10 Best lenses for Nikon D7100 [updated 2024]

The camera is mainly used by hobby photographers or those pursuing a photography career. It has been an excellent choice as a first camera due to its interchangeable F-mount lenses. Luckily, there are several lenses for Nikon D7100 to choose from.

Whether you’re an advanced photographer or just starting, this list of lenses will surely have the perfect option for your Nikon D7100 camera. We’ve included budget-friendly options and premium-grade professional lenses so everyone can find what they need!

Read more: How to Choose a Camera Lens That Fits Your Needs.

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In the list below, we outline comprehensive details about a selection of Nikon D7100 lenses and categorize them by type. From their cost range to specifications and performance to where to use them. Cost ranges are noted as follows:

• 0 – 500$ – Budget $
• 501 – 900$ – Average $$
• 901+ $ – Expert $$$

The list of lenses:

PORTRAIT lenses
1. Nikon AF-S Nikkor 85mm f/1.8G
2. Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G
3. Sigma 30mm f/1.4 ART DC HSM Lens

WIDE-ANGLE lenses
4. Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED
5. Tokina AT-X PRO 11-16mm F2.8 DXII Lens

TELEPHOTO lenses
6. Sigma 150-600mm 5-6.3 Contemporary DG OS HSM

ZOOM lenses
7. Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED
8. Sigma 17-70mm F2.8-4 Contemporary DC Macro OS HSM
9. Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 16-80mm f/2.8-4E ED

MACRO lens
10. Nikon AF-S VR Micro-NIKKOR 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED

Portrait lenses

1. Nikon AF S Nikkor 85mm f/1.8G

Portrait photographers are forever debating which lens is the best for portraits, yet no definitive answer exists. The three most commonly discussed lenses – 35mm, 50 mm, and 85mm prime lenses – are all suitable options.

Build and handling: With its reliable plastic exterior and strong metal lens mount, the Nikon 85mm f/1.8G is designed for professional quality results. Also, this prime lens features an effective rubber seal on the mount, which helps keep out dust and makes it resistant to wear and tear over time. Despite its larger size, you’ll be surprised by how lightweight this powerhouse is!

Performance: Boasting a wide f/1.8 aperture, this portrait lens is perfect for low-light photography and creates an impressively shallow depth of field that allows subjects to stand out from the background. It provides two distinguishing focus modes: manual priority AF and manual focus, with a fast and silent wave motor ideal for videography.

Best for: This Nikon lens is ideal for any portrait composition, but with a keen eye and skilled operator at the helm, it has the potential to excel in product, event, or wedding photography. You will achieve outstanding results with whatever you shoot using this 85mm f/1.8 lens!

It’s incredibly flexible and allows users to create stunning images with a creamy background, shallow depth of field, and sharp contrast – all at an economical price point.

2. Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G

Offering numerous benefits and comparable features to the previous one, this portrait lens is an affordable addition that won’t break your budget.

Build and handling: This lens is designed for consumer use, with all the necessary buttons and information. It’s even lighter than its predecessor at only 6.6 oz (185 g), allowing photographers to capture beautiful shots during extended hand-held sessions easily.

Performance: Boasting a wide aperture of f/1.8, this lens provides exquisite bokeh and clear subject separation from the background and exceptional results in dimly lit environments. Though its autofocus speed may be standard, its general image quality is remarkable! The only issue with this lens is that there can be slight softness on the corners and edges of your shots at larger apertures.

Best for: This one here is built explicitly for portrait photography. However, compared to its previous version, it requires less space around the subject. Additionally, this lens can be used indoors without needing a massive room with limited space. It also has numerous features that allow you to capture products, beautiful landscape photographs, and wedding events.

The combination of its large aperture, lightweight build, and remarkable image quality makes it an excellent choice for beginner photographers looking to get into portraits. It offers many advantages at an unbeatable price, and you won’t be disappointed in the stunning results.

3. Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC HSM Fit Lens

If you focus on a lens with an aperture of f/1.4, you will know it offers at least one significant benefit. But the 30mm lens stands out also with its HSM autofocus system, small size, and affordable price point. Its overall construction is excellent, making this lens a great choice for any photographer.

Build and handling: Boasting a metallic look and feel, the Sigma lens is composed of thermally stable composite (TSC), ensuring an elevated sense of professionalism. Its design is sleek with clear markings, while its focusing ring turns with a pleasant silkiness – neither too stiff nor too floppy. The AF/Manual switch has also been crafted to shift seamlessly between modes.

Performance: Sigma’s Hypersonic Motor internal autofocus is amazing; its operation is swift and whisper-quiet. Even when the autofocus feature has been enabled, you can still maintain manual focus thanks to the way it always keeps the front element in position. It has an 8-blade aperture, ensuring a stunning bokeh effect. Chromatic aberration is present yet well managed – meaning no extra effort must go into post-production corrections.

