If you’re a Nikon camera owner who is just getting into photography, we want to congratulate you. You’re jumping into a hobby that so any photographers really know and love. It’s brought them tons of mental health benefits, and they’ve also made beautiful photos they’re really proud of. If you want to take things further, you should reach for the best Nikon lenses for beginners. And lucky for you, we’ve rounded them up in this post for Nikon Z camera users. Take a look!
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Table of Contents
How We Chose the Best Nikon Lenses for Beginners Under $500
Here’s some insight into our selection of the best Nikon lenses for beginners.
- Our Editorial Policies don’t allow us to talk about products we haven’t reviewed. Luckily, we’ve done full reviews of all these lenses and so much more. You can find links to those reviews in the sections below. Further, we’ve also shot all the images in this round up.
- The best Nikon lenses for beginners are, luckily, all weather-resistant. That’s important to keep in mind for long-term durability.
- We know some folks really want zoom lenses. But these are the best Nikon lenses for beginners because they can give you the photos that your phone can’t in an organic fashion. Part of that has to do with the depth of field. Another part has to do with resolution.
- The 40mm f2 won an Editor’s Choice award. In our opinion, this is the single best of the bunch.
- These lenses can do anything: portraits, landscapes, street photography – you name it.
Nikon Z 40mm f2
Pros
- Durable – incredibly so!
- Beautiful image quality
- I like the colors.
- Autofocus is great, and it’s solid in the studio.
- Nice bokeh
- It’s a 40mm!
- Bro, it’s $299.99. Like, this is THE IMPULSE BUY lens from Nikon.
Cons
- Autofocus on the Nikon z6 II is much improved, but still falls behind other brands for stuff like street photography.
In our review, we state:
The Nikon 40mm f2 z isn’t doing anything genuinely innovative per se. However, they’re offering the smallest autofocusing 40mm f2 lens on the market. They’ve added incredible weather sealing despite them being slightly conservative with their own statements on this. Better yet, they’ve done this at a crazy low price point. 40mm lenses have been seeing a rise in popularity, and the Nikon 40mm f2 z is a study in how to do it right.
Nikon Z 50mm f1.8
Pros
- Robust weather sealing
- Excellent sharpness
- Compact and lightweight
- AF accuracy has improved with firmware updates to Nikon Z bodies
Cons
- Pricier than existing Nikon F Mount 50mm lenses
In our review, we state:
Thanks to the lens design that features 12 elements in 9 groups with 9 aperture blades, the bokeh produced by the Nikon NIKKOR Z 50mm f1.8 S will likely be pleasing to most photographers. It does a good job separating your subject from the background. As a matter of personal preference, some photographers will subjectively argue that the bokeh produced by this lens lacks character.
Nikon Z 28mm f2.8
Pros
- Nice image quality
- Good colors: they remind me of the old Nikon D700’s render on the Nikon z5.
- Very compact
- Weather resistant
- Very affordable
Cons
- Frustrating autofocus
In our review, we state:
What the Nikon Z 28mm f2.8 lacks in autofocus performance it makes up for with colors. Along with the Nikon 40mm f2 that shares a similar build, this lens has some seriously gorgeous color. It’s also weather resistant. If you can get around the autofocus issues, you’ll find yourself very happy with this lens. And yes, the colors are that awesome; the render reminds me of the old Nikon D700.
The Phoblographer’s various product round-up features are done in-house. Our philosophy is simple: you wouldn’t get a Wagyu beef steak review from a lifelong vegetarian. And you wouldn’t get photography advice from someone who doesn’t touch the product. We only recommend gear we’ve fully reviewed. If you’re wondering why your favorite product didn’t make the cut, there’s a chance it’s on another list. If we haven’t reviewed it, we won’t recommend it. This method keeps our lists packed with industry-leading knowledge. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
