Rangefinder
(1940s – 1950s)
Nikon 1
IX
More Information
Nov 2022
Better Pictures Nikon Reviews Nikon Lenses Nikon Flash All Reviews
Best lenses for DX SLRs
(The DX Dream Team)
Best lenses for FX and 35mm SLRs
All-time Macro Lenses
The Nikon FX Dream Team
D3 Lens Suggestions
Nikon Cheapskate FX Lenses
Nikon Lens Terminology Explained
Nikon Lens Compatibility: what works with what
What is a DX Lens?
Nikon Ultrawide Zooms Compared
Lens Sharpness
Portrait Lenses
Nikon System Compatibility
Teleconverters and Accessories
Third-party teleconverters
Nikon’due south 10 Best Lenses
Nikon’s 10 Worst Lenses
Rangefinder Lenses
Nikon IX Lenses
How to Use Ultrawide Lenses
Agreement Basic Lens Specifications
Bokeh
Nikon f/0.95 Lenses
Calculating Angle of View
Using Manual Focus Lenses on AF Cameras
Bizarre: Using Nikon lenses on Canon cameras
Lens Test Terminology
More than Sources of Information
How to pick a lens:
older recommendations for Digital SLRs
older recommendations for Pic SLRs
older recommendations for Manual Focus SLRs
Mirrorless
top
See Nikon Mirrorless Lenses
DSLR
top
Skip to AF lenses starting at:
8-9mm 10-11mm 12mm 14mm 15mm 16mm
17mm 18mm 19mm 20mm 24-25mm 28mm
35-40mm l & 58mm 55mm 60mm 70-75mm
80mm 85mm 100-105mm 120-150mm
180mm 200mm 300mm 400mm 500mm
600mm 800mm Teleconverters
See also Manual Focus Lenses, every bit they also work on digital cameras.
Explanation of Nikon’s endless alphabetic designations
Nikon Pro Normal Zoom Comparison
8-9mm
AF lens index top
10-11mm
AF lens index top
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12mm
AF lens index pinnacle
Nikon Ultra-Ultrawide Lens Comparison
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12-24mm
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14mm
AF lens index top
Nikon Ultra-Ultrawide Lens Comparison
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14-24mm f/2.8G
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14mm f/two.8D
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15mm
AF lens index top
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16mm
AF lens index superlative
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sixteen-35mm f/4 VR FXFor FX cameras. Works on DX cameras, just any DX lens works better for a lot less money on DX. 77mm filters, 23.nine oz. (678 m), 1 foot (0.29 meters) shut-focus. 2010 ~ today |
17mm
AF lens index top
17mm and 18mm Lenses and Zooms Compared
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Tokina 17mm f/3.5 FXFor FX cameras. Works on DX cameras, just any DX lens works much better for less coin on DX. 1993~1999 AT-Ten: 72mm filters, 14.three oz. (406 g), 0.82 anxiety (0.25 meters) close focus. 1999~2005 AT-X PRO: 77mm filters, 15.5 oz. (440 g), 0.82 feet (0.25 meters) close focus. |
18mm
AF lens index top
Nikon 18-200 vs. 28-300 vs. xviii-300 Comparison
eleven July 2012
17mm and 18mm Lenses and Zooms Compared
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18-35mm G FXFor FX cameras. Works on DX cameras, but any DX lens works much amend for less money on DX. 77mm filters, 13.6 oz. (385g), 0.9 feet (0.28 thousand) close-focus. 2013 ~ today. |
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18-135mm DX
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18-70mm DX
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18mm f/ii.8D FX
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19mm
AF lens index meridian
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19mm f/4 PC-E FXFX and DX coverage. No filters, manual focus, 31.2 oz. (884 g), 0.8 feet (0.25 1000) close-focus, about $3,400. 2016 ~ today. |
20mm
AF lens index peak
20mm Sharpness Comparison
23 September 2010
Light Falloff Comparison of Every Nikon 20mm Lens
eighteen February 2008
24-25mm
AF lens index peak
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Best 24-70mm Lenses Compared
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All 24-70mm Lenses Compared
26 January 2016
All Known Nikon 24mm Lenses and Zooms Compared
fourteen August 2010
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24-120mm
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28mm
AF lens alphabetize top
Nikon 18-200 vs. 28-300 vs. eighteen-300 Comparison
eleven July 2012
35-40mm
AF lens index top
50mm
AF lens index acme
Nikon 50mm and 58mm Bokeh Comparison
11 December 2013
Nikon Loftier-Speed 50mm Lens Sharpness Comparison
09 Sep 2010
55mm
AF lens index peak
60mm
AF lens index top
Nikon 60mm Yard vs. 60mm D Macro Lenses
70-75mm
AF lens alphabetize top
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80mm
AF lens alphabetize top
Nikon lxxx-200mm f/2.8 History
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85mm
AF lens index peak
85mm Lens Specifications Compared
24 June 2009
Nikon 85mm Lens Bokeh Comparing
26 March 2008
Nikon 85mm Lens Central Sharpness Comparison
23 June 2009
Nikon 85mm Lens Corner Sharpness Comparison
23 June 2009
100-105mm
AF lens index tiptop
105mm Centre Sharpness Comparison
105mm Corner Sharpness Comparison
120-150mm
AF lens index summit
180mm
AF lens index summit
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200mm
AF lens index acme
200mm Center Sharpness Comparison
200mm Corner Sharpness Comparison
300mm
AF lens alphabetize top
400mm
AF lens index meridian
Nikon 400mm f/2.viii Lenses Compared
09 July 2014
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400mm f/2.8E FL VR FX
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500mm
AF lens alphabetize top
600mm
AF lens index top
800mm
AF lens index summit
PC & PC-E Tilt/Shift
superlative
PC-Due east (Tilt & Shift with electronic diaphragm)
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19mm f/4 PC-Eastward2016- FX and DX coverage, NO filters, manual focus, 31.2 oz./884g, 0.8 feet (0.25 m) close-focus, about $3,400) |
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24mm f/3.5 PC-Due east2008- FX and DX coverage, transmission focus, |
PC (shift-only, transmission mechanical diaphragm)
Nikon Manual Focus Lenses
acme
Nikon 50mm f/1.4 AI-south.
