Choosing the best Nikon lenses for DSLRs means answering a couple of questions – but don't worry, they're not difficult! The first thing to establish is what sensor size your camera uses – full frame (FX) or APS-C (DX) – as in most cases, this will affect which lenses are the best fit. The second, much more fun question is... what do you want to shoot?
Lenses for Nikon DSLR cameras come in two sizes: full frame or APS-C (DX). You can use any full frame lens on a DX camera, but there will be a 'crop factor' which makes the lens's angle of view look narrower. This can be a bonus with telephoto, portrait, or macro lenses, but with smaller DX-format cameras you need ultra-wide lenses and standard zooms that are specifically designed for the smaller format. You can use DX lenses on a full frame camera, but they will automatically crop to the smaller sensor size.
And as for what you want to shoot – well, that's a lot more subjective. In this list I've pared things down to just a few of my all-time favorite Nikon F-mount lenses, but hopefully I've still got you covered. And if you're still looking for a camera, check out our essential rundown of the best Nikon cameras, which includes several DSLRs.
Rod is an independent photography journalist and editor, and a long-standing Digital Camera World contributor, having previously worked as DCW's Group Reviews editor. Before that he has been technique editor on N-Photo, Head of Testing for the photography division and Camera Channel editor on TechRadar, as well as contributing to many other publications.
The Quick List
Best ultra-wide zoom
Ideal for landscapes, Nikon's 14-24mm rectilinear zoom lens delivers sumptuous image quality right to the very corners of the frame, with a constant f/2.8 aperture. Read more below
Best standard zoom
A heavy-duty professional workhorse lens, this high-end standard zoom for Nikon DSLRs delivers the goods optically, and boasts 4-stop VR stabilisation. Read more below
Best all-in-one DX lens
If you're using an APS-C Nikon DSLR like the D3400 or D5600, then this all-purpose superzoom gets my vote as an ideal walk-around lens – especially for travel. Read more below
Best professional zoom
In the classic professional 70-200mm focal length configuration, Nikon's AF-S 70-200mm is a big beast of a lens for those who demand (and will pay for) top-tier quality. Read more below
Best macro lens
This super-telephoto really covers the distance, making it my ideal choice for sports and wildlife photography, plus air shows and more. Read more below
Best nifty-fifty
A 50mm prime is one of the best investments you can make for day-to-day photography, and Nikon's affordable nifty-fifty is an ideal example of the genre. Read more below
Best Nikon lenses
Why you can trust Digital Camera World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out how we test.
Best ultra-wide zoom
Own-brand Nikon lenses are often relatively expensive compared with third-party equivalents from the likes of Sigma and Tamron. That’s certainly the case with this lens, which is much pricier than the likes of the Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG HSM Art and the Tamron SP 15-30mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2, the latter boasting the bonus of optical image stabilization – though these lenses aren't as easy to get hold of as they used to be. The Nikon is solidly built and delivers good all-round performance but loses out slightly to the Sigma for outright image quality.
Read our full Nikon AF-S 14-24mm f/2.8 ED review for more details
Best standard zoom
Nikon’s latest and greatest F-mount ‘trinity’ standard zoom for DSLRs is built like a tank and is relatively large for this class of lens. Image quality and overall performance are the key aspects of the design, with no concession to keeping the size and weight down. It’s certainly super-sharp but I don't feel it's outstanding in control over color fringing and distortions.
Read our full Nikon AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8E ED VR review for more details
Best all-in-one
Like many F-mount Nikon lenses, this one has been discontinued. I feel more sad about that than usual, as it was my personal favorite ‘superzoom’ and go-lens for walkabout and travel photography for many years, until Nikon’s Z system cameras came along, accompanied by the Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR. Built for DX-format DSLRs, the 18-200mm is more refined than the AF-S DX 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G ED VR and more manageable than the oversized AF-S DX 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6 VR, while still giving a highly useful ‘effective’ zoom range of 27-300mm in full-frame terms. Buy it new if you can find one, or go for a used one.
Read our full Nikon AF-S DX 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II review
Best professional zoom
With an epic feature set matched by the top-notch build quality, all-around performance, and image quality, this is a stunning 70-200mm f/2.8 zoom lens. It builds on the success of previous editions, bringing a raft of new features including fluorite glass, uprated optical stabilization, and an electromagnetically controlled aperture diaphragm, although the last of these makes it incompatible with some older Nikon DSLRs. The only catch is that the Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM Sports lens performs every bit as well and is much less expensive to buy.
Read our full Nikon AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR review for more details
Best sports lens
Nikon has long made an Nikkor AF-S 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens – but, while it delivers excellent image quality, the focal length is relatively limited, and it’s relatively pricey. This newer 200-500mm zoom is more affordable and packs in smart additional features.
