12 Best lenses for Nikon D3200 [updated 2024]

Nikon’s D3200 is a DX-format camera that has charmed many photographers. Many options exist with its interchangeable F-mount lenses, from macros to telephoto. You can experiment and explore the limits of photography. Nikon D3200 is popular among beginners in the field because it offers so much at such a reasonable price.

We have compiled a list of the best lenses for the Nikon D3200. Various options are available, encompassing both cost-effective solutions and high-quality professional choices, ensuring that, regardless of your expertise or budget, an ideal lens tailored to your needs is accessible.

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

Disclosure: This article features affiliate links, including Amazon.com. If you decide to buy through one of these links, I’ll earn a small commission at no extra expense to you. For more details, please see my disclosure policy.

This comprehensive list of Nikon D3200 lenses is organized by type, with cost range and performance details included. Cost ranges are categorized as follows:

• 0 – 400$ – Budget $
• 401 – 800$ – Average $$
• 801+ $ – Expert $$$

The list of lenses for Nikon D3200:

PORTRAIT lenses
1. Nikon AF-S Nikkor 85mm f/1.8G
2. Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G
3. Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G

ZOOM lenses
4. Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 Art DC HSM
5. Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 16-80mm f/2.8-4E ED
6. Sigma 17-70mm F2.8-4 Contemporary DC Macro OS HSM

WILDLIFE lens
7. Nikon AF-S 200-500mm f/5.6 E ED VR

SPORTS lens
8. Sigma 150-600mm 5-6.3 Contemporary DG OS HSM

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

TELEPHOTO lens
11. Nikon AF-P DX NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3G ED

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

portrait lenses

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

If you’re searching for the best lens for portraits, then you usually have options between 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm prime lenses. All these options offer incredible features and will add a special touch of sparkle. But if you’re looking for something extra, this Nikon 85 mm lens is perfect for portrait photography that brings each image to life.

Build and handling: The Nikon 85mm f/1.8G is the perfect combination of robustness and accuracy, boasting a rigid plastic body and a metal mount with a reliable rubber gasket to keep dust away from the camera system. Also, it’s pretty lightweight for hand-held photoshoots, even though it might look a bit bulky.

Performance: The portrait lens will take your photos to the next level with its remarkable f/1.8 aperture, granting you a beautiful depth of field even in dim scenarios. Its manual priority AF and focus modes make it versatile, while the wave motor ensures quick yet silent performance.

Best for: As you would already guess, this is built for portrait photography. But as with other lenses, you can also use this one in different types of photography. For example, it would be a reliable addition to capturing products and outdoor events.

It offers smooth backgrounds, shallow depth of field, and sharper contrast while maintaining a competitive price tag. This lens should be at the top of your list to elevate your portrait compositions.

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

This portrait lens for the Nikon D3200 is designed for beginners, offering specs comparable to the previous 85mm while staying true to the budget-friendly cost. Despite the lower price, this lens still provides several advantages and quality features that make it a brilliant addition for any beginner.

Build and handling: This lens is ideal for those seeking a consumer-friendly option with all the essential buttons and elements. You won’t have to worry about long handheld photography sessions either, as this lightweight lens weighs in at only 6.6 oz (185 g), which is also lighter than previous.

Performance: With its f/1.8 aperture, this lens takes remarkable photos with beautiful bokeh and sharp subject differentiation from the background – even in low-lighting photography conditions. Its autofocus speed may be typical, but its images remain consistently clear across the frame. Well, except for some corner softness at wide apertures.

Best for: This lens is tailored for portrait photography and has one slight advantage over the 85mm – it needs less room to capture your images. So, this lens is helpful in indoor settings. Additionally, its versatile nature allows you to use it for product details shots, landscapes, events, and wedding photos.

It is lightweight and will help you take great pictures. It also has a large opening that allows the picture to look better. This lens is suitable for beginners who want to take portrait photos and won’t cost too much.

3. Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G

A prime lens is an exceptional value for budget-conscious photographers. Although it’s a tiny lens, its stunning image quality will astound photographers!

