The best Nikon F-mount lenses are ideal for any photographer using a Nikon DSLR. With a history stretching back to the days of film SLRs, F-mount is a lens system with serious pedigree, and it contains some of the finest optics you can buy.
We’ve already rounded up the best Nikon DSLRs ever made, but of course, that’s only half the imaging equation. Indeed, there’s a case to be made that the lens is even more important than the camera, as it exerts more influence on the look and character of the image. So it pays to make sure you get the right one!
In this list, we’ve picked out a selection of the best Nikon F-mount lenses, for a range of budgets and users.
How to choose the best Nikon F-mount lenses
Which is the best Nikon F lens for your DSLR setup? While this guide presents you with a broad selection of options, narrowing it down to one will depend largely on the subjects you plan to photograph. Different lenses suit different purposes. Here is a quick guide to the main considerations when picking a Nikon F lens.
DX or FX? You’ll see these letters in the names of all Nikon F-mount lenses, and they refer to the sensor size of the camera they pair with. Nikon DSLRs come in two varieties – APS-C sensor (DX) and full-frame sensor (FX). A DX lens will create a smaller image circle, designed to fit a smaller APS-C sensor. See our guide to APS-C vs full-frame for a thorough look at how it all works.
Prime or zoom? The main difference between these types is that prime lenses have a fixed focal length, while zoom lenses have a focal range that lets you get closer to or further from your subject. With prime, you get superior optical quality, so picking between the two types is generally a choice of sharpness vs versatility.
Focal length? Wide-angle lenses (around 8-35mm) are good for capturing expansive scenes like landscapes, and conveying scale in architecture. Standard lenses (40-75mm) provide a naturalistic perspective, useful for street and documentary photography. Telephoto lenses (80mm and higher) are good for bringing distant subjects like wildlife into sharp focus, or flattering facial features for portraits.
Maximum aperture? This refers to the widest aperture setting a lens can offer – an f/2.8 lens has a maximum aperture setting of f/2.8. The lower the number, the wider the aperture, and the more light a lens can let in. This also allows for shallow depth of field, which is handy for portraits. Some zoom lenses have a variable maximum aperture like f/3.5-5.6 – this means the maximum aperture changes depending on how far zoomed in the lens is.
VR? The ‘VR’ acronym on Nikon F-mount lenses refers to Vibration Reduction, which is Nikon’s name for its optical image stabilisation system. Image stabilisation keeps a lens steady when it’s being used hand-held, allowing for the use of slower shutter speeds without the need for a tripod.
Check out our list of the best Nikon F-mount lenses:
Best Nikon Lenses: Nikon AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8E ED VR
Price: £1,719 / $2,096, website: www.nikon.com
Sometimes only the very best will do, and when it comes to standard zooms on a full-frame Nikon body, this is it. The latest version of Nikon’s pro workhorse lens adds optical image stabilisation and uses an electromagnetic diaphragm, which provides much-improved functionality when shooting in live view or for video work. With an array of exotic glasses and coatings, it’s designed for use on the latest high-resolution DSLRs such as the 45.7MP D850. It can also be used with DX-format cameras, giving a 36-105mm equivalent range. Super-fast autofocus and top-notch build quality round off a truly excellent package – in our full, in-depth review, we described this as, ‘superb fast standard zoom that’ll be perfect for a range of shooting environments.’
Pros
- VR adds shooting flexibility
- Hugely impressive autofocus
- Excellent quality throughout zoom range
Cons
- Some vignetting when wide open
- Steep asking price
Read our Nikon AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8E ED VR review.
Best Nikon Lenses: Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR (APS-C)
Price: £349 (renewed) / $649 (new), website: www.nikon.com
If you’ve outgrown the 18-55mm kit zoom that came when you bought your camera, this might just be the perfect upgrade. It offers a usefully extended zoom range, from 24mm equivalent wideangle to 128mm telephoto, while providing a respectable optical performance that’s aided by a fast ultrasonic-type autofocus motor and built-in image stabilisation. It’s been on the market for almost a decade now, meaning good prices can often be had if you’re prepared to shop around. If you have another £300 to spare, then the AF-S DX Nikkor 16-80mm f/2.8-4E ED VR represents another step up again, with an even faster maximum aperture and stellar optics.
Pros
- Excellent value for money
- Broad, do-everything zoom range
- Fast autofocus
Cons
- Somewhat slow maximum aperture
Best Nikon Lenses: Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 G ED VR
Price: £349 / $396, website: www.nikon.com
Often the first lens DSLR users buy after the 18-55mm that came with their camera is a telephoto zoom. But there’s a huge number to choose from, with Nikon alone offering six for its DX-format SLRs, distinguished only by opaque combinations of letters in their names. The most up-to-date is the AF-P 70- 300mm f/4.5-6.3 VR: a compact, image-stabilised optic with a usefully long zoom range and the latest fast, silent AF-P motor for autofocus, that’s also suitable for video work. Being an AF-P lens, though, it’s not compatible with Nikon DSLRs that were released five years or more ago. So if you use an older model, you’ll need to buy the Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR.
