Nikon D5600 is one of the most popular cameras for beginners and hobby photographers. An entry-level camera with many benefits is why it’s picked as the first camera year after year. As it has interchangeable lenses, you will have many options to try out different forms of photography.
But what are the best lenses for Nikon D5600? Well, foremost, it depends on what you want to photoshoot. Some like portraits, others for example wildlife. For both occasions, there are different alternatives to choose from. In this post, we will look through different lenses for your camera.
Read more: How to Choose a Camera Lens That Fits Your Needs.
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The best lenses for Nikon D5600
Below is a list of the best lenses for Nikon D5600. There, you find an approximate price and where to use it. The prices are categorized as follows:
- 0 – 400$ – Budget $
- 401 – 700$ – Average $$
- 700+ $ – Expert $$$
wide angle lenses for Nikon D5600
1. Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 Art DC HSM
Price: Expert $$$
Best feature: Large aperture for a zoom
Dimensions: 78 x 121mm / 3.1 x 4.8in.
Weight: 810g / 28.6 oz.
Sigma lens from the ART series is something for professionals or the ones who want to take photography more seriously. You can see the difference already from the price as it’s a bit more expensive than others for an entry-level camera. However, it doesn’t mean that it isn’t worth an investment as it’s a superb wide angle lens for Nikon D5600.
The main feature of why this lens is often selected is its extremely wide aperture. A zoom lens with an aperture of f/1.8 is more likely a rarity in the camera world. With that feature, it performs very well in low light conditions both inside and outside.
As it’s wide angle zoom lens with a great aperture it’s great in various photographic shootings. An ideal for landscape, portrait, and close-up photography.
A silent and fast autofocus is also provided with a hypersonic motor. A great benefit for a Nikon D5600 DSLR camera.
In terms of the quality and again a zoom with a large aperture, it’s an extremely affordable pro-grade lens. Alternatives with almost the same features are almost double as expensive as this Sigma lens for Nikon D5600.
2. Nikon AF-P DX 10-20mm f/4.5-5.6G VR
Price: Budget $
Best feature: Ultra wide angle
Dimensions: 77 x 73mm / 3.0 x 2.9in.
Weight: 230g / 8.2oz.
If you are looking for a sharp ultra-wide lens with a fraction of money, then this might be for you. A small and lightweight Nikon lens is a great addition to your camera gear to try out new compositions and capture different perspectives.
With a weight of 230 grams (8.2 oz) and a length of 73mm (2.9in.), it’s an excellent lens to carry around anywhere you go. It doesn’t take much of a space on your camera bag.
The features like autofocus and built-in vibration reduction are something that every photographer would benefit from. With these, you will get nice sharp photos without spending much time adjusting camera settings to get the best out in different conditions.
It’s excellent at outdoor photography and would be a great addition to camera gear while travelling or hiking. As it’s ultra wide angle, it captures landscapes and city silhouettes very well.
In conclusion, it’s one of the best Nikon D5600 wide angle lenses on a budget. It only costs a fraction of money and for that, you will get an excellent tool with a wide range of benefits.
Telephoto Zoom lens for Nikon D5600
3. Sigma 150-600mm 5-6.3 Contemporary DG OS HSM
Price: Expert $$$
Best feature: Light and compact for telephoto lens
Dimensions: 260 x 105mm / 10.2 x 4.1in.
Weight: 1,930g / 68.1oz.
Telephoto lenses are made especially for photographers who mostly spend their time outdoors and shooting objects from a long distance. This can be mostly wildlife or sports photography.
This is the best zoom lens for Nikon D5600 that comes under Sigma and its strengths are compact design and a reasonable price for high-end photography gear. If you are more interested in wildlife photography, then that one will for sure level up your game multiple times without breaking a bank.
Features like up to 600mm focal length range, hypersonic motor (HSM), autofocus (AF), built-in optical stabilization (OS) are essential for telephoto zoom lenses. All these you will get from this superb Sigma camera gear.
The weight of that is 2 kg (4.41 lbs), which is pretty light for big telephoto lenses. Other competitors can weigh up to 3 kg (6.61 lbs). So that option would be more reasonable when you need to take quick shots while hand holding a camera.