Build and handling: This Nikon D3200 lens is lightweight, weighing only 7 ounces (200 g). With its pocket-sized form and ease of portability, you can capture stunning shots hand-held without exhaustion. The straightforward design also delivers all you need for excellent photos with a few simple turns.

Performance: The most remarkable advantage of this lens is its large f/1.8 aperture, which is quite astonishing considering its size and modest price tag. You can shoot in darker settings without drastically reducing the shutter speed. Additionally, it has a quiet focus motor that makes capturing videos easier.

Best for: Perfect for portraits, the 35mm fixed focal length lens will provide many more opportunities. Use it indoors to photograph products and different events. Or outside to snap breathtaking landscapes or capture street photography details with ease. You can even use it as additional gear for your travel adventures, as it doesn’t take up much space in your camera bag.

Nikon AF-S DX 35mm is a versatile prime lens on a budget. As a beginner or hobby photographer, you can experience great benefits with a minimal budget. You will have access to a large aperture and a fast-focusing motor.

Zoom lenses

4. Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 Art DC HSM

The Sigma lens for Nikon D3200 users is a professional-grade choice with remarkable features. Although it comes at an increased price compared to other lenses on this list, its premium specifications render the purchase well worth your money.

Build and handling: The Sigma ART series is sought-after for its expert-grade quality, pleasing countless photographers. Constructed from aluminum alloy, it looks sleek and sophisticated and feels pro-grade. Though it weighs 28.6 oz (810 g), it still falls within reasonable limits of weightlessness.

Performance: This lens stands out from the rest due to its remarkable f/1.8 aperture, an extraordinary feature for a zoom lens compatible with the Nikon D3200. This Sigma lens focuses quickly and quietly because of its hypersonic motor – making it one of the best choices you could make!

Best for: This zoom lens is versatile and suitable for nearly any photographic desire. Its wide-angle feature and large aperture make it the perfect companion for indoor photography needs like weddings, product photos, or events. Also, it would do wonders for everyday travel shots such as street scenes or portraits.

Its convenience and capability to handle multiple shooting scenarios make it an ideal option, especially at its reasonable cost. Whether you have overexposed skies or low-light conditions, this lens will guarantee exceptional results!

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

The zoom lens is one of the best low-cost options, allowing you to take remarkable, distant, and close-up pictures. Paired with its affordability and user-friendly design, it is a perfect choice for beginners!

Build and handling: At just 3.3 x 3.1 inches and weighing only 16 ounces, the 16-80mm lens is a lightweight, compact powerhouse featuring an ergonomic polycarbonate barrel with rubberized rings for effortless control of focus and zoom functions. Its high-spec glassware includes four ED elements combined with Nano Crystal Coat technology to minimize ghosting and flare. Plus, a 4-stop image stabilizer for extra clarity.

Performance: The image clarity across all zoom settings is astonishing! Although lateral chromatic aberration can be detected at the shortest end, barrel distortion and vignetting are slight hindrances. However, performance and control remain remarkable – despite these minor flaws.

Best for: As a traveling photographer, the 16-80mm lens is an option when you’re on a limited budget. Its versatility allows you to capture any image – from sweeping landscapes and group shots to intimate portraits and street photography.

Its affordability makes it a reasonable choice. However, this has some drawbacks: slight distortion and slightly blurred edges at the maximum aperture can appear. Despite these minor challenges, the budget lens remains a remarkable performer.

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

For those seeking a dependable yet affordable all-rounder lens for their photography needs, the Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4 DC Macro OS Lens is ideal. It boasts impressive focal lengths and rapid HSM autofocus capabilities, and its optical stabilization feature is highly efficient while boasting extraordinary close minimum focus distances.

Build and handling: For its affordable price, this lens offers remarkable build quality with a blend of metal and plastic components – such as a resilient brass bayonet mount and professional glass optics. Additionally, the Thermally Stable Composite material provides stability even in temperature fluctuations. It has a narrow manual focus ring behind the front element plus a 7-blade rounded diaphragm for beautiful bokeh effects.

Performance: The multipurpose lens sets itself apart from the competition with its minimum focus distance of only 8.6 inches, enabling users to achieve 1:2.9 macro magnification at a 70mm setting. Additionally, this powerful lens is equipped with Vibration Reduction technology which provides up to 3 stops of compensation to capture clear and sharp images under challenging conditions.

