The Ultimate Nikon Full Frame Lens Kit
If you're a Nikon shooter with a full frame camera and you're stumped as to what lenses you absolutely need to get, this article is for you!
I've been a Nikon shooter for years and years now, and I have some personal favorites that I would never leave the house without.
Jared Polin also has a few favorite Nikon lenses, which he outlines in the video below.
This "ultimate" collection of Nikon lenses is pretty fantastic, if I do say so myself.
But not many enthusiast photographers need nine lenses...
My kit includes three of the nine lenses that Jared has in his kit, and as he points out, if he had to pare it down, he'd take just four lenses with him on a trip around the world.
Have a look at Jared's video to get his insights on each of these best Nikon lenses, and for more details on the "big three," check the outline below.
Editor's Tip: Are you itching to buy a new camera? Before you do, learn why upgrading your lens is a much better idea than upgrading your camera.
Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED
You've got to have a lens in an ultimate full frame kit that can handle wide-angle shots, and the 14-24mm f/2.8G certainly fits the bill.
Its 1.7x ultra-wide-angle zoom is ideal for landscape photography.
Get in close to foreground elements - like the flowers in the shot below - and bring the viewer in with gorgeous detail that introduces them to the scene.
This is one of Nikon's newer lenses, and it's packed with features that ensure you get superb shots.
That includes incredible sharpness, color rendition, and contrast that make your images pop.
The lens is also built to last - it's tough, durable, and will stand up to the rough and tumble ways of landscape photography.
Granted, this is a professional lens, which means that it's very spendy. Unless you have a pile of cash laying around, you might look for a pre-owned 14-24mm f/2.8 lens.
Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8E ED VR
Like the 14-24mm lens discussed above, this one also has a large f/2.8 aperture that gives you more creative freedom.
You can easily blur the background of portraits at f/2.8 as well as shoot in dim lighting conditions without having to boost the ISO or slow the shutter down.
This lens is also supremely sharp, and produced little to no distortion throughout its zoom range. Of course, at this price, you should expect impeccable performance.
Another prime feature of this lens is its vibration reduction technology.
With VR, this lens gives you up to four extra stops, meaning you can handhold it at lower shutter speeds and still get tack-sharp images when you'd need to tripod-mount your camera with non-VR lenses.
And since 24-70mm is such a versatile focal length, you can use it for landscapes, portraits (as shown above), street photography, and just about everything in between! That's why it's counted among the best full frame Nikon lenses on the market.
Editor's Tip: If you're after a solid Nikon prime lens, learn which Nikon primes are the best.
Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II
Again, with this lens, we see a common theme, the large f/2.8 aperture being a part of that.
And, like the previous lens, this one is also equipped with Vibration Reduction technology.
Picking up where the 24-70mm lens leaves off, this lens extends your focal range to 200mm.
That makes this a fantastic choice for wildlife photography, sports photography, close-up landscapes, and, of course, everyday subjects like portraits, too.
Th 70-20mm f/2.8G ED VR II also has a lightning-fast autofocus system, which is a definite bonus when your subject is on the move. It's a pricey lens, but that autofocus system is worth it!
This is an excellent lens choice for still subjects as well, if for no other reason than it produces gorgeous bokeh.
You can also use this lens for videography (you can use the previous two for videos as well), which gives you even more flexibility in terms of what and how you shoot.
From 24mm to 200mm, this Nikon lens kit has you covered from wide-angle to telephoto shots and everything in between.
If you're looking for the ultimate Nikon lenses, it would be tough to beat these three, especially if you can find a good deal on a pre-owned version and save a bit of money!