Pros
- Useful zoom range
- Silent autofocus
- Very good value
Cons
- Doesn’t work with some Nikon DSLRs
Best Nikon Lenses: Nikon AF-S Nikkor 85mm f/1.8G
Price: £489 / $476, website: www.nikon.com
If you want to take people pictures to another level, then a large-aperture, short-telephoto prime is the way to go. Nikon’s AF-S 85mm f/1.8 is a good quality yet reasonably affordable choice, with fast autofocus and sharp optics. With a nine-bladed circular aperture, it can also provide very attractively blurred backgrounds. The lens is equally suitable for use on full-frame and DX format DSLRs, giving a 135mm view on the latter. To get even better results, you’d need to invest in an 85mm f/1.4, with Sigma’s 85mm f/1.4 Art DG HSM (£999) being a fine example.
Pros
- Solid budget portrait lens
- Produces attractive bokeh
- Useful f/1.8 aperture
Cons
- Not as sharp as some portrait lenses
Best Nikon Lenses: Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 10-20mm f/4.5-5.6G VR
Price: £349 / £306, website: www.nikon.com
Nikon users have long been crying out for a lightweight, inexpensive wideangle zoom, and finally it’s arrived in the shape of this 10-20mm lens. Optically it’s OK, if not outstanding, but crucially, its built-in optical stabilisation is extremely useful. Again, though, its AF-P designation means that it only works on relatively recent APS-C DSLRs, so check compatibility before you buy. Otherwise this is a great complement to a standard zoom for subjects such as landscapes, interiors and architecture, where you’d like to squeeze as much as possible in the frame.
Pros
- Excellent built-in stabilisation
- Useful focal range
Cons
- Not the sharpest
- Not compatible with everything
Best Nikon Lenses: Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G
Price: £199 / $196, website: www.nikon.com
Large-aperture prime lenses allow you to shoot indoors without flash, or blur backgrounds for creative effect. Not only is this small 35mm prime the most affordable such option for Nikon DX users, it’s also very sharp. With a view roughly equivalent to a 50mm prime on full-frame, it’s suitable for subjects from street photography to portraits. If you want a lens that will also work on full-frame, you’ll need the similarly-named Nikon AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G, but this costs almost three times as much. Other important things to know about this lens are its 30cm minimum focus distance, it accepts filters and adapters via a 52mm thread and accepts Nikon’s HB-46 lens hood.
Pros
- Excellent value for money
- Impressive sharpness
- Compact and lightweight
Cons
- Doesn’t work on full frame
Best Nikon Lenses: Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G
Price: £175 / $216, website: www.nikon.com
For many years, 50mm primes (or ‘nifty fifties’) were sold as general-purpose lenses with 35mm film cameras, but they fell out of favour for a few decades. Recently, however, there has been a resurgence in their popularity for use with APS-C format DSLRs. They tend to be small, light and relatively cheap, yet very sharp, and perfect for shooting portraits. Nikon’s AF-S 50mm f/1.8G is a classic example of the type, and will also work on full-frame cameras. In our review of this lens, we found it performed well across the board. ‘Improving on a classic design is often a difficult task, but it is one in which Nikon has succeeded,’ was our verdict.
Don’t confuse it with the cheaper AF 50mm f/1.8D, though, which won’t autofocus on Nikon’s entry-level D3000-series or D5000-series DSLRs. The lens has a 58mm filter thread and a construction of seven elements in six groups.
Pros
- Curved aperture blades
- Nice and cheap
- Good sharpnesss
Cons
- Some curvilinear distortion
Read our Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f1.8G review
We put the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR through its paces.
Best Nikon Telephoto lens: Nikon AF-S Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR
Price: £3429 / $3596, website: www.nikon.com
The Nikon AF-S 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens is the lightest 500mm full-frame telephoto prime lens, the lens weighs just 1.46kg, making it lighter than most 150-600mm zoom lenses. The lens is light enough to shoot with handheld, and the Vibration Reduction system gives 4-stops of stabilisation. The lens gives impressive image quality, as well as rapid focus performance, making it ideal for when you need a telephoto prime lens. When we took the lens to Lords Cricket Ground for a field test, we discovered just how well it delivers the goods: ‘If I were a Nikon user planning to go on safari, I’d put my name down to hire this lens in an instant,’ our reviewer said at the time.
Pros
- Terrific optical performance
- Fast focusing
- 4-stop stabilisation
- Very light for this focal length
Cons
- Inevitably expensive
Read our Nikon AF-S Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR field test
Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 180-400mm f/4E TC1.4 FL ED VR taken out on a field test.
Telephoto zoom: Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 180-400mm f/4E TC1.4 FL ED VR
Price: £10,999 / $12,396, website: www.nikon.com
If you have the budget, then Nikon’s AF-S NIKKOR 180-400mm f/4E TC1.4 FL ED VR lens offers not only a 180-400mm telephoto zoom, but also features a built-in 1.4x teleconverter. With the price being over £10,000 it might be a lens you could look at hiring for special events. It’s worth noting that due to the weight, of 3.5kg, you might not want to carry it around for too long, and a monopod can help out here, as we discovered when we took it for a review at a bird-in-flight workshop. As we said at the end of our day’s shooting, ‘Nikon has created an absolutely sensational lens, it’s just a shame that its high price will have the final say over the number of photographers who get to use it.‘
It certainly delivers impressive image quality though with Vibration Reduction helping to keep shots steady, and for that it is to be commended.
Pros
- Built-in teleconverter
- Superb imaging performance
Cons
- Very heavy
- Very, very expensive
Read our Nikon AF-S 180-400mm f/4E TC1.4 FL ED VR field test
For more have a look at the latest news, lens reviews, and buying guides, or have a look at the best Nikon DSLRs.
