Best Nikon Wide Angle Prime Lenses

Best Overall: Nikon AF-S Nikkor 24mm f/1.4G

• Focal Length: 24mm
• Minimum Focus Distance: 9.8 inches
• Weight: 1.36 lbs
• Filter Thread: 77mm
• Image Stabilization: No

Pros: Wide maximum aperture, full-frame lens, crisp sharp images, close minimum focus distance, weather-sealed

Cons: Large, heavy, expensive, struggles with some vignetting, no vibration reduction

What Makes this Lens Our Top Pick?

This lens is widely lauded as the best wide-angle lens in the world. Yes, the world. Not just from Nikon, but from any lens manufacturer anywhere.

That’s quite a claim. While we can’t necessarily vouch for whether that’s true or not, we can back up the claim that this is certainly a powerhouse wide-angle lens.

Even though it was released in 2010, it is still amazingly sharp and reliable today. It works on crop body cameras but is really impressive on full frame cameras like the D750.

Images are sharp, crisp and bright corner to corner at every f-stop. There is minimal to no distortion in final images.

Final images are also contrasted amazingly well. There is loads of detail in the shadows and highlights that other lenses struggle to achieve. The large aperture also allows photographers to shoot without a tripod at slower shutter speeds and in lower light situations.

This lens can also achieve smooth, consistent bokeh and good separation of subjects from the background. Landscape and architecture photographers in particular will enjoy how crisp this lens is from edge to edge.

What Do Reviewers Say?

Reviewers could find little to criticize with this lens. They consistently praised its sharp, high-quality images and steady performance.

Being the widest angle f/1.4 prime lens from Nikon, it enables photographers to hand hold their camera and capture images with close focus and a great shallow depth of field that other lenses can’t come close to.

There are other lenses like the AF-S Nikkor 24mm f/1.8G ED or the Sigma 24mm f/1.4 ART lens that cost half of the price or less. However, there is a slight drop off in performance with these other options.

Reviewers liked the classic finish on the lens barrel, with black polycarbonate, a rubberized focus ring and gold detailing. They also liked that it came with a reversible lens hood that photographers could easily store on the lens. The lens is weather-sealed, with a metal mount and a rubber gasket where it attaches to the camera body.

The lens certainly has a professional price attached to it. However, the cost isn’t unreasonable for the incredibly wide aperture and solid performance.

Features and Considerations

The lens is definitely an investment, costing between $1,500 and $2,000. If you need a solid wide-angle lens, though, and can afford the cost, the investment will definitely pay off. It will enable you to get tack sharp images that are professional-quality for years to come.

There is slight vignetting around the edge as well. However, again, it is so slight that it is barely noticeable. If it really bothers you, it can be easily corrected in post-processing.

Finally, the lens is large and a bit heavy, at just under a pound and a half. Photographers were generally able to get used to the weight, though, and found the quality worth the slight inconvenience.

A Close Second: Sigma 24 mm F/1.4 DG HSM ART

• Focal Length: 24mm
• Minimum Focus Distance: 9.8 inches
• Weight: 1.47 lbs
• Filter Thread: 77mm
• Image Stabilization: No

Pros: Sharp images, good contrast, minimal distortion, great color rendition, affordable

Cons: Heavy, not weather-sealed, autofocus can struggle sometimes

What Makes this Lens Special?

Sigma announced their 24mm f/1.4 lens in February 2015. That was five years after Nikon released their lens with the same specifications (our top pick).

The stats are almost identical to those of the Nikon above. However, this lens costs a fraction of the price, at around $800 instead of almost $2,000. Despite the price difference, though, it seems Sigma has managed to create a lens that can rival the titan described above.

The lens itself is designed well, with 15 elements in 11 groups and four low dispersion elements. Compared with the Nikon, which only has 12 elements in 10 groups and two low dispersion glass parts, this lens certainly has more impressive mechanics.

As a result, it is also larger and heavier. That is saying something since the Nikon is already big and heavy.

Images are impressively sharp with this lens, though. It is a great option for photographers and videographers who want to shoot portraits, architecture or landscape photography. It is especially ideal in low light situations like evening weddings where you need to capture sunset portraits or dance floor shots.

What Do Reviewers Say?

Reviewers were very positive about this lens. They liked the design and consistent professional quality performance.