Overall it is the best telephoto zoom lens for Nikon D5600 on a budget. You will get tons of features to shoot perfect wildlife photos for a very affordable price for the pro-grade lens.
Portrait Lenses for Nikon D5600
4. Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G
Price: Budget $
Best feature: Shallow depth of field
Dimensions: 72 x 52.5mm / 2.8 x 2.1in.
Weight: 185g / 6.6oz
If you are looking for the best portrait lens for Nikon D5600, then that would be a super affordable option. With a 50mm focal length and a maximum aperture range of f/1.8, it’s already a great deal for a fraction of money.
This portrait lens performs well under low light situations, also gets you a shallow depth of field and a soft bokeh. These all are great features and this will level up your game in portrait photography.
A compact and light Nikon portrait lens makes it easy to shoot hand-held in any condition. Also, it fits easily in a camera bag without the need to unmount the lens. It would be an ideal lens for portraits, weddings, and events.
Built-in autofocus motor (AF-S) delivers excellent quality which results in sharp images. A great addition to a DSLR camera. Also, it’s blessed with a large aperture that results in soft shallow backgrounds in your portraits.
Overall you wouldn’t get any cheaper lens for Nikon D5600. But still, it offers much more quality than you would assume from a budget lens. If you don’t want to spend much, then it’s perfect for your portraits.
5. Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G
Price: Budget $
Best feature: Soft background
Dimensions: 80 x 73mm / 3.1 x 2.9in.
Weight: 350g / 12.4oz
There is a big discussion about which is the best lens for portraits. Is it a 35mm, 50mm, or 85mm lens? For sure this 85mm budget Nikon lens will give you some other spark, with shorter focal lengths.
It is similar to the prime lens mentioned above (50mm), but it has one big difference and it’s a focal length. The 85mm lens is something that some photographers say is the best focal length for portraits.
The main reason they say that is because it gives you a very soft background. With an aperture of f/1.8, it’s an excellent choice for a budget Nikon D5600 lens. Also, two focus modes M/A and M (manual priority autofocus and manual focus respectively) will give you some room to play with a focus on different conditions.
Overall, it’s a bit more expensive and heavier than the mentioned 50mm above, but still, that might be an even better option for you. You will see the difference, especially in portrait compositions with a very soft and creamy background. If you need to choose between 50mm and 85mm and your main specialty is to shoot portraits, then I would choose 85mm.
Travel lenses for Nikon D5600
6. Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6g ed vr II
Price: Average $$
Best feature: Great aperture for a zoom
Dimensions: 77 x 96.5mm / 3.0 x 3.8in
Weight: 565 g / 19.9oz.
A lightweight and affordable Nikon lens is one of the best options for travel as it has a wide focal length range. From 18mm to 200mm it will do both close range city photography as well landscapes and even a bit of wildlife.
It’s pretty light for a superzoom and it’s one of the main benefits when you want your travel gear as light as possible. That all-in-one lens is super useful as it covers a variety of focal lengths. That could be the only one you need for travel adventures.
Image stabilization is another thing that is essential for any kind of lens. With that feature, you will be able to shoot hand-held without the need to worry about blurred photos. A silent wave motor is also good to have.
Overall it’s a consumer-level lens that gives you a variety of options on shooting different perspectives. It’s not a high level, so it doesn’t perform excellently in any focal lengths. However, for this price, you will get loads of benefits that you need for an entry-level Nikon D5600 camera.
7. Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 EX DC OS HSM
Price: Budget $
Best feature: Optical stabilization
Dimensions: 83.5 x 91.8 mm / 3.29 x 3.61 in.
Weight: 565g / 19.9oz.
This Sigma lens is one of the best travel lenses for the Nikon D5600. The quality and features you will get for a budget are magnificent. A zoom lens with a large aperture is a pure heaven for any photographer who likes to shoot various things from close range to zoom out far away objects.
