Nikon has been one of the prominent camera manufacturers out there. So, if you are a professional photographer – there is a bright chance that you own a Nikon DSLR. If you belong to the Nikon gang and looking for the best Nikon DSLR lenses, this post is right for you. There are several options available for the best Nikon DSLR lenses both from Nikon and other manufacturers. So, without much ado, let us check out the best lenses you can opt for your Nikon DSLRs.
Best Nikon DSLR Lenses in 2019
The choice is plenty wide, and in fact, we would consider you are indeed spoilt for choice when it comes to the right kind of lenses. Nikon has been around for over 100 years, and they have come up with a huge list of lenses.
1. Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF - Buy Now
This is one of the best options for the compact and lightweight lenses for your Nikon DSLRs. If you have recently migrated from a small camera to a DSLR, this is the best lens because of its compactness.
What makes it a good choice?
- The image quality of the lens has been one of the best and offered you the sharpest images you can ever imagine.
- It does focus almost instantly, and thus it can be your best bet if you are recording and shooting the live events like sports and weddings.
- For portraits, this can be an excellent option as it offers you a focus of 75 mm.
- The lens is best suited for shallow depth of field.
- With its ability to function at any light, it is best suited for your low light performance.
- The silent motor performance ensures a faster speed for your autofocussing needs.
In case the lens is interesting enough for your requirements, why not check it out at this link on Amazon?
Average customer rating – 4.5 stars
2. Nikon 35mm f/1.8G ED - Buy Now
Once again, these lenses are an excellent option for live photography like that at weddings. The focal length should be your prime choice for almost all your needs in professional photography. However, they are fine enough for portraits as well.
What features made it to the list?
- The versatile focal length is what makes it a great choice for almost all your focusing needs and image quality.
- It should be the ultimate choice for street photographers.
- If your focus has been on impressive image quality, a sharpness that excels and an incredible bokeh performance – the lens will serve as your one-stop solution.
- Highly optimized for high-resolution Nikon cameras, it will help you draw a stellar performance from your camera.
- The silent wave motor helps you get an elegant, faster and accurate focusing.
Do those features impress you? Check out the lens on Amazon.
Average customer rating – 4.5 stars
3. Nikon 35mm f/1.8G DX - Buy Now
The lens comes under the genre of moderate wide angle option. It comes with one ED and one aspheric element for enhanced performance. The compact lens on the high-end Nikon high-resolution cameras.
These are the features that will make it a good option -
- The lens offers you the option of shooting beautiful images and HD videos.
- You will love the fixed focus functionality of the lens. If you are looking for the best DX lenses for your 35 mm cameras, this is the ultimate you can go with.
- The small size, lightweight, and AF-S autofocussing features will make it an excellent option for lightest of the Nikon DSLR cameras.
- The lens also comes with a metal mount with a dust seal for enhanced performance.
- You have access to an accurate and faster focus.
If you think you should invest in the lightweight lens, you can gather more information here on Amazon.
Average customer rating – 4.5 stars
4. Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM | A - Buy Now
One of the best alternatives for the AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8E ED VR lens from Nikon, this Sigma offering is a formidable choice. Of course, it is not weather sealed as the Nikon version but comes with excellent engineering.
Here are the salient features making it a great choice -
- You can expect an all-around performance coupled with great image quality.
- You can be assured of excellent sharpness and contrast in your images, and there is an incredible bokeh performance as well.
- It offers you a four-stop stabilizer for the quality videos. Why we added the lens to the list is because of the price difference it offers compared to the Nikon variant – it costs half the price you would pay for the Nikon lens with the same specifications.
- You also have access to dust and splash-proof mount with rubber sealing.
Want to check it out and want to know more? Head over Amazon for the information.
Average customer rating – 3 stars
5. Samyang 10mm f/2.8 ED AS NCS CS - Buy Now
Excellent build quality and a faster aperture are what would make it a great and attractive option for all your Nikon cameras. The manual focus may disappoint some of you, but the shorter focal length that the lens comes with will make it a more excellent choice for the cameras with APS- C sensors.
Some of its best features are-
- If you are looking for the prime lenses for the wide-angle format, the Samyang can be the best one you can go with.
- It comes with a smart design and high-quality glass construction for the excellent image quality.
- The nanostructure and coating helps you avoid the ghost effects and flare to the minimum level.
- The lens is optimized for greater optical quality.
Would you want to give these lenses a try? You can understand more about the lens at this link on Amazon.
Average customer rating – 4.5 stars
6. Nikon AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR - Buy Now
Equipped with an electromagnetic aperture, Nikon AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR lens offers you an exposure consistency you will fall in love with. It also sports a Sports VR mode that tracks the moving objects with ease.
Why has it been added to this compilation? Here are the best features that it offers -
- It includes a fluorite glass element for enhanced image quality.
- The nanocrystal coating reduces the flare to a consistent level.
- The four-stop stabilizer and the dual mode autofocus options would make it a great choice in addition to the super sharp images.
- The lens should be the best option for almost all scenarios – sports, low light, wildlife, weddings, wildlife, and portraits.