The all metal barrel and mount make it sturdy and durable. However, the lack of weather sealing can be a problem for photographers that like to shoot outside and may encounter windy or drizzly conditions.

Images are amazingly crisp and beautifully colored and contrasted. They have tons of detail in the highlights and shadow and minimal distortion or chromatic aberration.

The corners are a little bit less sharp than the center, but not terribly so. The wide aperture also allows photographers to shoot at slower shutter speeds and in lower light situations without needing a travel tripod. That is especially great for wedding photographers.

The bokeh effect is creamy and consistent, and there is good subject-background separation. Unfortunately, there is heavy vignetting around the corners, but this can be easily corrected in post-processing.

Features and Considerations

The lack of weather sealing can be a huge issue for photographers who shoot primarily outside, like landscape photographers, and occasionally get wet or photograph in windy, dusty conditions. It is definitely more imperative to keep the lens mount clean at all times than with weather-sealed lenses.

The autofocus also mis-focuses more often than other lenses do. That can be really annoying if you’re photographing a wedding or a similar event where this may cause you to miss really important shots.

The manual focus is smooth and easy to use, however. That makes this lens a great candidate if you are comfortable shooting in manual focus mode.

Best Zoom Wide-Angle Lens: Tamron 10-24 mm f/3.5-4.5 Di II VC HLD

• Focal Length: 10 – 24mm
• Minimum Focus Distance: 9.4 inches
• Weight: 15.5 ounces
• Filter Thread: 77mm
• Image Stabilization: Yes

Pros: Good zoom range, affordable, full frame design, weather sealed, accurate autofocus, image stabilization

Cons: Less robust than previous wide-angle lenses from Tamron, slight chromatic aberration, vignetting

What Makes this Lens Special?

This lens is a complete redesign of Tamron’s similar lens with almost identical specs. The design is cleaner, with straight lines and an all-black lens barrel that is constructed from durable, high-quality plastic.

It was designed for crop bodies but can also be used on full-frame camera bodies, with slight disadvantages of course. That makes it a great choice if you currently have a crop body shooter and may upgrade to a full frame camera in the future.

This lens isn’t as heavy-hitting or robust as the Tamron 24-70mm lens. However, it does cost a third of the price and is built using high-quality parts.

There are 16 elements arranged in 11 groups. That is a big step up from the previous lens that only had 12 elements in 9 groups.

The front lens has a fluorine coating that helps repel oil and water. The entire construction is weather-sealed. That makes this lens better than the Sigma above for shooting outside in adverse weather conditions.

It has vibration compensation. That is something the previous two lenses lack. The zoom and focus rings move smoothly and are easy to use.

The front threading doesn’t rotate when focusing or zooming. That is nice for landscape photographers and others that like to use filters. It also comes with a lens hood that can be put on or off while keeping the lens cap on, which is a nice feature.

What Do Reviewers Say?

Reviewers liked this lens largely because it is high-performance while being a fraction of the cost and weight of the previous two lenses. They especially liked the zoom range for street photography. It is slightly more versatile than a prime lens in this type of scenario but still performs really well.

The new High/Low Torque Modulated Drive motor (HLD) from Tamron has higher torque but autofocuses faster, smoother and quieter than their previous lens.

Reviewers liked the new motor, overall. However, they noticed they could hear the motor focusing slightly when reviewing video shot with the lens. That is a bit of a problem. It is still quiet enough to be discreet for still photographers, however, and is definitely a step up from previous generations.

This lens also comes with Vibration Compensation, Tamron’s version of image stabilization. Most Nikon bodies come with vibration reduction built in. However, the added image stabilization in the lens is certainly nice for cutting out blur when shooting in low light situations.

Reviewers also praised the sharp image quality of this lens. However, they noticed slight softening and vignetting around the corners of images. That was the case particularly when the lens was at its widest field of view.

The lens handles flare very impressively. Reviewers only reported noticing a few small reflections when shooting directly into the sun.

There is impressively little contrast lost in these situations, however. Both of these minor issues can be fixed in post-processing if photographers shoot in RAW.

Features and Considerations

While there is vignetting present when the camera is at its widest, it isn’t nearly as dark as other lenses. The lens also isn’t quite as sharp as the two prime lenses listed above, but the lower price and versatile zoom range more than make up for the slight loss in sharpness.

