10 Best Nikon D7100 Lenses – Buying Guide

Nikon D7100 is an amazing DX-format DSLR camera from Nikon. It features a large 24.1 megapixel CMOS sensor, combined with a Full HD 1080p video capacity. It features a 7 fps continuous shooting and a 51-point autofocus system.

If you currently have one or are planning to add one to your photographer’s arsenal, the following are some of the best lenses for Nikon D7100. They are the top recommended options, according to factors including usefulness, price, and high image quality.

Best All-in-one Zoom Lenses for Nikon D7100

1. Nikon 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G ED VR

This zoom lens is considered as an all-in-one option for your Nikon D7100, with a capacity to capture all images beautifully using a single lens. This is a good choice if you only need to choose one lens for your camera. It is amazingly lightweight and compact, considering that it is a 16.7x zoom lens. It also draws amazing performance in using the DX format DSLR, which means that it can also serve as a versatile second lens.

This lens can do pretty much everything, including landscapes, videos, stills, portraits, interiors, and wildlife. Using this type of lens, you can also capture close-up shots as easily as getting those wide scenic images. Its balanced and compact design and the use of VR technology also helps in keeping your photos video steady and sharp. At the same time, the use of a quiet and fast autofocus system minimizes noise during recording.

2. Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II

This lens is an all-purpose lens which is very popular because of its versatility, thanks to the combination of a big zoom range and great image quality.  Its 18mm feature is enough for capturing landscape shots, while at 200mm, it is great for sports.

Its lens also features amazing sharpness at tele, and is completely compatible with most DX cameras including Nikon D7100. Just a note, however, the 18-200mm lens does not have enough reach for some telephoto photography. However, it is very effective for travel use, while serving as an all-in-one lens.

Best Portrait Lenses for Nikon D7100

3. Nikon 50mm f/1.4G

If you are a portrait shooter, then the Nikon 50mm lens is the best type of lens for you. It is also ideal for events, travels, nature, as well as general photography, as it can be used for different kinds of conditions, thanks to its use of superb optical formula, combined with its ultra-fast f/1.4 maximum aperture.

4. Nikon 85mm f/1.8G

Among the features that you can expect out of this lens for Nikon D7100 is its high image quality. It is perfectly compact, razor-sharp, producing a gorgeous bokeh to boot. It also features the IF (Internal Focus) system of Nikon, offering a quiet and fast AF, while producing clear and sharp images at different apertures. Its speedy maximum aperture is well-recommended for capturing stills, as well as D-Movie HD videos in low-light, ideal lighting, shoulder and heat portraits, concerts or weddings.

Best Standard Prime Lenses for Nikon D7100

5. Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art

If you are searching for a standard prime lens, the Sigma 35mm lens is a highly recommended option to take into consideration. It is an excellent lens, given that it has the capability to perform really well on the field as much as it did in the lab tests. It offers fast and silent focusing, combined with its solid build. As a bonus, it comes at an affordable price, making it an attractive alternative to other equivalent models.

Best Standard Zoom Lenses for Nikon D7100

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

This Sigma 17-50mm lens from Sigma also works well with your Nikon D7100. It offers a large aperture of a standard zoom lens, covering up to 17-50mm of focal length. At the same time, it also features a large aperture at f/2.8 in its zoom range, making it suitable for different types of photography, including events, press, portraits, weddings, and general use, with a particular focus on landscapes and portraits.

This lens also offers superior quality peripheral brightness while providing high contrast, sharp images even at its maximum apertures. If you need a lens for any photo opportunity, even in a low-light condition, these lens is a good option.

7. Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 XR DI-II VC LD Aspherical (IF)

This new zoom lens comes with a 17-50mm focal length, appealing to its versatility. Its incomparable performance and wide aperture offer practical advantages when it comes to aesthetic image control and in low-light conditions, further enriching the creative impression of a user’s range. This new lens also offers outstanding sharpness, combined with a striking contrast in its entire aperture range and focal-length range.

With its maximum f/2.8 aperture, you can expect beautiful images produced that are further improved by its shallow depth of field, along with natural and smooth transitions, especially in out-of-focus areas in the image. Among the outstanding features of this lens is the manufacturer’s proprietary VC (Vibration Compensation) image stabilization system, controlling the camera shake effects in three planes.

Best Wide-angle Zoom Lenses for Nikon D7100

8. Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art

If you are looking for a first lens to purchase for your camera, this is among the best lenses for Nikon D7100. In fact, it is recommended to have this in your camera bag as an investment. The reason behind this is that it is the very first introduced wide-angle to standard zoom lens to use a huge aperture at 1.8.

As such, it is the perfect lens for capturing portraits, landscapes, still life, casual, snapshots, and close-ups. With its HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor) feature, you can ensure a fast, smooth, and highly accurate autofocusing.