v.6mm
7.5-8mm 11-12mm 13mm 14mm
15mm 16mm 17mm 18mm 19mm
20-21mm 24mm 28mm 35-45mm
50mm 55mm 58mm 70-80mm 85-90mm
100-105mm 135-150mm 180mm 200mm
300mm 400mm 500mm 600mm
Teleconverters
Nikon Pro Normal Zoom Comparing
You can still purchase these brand-new, see the selection
Used ones at eBay (at that place are links from each review and see How to Win at eBay)
5.6mm
manual lens index height
7.five-8mm Fisheye
manual lens index acme
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Pro-Optic 8mm f/3.five
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11mm & 12mm
manual lens index top
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13mm
manual lens index height
Nikon Ultra-Ultrawide Lens Comparison
14mm
transmission lens index top
ProOptic 14mm f/2.8
26 October 2010
15mm
manual lens alphabetize top
Nikon Ultra-Ultrawide Lens Comparison
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Zeiss 15mm f/2.viii Review
16 March 2012
Nikon 15mm f/v.6
29 February 2008
15mm
f/3.5 AI-s
16mm Fisheye
manual lens alphabetize tiptop
17mm
manual lens index top
17mm and 18mm Lenses and Zooms Compared
18mm
manual lens index top
17mm and 18mm Lenses and Zooms Compared
19mm
manual lens alphabetize top
20-21mm
manual lens index top
20mm Sharpness Comparison
23 September 2010
Light Falloff Comparing of Every Nikon 20mm Lens
eighteen February 2008
24mm
manual lens index acme
All Known Nikon 24mm Lenses and Zooms Compared
14 August 2010
24mm Perspective-Command
31 January 2008
Nikon 24mm PC-E Compatibility
09 April 2008
24mm
f/two.0 AI-s
24mm
f/ii.eight AI-south
28mm
manual lens index peak
28mm
f/2.0 AI
Nikon 28mm f/two.8 AI
16 July 2008
28mm
f/2.8 AI-s
Nikon’south sharpest wide bending lens
28mm
f/3.5 AI 04 June 2007
28mm f/3.five PC
15 April 2008
28-50mm AI-s
fourteen July 2008
35-45mm
manual lens index top
Samyang 35mm f/one.4.
09 July 2011
35mm
f/2.8 PC (Perspective Command)
Nikon 35mm f/2.8 AI
14 December 2007
35mm
f/2.0 AI-due south
35mm
f/one.iv AI-s
Nikon 35-70mm f/three.5 AI
13 December 2007
Nikon 35-70mm f/three.5 AI-s
18 Dec 2007
Voigtländer 40mm f/ii AI-P
29 August 2010
Nikon 45mm f/2.8 PC-E
July 2008
45mm
f/2.8P
50mm
manual lens index top
Comparing of 50mm Lenses
50mm f/ii Nikkor-H
06 September 2007
50mm
f/1.8 AI
50mm
f/ane.8 AI-south Series E (What are Series Due east)
50mm
f/1.four ZF Zeiss for Nikon
50mm
f/i.four AI
Nikon High-Speed 50mm Lens Sharpness Comparison
09 Sep 2010
Zeiss 50mm f/ii Makro-Planar Review
10 August 2011
55mm
manual lens index top
55mm
f/2.8
Micro
AI-s
55mm
f/3.5
Micro
AI 05 June 2003. 25 twelvemonth one-time lens
58mm
manual lens alphabetize height
70-80mm
manual lens alphabetize top
Nikon lxxx-200mm f/iv.5 Due north Review
08 May 2015
70-210mm
f/4.v – 5.6 AI-due south
Vivitar 70-210mm Series 1
04 March 2008
75-150mm
f/3.five Series E
80-200mm
f/4 AI-southward 09 November 2005. Also includes before transmission tele zooms.