These include a constant-aperture design, and an electromagnetically controlled diaphragm that ensures greater exposure consistency in rapid-fire shooting. Uprated VR (Vibration Reduction) is good for 4.5 stops and adds a ‘Sport’ mode for improved stability while tracking moving subjects.
In our lab tests it showed good levels of sharpness remain impressively consistent throughout the entire zoom range, and overall image quality is of a high standard. Autofocus and stabilization systems work quickly and effectively. The maximum focal length falls a little short compared with Nikon-mount Sigma and Tamron 150-600mm zooms but performance levels are very good.
Read my full Nikon AF-S 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR review
Best nifty-fifty
The Sigma 50mm f/1.4 is a great lens, but heavy and expensive and perhaps a bit too much for many Nikon DX camera owners. For budget portraiture on a DX-format body, look no further than this Nikon 50mm f/1.8. It’s two-thirds of a stop slower but performs very well and is cheap to buy. Considering the downmarket price, the build quality feels pretty good, right down to the weather-sealed metal mounting plate. The lens comes complete with a hood, despite the front element being deeply recessed within the barrel. You get ring-type ultrasonic autofocus complete with full-time manual override and a focus distance scale positioned beneath a viewing panel. One final advantage is that this is actually an FX full-frame lens, so if you move up to a full frame Nikon in the future, you can use it as a compact standard lens.
Read our full Nikon AF-S 50mm f/1.8G review for more details
Lab data and comparisons
The graphs below show the comparative performance of the lenses in this guide, based on our in-house lab tests. The Nikon AF-S DX 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II might look very sharp but it performs really well for a superzoom lens with such a bit range. The Nikon AF-S 50mm f/1.8G leads the group for sharpness, despite being a very budget-friendly lens that works great on both full-frame and APS-C format Nikon DSLRs.
Scores for sharpness and color fringing are averaged from data taken across the entire image frame, from the center to the edges and corners, throughout the aperture range. For zoom lenses, the scores are also averaged from data measured at all marked focal lengths, and the same applies to distortion. Bear in mind that these average values don't fully reflect specific areas of performance. For example, a zoom lens might have noticeable barrel and pincushion distortion at its shortest and longest focal lengths respectively, which tends to average out when looking at the data overall. For more detailed graphs of each lens's performance, which give the full picture, check out the graphs in our full standalone lens reviews.
How to choose the best Nikon lenses for DSLRs
Which Nikon DSLR lenses to get? Some photographers have a very clear idea about their favorite subject matter and it's pretty easy to recommend lenses. Other photographers like to experiment with all kinds of subjects – so if that sounds like you, then you might need a few different lenses, not just one!
There are many, many types of lenses out there, but we've distilled the range into five key types that are universally popular:
1) Ultra-wide zoom: For when you need to get more into the frame. Most people imagine a telephoto zoom to be the most useful extra lens you can have, but actually, a wide-angle zoom can be even more useful, especially if you are interested in travel photography and capturing cramped interiors, big landmarks, or narrow city streets.
Read more: Best wide-angle lenses for Nikon
2) Standard zoom: These offer a versatile focal range, allowing you to shoot anything from landscapes to portraits and chances are, you've already got one as these are bundled with Nikon cameras to get you started. While these are good all-rounders that are designed to be compact and affordable before anything else, in time you might decide you need a replacement that offers a longer focal range, a constant maximum aperture or just better all-round picture quality.
Read more: Best standard zoom upgrades for Nikon
3) Telephoto zoom: Most people pick one of these to go with the standard zoom that came with their camera. They are the obvious choice for anyone interested in sports and wildlife photography, or any other time when you can’t get close enough to your subject.
Read more: Best telephoto lenses for Nikon
4) Macro lens: For subjects so close they're right under your nose. Regular lenses can focus quite close, but not close enough to fill the frame with tiny insects and other close-up subjects. But macro lenses are designed to get much closer and are optically optimized to give crystal-clear close-ups.
Read more: Best macro lenses
5) Portrait lens: For flattering features and background blur. The best portrait shots combine an undistorted perspective with a soft background blur. A regular zoom lens might give you the right perspective, but only a dedicated portrait lens with a wide maximum aperture can give those atmospheric blurred backgrounds.
Read more: Best portrait lenses
How we test lenses
Our team reviews and tests Nikon DSLR lenses both through standardised lab tests and by using them in real-world conditions for different uses. We find the combination of lab and real-world testing works best, as each reveals different qualities and characteristics of the lens.
Our lab tests are carried out in scientifically controlled conditions using the Imatest testing suite – analysis software that measures resolution in line widths/picture height, a measurement widely used in lens and camera testing.
To choose the best Nikon DSLR lenses to include in this guide, we considered our lab test results and our hands-on reviews. We also considered what each lens is useful for to provide recommendations for different needs. We also factored in value to make recommendations for photographers on different budgets. You can read more about how we test.
