Best Nikon Lenses – Top 12 Picks (2023 Ultimate Guide)

This is a guide covering the best Nikon lenses.

Nikon has had many great lenses over the years. And one of the things that make it better than Canon is the fact that their mount never really changed a lot.

Old lenses can still be used on newer models. On top of that, you also get to enjoy cooler results in your image compared to Canon.

We compiled 12 of the best Nikon lenses to help you decide which one to choose for your gear. We’ve made a good mix of wide-angle, portrait, macro, and zoom lenses for you to choose from. I’ve listed both DX and FX-Format lenses so make sure to pick one for your Nikon camera body type.

In a hurry? Here’s a quick rundown:

• ⭐ Best Overall Nikon Lens
  • NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G

• 👩 Best Nikon Lenses for Portrait Photography
  • NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G
  • NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8D
  • NIKKOR 24-85mm F/3.5-4.5G ED

• 🌄 Best Nikon Lenses for Landscape Photography
  • NIKKOR 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G ED
  • NIKKOR 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G ED
  • NIKKOR 10-20mm f/4.5-5.6G
  • NIKKOR 24mm f/1.8G

• 🚗 Best Nikon Lenses for Street Photography
  • NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G
  • NIKKOR 20mm f/1.8G ED
  • NIKKOR 24mm f/1.8G

• ⚾ Best Nikon Lenses for Sports Photography
  • NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8E

• 🌹 Best Nikon Lenses for Macro Photography
  • NIKKOR 24-85mm F/3.5-4.5G ED
  • NIKKOR 28mm f/1.4E

• 💸 Best Budget Nikon Lens
  • NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G

How to Choose the Best Nikon Lens?

Focal length: The focal length of a lens determines its magnification and field of view. Wide-angle lenses, such as the NIKKOR 10-20mm f/4.5-5.6G, are great for landscapes and architecture, while telephoto lenses, like the NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8E, are ideal for sports and wildlife photography.

Aperture: A lens’s aperture, measured in f-stops, controls the amount of light that enters the lens. Lenses with larger apertures, such as the NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G and NIKKOR 28mm f/1.4E, are great for low-light photography and creating a shallow depth of field.

Image stabilization: Nikon lenses with VR (Vibration Reduction) or VR II help to reduce camera shake and improve image quality. This feature can be particularly useful for telephoto lenses and low-light situations.

Build quality and durability: Nikon lenses are known for their high-quality construction and durability. Look for lenses with weather-sealing and metal construction, such as the NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8E, to ensure they can withstand the rigors of professional use.

Budget: Nikon lenses come in a wide range of prices, with professional-grade lenses costing significantly more than entry-level models. Determine your budget and select a lens that fits your needs and price range.

12 Best Nikon Lenses

1. NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G

Lens Specifications:

• Lens type: Prime lens
• Maximum aperture: F1.8
• Minimum aperture: F22
• Max Format size: APS-C/DX
• Focal length: 35mm
• Image stabilization: No
• Lens mount: Nikon F (DX)
• Weight: 210g (0.46 lb)
• Diameter: 70mm (2.76″)
• Length: 53mm (2.07″)
• Materials: Plastic barrel, metal mount

The best Nikon lens overall is the NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G.

If you are going to consider image quality, construction, and versatility, we’ll choose Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G Lens as the best overall lens for Nikon cameras.

It is a good option not only for shooting landscapes but also for portraits (check out the best Nikon lenses for landscape photography). It has a wide aperture that helps you shoot with beautiful bokeh and focus on the subject right in front.

It also comes with a silent wave motor for its AF system. Here, you will be able to focus on your subject and notice just a very subtle noise from the motor.

It’s a good overall lens whether you are into photography or doing video content.

What’s not to like? Not really much. Some find the results to be a bit soft for their taste. Other than this, it is a great lens.

→ Jump Back to Table

2. NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G

Lens Specifications:

• Lens type: Prime lens
• Maximum aperture: F1.8
• Minimum aperture: F16
• Max Format size: 35mm FF
• Focal length: 50mm
• Image stabilization: No
• Lens mount: Nikon F (FX)
• Weight: 185g (0.41 lb)
• Diameter: 72mm (2.83″)
• Length: 53mm (2.07″)
• Sealing: No

The best Nikon portrait lens is the NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G.