Best for: Its focal lengths make it the perfect option for everyday use. With its 17-70mm focal lengths, you can take wide shots in low-lit settings and stunning photographs of the outdoors, cityscapes, and buildings when zooming out. It could be one of the best lenses for travel for Nikon D3200 users.

The standard zoom lens is an excellent idea for photographers searching for a high-performing, cost-effective option. It delivers superb image quality and versatile macro capabilities that will make your photos stand out.

wildlife lens

7. Nikon AF-S 200-500mm f/5.6 E ED VR

With this in your hands, it’s possible to capture breathtaking photos of animals, athletes, vistas, and other distant objects! As you attach this lens to a DX-format camera, the magnification will be 1.5x, resulting in up to 750mm of focal length.

Build and handling: This wildlife lens is the heaviest and biggest option here, weighing 73.7 ounces (2,090 grams) and a length of 10.5 inches (267.5 mm). The lens body has a sleek, lovely design with traditional Nikon styling. Its gold branding, and white focal length markings let you quickly identify it. Unfortunately, it’s not fully weather sealed.

Performance: The constant-aperture design and electromagnetically controlled diaphragm within this lens provide consistent exposure even when shooting rapidly. Enhanced Vibration Reduction offers up to 4.5 stops of stabilization, while the ‘Sport’ mode optimizes tracking for moving subjects.

Best for: If you are a fan of the outdoors, this wildlife lens is for you. This option makes capturing animals at a distance and moments in sports events possible. But don’t forget to bring your tripod because this weight for hand-held shootings is reasonable only for bodybuilders.

Considering the prices of superzoom telephoto lenses, the Nikon AF-S 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR is reasonably priced. It is one of the best lenses to capture wildlife or sports events for Nikon D3200 users.

sports lens

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

This telephoto zoom lens will capture your desired wildlife or sporting events, and it will be done at an affordable price point.

Build and handling: Weighing a mere 68.1 ounces (1,930 g), this lens is noticeably more lightweight than its competitors yet still provides the superior performance and durability that you expect from professional lenses. Its ergonomic grip and featherlight design will help capture your shots more efficiently.

Performance: With an expansive aperture and pro-grade features, this sports lens is an excellent option for your camera gear. It performs brilliantly in inadequate light conditions, and its hypersonic motor also guarantees accurate focusing at lightning speed. This lens has in-built image-stabilization technology for stunning outdoor photography that captures every detail to eliminate camera shake.

Best for: If you need high-quality, distant photographs, this telephoto lens is the ideal choice. With a maximum focal length of 600mm and even sharper results when set up on a tripod, it’s perfect for snapping shots of wildlife that might be too far to reach. Furthermore, apart from sports events, it’s also great for capturing landscape details.

If you’re a photographer who loves to take shots of far-away people, animals, or events from the sidelines, such as sporting games and wildlife activities – this lens is a great addition to your Nikon D3200. It may cost more than other options on this list, but its remarkable capabilities make it an investment that pays off in spades!

Wide-angle lenses

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

The wide-angle zoom lens is the perfect choice for beginner photographers, providing excellent specifications. Fast autofocus, wide-angle perspective, and variable focal lengths add versatility to your shots.

Build and handling: Weighing just 16.2 oz (458 g), the Nikon consumer-level lens is perfect for hobby photographers shooting hand-held. Despite its size, it still has enough power to produce images with quality. Additionally, a switch has been included so you can swiftly change from M/A and M focusing modes with ease.

Performance: This lens offers a remarkable maximum aperture of f/3.5 at an affordable price. However, you must ensure good lighting for the best results to avoid graininess and noise in your photos or videos. To prevent focusing issues, this device is equipped with Silent Wave Motor, which ensures top-notch video capture that remains clear and vibrant.

Best for: This lens is the ideal choice for taking photographs in minimal spaces, like real estate photos, parties, group pictures, or even street photography. Thanks to its wide-angle capacities and focal lengths, you can include multiple subjects in a single frame – making it perfect for capturing an entire scene quickly.