85-90mm
manual lens index top
Nikon 85mm f/ii.8 PC-E
12 March 2008
85mm Lens Specifications Compared
24 June 2009
Nikon 85mm Lens Bokeh Comparison
26 March 2008
Nikon 85mm Lens Central Sharpness Comparing
23 June 2009
Nikon 85mm Lens Corner Sharpness Comparing
23 June 2009
Nikon 85mm f/1.8
24 June 2009
85mm
f/ii.0 AI-s
Nikon 85mm f/1.4 AI-s
09 July 2008
Vivitar 85mm f/ane.4 Series 1
24 June 2009
Voigtländer 90mm f/3.5 APO-Lanthar
22 September 2010
100-105mm
manual lens index top
105mm Center Sharpness Comparing
105mm Corner Sharpness Comparison
NEW:
Laowa 105mm f/2 Polish Trans-Focus Lens Review
13 September 2016
Nikon 105mm f/4 Micro
15 July 2010
Nikon 105mm f/2.8 AI-s Micro
16 July 2010
105mm f/ii.5
105mm f/one.eight AI-s
100mm f/2.viii Serial E
(What are Series East?)
Tokina 100-300mm f/four AT-10
28 August 2008
135-150mm
manual lens index superlative
135mm f/ii.8 AI-southward
27 March 2004
135mm f/three.5 AI
10 January 2008
Tokina 150-500mm
17 May 2008
180mm
manual lens alphabetize superlative
200mm
manual lens index top
200mm Center Sharpness Comparison
200mm Corner Sharpness Comparing
Nikon 200mm f/4 Micro-NIKKOR
17 Baronial 2010
200mm
f/four Q
200mm
f/4 AI
200mm
f/iv AI-s
300mm
manual lens alphabetize top
300mm
f/four.five P
300mm
f/4.five AI-s
300mm
f/4.five ED AI
300mm
f/4.five ED-IF AI-s
400mm
manual lens index top
500mm
transmission lens index top
500mm
f/8 C reflex
Reflex-NIKKOR 500mm f/viii Due north
600mm
manual lens index height
600mm
f/v.half dozen ED-IF AI-s
Nikon 600mm f/v.6 NIKKOR-P
22 July 2008
Nikon CU-one Focusing Unit
22 July 2008
Teleconverters
AF lens index top
Teleconverter Guide
Other-Brand Teleconverters
Autofocus Teleconverters
TC-14E III
TC-14E
AF-I, AF-S Teleconverter
TC-16a
TC-17E
TC-17E II
TC-20E
AF-I, AF-S Teleconverter
Nikon TC-20E III
Manual Focus Teleconverters
TC-16a
TC-200
Comparisons
meridian
Camera comparisons
Most of my individual lens reviews have detailed comparing sections. These below are only some of the broadest comparisons:
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Best 80-400mm & 100-400mm Lenses Compared.
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All Nikon 80-200mm and seventy-200mm f/2.8 Lenses Compared
Best 24-70mm Lenses Compared
updated nineteen April 2018
All-time 70-200mm f/2.eight Lenses Compared
22 April 2018
Nikon DX vs. Sony A7 2, 24-seventy/two.8 GM & 70-200/four G Comparison
Feb 2017
All 24-70mm Lenses Compared
26 January 2016
Ultra-Ultrawides compared
26 March 2015
Premium 50mm lenses compared
September 2014
Nikon 400mm f/2.8 Lenses Compared
09 July 2014
Nikon 50mm and 58mm Bokeh Comparing
11 Dec 2013
All-time Macro Lenses
28 June 2013
Nikon FX Ultrawide Zooms Compared
Nikon xviii-200 vs. 28-300 vs. 18-300 Comparison
11 July 2012
DX Wide Zooms Compared
Bokeh Comparisons
Nikon Ultra-Ultrawide Lens Comparison
23 Dec 2008
All Known 17mm and 18mm Lenses and Zooms Compared
Zeiss 18mm f/three.five Compared to Nikon 14-24mm and Canon 16-35mm L II
15 December 2009
Zeiss 21mm f/2.8 Compared to Nikon 14-24, Catechism 16-35 Fifty Two and LEICA 21mm f/ii.viii ASPH
16 Dec 2009
20mm Sharpness Comparison
23 September 2010
Lite Falloff Comparison of Every Nikon 20mm Lens
xviii February 2008
All Known Nikon 24mm Lenses and Zooms Compared
xiv August 2010
Nikon Pro Normal Zoom Comparison
twenty December 2007
Comparison of 50mm Lenses
Nikon High-Speed 50mm Lens Comparison
09 Sep 2010
Nikon High-Speed 50mm Lens Sharpness Comparison
09 Sep 2010
85mm Lens Specifications Compared
24 June 2009
Nikon 85mm Lens Bokeh Comparison
26 March 2008
Nikon 85mm Lens Key Sharpness Comparison
23 June 2009
Nikon 85mm Lens Corner Sharpness Comparison
23 June 2009
105mm Center Sharpness Comparing
105mm Corner Sharpness Comparison
Lens Bokeh Comparison at 135mm
200mm Center Sharpness Comparison
200mm Corner Sharpness Comparison
Rangefinder System
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The Nikon Rangefinder System
(1946-1964).