Just a glance at the best Nikon lenses and you’ll notice a lot of good prime lenses that can be used for portrait photography.

However, we still believe that a 50mm prime lens is king when it comes to portrait photography. That’s why we pick the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G Lens.

It produces crisp and vibrant colors that can be considered a bit on the cold side. Testing it in countless portrait shots, it tends to produce sharp results from F5.6 onwards.

This lens can also produce great bokeh accentuating the subject’s face. However, this lens can also have its downside as it produces softer images once you decide to use wider apertures.

It has a silent wave motor that makes it easy to focus on your subject. This motor also performs quietly making it a good choice for those shooting videos.

→ Jump Back to Table

3. NIKKOR 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G ED

Lens Specifications:

• Lens type: Zoom lens
• Maximum aperture: F.35 – 5.6
• Minimum aperture: F22 – 38
• Max Format size: APS-C/DX
• Focal length: 18–140mm
• Image stabilization: Yes (VR)
• Lens mount: Nikon F (DX)
• Weight: 490g (1.08 lb)
• Diameter: 78mm (3.07″)
• Length: 97mm (3.82″)
• Zoom method: Rotary (extending)

The best Nikon zoom lens is the NIKKOR 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G ED.

There are instances when the best Nikon lenses are zoom lenses. It can help save you money by having a wide range of focal lengths to play around with.

You can also switch the focal length fast depending on what the situation requires. The Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-140mm f3.-5.6 zoom lens is a good option for these scenarios.

It’s a favorite among event photographers or those who plan on carrying just one lens for their travel.

However, it is one of those lenses where you might want to have your own flash since the widest that you can have is only at F3.5-5.6. However, it produces sharp results.

Using it without a tripod is also not a problem. It has a VR image stabilization feature that minimizes blurred shots.

→ Jump Back to Table

4. NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8E

Lens Specifications:

• Lens type: Zoom lens
• Maximum aperture: F2.8
• Minimum aperture: F22
• Max Format size: 35mm FF
• Focal length: 70–200mm
• Image stabilization: Yes (4 stops)
• Lens mount: Nikon F (FX)
• Weight: 1430g (3.15 lb)
• Diameter: 89mm (3.48″)
• Length: 203mm (7.97″)
• Materials: Magnesium alloy
• Sealing: Yes
• Zoom method: Rotary (extending)

Having a dependable macro lens can come in handy for those who need to shoot small details on objects. Macro lenses are also handy in food photography (check out the best cameras for food photography).

Instead of picking a prime lens as the best macro lens for Nikon cameras, we decided to pick a zoom lens. The Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8E FL ED VR Lens can be useful in these scenarios with its ability to perform both as a medium and long telephoto lens.

70-200mm is a decent focal length allowing you to zoom in on your subject.

The F2.8 aperture is also something practical even in environments with poor lighting. This lens can also provide a decent bokeh. Plus, it takes sharp photos.

It also has fast and reliable autofocus. In fact, you don’t need to switch to manual focus to find your target.

However, if you are the type who liked to use manual focus, the focus ring is placed at the far end of the lens. This makes it hard to use when you don’t have a tripod.

Also, check out the list of the best macro lenses for Nikon.

→ Jump Back to Table

5. NIKKOR 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G ED

Lens Specifications:

• Lens type: Zoom lens
• Maximum aperture: F3.5 – 6.3
• Minimum aperture: F22
• Max Format size: APS-C/DX
• Focal length: 18–300mm
• Image stabilization: Yes (VR II)
• Lens mount: Nikon F (DX)
• Weight: 550g (1.21 lb)
• Diameter: 79mm (3.11″)
• Length: 99mm (3.9″)
• Materials: Plastic barrel, metal mount
• Sealing: No

The best Nikon video lens is the NIKKOR 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G ED.

The best Nikon lenses for photography are not always going to be suited for taking videos. For instance, some lenses have a noisy motor that can disrupt the videos.

