Last Updated on November 17, 2020 by PixelPluck
The quality of the lens is best accessed when it is mounted on the camera. This means the camera will also play a role in the major lens parameters like sharpness, transmission, distortion, vignetting & chromatic aberration. A particular lens may give a stellar performance on one camera and the same lens may fail to reproduce similar results on another camera model. In this blog post, you will read about the best camera lens in the world in terms of performance.
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How to find the best lens?
The best lens is subject to the photographer’s requirement. Most beginner photographers overlook this fact when buying a new lens for their camera. What could be the best lens for a landscape photographer will certainly not be the best for a portrait photographer. However, the specific parameters can be sorted out and compared to find the best performing lens in the world.
Which Lens is the Best Camera Lens In The World?
The best lens in the world is Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG HSM A when mounted on a Nikon D850.
The Sigma Art series (denoted by ‘A’) prime lenses are the high-speed f/1.4 models that are designed to compete with the very best lenses from Canon, Nikon, and Zeiss. Not only does the Art series compete with the high-speed, high-grade, high-performance lenses, but Sigma 85mm f1.4 also outperforms and beats all Canon, Nikon, and Carl Zeiss lenses when mounted on a Nikon D850. Sigma’s pricing model is usually competitive enough to tempt those considering the other brands’ lower-end models. This means some of the Sigma lenses are affordable for serious hobbyists as well as professionals. This new lens isn’t as inexpensive as the earlier models in the range. At launch Sigma 85mm f1.4 Art was priced at around USD 1200.
Check Latest Sigma 85mm f1.4 DG HSM A Price in the USA – Europe – India.
The Sigma 85mm f1.4 with Nikon D850 took the top spot after replacing Carl Zeiss Distagon T* Otus 1.4/55 ZF.2 with Nikon D850. Both Sigma and Carl Zeiss produces better results than any of the Nikon, Canon, or Sony equivalents. Both Carl Zeiss and Sigma do not manufacture camera bodies.
The performance ratings are based upon the DXOMARK’s unique stringent scientific protocols and industry-grade laboratory machines that are used to conduct hundreds of objective and perceptual tests on each device. Here are the Top 10 Camera Lenses in World right now with their DXOMARK ratings.
Top 10 Best Lenses in the World
- Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG HSM A
- Carl Zeiss Distagon T* Otus 1.4/55 ZF.2
- Carl Zeiss Apo Planar T* Otus 85mm F1.4 ZF.2
- Carl Zeiss Milvus 1.4/85 ZF.2
- Sony FE Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* 55mm F1.8 ZA
- Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM
- Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM A
- Tamron SP 85mm f/1.8 Di VC USD (Model F016)
- Sony FE 90mm F2.8 Macro G OSS
- Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 105mm f/1.4E
It is quite surprising to see that no Canon lens makes it to the Top 10 of the best performing camera lenses in the world. Nikon just manages to make it to the Top 10 of best lenses. Tamron SP 85mm f/1.8 Di VC USD makes it to the list much before any Nikon or Canon lens. Sigma, Carl Zeiss, and Tamron focus solely on the lens systems.
Best Nikon and Canon Lens
The best Nikon lens in the world is Nikon AF-S Nikkor 85mm f/1.4G when mounted on a Nikon D850. The best Canon lens in the world is Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II USM when mounted on a Canon EOS 5DS R.
Top 5 Nikon Lens
- Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.4G
- Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 105mm f/1.4E ED
- Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200mm f/2G ED VR II
- Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G
- Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24mm f/1.8G ED
Top 5 Canon Lens
- Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II USM
- Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM
- Canon EF 100mm f/2 USM
- Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM
- Canon EF 85mm F1.2L USM
Overall, the 85mm lenses are stellar in terms of raw performance. However, you may need it or not depending upon what you primarily shoot. Primarily an 85mm lens is a portrait and fashion lens with tack-sharp results. It is one of the favorite lenses for all the fashion, portrait, portfolio, and wedding photographers across the world.
Summary and Scores
Below is a summary table for reference to the best lenses in the world. The relative score is the percentage of performance against the number one lens on the list.
Rank | Lens | Mounted on | Relative % |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG HSM A | Nikon D850 | 100 |
2 | Carl Zeiss Distagon Otus 1.4/55 | Nikon D850 | 98 |
3 | Zeiss Apo Planar Otus 85mm F1.4 | Nikon D850 | 96 |
4 | Carl Zeiss Milvus 1.4/85 | Nikon D850 | 94 |
5 | Sony FE CZ Sonnar 55mm F1.8 ZA | Sony A7R IV | 92 |
6 | Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM | Sony A7R IV | 92 |
7 | Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM A | Nikon D850 | 91 |
8 | Tamron SP 85mm f/1.8 Di VC USD | Nikon D850 | 91 |
9 | Sony FE 90mm F2.8 Macro G OSS | Sony A7R II | 89 |
10 | Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 105mm f/1.4E | Nikon D850 | 87 |
Comment your favorite lens below. Which one do you intend to get next for your Camera?
If you are a beginner and just looking to upgrade from your kit lens then you can find the best upgrades for kit lens here.