Older Lens Suggestions
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Everyone asks me what lens to buy. That’s a tough recommendation, since anybody is dissimilar. That’s why at that place are so many lenses!
Anyone who recommends anything without knowing what you want to practice with it should exist ignored.
I brand specific suggestions beneath. You’ll have to read through some explanations to proceed you honest and understand the basis for my suggestions. If you don’t desire to read, for any DX digital Nikon SLR just go the spectacular new 18-200mm VR which does well-nigh everything imaginable. I honey information technology, but is costs $750! If y’all’re on a upkeep and then go the cheapest (but excellent) 18-55mm 2 ($160 or less bought with a new camera) and and then the 70-300 K ($120) if you need to go longer.
I’ve personally tested nearly all of these lenses out of my ain curiosity. I post the results hither and so I could remember them all. This is the core of what started this website.
At that place are always and so many new lenses and cameras coming out that this page’southward suggestions can go dated. If this page and an individual review disagree, the individual review pages are newer.
The all-time lenses to use for 35mm moving picture and FX digital SLRs are completely different from the virtually practical lenses for DX digital SLRs. Sharpness isn’t the issue. The issues are completely unlike sensor sizes and ISO speeds. You need much shorter lenses for digital and digital’s higher ISOs permit yous get abroad with slower and therefore less expensive lenses. Therefore I offer two totally different sets of suggestions. When I say “motion-picture show lens” or “digital lens” I’one thousand referring to the best application of these lenses, not any hard limitation. All film lenses work cracking on digital cameras and even the DX digital-only lenses can be used on film cameras with varying results.
Before spending as much fourth dimension agonizing over all this every bit I have, be certain to read here virtually how equipment quality has nothing to exercise with an image’southward quality. Even the worst of these lenses in the hands of a groovy photographer is skillful enough to win a magazine cover, photo contest, or make prints to hang and sell for peak dollar in any art gallery.
If sharpness is your only concern then don’t even mess with 35mm or digital cameras. Stride up to medium or large format cameras which are what professionals accept been using for decades. Nikon and Catechism and Leica e’er seem to forget to mention that the but pro use of the smaller formats is news and sports. A $fifty used Yashica-MAT 124G (a medium format camera) is sharper than any Nikon, Leica or Canon, and a $200, 50 year one-time 4 ten v” Crown Graphic (big format) is sharper than any Hasselblad. More than at my format page.
Ever wonder why 35mm and digital photographers are always worrying about sharpness? That’southward because these are such minor formats that whatever loss of sharpness is visible. If you really want sharpness, just forget these and step upwards up to medium or large format and yous’ll not have to worry because you’ll merely get sharp images.
It’due south very hard to find complete perfection in SLR lenses, especially broad angles and zooms. The special retrofocus design required for broad-bending SLR lenses makes them very hard to design well, and then virtually of these lenses exhibit barrel distortion and fuzzy corners wide open. That’s typical for Nikon and even Leitz.
Remember that anybody has unlike standards, and every sample of every lens will vary from every other sample. A lamentable thing about these tests is in that location is a lot of quality variation amid SLR lenses. Lenses that go adept reviews here testify that the design is adept, but that’s no guarantee that the one you lot buy will exist any good. Likewise, if a lens tests poorly here, there’s no reason why the one that y’all have won’t exist better. I examination from the lenses I or my friends have owned, merely like the lenses yous have. These are non the carmine-picked samples provided to advertiser-sponsored magazines. I hope you benefit from all the film I burned doing this!
Older Suggestions for DSLRs
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Newest Suggested lenses for DX SLRS
Newest Suggested Lenses for FX and Pic SLRs
September 2007:
This applies to DX SLRs. For the D700 and D3 FX DSLRs, see D700 Lens Suggestions and D3 Lens Suggestions
Information below is older:
Everyone’due south needs vary. That’south why Nikon makes so many lenses. With these caveats let me brand suggestions aimed at the commencement photographer with general needs.
General issues for digital SLRs:
1.) Don’t bother with manual focus lenses on digital cameras. Optically they work bully, however with most cameras you’ll have no metering or automation. You can use these in a studio only they are well-nigh useless in the field.