The Nikon D3200’s budget-friendly wide-angle lens is an ideal option for amateur photographers looking to capture a broad range of views without spending large amounts on additional camera equipment.

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

Its f/2.8 wide aperture zoom enables you to capture sharp images across distances – within any environment. Whether indoor or outdoor photography, its consistent aperture control ensures fantastic results.

Build and handling: The Tokina lens is constructed from a durable plastic housing, and its ergonomic rubberized ring provides an excellent grip for enhanced control. Furthermore, the nine shutter blades in the aperture produce velvety bokeh-style images with remarkable precision. This lens also features two Super Low Dispersion glass elements and two aspheric elements that reduce chromatic aberration to improve clarity and contrast. Plus, advanced multi-layered coatings minimize reflection off surfaces while maximizing optical performance!

Performance: The autofocus system provides a seamless, silent experience with its inner motor that grants you the power to capture razor-sharp images without any distortion around the edges. Some faint chromatic aberration or fringes can appear near the corners of your photos when shooting in bright sunlight. Thankfully though, this can be quickly fixed when editing!

Best for: With its expansive view, this lens is ideal for locations with confined spaces, such as real estate and indoor gatherings. The potentials are boundless – you can use it to photograph wondrous scenery or group images so that no one is left out of the shot! Moreover, due to its wide-angle characteristics and sizable aperture, you can take breathtaking night sky photos too!

With its high-speed aperture remaining constant throughout the zoom range and remarkable optical performance, this lens offers excellent value for your money.

Telephoto lens

11. Nikon AF-P DX NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3G ED

If you’re on a tight budget and looking for an incredible telephoto lens for your Nikon D3200, that might be your best bet.

Build and handling: The landscape lens construction resembles many other consumer-level options. However, one of the key features is its weight of 14.7 oz (415 g). This makes handheld shots with a telephoto zoom a breeze while it’s still can produce clear images.

Performance: With an f/4.5 aperture, in low-light situations, shooting may not be ideal, but its VR image stabilization will certainly make object capturing easier. Although to reduce noise and take full advantage of all its capabilities, using a tripod to lower shutter speeds is highly recommended.

Best for: If you need an economical lens for shooting far-away subjects, this is the one to get. It does well with wildlife and landscapes, plus it’s light enough that you don’t have to carry a tripod around everywhere. Instead of missing out on those special moments because of the time spent setting up your gear, this lens will preserve them forever! But be sure that you have enough lighting.

This lens is ideal for any Nikon D3200 user who wants to take their wildlife photography skills up a notch. At a highly affordable price, you can discover new focal lengths and dimensions that will make your images stand out.

Macro lens

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

It is small in size and produces life-sized photographs with digital SLR sensors. Plus, its f/2.8 aperture combined with optical stabilization offers the ability to capture perfect shots even in dim lighting.

Build and handling: The macro lens has a pretty decent build, with dimensions of 116 x 83 mm and a weight of 790 grams. Its chic black composite material provides an ergonomic grip on the manual focus ring and toggle switches, allowing you to transition quickly between autofocus or manual mode. Also, the optical stabilization system can be effortlessly switched on or off on the lens.

Performance: The lens’s SWM Technology grants effortless and quiet autofocus, allowing you to toggle between manual and automatic modes endlessly. Its IF system keeps the front component static, enabling easy access to circular polarizing filters. Furthermore, its advanced VRII mechanization allows astonishingly sharp images even at four steps beneath regular shutter speeds!

Best for: The macro lens captures the tiniest creatures, like insects. With a 105mm focal length, you can take detailed photographs from an optimal distance while avoiding any shading from the lens.

If you love capturing the beauty of macros with your Nikon D3200, then this Nikkor lens is perfect for you! Its optical stabilization technology guarantees that every shot will be clear and defined at 1:1 magnification.

Conclusion

When searching for the best lenses for the Nikon D3200, it’s essential to consider what type of photography you plan on doing. It’s vital to consider each lens’s strengths and weaknesses as there isn’t a single solution ideal for everyone! Hopefully, our information has helped you decide to acquire the best Nikon D3200 lens for your needs.

Read more: Best Nikon DX lenses.

---

PIN IT

---

Read more about Nikon lenses:

Share it on Social Media!