Im leaving for the Grand Canyon next Tuesday and still havent grabbed a wide lens for my D850 and im lowkey panicking. I did some digging and everyone says the Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 is the goat but then i read about the front element being a pain for filters and I really wanted to do some long exposure shots. Some people say the 20mm prime is better for sharpness but I'm scared it wont be wide enough for those huge views. My budget is around $1400 and I gotta order something by tonight so it gets here in time. Is the 14-24 still the king for full frame or should I look at the Sigma Art stuff instead?
Yo, you gotta check out the Tamron SP 15-30mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2! Seriously, its an absolute beast on the D850 and way more affordable than the native Nikon version. I used it for a mountain trip last year and the image stabilization is a total lifesaver when you dont have a tripod handy. It handles flares really well too which is gonna be huge for those high-contrast Grand Canyon sunsets!! If youre really worried about the filter situation for those long exposures, the bulbous front element on most ultra-wides is definitely a headache. I ended up getting the Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG HSM Art because the sharpness is just insane, honestly might even beat the Nikon glass for hundreds of dollars less. It still has the filter issue tho... so if you want easy screw-on filters and wanna save a ton of money, just grab the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 20mm f/1.8G ED. Its super light and takes standard 77mm filters which are cheap and easy to find. Honestly 20mm is plenty wide for the canyon if you do a quick panorama stitch. Youll save like $700 compared to your budget and can spend that on a killer filter kit instead! Definitely dont panic, you have amazing options that wont break the bank and will still look professional.
