8 Best lenses for Nikon D5200 [updated 2024]

The Nikon D5200 is a popular camera among photographers due to its DX format and many interchangeable F-mount lenses that offer everything from wide-angle to telephoto zoom lens options. This makes it an ideal choice for anyone looking for their first DSLR camera!

Our list includes the best lenses for the Nikon D5200. There, you will find budget-friendly options and pro-grade choices, so whatever your level of photography or price range is, there’s an ideal lens just waiting to be discovered.

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

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Best lenses for Nikon D5200

Find the perfect lens for your camera by browsing our comprehensive list, including performance abilities, cost ranges, and specifications. The prices have been categorized as follows:

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

The list of Nikon D5200 lenses:

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

TELEPHOTO lenses
3. Sigma 150-600mm 5-6.3 Contemporary DG OS HSM
4. Nikon AF-P DX NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3G ED

ZOOM lenses
5. Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 EX DC OS HSM
6. Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 16-80mm f/2.8-4E ED

WIDE-ANGLE lenses
7. Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED

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

Portrait lenses

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

Photographers are always searching for the optimal lens to use when shooting portraits. The most sought-after options include 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm prime lenses. You’ll be able to capture vivid images that burst with life and energy!

Build and handling: With its rugged plastic exterior and metallic lens mount, the Nikon 85mm f/1.8G is designed to keep dust away effectively. Moreover, although it looks bulky at first glance, this camera remains surprisingly lightweight for easy portability on portrait photoshoots.

Performance: The portrait lens is an excellent addition for photographers and videographers! Its f/1.8 aperture ensures you can capture stunning images in any light, while its shallow depth of field capabilities guarantee subject separation from background elements. The two focus modes – manual priority AF and manual focus – also give you ultimate control over your shots. It has quiet wave motor autofocus technology that allows you to create beautiful videos without noise!

Best for: As previously mentioned, the Nikon D5200 lens is ideal for portrait photography. However, it can also capture a wide scope of images by an experienced photographer. From portraits and product shots to special moments at events at a very low price point.

The Nikon 85mm f/1.8G is a great option to upgrade your portrait compositions significantly. This lens has a beautiful background blur, shallow depth of field, and higher contrast, generating stunning photos at reasonable costs. Making it an ideal pick if you’re aiming to take your portraits to new heights!

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

If you’re a hobby photographer searching for an economical lens that doesn’t compromise quality or performance, this portrait lens is worth considering. It has very similar specs to its previous 85mm and offers an advantage in price efficiency. It’s also lightweight enough to fit conveniently into your camera bag without adding extra heft!

Build and handling: This prime lens is lighter than the previous one, weighing only 6.6 oz (185 g). It’s made for lengthy hand-held photography sessions and offers all the necessary features to make your experience optimal. Additionally, the prime lens has an efficient rubber seal on its mount that helps keep out dust and debris, enhancing its durability.

Performance: The wide f/1.8 aperture of this lens creates an enchanting bokeh and remarkable subject-background contrast, even in low light! Autofocus may not be the fastest, but its superior image quality makes up for its lack of speed. The only disadvantage is that maximum sharpness won’t be achieved at the corners or edges when shooting with wider apertures, though you will still get great results overall at this price point.

Best for: This lens is perfect for taking portrait photographs, allowing you to frame your subjects with minimal space. Due to its versatility, it also allows you to capture detailed product images, beautiful landscapes, and event photos! Compared to the previous 85mm lens, this 50 mm lens offers increased space-saving capabilities.

You will love its lightweight design and exceptional image quality while praising the inexpensive cost of admission. Whether you’re a starter or a seasoned photographer looking to add versatility to your camera gear, it’s hard not to appreciate what this lens offers!

Telephoto lenses

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

This might be your best bet if you’re in the market for a telephoto lens! It’s perfect for capturing wildlife or sports events and offers unbeatable quality without breaking your budget. It’s one of the best lens options for a superior zoom telephoto.

Build and handling: Despite its impressive professional feel and performance capabilities, it weighs only 68.1 oz (1,930 g) – lighter than most other lenses in its class! With this strong grip and portable design, your photographic journey will reach new heights!

Performance: Perfect for stunning outdoor photography, this Sigma lens is ideal for photographers who crave immense focal lengths and wide aperture alongside pro-grade features. It provides excellent performance in dim lighting conditions, and its hypersonic motor provides smooth autofocusing with built-in image stabilization technology!

Best for: This telephoto lens is ideal for taking breathtaking photos of distant subjects. With an incredible maximum focal length of 600mm and even sharper images when paired with a tripod, it’s perfect for capturing wildlife that may be hard to reach. It’s also brilliant for sports photography or capturing intricate landscape details.

This Nikon D5200 lens is an absolute must-have for shutterbugs hoping to take pictures of faraway subjects such as wildlife or sports games. While it may be pricier than other options, its remarkable features and performance make the investment worth it!

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

If you’re on a tight budget, then this wildlife lens might be the one you need. Despite low cost, its image quality and performance levels remain reasonable!

Build and handling: This wildlife lens offers a standard design. With its low weight of 14.7 oz (415 g), handheld shots are simple to capture, and clear images can be acquired effortlessly! Its user-friendly design makes it perfect for capturing your desired subjects.

Performance: An f/4.5 aperture doesn’t perform well in settings with low lighting conditions. However, its Vibration Reduction image stabilization will make photographing stationary objects easier! To get clear and noise-free images while utilizing all of its features entirely, though, I’d suggest using a tripod – so it allows you to keep down shutter speeds.

Best for: It’s the most cost-effective lens for Nikon D5200 that works great when shooting wildlife or scenery from far away. With this lightweight option, you won’t have to worry about lugging around a tripod all the time, so those once-in-lifetime shots of birds and other fleeting moments won’t be missed due to setup times.