Best for: Its shorter focal length and f/1.4 large aperture makes it an excellent choice for low-light and indoor portrait photography, while its versatility allows you to capture beautiful images in street, landscape, or travel settings.

It doesn’t disappoint regarding quality construction and beautiful bokeh in out-of-focus areas. Despite its lack of weather sealing, this lens can create stunning pictures at an unbeatable price point.

Wide-angle lenses

4. Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED

With a swift autofocus motor, variable focal lengths, and image resolution – it’s an ideal choice to embark on your photography journey.

Build and handling: Featuring an outstanding and lightweight 16.2 oz (458 g) design, the Nikon consumer-level lens is ideal for beginners or anyone shooting hand-held, as it’s much simpler to maneuver. Plus, a switch has been included so you can easily transition between M/A and M focusing modes.

Performance: This lens offers a maximum aperture of f/3.5, an impressive feat within its price range. However, good lighting is essential for optimal shooting results. Without it, photos may be prone to noise and graininess. The Silent Wave Motor ensures quiet yet smooth video capture.

Best for: This lens proves to be perfect for taking pictures in tight spaces, such as real estate photos, gathering events, group shots, or even street photography. It’s wide-angle abilities, and focal lengths allow you to include a lot of subjects in the same picture – making it great for documenting everything within an area quickly.

The budget-friendly wide-angle lens is ideal for amateur photographers desiring a broad range of views without investing a lot into extra camera gear.

5. Tokina AT-X PRO 11-16mm F2.8 DXII Lens

This f/2.8 aperture zoom ensures clear and sharp images with consistent aperture control throughout its range – making it a great choice regardless of the lighting situation!

Build and handling: The Tokina lens has a sturdy plastic exterior and a rubberized ring for enhanced grip. It includes nine shutter blades in the aperture for beautiful, soft bokeh-style backgrounds. Plus, two Super Low Dispersion glass elements and two aspheric elements to boost contrast and clarity also reduce chromatic aberration. Advanced multi-layer coatings minimize reflection off surfaces to maximize optical performance.

Performance: The autofocus system provides precision and quiet performance through its internal, silent motor. It produces sharp images with just a small amount of degradation near the edges. When shooting in bright sunlight, faint chromatic aberration or fringing may be around the edges. However, this can easily be eliminated during post-processing.

Best for: Perfect for locations with limited space, such as a real estate or indoor event, the wide-angle view of this lens offers versatile options. For instance, use it to capture landscapes or group photos to fit all the action into one frame! This lens is ideal for capturing night skies as well.

The Tokina 11-16mm F/2.8 lens delivers remarkable build quality and a constantly fast aperture, particularly at its shorter focal lengths. Its optical performance is superb for the price point.

Telephoto lenses

6. Sigma 150-600mm 5-6.3 Contemporary DG OS HSM

It will provide superb results when capturing wildlife or sports events and offers outstanding value at an affordable price.

Build and handling: At 68.1 oz (1,930 g), it’s lighter than most other lenses in its class, even though it has a professional feel and doesn’t sacrifice any performance capabilities. Its solid grip and lightweight design are great for handling.

Performance: This landscape lens is one of the best choices for photographers who demand an incredible range of focal lengths, a wide aperture, and top-notch features. With its performance in low lighting conditions and its high-speed hypersonic motor that ensures smooth and precise focusing, this lens is perfect for gorgeous outdoor photography. Plus, it has built-in image stabilization technology to capture images with ease.

Best for: This telephoto lens is the perfect solution If you’re looking for high-quality photos of faraway subjects. With a maximum focal length of 600mm and even sharper images when used with a tripod, it’s ideal for capturing wildlife that may be too difficult to get near. As well as sports photography or intricate landscape details.

Sure, it may be more expensive than other options on this list; however, its remarkable features and performance make it an investment worth making.

Standard Zoom lenses

7. Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

It has been a long-time favorite of those familiar with its remarkable features and capabilities. Revered as an incredibly hardworking, resilient piece of equipment, this lens offers versatility in various ways, such as different conditions or settings you may encounter while shooting.

Build and handling: As you would expect for a professional-grade camera, its build and design are top-notch. It’s even equipped with weather-sealing material to protect from inclement conditions. However, it does pose a bit more stress on your hands while shooting handheld due to the weight of 2.35 lb (1070 g).

Performance: The immense popularity of this product is due to its performance. Its image stabilization, quick and accurate focusing even in low light photography environments, combined with the sharp contrast image quality, is why it has become so widely used by expert photographers.

Best for: With a versatile 24-70 mm range, this standard lens produces exceptional photos for landscapes, events, portraits, and travel. Its all-in-one reliability makes it the perfect companion to accompany you on any journey – no matter what kind of terrain you come across.