2.) Optically all Nikon lenses ever made piece of work bully on all digital Nikons. Nikon designs its digital cameras for their lenses, so ignore the discount brands’ barking most magic lenses optimized for digital. Nikon digital SLRs are already designed for Nikon lenses and no discount brand could possibly optimize their lenses for every camera brand simultaneously. Nope, no ane pays me or sponsors me; these are just my opinions. In this case I agree with Nikon’s marketing, even though their latest slogan well-nigh “the camera matters” is baloney. Nikon’due south “DX” moniker just means these shorter focal length lenses won’t cover 35mm moving picture, and so don’t use them on a film camera. All Nikon lenses are already “digital optimized.”
3.) Fixed focal length lenses aren’t needed, except for macro or super tele. The faster f/stops of fixed lenses aren’t needed with digital’s high ISOs. About all lens development in the by twenty years has been focused on zooms, so as digital dawns in that location are few things that zooms can’t exercise better.
Mid Range Zooms for Digital
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The new 18 – 200 VR lens is all 90% of everything anyone would desire for everything.
It’southward a quantum. In that location’s never been anything like information technology in my over 30 years of photography. At present that I have one it never seems to come off my D200! Information technology’s expensive, about $700. If you’re considering information technology I’d advise but getting it. It’southward unlike whatsoever other all-in-one lens I’ve ever used. You lot’ll love information technology! It’due south rare that I need anything longer.
On a more reasonable budget I’d propose the 18 – 55, which yous can go with a camera equally a kit. Information technology’s inexpensive, nearly $140, and works too or meliorate than the more than expensive 18 – 70 ($330) and 17 – 55 ($1,500) lenses. There’s no reason you can’t make tens of thousands of fantastic images with just the eighteen – 55. Of course each of those lenses is progressively heavier, more sensitive in low low-cal and more durable, too. If you take intendance of your gear and make casual use of information technology I’d go for the cheapest 18 – 55. If you trounce your gear, or are a full fourth dimension pro, by all means pay ten times as much for the 17 – 55, but don’t wait to encounter a visible difference in the images.
Digital SLRs take a sensor only 67% as big as picture, and so whatever lens used on digital gives a smaller field of view similar to a lens of 1.5 times the focal length. Accept the focal length yous apply on your film camera and divide by one.five to get the focal length you need on a digital camera for the same effect. For case, a 28 – 105 mm lens is about perfect on a moving-picture show camera, which means for a digital camera you want an 18 – seventy mm lens. AHA! You’ll notice the big effect is that there are very few zooms that start around 18mm and so go all the fashion out to 70mm.
Zooms starting at 24 mm or 28 mm are Not useful equally mid range zooms on digital. 24 or 28 mm is dandy for film camera, merely the smaller sensors of digital cameras crave shorter lenses to get the same effect as they practise on picture. For instance, a 28mm lens on a digital camera has the aforementioned bending of view as a 40mm lens on a motion picture camera. 40mm isn’t wide; it’s normal. For instance, my favorite 24 – 85 mm picture show lens used on a digital camera gives like views as a 37 – 122mm lens does on a film photographic camera.
Forget the flick 18 – 35 motion-picture show lens since information technology costs more than and does less than the 18 – seventy. Of grade if yous have one use information technology, simply don’t buy a new one for digital. Zooms starting at 17 or eighteen mm give the same results as a zoom starting at 26 mm on a film camera, very useful indeed.
28 – 200 mm lenses are Non useful as a do-everything lenses on digital, since they only commencement at the equivalent of 43mm. In digital i needs an 18 – 135mm lens too encompass the same range. An 18 – 200 lens covers the equivalent of 28 – 300.
I avert disbelieve brands.
Pro Combos
Before the xviii – 200 anybody carried a combination of a wide zoom and a telephoto zoom, skipping the heart lens entirely. You won’t miss the range between the two zooms.
Add a mid zoom to these ii if you lot notwithstanding desire to have merely ane lens y’all tin can take hold of for social events, but you’ll notice over fourth dimension that the mid zoom sits around a lot if you have the ii others.
The wide zoom will exist very expensive and the telephoto zoom can be almost free. Mortgage yourself to buy the wide zoom and pay with what you’ll relieve on the telephoto compared to film days.
Digital SLRs are so new that there are few lenses designed with the shorter focal lengths more advisable to their smaller sensors. Therefore at that place are fewer choices, making these suggestions much easier.
Wide Zooms for Digital
back to superlative
I love super wide lenses. Before I got my xviii – 200 a calendar month ago my Nikon 12 – 24 was what I used 75% of the time. If yous want a super wide lens of grade I suggest the 12 – 24.