An affordable and user-friendly lens to use with your Nikon camera for wildlife photography. It’s a cost-effective option that provides immense value and lets you discover unique focal lengths that can add incredible depth and complexity to your portfolio.

Zoom lenses

5. Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 EX DC OS HSM

With its vast aperture, near and distant objects are easily within reach. This specific lens is budget-friendly yet offers much performance – perfect for those starting in the photography world.

Build and handling: It has built-in optical stabilization to compensate for the weight of 19.9 oz (565 g). Additionally, two Fluorite low-dispersion elements, two glass-molded aspherical elements, and one hybrid aspherical element combine to provide remarkable image quality. Super Multi-Layer Coating also produces crisp images by cutting down on glare.

Performance: This zoom lens offers a key feature: a large aperture of f/2.8. Its constant aperture ensures excellent image quality across various shooting conditions, including low-light environments. The images are sharp throughout most of the frame, with slight blurring witnessed only around mid-zoom settings.

Best for: This lens is a fantastic addition to any travel photographer’s arsenal, with its 17-50mm focal lengths providing you the versatility necessary to capture landscapes, street scenes, portraits, and more. As it seems clear, it’s also a pretty decent option for everyday use.

Featuring a remarkable f/2.8 aperture and optical stabilization, this budget-friendly option offers excellent performance and quality at an incredible value!

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

It is a great option if you are looking for a travel lens on a budget. With its wide aperture size, it can capture images from afar and up close with stunning quality. Furthermore, amateur photographers will find this an ideal choice due to its affordability and ease of use!

Build and handling: The Nikon 16-80mm is an ideal combination of portability and performance. Measuring just 3.3 x 3.1 inches at its shortest length, it weighs 16.1 ounces. This lens features polycarbonate construction with rubberized rings to control zoom and focus functions and high-end glassware, including four ED elements. It has built-in Nano Crystal Coat technology, which minimizes ghosting and flare.

Performance: This lens may not have the constant f/2.8 aperture many photographers favor, but its f/2.8-4 is still quite fast and comes with 4-stop Vibration Reduction for added sharpness. Despite some instances of lateral chromatic aberration and distortion at the short range, it still can be easily adjusted in post-production.

Best for: For the traveling photographer, there is no better companion than the 16-80mm lens. This one offers an incredible range of focal lengths for any scene – from grand scenes to more intimate portraits and street photography! With it, your travel photography needs are effectively satisfied with a single compact lens.

Regarding versatility and affordability, this is one of the top travel lenses for the Nikon D5200. Its lightweight design with an expansive f/2.8-4 zoom range allows for comfortable shooting on long trips despite unavoidable distortions and slightly soft edges at maximum aperture.

Wide-angle lens

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

This wide-angle zoom lens is an ideal choice for beginners, combining superior quality at an affordable price. Its fast autofocus motor and versatile focal lengths will provide remarkable image resolution as you take your first steps in photography!

Build and handling: The Nikon consumer-level lens weighs only 16.2 oz (458 g), perfect for anyone taking hand-held shots! Despite its small size, it still produces high-quality images! When you adjust focus, the front element and filter thread remain in place through its internal focusing system.

Performance: The Nikon lens has a maximum aperture of f/3.5, which is reasonable considering its cost range. Additionally, its Silent Wave Motor offers quiet yet stable video recording. The image center is extraordinarily clear from start to finish, with the sides also producing impressively crisp results at most apertures — except 10mm wide open.

Best for: If you’re searching for a lens that can capture plenty within one frame, that might be it! Perfect for real estate photos, group shots, and events. Its wide-angle capabilities and focal lengths provide the perfect environment to take photographs with many subjects in a frame. Even street photography fans will find themselves enjoying taking pictures in tight spaces.

This Nikon D5200 wide-angle lens is the perfect choice for amateur photographers who want to capture a broad array of scenes without breaking their budget on additional camera equipment.

Macro lens

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

Macro photographers will surely be drawn to this lens for its petite size and ability to project life-sized pictures with a DSLR sensor. Plus, the f/2.8 aperture and optical stabilization technology allow you to capture stunning shots even in low-light photography conditions!

Build and handling: Built with a robust black composite and measuring 4.6 x 3.3 inches (116 x 83 mm) in length and diameter, this macro lens is an excellent addition for any photography enthusiast! It is designed to toggle between manual and autofocus modes conveniently and enables an optical stabilization system with the flick of a switch. Its comfortable, rubberized grip on the manual focus ring also provides ease of use.

Performance: Utilizing Nikon’s Silent Wave Motor technology, this lens offers silent and speedy autofocusing and a seamless transition between auto to manual focus. Further, its advanced Vibration Reduction II feature allows you to capture sharp images even at shutter speeds four stops lower than usual without sacrificing quality.

Best for: Capturing those little, fascinating details of the world is made more accessible with this macro lens. Its 105mm focal length lets you stay comfortable with your subject – no more pushing too close for that perfect shot. Shots taken at a distance allow you to capture stunning photos without worrying about lenses casting shadows.

For macro photography enthusiasts, this lens is a premier choice for the Nikon D5200. It leverages optical stabilization technology to achieve true 1:1 magnification and close focusing capabilities, delivering sharpness in its images.

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Conclusion

When selecting the best lenses for Nikon D5200, it all comes down to what type of photography you are after. You must make a thoughtful decision by examining and comparing each lens’ features – there is no one-size-fits-all option! Hopefully, our guide has offered more insight into this matter and prepared you better when investing in fresh gear to amplify your capabilities.

Read more: Best Nikon DX lenses.

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