How can you help  ?

Sadly we find a lot of outdated databases online and not a lot of results for more recent lenses.

If you have some results different than the ones here, please send me a photo with the lens, filter and shooting parameters (aperture, camera, etc). I will update this database to add your findings.

Thanks a lot for contributing!

Tested lenses

 - Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 16-35mm f/4G ED VR (model 2182)
 - Nikon 85mm f/1.4G (model 2195)
 - Nikon AF Micro-NIKKOR 200mm f/4D IF-ED (model 1989)
 - Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/4E PF ED VR (model 2223)
 - Rokinon 20mm f/1.8 ED AS (model RK20MAF-N)
 - Rokinon 24mm f/1.4 ED AS UMC (model RK24MAF-N)
 - Samyang 24mm f/3.5 ED AS UMC Tilt-Shift (model SYTS24-N)
 - Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art (model 311306)
 - Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM (model 240955)
 - Tamron 17-35mm f/2.8-4 DI OSD (model A037N)
 - Tamron SP 35mm f/1.4 Di USD  (model F045N)
 - Tamron 35-150mm f/2.8-4 Di VC OSD (model A043N)
 - Tamron SP 70-200 f2.8 Di VC USD G2 (model A025N)
 - Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Di VC USD Macro (model F017N)

Tested IR filters

 - 830nm (Deep B&W IR)
 - 720nm (Standard IR - Hoya R72)
 - 590nm (Super Color IR)

Test procedure

 - Blank paper sheet on a wall, lighted by an incandescent light
 - For each combination of lens + filter, took some shots from f/16 to the lens widest aperture
 - For zoom lenses, tested all extreme focal lengths (i.e. 70 and 200 on a 70-200mm)
 - Compared the hot spots to the lens sharpest apertures (found on LensTip.com)
 - Full Spectrum Nikon D750

Note: these are not real-life tests!

Results

 - Results are underestimated: If you see barely a hot spot for a combination of lens + filter at a specific aperture, chances are that in real-life the hot spot will be more visible
 - Overall, 830nm produces more hot spots than 720nm, which produces more hot spots than 590nm
 - You could have different results than me: the procedure is not 100% scientific, this is not real life tests and IR is a combination of camera, lenses and filters
 - You can look at the full detailed results here.

We can roughly determine per lens and filter combination which is the minimum usable aperture. Then, we can compare these suitable IR aperture with the lens sharpest apertures for center and corners.

I came up with the following rating:

 ⭐: barely usable: the lens sharpest apertures have some hot spots for 830nm, 720nm and 590nm
 ⭐⭐: partly usable: the lens sharpest apertures have some hot spots only with some filters
 ⭐⭐⭐: completely usable: the lens sharpest apertures do not create hot spots with any filter
 ⭐⭐⭐⭐: exceptional: no hot spot found from f/16 to the widest aperture

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 16-35mm f/4G ED VR (model 2182) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This lens is at its best on center and corners at f/8 @16mm, @24mm and @35mm

 ✅ 830nm: f/16 and wider
 ✅ 720nm: f/16 and wider
 ✅ 590nm: f/16 and wider

Nikon 85mm f/1.4G (model 2195) ⭐⭐⭐

This lens is at its best on center and corners at f/5.6

 ✅ 830nm: f/8 and wider
 ✅ 720nm: f/11 and wider
 ✅  590nm: f/16 and wider

Nikon AF Micro-NIKKOR 200mm f/4D IF-ED (model 1989) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This lens is at its best on center and corners at f/4

 ✅ 830nm: f/16 and wider
 ✅ 720nm: f/16 and wider
 ✅ 590nm: f/16 and wider

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/4E PF ED VR (model 2223) ⭐⭐⭐