If cost is an issue I’yard before long to test all the 3rd party versions, however earlier I do I’d advise the Tokina 12-24mm f/four as a prophylactic bet for one-half the price of the Nikon I have. Nikon was the only super wide DSLR lens fabricated in 2004 when I bought mine.
If you photograph landscapes or real manor yous need this lens. You can read about it in depth hither.
Telephoto Zooms for Digital
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This is easy! The 1.5x cistron that wreaks havoc for getting normal or wide zooms makes telephotos trivial. Digital’south higher ISOs besides eliminate the need for the heavy, expensive fast f/2.8 zooms of film days, except of course if you want shallow depth of field for portraits.
Your all-time bet on a budget is to get get any used Nikkor 70 – 210 mm AF zoom. Information technology might price you lot $100 – 150. Every one Nikon has made is dandy. The oldest seventy – 210 f/4 abiding discontinuity version from the 1980s is a winner. It focuses as fast equally both of today’s new 70 – 300 AF lenses, is a stop faster, focuses twice equally shut and has the smoothest, almost angelic, zooming action of any lens I’ve ever used. As well, the newest seventy – 210 mm f/5.vi AF-D lens, discontinued in 2000, is very small-scale, very well built and focuses much faster and closer than any of the brand new or older 70 – 300 zooms. The 70 – 210 f/5.6 (non-D) AF lens made in betwixt these ii is about the same equally the newer lens, but but focuses equally fast as the older f/four lens.
If you buy new, which is just a luxury, you have the choice of quite a few lenses. Nikon makes two versions of their 70 – 300 mm lens. The lxx – 300 K version is cheap and sells for nigh $99 – 150 brand new. The more solidly made 70 – 300 ED version sells for about $300. Either should be fine and each focuses as slowly as the 1980’due south 70 – 210. The seventy – 210 AF-D focuses much more quickly than whatsoever of these.
Of course my favorite, and the lens I employ well-nigh of the time as of 2006, is my 18 – 200 VR. It costs more than any of these higher up, merely focuses faster and, except for correctable distortion, is better however than any of the others. Information technology adds VR, focuses to a foot and a half and zooms out to wide angles, too.
The great news nearly digital is that the fast ISOs usually excuse y’all from the need for an expensive f/2.eight lens. The f/four – five.vi lenses in a higher place are unremarkably fine even in less than optimum light. For sports your prime concern is how fast they focus. For this yous’ll want the discontinued lxx – 210 AF-D, or the eighteen – 200 VR which are much faster than any other nether-$800 tele. These two focus faster than virtually of the older eighty – 200 f/ii.8 AF lenses that might tempt yous as used lenses. Again, skip hither to see this explained under motion picture telephotos. The only fast focusing f/2.viii telephoto zooms are the AF-Southward versions and merely the very latest AF-D version with the factory tripod neckband. The newest 18 – 200 VR likewise focuses very, very fast and for a digital camera replaces non simply the tele, simply the mid-range zoom equally well.
If yous want to spend more and carry heavy lenses then feel free to go an f/2.8 or the other lenses I cover under telephotos for film here. Personally I love my fourscore – 400 mm zoom as explained below nether film.
Old Suggestions for AF SLRs
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Nikon makes and then many lenses considering peoples’ needs and budgets vary. Since I don’t know your specific predicament, I can only exist and then helpful. With these caveats let me make suggestions aimed at the lensman with general needs.
Depending on what you want you may non even want a 35mm Nikon. Read my film format page earlier you waste whatsoever coin on Nikons if you lot want to do landscape photography, for instance. People forget that personally I shoot four x 5″ or at to the lowest degree 6 10 seven cm for the photos y’all run into on my site. 35mm picture died in 1999 with the introduction of the Nikon D1 for newspapers; today you lot should be using larger format film or digital.
You’ll either want simply one medium zoom lens,
or
if you want to become fancy yous’ll
instead
want a dissever broad and another tele zoom, forgetting about the medium i. Past all means if you lot get both a wide and tele zoom feel free too to go a medium zoom, just know that you’ll really only be using the medium zoom if you have to run out with just one lens some 24-hour interval, or for party and wedding ceremony and issue photos.
If yous are a beginner and so the lens that comes included as a packet is commonly all you need. Don’t allow eager salespeople sell yous a ton of glass until you tin can primary what you already have.
Are you shooting prints or slides?
I shoot slow l speed slide film in all sorts of dark light so I need and apply the speed of the expensive f/2.eight pro zooms and f/1.4 stock-still lenses. If I shot prints or digital merely then I’d use the slower zooms instead and you lot should, as well. Of course I don’t suggest you shoot print motion-picture show, simply if you lot do y’all’ll be happy with whatever lens. If you lot shoot prints then just employ whatever medium zoom that comes equally a kit with your photographic camera (or sells new for $100 lonely) and you’ll do great, or go the two cheapest zooms I mention beneath.
Let’south now assume you lot are serious well-nigh starting and volition be shooting slides.
