Best 35mm Film Cameras
| Last Updated: November 19, 2020
The Nikon D3200 is a sophisticated DSLR camera in a small package.
Photographers love it because of its compact size, high-quality CMOS sensor, rapid speed processing, and wireless connectivity. It comes equipped with a lens, but what if you want to upgrade and add new lenses to the camera?
The best all round lens for Nikon D3200 in 2021 is the Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 28-300mm. It is an all-purpose lens that excels in both short-range and long-distance shots. It delivers sharp detail and vivid color in all lighting conditions and environments.
In this review guide, we take a look at the best camera lenses for Nikon D3200. We consider the pros and cons, as well as real-life feedback from users.
We also address common questions about Nikon lenses so you can make informed choices.
So, let’s get started.
5 Best Lenses for Nikon D3200 in 2021
1. Best Telephoto Lens for Nikon D3200: Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-300mm
Specs:
- Mounting system: Nikon DX
- Focal length: 55-300mm
- Minimum focusing distance: 4.6 feet (1.4m)
- Aperture: 4.5-32
- Weight: 1.3 pounds (590g)
Why Do We Love This Nikon D3200 Lens?
The Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-300mm is our top pick for the best Nikon D3200 telephoto lens. It can zoom to an impressive 5.5x, which is perfect if you’re a lover of macro photography. You can capture all the tiny details of small objects like insects and plants.
We also love the Vibration Reduction image stabilization, which allows you to shoot moving objects without any blur or loss of detail. This is also helpful for videography, like if you’re making a nature documentary.
The lens is straightforward and practical, so it’s also our pick for the best beginner lens for Nikon D3200 cameras. You don’t need a lot of experience to take beautiful photos with this lens, and you can learn new photography techniques during the process.
What Do Reviewers Say?
Reviewers love the professional quality of the photos and the competitive price of the lens. They also love the ISO and how well the lens performs in low-light conditions. The lens is easily the best macro lens for Nikon 3200 at this price point.
However, users note that the lens loses clarity after 250mm of extension. It also doesn’t have a locking mechanism, so you need to have a firm hand when extending the lens. It is also not a suitable option for complete beginners.
Features and Considerations
The Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-300mm lens features a Silent Wave Motor and Extra-Low Dispersion Glass. The lens extends rapidly and without sound, which is ideal for nature photography. It also corrects the color of the photos for the most vivid images.
The lens is a High-Refractive Index model, reaching more than 2.0 on the index. This allows the lens to reduce the effects of focusing issues on the curved and spherical surface of the glass. It also has Super Integrated Coating, which improves low light photography by reducing flare and other effects.
2. Best Wide Angle Lens for Nikon D3200: Tokina AF-S 11-16mm
Specs:
- Mounting system: Nikon DX
- Focal length: 11-16mm
- Minimum focusing distance: 0.9 feet (0.3m)
- Aperture: f/2.8-f/22
- Weight: 1.2 pounds (544g)
What Makes This Nikon D3200 Lens a Great Option?
The Tokina AF-S 11-16mm isn’t a Nikon brand but fits perfectly on the D3200. It is an actual wide-angle lens, which makes it an excellent choice for landscape photography. If your passion is mountains, architecture, then you can capture all the vivid sprawling detail with this lens.
It also has less of a fisheye effect than comparable wide-angle lenses. This could be an advantage or disadvantage depending if you like art-style photography or more realistic shots. If you lean towards the latter, then the Tokina lens is a great pick.
What Do Reviewers Say?
Reviewers love the clarity of images with the Tokina lens. They also like the effectiveness of the manual/auto slip ring, which allows you more control over focus. The price is also a huge selling point for this lens because of how affordable it is.
However, users dislike the short focal range. The Tokina is suitable for specific wide-angle shots but isn’t a very diverse option. If you already have an extensive collection of lenses, it is an excellent addition to your repertoire. However, it’s not the best option for switching focuses and photography styles.
Features and Considerations
The Tokina lens has Super-Low Dispersion glass, which counters chromatic aberrations and improves focus. This increases the quality of your photos and brings out the smaller details and vivid color.
