Here’s a list for those who are either interested in purchasing a new lens, or simply want to see what Nikon lenses sell the best. You obviously can’t go wrong with any of these, as popularity is a great sign that a lens is good for its price. What’s even better is that the majority of lenses below cost less than $500!
The statistics reflect this year’s sales from Amazon, and also what our readers purchase through our links (affiliate links that help support our blog).
1. Nikon 35mm f/1.8G DX AF-S
Great range for potraits, street photography and pretty much anything you can think of. For slightly over $100, you won’t find a better lens, especially with the image quality and colors like this. Check it out here.
2. Nikon 50mm f/1.8G AF-S
It’s got a slightly longer focal length than the lens above, and will also work on all Nikon DSLR cameras (the 35mm above is designed for DX models, which is all cameras below $2,000). It’s a high quality, affordable prime lens, you can check it out here.
3. Nikon 50mm f/1.4G SIC SW
Before the announcement of the 50 above, the 50mm f/1.4 was the best price/performance model available. You should still buy it if you know you’ll use it at f/1.4, or just generally at large apertures, as it’s slightly sharper when completely wide open. You can check it out here.
4. Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED IF AF-S DX VR
For telephoto work on a budget, this is your best option. 200mm is enough for sports and many outdoor activities, but it may not be the best option for indoor sports unless you raise the ISO speed of your DSLR. You can check it out here.
5. Nikon 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED IF AF-S VR DX
For twice the price, you get an extra 100mm reach, a better Vibration Reduction system that helps up to 4 stops. Image quality and colors are mostly the same as they both contain similar elements. You can check it out here.
6. Nikon 85mm f/1.8G
You’re looking at one of the sharpest lenses available from Nikon! Besides amazing quality, its background blur (bokeh) is absolutely outstanding, making it a perfect choice for portraits and low light photography. Aperture f/1.8 will allow you to take pictures in almost any situation, and it’s also sharp from the start. Check it out here.
7. Nikon 18-200 f/3.5-5.6G AF-S ED VR
If you’re not satisfied with the reach or quality of the 18-140mm kit lens, then perhaps the 18-200mm is what you should get if you’re looking for a relatively light, small, overall lens. It’s designed for DX cameras and uses a Silent Wave Motor for faster and more accurate focusing. If you can afford it, and want one lens for traveling and daily photography, check it out at Amazon here.
8. Nikon 70-300mm f/4-5.6G ED IF AF-S
It offers 50mm more reach than the 55-250mm above, slightly better quality at the 300mm distance, an Ultra Sonic Motor for silent and more accurate focusing, and just feels better in hands. It’s around $200 more expensive, so I’d recommend it to those who are quite serious when it comes to sports, wildlife or any telephoto work. Check it out here.
9. Nikon 28-300mm f/4-5.6G ED
For almost twice the price, and 100mm more reach on the long end, the 28-300mm is truly an all-in-one lens for those who want to be ready for anything, at any time! There’s Vibration Reduction II, because at 300mm you will want as much help from the lens as possible to get a clear shot, and the image quality is really good for something with so much reach. It’s mostly a lens for the serious amateur. You can check it out here.
10. Nikon 105mm f/2.8G IF ED Micro
The last on the list is a razor sharp macro lens. At 105mm it’s perfect for close-up photography without scaring your subjects for being too close, but you can obviously use it for any type of photography. It’s got internal focusing so the lens doesn’t extend or rotate when focusing, and it’s also really quiet and accurate. You can check it out at Amazon here.
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