On 25 Jun 2002 16:44:32 -0700, axinar@one.net (Axinar) wrote:

>Okay, guys ...
>
>Having now filed away about 18 years worth of pictures, I was trying
>to figure out what it was about the first few years of pics that I
>took with my Canon AE-1P that made them so much sharper than anything
>that I have taken since.
>
>It finally occured to me that the first couple of years that I had
>that camera, just about every picture that I took with it was on Fuji
>100 speed film but also with the Canon 50mm 1.8 lens that originally
>came with the camera.
>
>Now, I have taken some pretty decent pics with my new Nikon N80 and
>Sigma 28 - 105 lens, but I have noticed that the BIG enlargements --
>the 11 X 14's and the 20 X 30's do start to blur out a little and so
>I'm thinking I probably ought to have at least one really killer prime
>lens for group shots and various other situations where I'm trying to
>do something with 35mm that anyone else in his right might would use a
>Pentax 67 for or some such.
>
>Question ... what's the sharpest lens any of you have handled? I have
>been doing some searching around the web and there are several reviews
>that seem to suggest that the Nikon AF 50mm 1.8 is actually sharper
>than the 1.4 version.
>
>Anyone have any other suggestions?

For Nikkors (and a few others), many are evaluated
at www.David-Ruether-Photography.com/slemn.html. Read the text,
though, for general type-characteristics and the standards
favored in arriving at the numbers... Among Nikkors, I
would take (if memory serves), the: 16mm f3.5, 28mm f2.8
AIS, 35mm f2 AIS, 35mm f2.8 PC (latest), 50mm f 1.8 AIS
(early large metal version), 50mm f1.4 (late, from f2.8),
any of the 85s but particularly a good-sample 85mm f1.8 AF,
100 f2.8 E, 105mm f2.8 M AIS, 135mm f2 and f2.8 AIS and E,
any 180 but especially the f2.8 AF, 300mm f4 AFS, 80-200mm
f2.8, plus probably more as the "best". Most zooms, even
the good ones, are only decent around f5.6 (especially at
the edges and corners), and the best get "snappy" around
f8-11 - and these are MUCH smaller stops than good non-zooms
need to perform well (most of those mentioned are very
good to the corners wide open, "snappy" overall by one or
two stops down...). Last minute additions: the: 55mm f2.8,
and 75-150mm f3.5 E...