I just upgraded to a D850 for a wedding I have in literally two weeks and Im freaking out a bit because my old zooms just arent cutting it on this sensor. Everything looks soft when I zoom in to 100 percent. I spent hours reading reviews and everyone keeps mentioning the Sigma 35mm Art or the Nikon 50mm 1.8G but the opinions are all over the place. My logic was that the 50mm would be a cheap safe bet but then I read a bunch of threads saying the D850 sensor is so demanding that older or cheaper glass just looks like trash on it.
So then I looked at the Nikon 35mm 1.4G but that price tag is really steep for something that people say has slower autofocus compared to the newer stuff. I need something sharp enough to handle the 45.7 megapixels because Im shooting this ceremony in Seattle and the lighting is probably gonna be dark and moody. I have about 1200 dollars left in my budget for one really solid prime lens. Should I go for the Sigma Art line or stick with Nikon Gold Ring glass? Some people say the Sigma has major focus hunt issues on Nikon bodies but the sharpness is supposedly way better for high res sensors. Im just stuck between wanting that crazy detail and needing something that actually hits focus every time...
Look, i totally get the panic. When I first jumped to the D850 I thought my old glass was broken because it looked so soft. That sensor is a total beast. Honestly, i would be careful with the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art for Nikon F for a wedding. Its incredibly sharp when it hits, but mine had focus issues in darker venues and i almost missed a first kiss shot because it kept hunting. It was pretty stressful tbh. You might want to consider the Tamron SP 35mm f/1.4 Di USD for Nikon F instead. Its basically the best 35mm for that mount and the autofocus feels more reliable than the Sigma. I tried the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 35mm f/1.4G too but that focus is just too slow for weddings nowadays. For a dark Seattle ceremony, the Tamron gives you that detail without the huge price tag... just make sure to calibrate it.
Coming back to this thread after digging through some of my old test shots. Unfortunately, the D850 is a sensor that really exposes every tiny flaw in your optics. I spent a lot of time and money trying to find a prime that didnt fall apart at the edges, and honestly, I was pretty disappointed with the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 35mm f/1.4G performance. For that kind of money, the longitudinal chromatic aberration was much worse than I expected, and it just couldnt resolve the fine detail that 45 megapixels demands. I had similar issues with the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G too. It is a great budget lens for lower res bodies, but it basically becomes a soft mess on the D850 when you are shooting wide open. If you are sticking to that 1200 dollar budget, here is my take after some trial and error:
- The Tamron SP 35mm f/1.4 Di USD for Nikon F is the actual winner for high-res sensors. It is technically superior to the Nikon 1.4G in terms of sharpness and handles the Seattle dampness better with its sealing.
- Look into the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 28mm f/1.4E ED used. It is a bit more expensive but the resolving power is actually matched to the sensor.
- Stay away from the older D-series glass. The micro-contrast is not as good as expected on modern high-MP bodies. Ngl, I ended up selling my Sigma Art because the focus consistency was a letdown. Its frustrating because the glass is sharp, but if it hunts during a ceremony, the sharpness doesnt matter.