Medium Zooms for Pic Cameras
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If you just want one lens my favorite is the newest
AF-S 24-85mm
f/iii.v-4.5G that costs $360. It’s cheap, small, light, easy and fun to apply and gives fantastically sharp images. For $540 the
24-120 VR
may be more than fun; I’ll permit yous know when I get more fourth dimension with one. I prefer this to the much heavier and expensive 28-70 f/2.8 AFS for practicality’s sake.
If you become for the two zoom solution instead you accept a couple of great ways to go depending on your weight and dollar budget. Remember with the two-zoom system you probably don’t need or desire the midrange zoom above. Y’all simply don’t need the small range between 35 and 80mm.
Wide Zooms for Picture Cameras
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I suggest the AF
18 – 35mm
f/3.5-four.5D ED-IF. It sells for about $450 later the rebate. I use the
AF-Southward
17 – 35mm
f/two.8 ED-IF that weighs a ton and costs $ane,500 and which I bought earlier the smaller 18 – 35 was introduced. For rational people the 18 – 35 gives exactly the same quality images equally my $1,500 lens without all the weight. If you desire to be picky by all ways go for the $1,500 lens, just recall that the $450 one wasn’t available when I bought my 17 – 35 so I didn’t take the choice y’all do. The 18 – 35 is a very well made, easy to utilize, low-cal, fast focusing, focuses very shut and is a very sharp lens. I suggest information technology for everyone so long every bit you’re not shooting a lot of architecture. Read my reviews for all the details. This again is an easy recommendation since it’s and so good. I take never seen either of these new lenses used so I can’t vouch for buying them that way, just purchase them new at discount at the links on each folio. Zoom lenses have internal cams that can wear and degrade the performance of a lens over time.
Telephoto Zooms for Film Cameras
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For the telephoto zoom I’d strongly advise saving for the AF
80-200mm
f/ii.8D ED west/tripod collar for most $800 after rebate. Information technology’south a superb fully professional lens and will last you for your next ten years of photography regardless of which camera, film or digital, you lot may accept in 2015. You’ll never wish yous had something else. I propose this i strongly since information technology’southward a bargain and I’m non that impressed by the cheaper, lighter alternatives of the current AF
70-300mm
f/4-5.6D ED ($310) or AF
70-300mm
f/four-5.6G ($130). If you lot’d rather not deal with the toll and weight of the 80-200 now then await around for a used AF
70-210mm
f/four-5.6D from the 1990s or even the AF
70-210mm
f/iv from the 1980s, each of which may toll y’all nearly $150 used. Since a make new 80-200 is so inexpensive avoid used 80-200s, since all the before models focus much slower, and I’ve also bought used eighty-200s that looked new on the outside merely were misaligned on the inside and gave fuzzy results. Heck, y’all have to pay about as much for the crummier disbelieve brands, also. Again, if you have $800 this is a very easy recommendation to make. Don’t even consider second and 3rd rate brands like Sigma or Tamron simply because you tin go 18-carat Nikon for well-nigh the same toll.
Oddly I’ve heard a few complaints nearly inaccurate focusing at the 200 mm setting of the AF
fourscore-200mm
f/2.8D ED w/tripod collar at f/2.8 on a D70. If you plan to use this item combination cheque this carefully. Other than that ascertainment past others this lens has worked remarkably well for me.
If you take $1,400 for the telephoto zoom then I apply the AF
VR 80 – 400mm
f/4.5 – five.6D for most things and the discontinued
AF-S
80 – 200mm
f/2.8D ED-IF for action and low calorie-free. See the reviews for the specifics. If I was smarter back when I bought these I may take bought the AF
lxxx – 200mm
f/ii.8D ED w/tripod collar instead. As of 2004 the
80 – 200 AFS
has been replaced by the
70 – 200 VR, which for activity and low light is the best lens ever made. If you don’t take an extra $ane,000 lying around the basic
80 – 200
above is well-nigh as skilful; the but real departure is the vibration reduction which doesn’t stop activity merely does help eliminate the need for a tripod in dim low-cal.
Unless you shoot slow fifty speed picture show as I exercise and accident it upward into huge enlargements there is no reason to spend for the expensive lenses. All they will exercise is lighten your wallet and counterbalance you down every place you lot go. I dear and utilise my expensive lenses, but remember I’yard a trivial crazy and shoot slow flick handheld at night. That’s what I meant above when I cautioned you about taking advice from people without them asking what yous do. All because I use one lens doesn’t mean that it’s right for you, or that I even would make the same option again as you run across. If y’all shoot print moving-picture show then the very cheap Grand lenses (including the one that may come with your camera as an outfit) are all you lot’ll need; on prints smaller than viii x ten” one never tin can meet any differences between lenses. You simply see this if you accident upward to 16 x 20″ and larger.