It is also more lightweight and portable than other D3200 lenses. This makes it easy to slip the Tokina lens into your camera bag and take it traveling. It excels when used for wide-angle applications during your trips.
3. Best All-Round Lens for Nikon D3200: Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 28-300mm
Specs:
- Mounting system: Nikon FX
- Focal length: 28-300mm
- Minimum focusing distance: 0.6 feet (0.5m)
- Aperture: f/3.5-38
- Weight: 1.8 pounds (816g)
What Makes This Lens a Good Choice?
The Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 28-300mm is a mid-range investment but well worth it for the number of features. It has a telescoping body with an impressive zoom of 107x. It also has an integrated image stabilizer. Overall, the lens is an excellent choice for travel and other outdoor photography.
The extensive focal length allows the lens to handle both long-distance and close up photography with ease. You can use it with both FX and DX cameras, making it the best one-lens solution for your photography needs.
What Do Reviewers Say?
Reviewers love how the lens picks up on the sharpness of small details even when fully extended. It performs well in all conditions, including lowlight, inside, and outside during sunny days. It is a diverse addition that allows any photographer to shoot multiple scenes without changing the lens.
However, the lens is heavy and bulky. It will quickly weigh down your camera bag if you travel with multiple lenses. Some users have also reported issues with the autofocus. You may need to make occasional adjustments to get your subject fully in focus.
Features and Considerations
We love a lot of the automatic features of this lens. These include the silent and automatic internal focus, the extra-low dispersion features that increase picture quality, and the ability to switch between manual and autofocus.
It is an excellent lens for both beginners and professionals. On the one hand, beginners can rely on more automated features and still shoot amazing photos. On the other hand, professionals have the opportunity to explore the full capabilities of this lens.
4. Best Portrait Lens for Nikon D3200: Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm
Specs:
- Mounting system: Nikon DX
- Focal length: 35mm
- Minimum focusing distance: 1 foot (0.3m)
- Aperture: 1.8-22
- Weight: 7 ounces (198g)
What Makes This Nikon D3200 Lens a Great Option?
The Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm is a double winner, excelling at portrait photography and also winning the award of the best affordable Nikon 3200 lens. Coming in at less than $200, you get a lot of bang for your buck.
It has a wide maximum aperture of f/1.8, which you can use to create beautiful portraits. By blurring the background, you can draw more attention to the faces and expressions of people and animals.
What Do Reviewers Say?
Reviewers love the depth of field of this lens that allows you to put multiple subjects in focus. It also captures detailed photos in either a manual or automatic focus mode. They also love how silent the focus is, which is perfect if you’re photographing wildlife.
However, users have reported some barrel distortion in the shots. While you can fix this in the editing process, it could be an annoyance. They also dislike the plastic construction of the focus rings, which makes them feel breakable.
Features and Considerations
The lens performs well in lowlight conditions due to the maximum aperture. You can capture beautiful portraits at sunset, sunrise, or even in the early hours of the night.
It is also very compact and lightweight, which makes it a great addition to your camera bag. You can go out traveling with this lens and not even feel the difference on your back or shoulders.
5. Best Low Light Lens for Nikon D3200: Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 50mm
Specs:
- Mounting system: Nikon FX
- Focal length: 50mm
- Minimum focusing distance: 1.5 feet (0.5m)
- Aperture: 1.8-16
- Weight: 6.5 ounces (184g)
What Makes This Lens for Nikon D3200 Special?
The Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 50mm is the best Nikon D3200 lens for low light photography. The impressive maximum aperture of 1.8 allows you to capture detail and vivid color even in stormy conditions or in the darker hours of dusk.
It is also well suited to portrait photography because of its 50mm lens and shallow depth of field. This puts the focus on your subjects more than the background and blurs their surroundings for more definition. You can make a natural perspective and highlight the most exciting parts of your photos.
What Do Reviewers Say?
Reviewers love the budget-friendly price tag of this Nikon lens. Both amateur and professional photographers enjoy the clarity of detail and ease of use that this lens provides. They also appreciate the speed of the autofocus function.
However, some users have reported problems with finding the correct focus. At first, there are some issues with back focus. However, it is possible to correct the focus by playing around with the settings and experimenting with aperture.