This lens is at its best on center and corners at f/5.6

 ✅ 830nm: f/5.6 and wider
 ✅ 720nm: f/8 and wider
 ✅ 590nm: f/11 and wider

Rokinon 20mm f/1.8 ED AS (model RK20MAF-N) ⭐⭐⭐

This lens is at its best on center and corners at f/5.6

 ✅ 830nm: f/5.6 and wider
 ✅ 720nm: f/8 and wider
 ✅ 590nm: f/11 and wider

Rokinon 24mm f/1.4 ED AS UMC (model RK24MAF-N) ⭐

This lens is at its best on center at f/5.6 and corners at f/8

 ⚠️ 830nm: f/4 and wider
 ⚠️ 720nm: f/5.6 and wider
 ✅ 590nm: f/8 and wider

Samyang 24mm f/3.5 ED AS UMC Tilt-Shift (model SYTS24-N) ⭐⭐

This lens is at its best on center at f/5.6 and corners at f/8

 ⚠️ 830nm: f/5.6 and wider
 ✅ 720nm: f/8 and wider
 ✅ 590nm: f/11 and wider

Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art (model 311306) ⭐⭐

This lens is at its best on center at f/4 and corners at f/5.6

 ⚠️ 830nm: f/2.8 and wider
 ✅ 720nm: f/5.6 and wider
 ✅ 590nm: f/11 and wider

Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM (model 240955) ⭐⭐⭐

This lens is at its best on center and corners at f/2.8

 ✅ 830nm: f/4 and wider
 ✅ 720nm: f/5.6 and wider
 ✅ 590nm: f/8 and wider

Tamron 17-35mm f/2.8-4 DI OSD (model A037N) ⭐⭐⭐

This lens is at its best on center and corners at f/5.6 @17mm and f/8 @35mm

@17mm:
 ✅ 830nm: f/5.6 and wider
 ✅ 720nm: f/8 and wider
 ✅ 590nm: f/11 and wider

@35mm:
 ✅ 830nm: f/8 and wider
 ✅ 720nm: f/11 and wider
 ✅ 590nm: f/16 and wider

Tamron SP 35mm f/1.4 Di USD  (model F045N) ⭐⭐⭐

This lens is at its best on center at f/2.8 and corners at f/4

 ✅ 830nm: f/8 and wider
 ✅ 720nm: f/11 and wider
 ✅ 590nm: f/16 and wider

Tamron 35-150mm f/2.8-4 Di VC OSD (model A043N) ⭐⭐⭐

This lens is at its best on center at f/4 - f/5.6 @35mm and @150mm
This lens is at its best on corners at f/4 - f/5.6 - f/8 @35mm and @150mm

@35mm:
 ✅ 830nm: f/5.6 and wider
 ✅ 720nm: f/8 and wider
 ✅ 590nm: f/11 and wider

@150mm:
 ✅ 830nm: f/8 and wider
 ✅ 720nm: f/11 and wider
 ✅ 590nm: f/16 and wider

Tamron SP 70-200 f2.8 Di VC USD G2 (model A025N) ⭐⭐⭐

This lens is at its best on center and corners at f/5.6 - f/8 @70mm and f/2.8 to f/5.6 @200mm

@70mm and @200mm:
 ✅ 830nm: f/5.6 and wider
 ✅ 720nm: f/8 and wider
 ✅ 590nm: f/11 and wider

Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Di VC USD Macro (model F017N) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This lens is at its best on center and corners at f/4

 ✅ 830nm: f/16 and wider
 ✅ 720nm: f/16 and wider
 ✅ 590nm: f/16 and wider

Other User Reported Lenses

Lensbaby Velvet 28mm f/2.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This lens is at its sharpest on center and corners at f/8 

 ✅ 830nm: f/16 and wider
 ✅ 720nm: f/16 and wider
 ✅ 590nm: f/16 and wider
 ✅470nm: f/16 and wider

Report: https://www.lifepixel.com/photography-gear/the-lensbaby-velvet-28

Resources

 🔗 Lens Hotspot Database (Kolari Vision)
 🔗 Infrared Lighting (Kolari Vision)
 🔗 Lens Hot Spot Testing Database (LifePixel)
 🔗 Infrared Lens Rating (Photography Life)
 🔗 Infrared Hotspot Lens Test (Edward Noble)
 🔗 List of hot spot lenses (Flickr)
 🔗 IR and Lenses (DPanswers)
 🔗 Fuji and Nikon Lenses Vis-UV-IR test (David Kennard)
 🔗 Fuji Infrared Lens Tests (Simon Weir)
 🔗 Lens Review & Sharpness Tests (LensTip)
 🔗 Digital IR and EF lenses (Christian Deichert)
 🔗 Infrared photography, the hot spot issue with lenses (Photonius)

Updates

 - June 4th 2020: Initial version of this page

 - June 5th 2020: added Tamron 17-35mm f/2.8-4 DI OSD and Tamron 35-150mm f/2.8-4 Di VC OSD

 - June 6th 2020: added Rokinon 24mm f/1.4 ED AS IF UMC

 - June 8th 2020: updated rating according to lens sharpest apertures which are the apertures most often used on landscape

 - June 11th 2020:added results for Nikon 16-35 f/4