9. Nikon 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED

This lens is considered as the best wide-angle lens for DX format cameras. It is sharper and wider compared to another lens under the similar category and is often recommended for use for architecture and landscape photography.

The lens images captured are sharp, capturing excellent contrast and color. With its zoom range at 15-36mm equivalent, it can cover almost all of the highly useful focal lengths, from a normal to an ultra-wide field of view.

Best Telephoto Zoom lenses for Nikon D7100

10. Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD

A good photographer should always have a telephoto lens in his or her camera bag. The Tamron SP 70-200mm lens is an excellent option with its fast f/2.8 maximum aperture all throughout its zoom range. It is also described as a high-speed, compact, and full-size telephoto zoom lens that features image stabilization, VC (Vibration Compensation), as well as USD (Ultrasonic Silent Drive).

This lens also offers amazing image quality which is further heightened by its use of an advanced VC feature, and its USD for a smooth and quiet autofocus. With all of these capabilities, these lenses are generally useful those who consider themselves as a semi-professional photographer. These lenses are also popular because of its fast, durable, and accurate auto-focus, consistent output, beautiful bokeh, and strong and rugged construction.

11. Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD

The Tamron SP 150-600mm is another lens that can work compatibly with your Nikon D7100. It features quiet and fast autofocusing, image stabilization, and advanced lens coating, thus allowing for the capture of contrasty and sharp photos. This lens is also suitable for wildlife and sports photography, and for capture landscape shots.

This lens also comes equipped with a tripod mount built-in with it, thus allowing for use on monopods and tripods. With this lens, you can capture the beauty and power of wildlife and nature, travels, exciting close-up sports and entertainment actions.

Best Macro Lenses for Nikon D7100

12. Nikon 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED VR Micro

The Nikon 105mm lens is categorized as a medium telephoto macro lens which is well-suited for portrait work and extreme close-up shots with wider working distances. It also offers commendable AF from infinity to life-size (or 1:1). With the use of this type of lens, you can also expect that any movement of the camera at this level of magnification is amplified as well, which means that image stabilization is highly critical with this lens.

In fact, this lens is considered as the very first macro lens in the world of feature the exclusive SWM (Silent Wave Motor), and VR (Vibration Reduction) which are primarily designed for macro and close-up photography. It also offers a unique level of versatility, allowing it for use in different photographic situations.  The VR feature of this lens also features three shutter speed stop equivalence which allows for the use of slower shutter speeds while maintaining the sharpness of image still, even in low-light conditions.

Buying Guide for the Best Lenses for Nikon D7100

With all of the lens that is currently begging for your attention, deciding which one to get first can be unnecessarily daunting. In order to come up with the best purchasing decision, you can start by taking these factors into serious consideration.

• Compatibility of Lens

While it is true that you can easily mount different lenses on your Nikon D7100, reality dictates that there are just some lenses which are not completely compatible with all the features of this camera. For example, there are lenses which will not allow you to use autofocusing, and as such, must do focusing manually.

• Crop Factor and Focal Length

The lens’ focal length is usually stated in millimeters. This value determines the actual angle of view in which the camera captures, including the spatial relationships of the objects within a frame. Focal length can also impact the depth of field, which refers to the distance in which focus can appear sharp. On the other hand, the crop factor can vary depending on your camera, which is why it is recommended in the industry to use a 35mm equivalent of measuring stick as your standard.

• Range of Aperture

Aperture refers to the adjustable diaphragm in a camera lens. By adjusting the size of the aperture, you can also control the overall amount of light entering through the lenses, striking the image sensor and controlling exposure.

The setting of the aperture also impacts the depth of field. For a wide open aperture, a shorter depth of field is produced, making the subject sharply focused, and far objects appearing blurry. On the other hand, a narrow aperture can result in a long depth of field, making both the subject as well as the far objects can appear sharp.

As a general rule, each lens comes with its own specific range of settings involving aperture. The larger the range is, the better control you have on the depth of field and exposure of the image. Also, the bigger the maximum aperture is, the faster the lens will be.

• Prime vs. Zoom Lenses

A prime lens refers to a single-focal-length lens. On the other hand, a zoom lens can allow you to achieve a range of focal lengths in a single unit. You may have the option to get just one or have two if your resources allow.

Conclusion

As you have observed, there are indeed, a lot of recommended options on the best lenses for Nikon D7100. If you have the resources, you can add more than one, adding them to your photographer’s kit. However, if you only need to pick one as a starter, you can definitely make good use of the buying guide and tips mentioned above in order to pinpoint the best lens that will work with your Nikon D7100 DSLR camera.

Whether you are selecting a prime or a zoom lens, or a specific lens that works in offering a particular feature, you can enjoy the benefits that each of these lenses can offer. Bottom line is that you definitely have to start by identifying your purpose of use of your camera. By doing so, you can come up with the best option on lenses for your Nikon D7100.