So I finally pulled the trigger on a used Nikon D850 because everyone kept saying it’s the king for landscapes but honestly I think I’m in over my head with this thing. I live out in Colorado and I spend basically every weekend hiking around places like Estes Park or near Boulder and I really wanted to start taking those high quality photos of the peaks and the trees but so far everything I take just looks... off. I have this 24-120mm lens that came with it and when I look at the photos on my laptop they just look kinda mushy and soft especially around the edges of the frame and it’s super frustrating because the camera itself was so expensive and I expected it to just work.

I’ve been trying to read up on this stuff but it’s so confusing with all the numbers and letters like f-stops and focal lengths. People on some other sites keep talking about "prime lenses" being way better for sharpness but I don’t really get why you would want a lens that doesn’t even zoom in and out? Like wouldn't that make it way harder to frame the shot if I’m standing on a cliff or something? But then other people say the "holy trinity" of zooms is the way to go but those cost way more than my actual car did. I’m really just looking for that one "magic" lens that makes everything look crystal clear and professional like those big prints you see in galleries.

I have about $1,400 saved up right now and I’m totally fine with buying used gear from a shop if that helps me get something higher quality but I just dont want to waste more money on something that isn't a massive upgrade over what I already have. I have a big trip coming up to Rocky Mountain National Park in about three weeks and I really want to have the right gear by then so I don't blow the opportunity to get some good shots. Sorry if this is a total beginner question but I’m just lost with all the options out there like Sigma and Tamron versus the Nikon ones and I dont know which ones are actually the sharpest for landscapes?