In this case, we considered the Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G zoom lens as the ideal lens for those who plan on creating video content.

For starters, it has a quiet autofocus motor letting users record videos with no disruption whatsoever. Next, it comes with a wide range allowing video creators to go up close or take wide shots.

It even has a vibration reduction capacity tolerating a few shakes. However, does it provide the best optics compared to the other best lenses for Nikon?

Though it can get the job done, many find the results to be a bit soft.

→ Jump Back to Table

6. NIKKOR 80-200mm f/2.8D

Lens Specifications:

• Lens type: Zoom lens
• Maximum aperture: F2.8
• Minimum aperture: F22
• Max Format size: 35mm FF
• Focal length: 80–200mm
• Image stabilization: No
• Lens mount: Nikon F (FX)
• Weight: 1300g (2.87 lb)
• Diameter: 87mm (3.43″)
• Length: 187mm (7.36″)
• Materials: metal barrel, metal mount
• Sealing: No
• Zoom method Rotary (internal)

For those who are looking for an all-around lens that they can use for macro photography or shooting subjects from afar.

Perhaps, you are a sports photographer or a wildlife photographer (check out the list of best lenses for wildlife photography). You will definitely appreciate the Nikon AF FX NIKKOR 80-200mm f/2.8D zoom lens.

It comes with a great range. This also comes with ED glass elements known for providing sharp and crisp images.

And if you decide to shoot using this lens in low light, the F2.8 is enough to give you your desired results.

For portrait photography, this can blur the background well creating outstanding bokeh.

What’s not to like? Some users complained about the mediocre autofocus. Though it can be precise at times, it also tends to miss a lot.

→ Jump Back to Table

7. NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8D

Lens Specifications:

• Lens type: Prime lens
• Maximum aperture: F1.8
• Minimum aperture: F22
• Max Format size: 35mm FF
• Focal length: 50mm
• Image stabilization: No
• Lens mount: Nikon F (FX)
• Weight: 155g (0.34 lb)
• Diameter: 64mm (2.5″)
• Length: 39mm (1.54″)
• Materials: metal mount
• Sealing: No

We’ve decided to include another 50mm F1.8 lens on our list of best lenses for Nikon. This time around, we are featuring the Nikon AF FX Nikkor 50mm F1.8D lens.

This lens is a favorite by many professional and amateur photographers given the 50mm prime lens’ versatility in different situations.

Unfortunately, not all Nikon cameras can use its autofocus system. Only those that support D-type lenses have the capacity to do so. If you are using a D3000, D5000, or D40 series, then you are not going to enjoy its autofocus.

Despite the lack of autofocus on some DSLRs, it offers sharp images, great bokeh, plus crisp and vibrant results. It is the ideal lens for shooting portraits even in low light conditions.

→ Jump Back to Table

8. NIKKOR 10-20mm f/4.5-5.6G

Lens Specifications:

• Lens type: Zoom lens
• Maximum aperture: F4.5 – 5.6
• Minimum aperture: F29
• Max Format size: APS-C/DX
• Focal length: 10–20mm
• Image stabilization: Yes (3.5 stops)
• Lens mount: Nikon F (DX)
• Weight: 230g (0.51 lb)
• Diameter: 77mm (3.03″)
• Length: 73mm (2.87″)
• Sealing: No

Are you passionate about shooting beautiful sceneries or cityscapes and you can’t get enough of wide angle lenses? We all know how big of an investment prime wide-angle lenses can be.

With the Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 10-20mm f4.5-5.6G VR lens, you get something that can provide sharp images of beautiful landscapes. You can confidently climb buildings and get the best view of a city. Or perhaps, you can enjoy shooting nature.

It comes with a near-silent autofocus motor which is something that can come in handy if you decide to shoot videos using this lens.

It also has a vibration reduction image stabilization feature that can help lessen wasted shots when you don’t have access to a tripod.

Unfortunately, it is something that you can only use during the daytime. Once you use it at night, it simply becomes useless.