An aperture of f/2.8 is one of the main reasons why it’s the best travel lens for Nikon D5600. You can use it for street photography, landscape, and even get nice portrait photos with blurred backgrounds. With a wide aperture, it performs better with low light conditions than competitors.
It can also handle high exposure. The multilayer coating is a huge bonus during sunny days. With an additional screen layer, you don’t have to worry about getting overexposed images.
Another game-changing feature for the Nikon D5600 lens is optical stabilization. With that, you will get sharp photos without using a tripod. It comes in handy when you are travelling and want to take photos on the way.
Overall this is one of the best deals you can have for your Nikon camera. A zoom lens with a large aperture is a great partner for shooting your travel adventures. If you need to choose one lens without robbing much space in a bag, then it’s for you.
8. Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR
Price: Budget $
Best feature: Image stabilization
Dimensions: 76 x 89mm / 2.9 x 3.5in.
Weight: 420 g/14.8 oz.
One of the best budget deals for a Nikon D5600. That all-in-one lens is practical with the same features as the previously mentioned Nikon lens, but here the focal length is up to 105mm. It’s more lightweight than Nikon 18-200mm and also a bit cheaper alternative.
As the previous Nikon zoom, it also offers image stabilization and a silent wave AF motor. Getting these from a very cheap lens is a huge win. Vibration Reduction (image stabilization) is a huge help when taking snaps on the go without the need to set up a tripod all the time.
An aperture of f/3.5 is also excellent for budget gear. It’s fast enough and works well if the lighting conditions aren’t the best. Even with Super Integrated Coating, it enables solid colours and reduced flare when the sun is bright.
Overall it’s one of the best lenses for Nikon D5600 if you look at an effective zoom for very little money. With built-in autofocus and stabilization, this one offers you sharp photos from different focal lengths.
Macro lens for Nikon D5600
9. Nikon AF-S DX Micro-NIKKOR 40mm f/2.8G
Price: Budget $
Best feature: Great sharpness from centre to corners
Dimensions: 68.5 x 64.5mm / 2.7 x 2.5in.
Weight: 235g / 8.3oz.
If you are into macro photography and you have budget limitations, then that could be the best macro lens for Nikon D5600. A small and lightweight tool for your camera is perfect to discover new dimensions at the photography level.
Some features like autofocus and aperture of f/2.8 are great enough when taking into account the price. It’s again more likely a consumer-level lens and for the ones who are starting to experiment with macro.
Also, it’s pretty common that Nikon cameras have a Super Integrated Coating, which is good for sunny days to reduce flare and ghosting.
The only problem is probably a short focal length. If shooting living objects then you need to take your camera very close to them. Another thing is that if you are too close to the object then the shadow might ruin the photo.
Overall it’s perfect to shoot medium to large macro photography. For example, food photographers would benefit from this tool a lot.
Wildlife lens for Nikon D5600
10. Nikon AF-P DX NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3G ED
Price: Budget $
Best feature: Fast autofocus
Dimensions: 72 x 125mm / 2.8 x 4.9in.
Weight: 415g / 14.7oz
If you are feeling that you are more into wildlife photography, but still not 100 percent sure, then this budget option might be the one for you.
Compared to other DSLR lenses it’s a bit newer than others. Nikkor has upgraded their focusing, which is also pretty fast for entry-level gear. If you look at the price range then the quality of photos are quite good.
The only downside can be a small aperture. Starting from f/4.5 it doesn’t rock with the low light conditions and can be a bit limiting on the 300mm focal length. But it will perform well during the daylight and also during a bit darker hours when using a tripod.
A compact and lightweight tool is also perfect for a DSLR camera as it doesn’t add too much weight to carry around or shoot handheld. Like many other Nikkor lenses, it has built-in vibration reduction.
Overall that will be the best wildlife lens for Nikon D5600 when you don’t also want to break a bank. It offers excellent sharp quality with a focal length of up to 300mm.
Prime Lens for Nikon D5600
11. Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G
Price: Budget $
Best feature: Large aperture
Dimensions: 70 x 52.5mm / 2.8 x 2.1in.
Weight: 200g / 7oz.