Features and Considerations
This lens includes Nikon’s Super Integrated Coating, which improves the color of photos and reduces flare. It works together with an Aspherical Lens Element, which eliminates distortion even when using the lens at its maximum aperture.
You can easily switch between manual and autofocus with this lens. Whether you’re a beginner or a professional, the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 50mm allows you to capture beautiful portraits of any subject.
Overall, this is a budget-friendly and straightforward lens that thrives in close-up shots. It isn’t very suitable for long-distance photography, but it’s certainly handy to have in your camera bag.
Lenses for Nikon D3200 FAQ
Do All Nikon Lenses Fit All Nikon Cameras?
Generally, Nikon lenses fit all Nikon cameras. However, if you have an older camera, newer lenses may not be compatible. For this reason, the brand has a detailed lens compatibility chart. It shows which types of lenses can work with each model of camera.
Most of the modern Nikon lenses use the Z-mount system. It is larger than the original mount system, which is called the F-mount. You may need to use a lens adaptor to use the different sized lenses with the opposite mount system.
Nikon has autofocus and manual focus lenses. AF-S and AF-P lenses are autofocus lenses. These lenses have in-built motors that move by themselves.
AF NIKKOR lenses have a manual focus. You use gears to move the lens and focus the camera.
Cameras that have the design for manual focus lenses can also use autofocus lenses. This is because the motor is inside the lens itself.
You can also use manual focus lenses on cameras that have the design for autofocus lenses. However, you will need to use the focus ring and focus the lens yourself. The electronic viewfinder will tell you when the image is in focus.
When checking if a Nikon lens will fit on a Nikon camera, you also need to check the image sensor’s size. Nikon has two kinds of image sensors: DX and FX. FX is a full-frame sensor, while DX is smaller.
You can use DX lenses with FX cameras and vice versa, but there are some adjustments. When putting the smaller DX lens on an FX camera, it will use a DX crop mode that avoids vignetting of your photos. When you use FX lenses on DX cameras, the camera uses a 1.5x crop factor.
Which Lens Is Better: AF-S or AF-P?
AF-S and AF-P are two of the most common Nikon lenses. They both have in-built motors that control the focus of the lenses. Both are good options, but AF-P lenses are better for shooting videos.
AF-S lenses have a Silent Wave Motor (SWM). The motor allows the lens to rotate and focus with minimal noise or delay. It can do this by using rotational energy that turns and focuses the lens.
AF-P lenses have Pulse or Stepping motors. This is a more sophisticated form of technology that is faster and more silent than the AF-S. This makes it a better option for videos because you won’t hear any motor noise, and the lens can adapt to moving subjects smoothly.
AF-P lenses are a newer model than AF-S. They include additional features like vibration reduction and autofocus/manual focus mode. However, they are not compatible with all Nikon cameras, especially older models.
Overall, AF-P lenses are more modern and more efficient. However, they can be more expensive, so you may want to opt for AD-S lenses if the price is a concern.
What Is the Difference Between Nikon ED and DX Lenses?
ED and DX are two different descriptors used for Nikon lenses. The ED refers to the type of glass used in the lens, while the DX refers to the sensor type.
ED means extra-low dispersion glass. It is a corrective glass that improves the appearance of photos and videos by reducing the effects of optical color defects. These happen when the different colors come together at various points after going through the lens glass. Using the ED glass increases the accuracy of color, contrast, and detail.
DX describes the name of the Nikon camera’s sensor. DX is the smaller sensor when compared to a full-sized FX sensor, with measurements of 24x16mm. These sensors are more lightweight, affordable, and still deliver outstanding images.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are many great options if you’re looking for the best Nikon D3200 lenses. There are many high-quality lenses, whether you’re a portrait or landscape photographer or looking for a specific kind of lens like telephoto or wide-angle.
When choosing the best Nikon lenses for 3200, you should always double-check that the lens is compatible with your camera. You should also consider features like aperture and minimum focusing distance to match the lens to your photography style.
If you genuinely want to take your photography game to the next level, we recommend buying a few different D3200 lenses and playing around with the effects. You won’t be disappointed!
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