- Brilliant performance in low light will indeed make a great option.
- Blazing fast and consistent focus lets you shoot flawless images right away.
If you want to check out the features and reviews, this link can be helpful enough.
Average customer rating – 4.5 stars
7. Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 85mm f/1.4G Lens - Buy Now
One of the excellent options for the medium telephoto lenses, it is a good option for your Nikon DSLR cameras with FX format. If you are looking for the superb image quality and sublime bokeh effect, this should be the best option you should go with.
Some of the best options that it comes with include-
- The lens should be an exciting option both for scientific aspects and artistic elements you would check out.
- The trademark nanocoating will considerably reduce the flare and ghosting.
- You can indeed create artistic blur effects with the nine-blade diaphragm system.
- A few elements that would make it an excellent choice for excellent portraits are the blurred backgrounds, sharper low light shots, and faster autofocus.
- The silent wave motor will help you get the high-quality focusing – especially for those low light and wildlife photographs.
Did that impress you enough to opt for the lens? Check it out on Amazon today.
Average customer rating – 4.5 stars
8. Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 16-80mm f/2.8-4E ED - Buy Now
In case you are looking for the best standard zoom lens for your Nikon camera, the Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 16-80mm f/2.8-4E ED should be an ideal choice. The best DX format lens for your Nikon cameras, it offers you an excellent build.
Here are some salient features of this lens-
- The lens comes with ring-type ultrasonic autofocus which is strong enough and faster.
- The silent functionality will make it a great choice for every standard.
- The VR or Vibration Reduction stabilization should be the best that would make it one of the prominent alternatives.
- The image quality is excellent, but the sharpness may not be satisfactory for some of you.
- You may also notice a little barrel distortion.
- It has been touted as the world’s first 5x zoom with a f/2.8-4 maximum aperture.
- The fluorine coating resists water, dust, and smudges.
If you want to buy the lens, you can check it out at this link on Amazon.
Average Customer rating – 4.5 stars
9. Tamron SP 35mm f/1.8 Di VC USD - Buy Now
The excellent build quality and a great image performance are the two features that will make it an attractive option for all your needs. You get an effective focal length of 52 mm. It should be the best prime lens option for your needs.
Here are a few salient features of the lens -
- The lens is full frame compatible and can be used as a wide angle prime lens for your shooting needs.
- This one too has ring-type ultrasonic autofocus and should make it an exceptional choice for a faster and quieter autofocus functionality.
- You also have a manual override feature as well.
- The VC optical stabilization is what will make it an excellent option.
- You can use the lens for your prime lens requirements and move to the FX camera later on.
Want to check out more information about the lens? You can find more about the lens here on Amazon.
Average customer rating – New product. Unrated
10. Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED - Buy Now
It is one of those lenses that has been known for the reliability and high level of image quality. It is known for the resolutions and natural representations. The nanocrystal coating is helpful in getting rid of the ghosting effects.
Some of the excellent features that you will be impressed with can be -
- The lens suits a host of photography requirements right from weddings, architectures, portraits, and practically everything.
- That would make it one of the excellent lenses for versatility.
- The lens is smaller, lightweight and cheaper and thus should ideally be the best for the first-timers.
- The image quality is sharper enough, and the vibration reduction will make it an excellent option for clear images.
- Autofocus is also sharp and quite fast.
You can get more information on Amazon today!
Average customer rating – 4.5 stars
Best Nikon Lenses Comparison Table
| Features | Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF | Nikon 35mm f/1.8G ED | Nikon 35mm f/1.8G DX | Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM | A | Samyang 10mm f/2.8 ED AS NCS CS |
| Format supported | FX and DX | FX and DX | DX | FX | DX |
| Diaphragm blades | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 | -Not applicable |
| Min focus distance | 0.45 m | 0.25 m | 0.29 m | 0.37 m | 0.24 mm |
| Filter size | 52 mm | 58 mm | 72 mm | 82 mm | Not applicable |
| Weight | 155 grams | 305 grams | 200 grams | 1020 grams | 580 grams |
| Features | Nikon AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR | Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 85mm f/1.4G Lens | Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 16-80mm f/2.8-4E ED | Tamron SP 35mm f/1.8 Di VC USD | Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED Zoom Lens |
| Format supported | FX | FX and DX | DX | FX | FX and DX |
| Diaphragm blades | 9 | 9 | - | - | 9 |
| Min focus distance | 1.1 m | 0.85 m | 0.35 m | 0.2m | 0.38 mm |
| Filter size | 77 mm | 77 mm | 72 mm | 67 mm | 77 mm |
| Weight | 1430 grams | 595 grams | 480 grams | 480 grams | 900 grams |
The Parting Thoughts
Well, I assume that the list of the best lenses for your Nikon DSLRs presented here should go a long way in helping you choose the right kind of lenses. Of course, you have an excellent camera capable of functionalities beyond the expectations, but you will need powerful lenses to make your camera what it is.
In essence, a great camera needs a great lens, and we are sure the lenses we have covered in this compilation will cover that requirement ably enough.
Have you used any of these lenses? If you have, do share your experiences and opinions with us.
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