With its lightweight compact design and large aperture, it is a popular choice for beginner photographers. It’s one of the best prime lenses for Nikon D5600 on a budget. As it has fast autofocus it’s an easy choice for an additional lens to your gear.
The biggest feature of this is the maximum aperture of f/1.8. It performs well under the low light without a need to slow down shutter speed.
Fast autofocus and a silent wave motor are working well together. A silent and smooth focusing is excellent during the photoshoots. It’s mainly used in portrait photography, as well it’s also used in general and travel photography.
A lightweight and compact design is also super helpful. That one has no vibration reduction, so you need to keep your camera as steady as possible to avoid any camera shake.
Overall this is one of the best lenses for Nikon D5600 you can have for the price. With a fixed focal length it offers a large aperture and fast autofocus, which are just perfect for the beginner portrait photographer.
Landscape Lens for Nikon D5600
12. Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G ED
Price: Average $$
Best feature: Versatile all-in-one lens
Dimensions: 83 x 120mm / 3.3 x 4.7in.
Weight: 830g / 29.3oz.
This extremely versatile Nikkor lens for Nikon D5600 has everything all in one. From close-range shots to very far away objects is something that one-lens photographers would dream about.
This superzoom also has ordinary features like autofocus, image stabilization, and silent wave motor. Without these, it would be pretty complicated to shoot long-range photographs handhold, even more, when being a beginner in the field.
Even though it is a pretty heavy lens, it’s still mostly used for travel photography as you only need one lens to shoot various types of photographs. Thanks to that you don’t need to change lenses, it’s a comfortable partner for your travel adventures.
Overall it isn’t the lens that performs perfectly in any photography form from close range shots to wildlife photography. Each type of photography has its lenses. However, if you are willing to use only one, then this all-in-one is something to try out to shoot any kind of photograph.

About the camera: Nikon D5600
Nikon D5600 is a DSLR camera that is one of the most used by beginners who are eager to start out with photography more seriously. It’s mostly known for features like a compact design, magnificent APS-C CMOS image sensor, and overall outstanding image quality.
As said it’s more like an entry-level camera that offers loads of features and benefits that are essential for any level photographer. A lightweight design, 24.2MP, 39 autofocus points, Full HD video at 60fps are some things that a camera offers.
Some other useful features are vari angle touchscreen and built-in flash. A vari-angle touchscreen is a great addition when taking photos from different angles. For example, it’s essential when you are eager to do lots of self-shots. A built-in flash isn’t the top-notch feature but will be a big bonus when you are shooting without environmental lighting.
Overall it’s a great investment for your first camera that has many benefits and loads of different lenses to choose from.
Some things to know before choosing the best lens for Nikon D5600
First of all, the Nikon D5600 lenses can be mounted with Nikon F (DX-format) type. Luckily there are plenty of options for this mount type from wide-angle to telephoto zoom lenses.
Secondly, the downside of that broad option of lenses is that it’s hard to pick the right one. First you need to know what you want to photograph? Do you want to shoot portraits, landscapes, close-range city environments, macros, wildlife, or something else? In that post, I have categorized different best lenses for Nikon D5600.
If you are still not sure about what to shoot then I recommend you pick a zoom lens. Something that hasn’t extremely wide focal lengths (superzooms from 18mm to 300mm), but something more that you can adjust at some distance. For example from 24mm to 70mm. Then you wouldn’t lose any spark of the shooting performance. Here I have listed some superzooms because these are still popular and are useful when you travel a lot.
Focusing performance and image stabilization are one of the most important things to look at when you are choosing a lens. It’s much easier to get sharp quality photos if it has built-in autofocus and vibration reduction (or something similar).
Conclusion
Here was a list of the best lenses for the Nikon D5600. Hopefully, you found a good piece of information and now you know what lens to pick next. Changing a lens can upgrade your photography drastically, but keep in mind to practice a lot. Happy photo shooting!
Read more: Best Nikon DX lenses.
Disclosure: Some of the links may be affiliate links, at no additional cost to you. If you make a purchase then I will earn a commission, which helps me to run this website. Again: no additional cost for you.
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