The best Nikon portrait lenses in 2024 for Nikon Z cameras and Nikon DSLRs

Best Nikon portrait lenses
(Image credit: Getty Images)

In this guide, we've assembled our picks of the best Nikon portrait lenses to buy for all Nikon cameras. Maybe you're using one of Nikon's DSLRs, or its newer Z-mount mirrorless camera. You might have gone for a full-frame (FX) sensor, or opted for a lighter camera with an APS-C (DX) sensor. No matter — this guide will help you find the best Nikon portrait lens for your setup.

While opinions do sometimes differ, the general consensus among photographers is that your best bet for portraiture is a short-ish telephoto prime lens with a large maximum aperture. This provides you with the best means of both flattering your subject, and separating them crisply from the background with a shallow depth of field. Don't worry if these terms are unfamiliar to you — at the bottom of this page we have a section explaining how to choose a portrait lens, so scroll there first if you're a newbie.

Matthew Richards
Matthew Richards

Matthew Richards is a photographer and journalist who has spent years using and reviewing all manner of photo gear. He is Digital Camera World's principal lens reviewer – and has tested more primes and zooms than most people have had hot dinners! He is our go-to man whenever a new Nikon lens is released, and has personally tested the lenses on this list.

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.

Matthew Richards

Matthew Richards is a photographer and journalist who has spent years using and reviewing all manner of photo gear. He is Digital Camera World's principal lens reviewer – and has tested more primes and zooms than most people have had hot dinners! 

His expertise with equipment doesn’t end there, though. He is also an encyclopedia  when it comes to all manner of cameras, camera holsters and bags, flashguns, tripods and heads, printers, papers and inks, and just about anything imaging-related. 

In an earlier life he was a broadcast engineer at the BBC, as well as a former editor of PC Guide.

TOPICS