→ Jump Back to Table

9. NIKKOR 20mm f/1.8G ED

Lens Specifications:

• Lens type: Prime lens
• Maximum aperture: F1.8
• Minimum aperture: F16
• Max Format size: 35mm FF
• Focal length: 20mm
• Image stabilization: No
• Lens mount: Nikon F (DX)
• Weight: 355g (0.78 lb)
• Diameter: 83mm (3.25″)
• Length: 81mm (3.17″)
• Materials: Composite
• Sealing: No

One of the best Nikon lenses when it comes to landscape photography is the Nikon AF-S FX Nikkor 20mm F1.8G ED lens.

It is perfect for those instances when you want to shoot street photography, nature, or even cityscapes.

You can also use it even when it’s about to get dark. It comes with a silent wave motor for its autofocus saving you precious time when finding your subject.

This lens is known for providing sharp images with minimal flare and chromatic aberration thanks to its superior quality optics.

It is also lightweight making it easy to carry around in your bag. Though it is one of the best lenses for Nikon cameras, some pros pointed out the presence of purple fringing when you go for larger apertures.

→ Jump Back to Table

10. NIKKOR 24-85mm F/3.5-4.5G ED

Lens Specifications:

• Lens type: Zoom lens
• Maximum aperture: F3.5 – 4.5
• Minimum aperture: F22 – 29
• Max Format size: 35mm FF
• Focal length: 24–85mm
• Image stabilization: Yes
• Lens mount: Nikon F (FX)
• Weight: 485g (1.07 lb)
• Diameter: 78mm (3.07″)
• Length: 82mm (3.23″)
• Sealing: No

Looking for an all-in-one lens that you can use in different situations? That’s where the NIKON 24-85mm F/3.5-4.5G ED VR AF-S Nikkor Lens shines the most.

You get a wide-angle, a portrait, and a medium telephoto lens in one package. It comes with a vibration reduction that helps users minimize blurry shots.

You also get fast and accurate autofocus. Plus it is quite perfect for shooting videos as well.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t give you the best performance in low light scenarios given its F3.5-4.5 aperture.

You might need some flash or other external light source to get the best results when shooting indoors.

→ Jump Back to Table

11. NIKKOR 28mm f/1.4E

Lens Specifications:

• Lens type: Prime lens
• Maximum aperture: F1.4 – 16
• Max Format size: 35mm FF
• Focal length: 28mm
• Image stabilization: No
• Lens mount: Nikon F (FX)
• Weight: 645g (1.42 lb)
• Diameter: 83mm (3.27″)
• Length: 101mm (3.98″)
• Materials: Magnesium alloy
• Sealing: Yes

The Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 28mm f/1.4E ED lens is another wide-angle lens that comes with a wide aperture. It is another great alternative to your typical 50mm portrait lens.

It even has a wide F1.4 aperture giving users a beautiful bokeh. As a wide-angle lens, it shoots sharp and vibrant photos especially when you use anything from F5.6 to F16.

It also has a durable design making this a favorite by many pros.

And because of its high performance and robust construction, this lens is can be a bigger investment.

Check out a full list of the best Nikon lenses for portraits.

→ Jump Back to Table

12. NIKKOR 24mm f/1.8G

Lens Specifications:

• Lens type: Prime lens
• Maximum aperture: F1.8
• Minimum aperture: F16
• Max Format size: 35mm FF
• Focal length: 24mm
• Image stabilization: No
• Lens mount: Nikon F (FX)
• Weight: 355g (0.78 lb)
• Diameter: 78mm (3.07″)
• Length: 83mm (3.27″)
• Sealing: No

Last on our list is the Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 24mm f/1.8G ED Fixed Lens. This lens is a versatile lens that can come in handy in shooting portraits, landscapes, and even cityscapes.

Its wide aperture delivers great bokeh while anything above F5.6 gives you unparalleled clarity and sharpness. Unfortunately, its AF is a bit difficult to use.

Though it gets the job pointing to the subject, it also tends to miss a lot.

→ Jump Back to Table

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Remarks

Nikon has some of the best lenses in the market. However, some of the best Nikon lenses may not fit your needs.

To get the best deal on your purchase, you will have to take a closer look at your requirements and the results that you want to achieve.

You also want to weigh the pros and the cons to know what to expect from each lens.

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.