. So that being said, when you buy one of these, know that you are buying the best of the best. There is no higher quality that Nikon offers, and for that matter, any other lens manufacturer that works with the Nikon F Mount.

At the bottom of this page, you will find an attached PDF which outlines my favourite lenses of the Nikon family.

Generally speaking, for those looking to get started with professional lenses by Nikon, start with the Zooms. Then move onto the Primes, and perhaps even then go onto the specialty lenses. It will depend why you bought your camera, and what you plan on doing with it which will really determine what you range and focus lengths you choose from. But I can assure you, any lens on this list is of professional standard and you will be getting the highest quality possible. Prime lense offer the best sharpness, and faster lens (Speed / F Stop). Zooms usually require one to two F-stops down from what you see in order to achieve the maximum sharpness. Such as the 28-70mm zoom. I usually shoot at minimum at f/4 or above and below f/11 and adjust other options such as the ISO or shutter speed in order to allow me to shoot within this range.

In order of personal preference, here are the top 10 lenses I plan to purchase, or have purchased already.

1. 28-70MM f/2.8 AF-S ZM D
2. 50MM f/2.8 AF D
3. 70-200MM f/2.8 AF-S ZM G VR
4. 105MM f/2.8 MICRO AF-S VR D IF ED
5. 17-35MM f/2.8 AF-S ZM D
6. 300MM f/2.8 AF-S VR ED D
7. 85MM f/2.8 TILT SHIFT MICRO D
8. 14MM f/2.8 FISH EYE AF ED D
9. 200-400MM f/4 AF-S ZM D VR
10. 600MM f/4 AF-S D IF ED II

These zoom ranges also work well with Canon. They may be off by a few MM's here and there, but for a general sense of quality between the two manufacturers, they compete pretty dead on when it comes to the lenses. When using these measurements for the Canon range, be sure to look at the options as well. "IS" lenses are of the highest quality. You'll note this most significantly with the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM and the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM lenses with an MSRP of $1,000 USD difference between the two.