I don’t bother with discount lenses like Tamron and Sigma. Sigma is very poorly made (actually I’ve been told the name is derived from Significant MAlfunction), so of course it costs less. When you become to sell the lenses you lot get much more than much faster for real Nikkor lenses then I see no reason for the false economic system of cheap lenses. Of all the cheapies I’d try Tokina first. More hither virtually why your local camera store probably is pushing the cheaper (merely higher-profit) discount lenses on you. In spite of what camera stores tell you, I know of NO professional photographers or even decent amateurs who utilise anything other than camera brand lenses. And no, no one pays me anything to practice this site and no i’south giving or even loaning me gratuitous cameras; this is what I’ve learned over decades of buying and selling all this for my own personal photography.
Old Suggestions for Transmission Focus Cameras
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Nikon makes so many lenses because peoples’ needs and budgets vary. Since I don’t know your specific predicament, I can only be so helpful. With these caveats let me brand suggestions aimed at the lensman with general needs.
DO NOT use transmission focus lenses on autofocus and digital cameras. If you lot already own these lenses as I do fine, but it’s silly to buy a new manual lens considering you lose nigh all the features yous demand, similar metering, with transmission lenses used on mod cameras. I very deliberately titled this section “… for Manual Focus Cameras” because I only suggest these manual lenses for use on manual cameras.
Manual focus cameras work with all the AF lenses suggested above except the G series. Please read this section above about film cameras above if you oasis’t already, since it all applies hither and you need to know virtually the differences betwixt lens choices if you shoot moving-picture show or shoot slides. I have more about what lenses work on which cameras here.
Feel complimentary to utilise the AF zooms I propose above since they work groovy on manual cameras. Optical quality for well-nigh purposes is better in today’s zooms. Why? 25 years of innovation. These manual focus lenses were all designed almost xxx years ago fifty-fifty if they’re still sold new today. Nikon develops newer, better zooms every month. The 17 – 35 AF is a amend lens than the 20 mm f/four AI below, only it costs and weighs 10 times as much. I don’t advise any manual focus zooms since they are too 30 year old designs and unremarkably inferior to fifty-fifty the cheapest new AF zooms today.
The reasons you lot might want to step backwards to manual focus lenses are:
1.) Lower price
two.) Smaller size and lower weight.
three.) Faster f/stops ideal for use with slides hand-held in low light, as well with lower size, weight and cost compared to zooms
four.) Standardized 52mm filters. You can have every lens from twenty mm to 200mm, including PC shift and macro lenses, take the aforementioned 52mm filters.
5.) Much amend mechanics. The manual lenses are works of mechanical art with their very high quality metal construction and flawless precision. The focus rings can be operated with a single finger and work at all temperatures. The manual lenses feel much better than AF lenses when used manually.
6.) Easier focusing. The AF lenses are a little skittish when focused manually, since they are designed for speed on AF cameras. By comparison the transmission lenses are a joy to focus past hand. Likewise stock-still lenses are easier to focus manually, since zoom lenses focused manually usually focus too slowly at broad and too fast at tele.
Here’s what I suggest for manual focus 35mm Nikon lenses:
i.) Ultrawide lens. Personally I adopt my rare 20mm f/4 AI for its size and superb image quality. It also takes standard 52mm filters for compatibility with the remainder of the suggested lenses.
two.) Short tele. I use the 85mm f/2 AI-southward. I beloved the focal length and size and standard 52mm filter. I find 105mm besides long for the way I come across things.
These two lenses comprehend almost everything I shoot. For a normal lens I use a 35mm, not 50mm, lens. My favorite 35mm lens is the
iii.) Normal lens: 35mm f/1.4 AI-s. This gives me the speed I need for employ in bachelor light handheld. It’s been made ever since 1969 and is the same lens with only mechanics that modify over the decades. The 35mm f/two AF or 28mm f/i.4 AF lenses are 2nd choices. The 35 AF has had reliability problems with oil on the diaphragm blades. The 28/1.4 is extraordinary, withal information technology costs $1,800 and takes larger 72mm filters, albeit with much amend optics than the old 35/i.4. I never liked my 35mm f/2 AI-s. Information technology had a problem with ghosting for night photography.
four.) Long tele: 200 mm f/4 AI or AI-southward. Inexpensive, sharp, small and takes 52mm filters like all the other lenses I just suggested. Born hood. The 180mm f/2.8 ED is great, only much heavier and thus it usually sat domicile.
More than Information
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Nikon Lens Technology and Alphabet Soup
Nikon’southward index of electric current manual-focus lenses
How to Fix Lens Distortion in Photoshop
DxO Software
corrects near optical bug perfectly.
Roland Vink’s Nikon SLR lens data
Robert Rottmerhusen’s AF Lens CPU serial numbers
John White
(AI conversions of one-time lenses). I’ve used him with dandy results.
Legacy2Digital.com
does AI-P conversions.
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