Though it is pricier than other options on this list, if achieving remarkable images and taking your photography to a professional level are of utmost importance, investing in this lens will be well worth it.

8. Sigma 17-70mm F2.8-4 Contemporary DC Macro OS HSM

An excellent all-rounder, the Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4 DC Macro OS Lens is an incredibly affordable yet extraordinarily durable option that offers a superb range of focal lengths. Additionally, rapid and accurate HSM autofocus capabilities, impressive optical stabilization features, and remarkable close minimum focus distance.

Build and handling: Boasting a combination of plastic and metal components, including a resilient brass bayonet mount and top-notch glass optics, this lens offers excellent build quality for its affordable price. Moreover, Thermally Stable Composite material guarantees continued stability even in fluctuating temperature conditions. Furthermore, it comprises an effortless narrow manual focus ring behind the front element and a 7-blade rounded diaphragm that produces beautiful bokeh effects!

Performance: Featuring a minimum focus distance of 8.6 inches, this multipurpose lens gives users access to 1:2.9 macro magnification at its 70mm setting. This ensures photographers can create shallow depth-of-field shots even with an f/4 aperture on their DSLR camera sensor. Furthermore, Vibration Reduction technology is integrated into the lens for up to 3 stops of compensation.

Best for: This incredibly affordable option is an excellent choice for daily use. The 17-70mm focal lengths allow you to snap wide shots in low-light environments and capture landscapes, streetscapes, architectural details, and more when you zoom out.

This Sigma standard zoom lens is an outstanding choice for photographers looking for a reliable, high-performing travel lens on a budget. It will provide superior-quality images and versatile macro performance to make your shots stand out.

9. Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 16-80mm f/2.8-4E ED

Users can capture stunning images in distant and near settings with its large aperture size. Additionally, with its affordability and simplicity of use – it’s an ideal selection for amateur photographers.

Build and handling: The 16-80mm is a compact, lightweight lens that measures 3.3 x 3.1 inches at its shortest length and weighs only 16.1 ounces. It features an ergonomic polycarbonate barrel with rubberized rings to control focus and zoom functions. High-spec glassware includes four ED elements and Nano Crystal Coat technology to reduce ghosting and flare. Furthermore, it has a 4-stop stabilizer, providing appropriate stabilization in any shooting situation.

Performance: While lateral chromatic aberration is commonly seen at the shortest end, barrel distortion and vignetting can be quite intense. All in all, though, performance and control remain truly impressive – despite these minor drawbacks.

Best for: If you’re a traveling photographer, the 16-80mm lens is the perfect companion. With its versatile focal length range, this lens offers exceptional opportunities to capture all sorts of scenes, ranging from expansive landscapes and large group shots to intimate portraits and street photography. This single lens on a budget can effectively satisfy all your travel photography needs.

Its variable f/2.8-4 design allows for more lightweight construction – though this does come with some sacrifices, as distortion can occur along with less than stellar edge sharpness at its maximum aperture. Still, it remains an impressive performer overall.

Macro lens

10. Nikon AF-S VR Micro-NIKKOR 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED Lens

Macro photographers will be in awe of this lens’s convenient size and ability to render life-sized images from DSLR sensors. The f/2.8 aperture and optical stabilization system allow you to capture amazing photos even when lighting is scarce or low.

Build and handling: This macro lens is a finely engineered tool, measuring 4.6 x 3.3 inches (116 x 83 mm) and weighing 27.9 ounces (790 grams). Crafted with black composite material, the lens features a comfortable, rubberized grip on its manual focus ring and toggle switches for convenient settings. Switching between autofocus and manual mode and turning the optical stabilization system on and off can also be done on the lens.

Performance: The lens features SWM Technology for rapid and noiseless autofocus, enabling you to switch between automatic and manual modes effortlessly. Its IF system allows the front element to remain stationary, making your circular polarizing filters easier to use. Its advanced VRII system provides sharp photographs even at slower shutter speeds – up to four stops lower than standard!

Best for: If you want to capture the essence of a small subject, such as insects, this macro lens is your ideal choice. Its focal length of 105mm allows for an appropriate distance from the subjects and a lens hood to hinder any shade obstruction.

Its optical stabilization feature is perfect for capturing crystal clear images whilst allowing close focusing at 1:1 magnification.

Round-up

The best lenses for Nikon D7100 depend on the type of photography you are interested in. If you are looking for a versatile travel lens that can take all sorts of shots, the 16-80mm Nikkor is an ideal choice. On the other hand, macro photographers will love the AF-S VR Micro-NIKKOR 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED Lens, which is perfect for capturing minute details of small subjects with its 1:1 magnification and optical stabilization system. Each lens has pros and cons, and no one best option suits all needs – so it’s best to carefully weigh your options before deciding!

Read more: Best Nikon DX lenses.

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