Overall, photographers and reviewers loved this lens and recommend it for any versatile photography bag.

Second Choice Zoom Wide-Angle Lens: Nikon AF-P DX 10-20 mm f/4.5 – 5.6G VR

• Focal Length: 10 – 20mm
• Minimum Focus Distance: 9.6 inches
• Weight: 8.2 ounces
• Filter Thread: 72mm
• Image Stabilization: Yes

Pros: Affordable, compact, new AF-P motor, sharp images

Cons: Distortion at wider end of range, vignetting

What Makes this Lens Special?

This lens was announced in June 2017 with two other professional-grade wide-angle lenses, and while it didn’t inspire much excitement when it was first announced, it has definitely held its own and established itself as a great wide-angle option since then.

The lens is super compact and lightweight, which makes it a joy to travel with and tote around. It also has a cleaner design, and lacks the AF-A/M, AFM and VR on/off switches that other Nikon lenses have on the barrel.

The AF-P notation indicates that this lens has Nikon’s newer pulsing/stepping autofocus motor, which has become popular with photographers for focusing quickly and accurately and weighing significantly less than previous autofocus motors.

Photographers who have measured say the new motor focuses 30% faster than the old motor and focuses markedly better in low light. Photographers can turn on manual override to manually focus the lens if they wish, as well.

The lens has 14 elements that are arranged in 11 groups, which includes 3 Aspherical elements to cut down on flares and reflections. This is also one of the first lenses from Nikon’s new class to come with vibration reduction built in. While many photographers find it to be overkill when coupled with the VR in the camera body, it can be useful for reducing blur.

What Do Reviewers Say?

Reviewers were generally positive about Nikon’s new line of AF-P lenses, and particularly liked the new pulsing autofocus motor and the sleek, streamlined design of the lens. With the wide aperture and vibration reduction built into the lens, photographers found they could shoot after sunset without a tripod down in as fast as 1/10 second with little difficulty.

Reviewers were disappointed that this lens was not weather-sealed, making shooting in dusty or damp conditions a risk. The high performance helped make up for this oversight, however, with the lens achieving smooth bokeh and eliminating vignetting entirely around f/14.

The lens also handles direct sunlight pretty efficiently, with almost no flare or ghosting despite the fact that it doesn’t have Nano Crystal Coating.

While there is some chromatic aberration throughout images, it is very minimal and can be easily fixed in Photoshop or Lightroom. Unfortunately, there is noticeable distortion around the widest field of view for the lens, with next to none at the narrower end.

This is hard to avoid with a 10mm lens, though. Reviewers also loved this lens because it is incredibly affordable, at well under $500.

Features and Considerations

While the pulsing autofocus motor is certainly worth investing in, it is only compatible with Nikon’s newer DSLR bodies, limiting the number of cameras you can use this lens with. If you have an older camera body and don’t plan on upgrading any time soon, then this lens is sadly not an option for you.

The lens also has a sleeker design with fewer switches on the barrel, but having to change from autofocus to manual focus in the camera menu can be annoying and cause you to miss shots if you switch back and forth in an active shooting environment.

Best Fisheye Lens: Nikon AF-S Fisheye Nikkor 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E

• Focal Length: 8 – 15mm
• Minimum Focus Distance: 6 inches
• Weight: 1 lb 1 ounce
• Filter Thread: N/A
• Image Stabilization: No

Pros: Can capture full circular images, crisp sharp photos, fluorine coating on the lens

Cons: Expensive, can’t take circular images with hood attached

What Makes this Lens Special?

Canon wide angle users have had the equivalent to this lens for years, which made this lens immediately popular when Nikon finally released it. At the widest angle this lens is able to capture full circular images, with more normal wide-angle or fisheye images at the longer end of the zoom range.

The lens is a little bit more expensive, but is high-functioning and high-quality, justifying the price for photographers who enjoy the fisheye aesthetic.

The lens itself is compact and short, with a front lens element that is rounded and seems to pop out of the rest of the lens barrel. Due to the extreme design, you can’t use filters with it, but photographers who really want filters can use rear filters. The design is sleek, with black polycarbonate and Nikon classic gold accents.

The front and back lens elements have fluorine coatings that help repel grease and moisture, keeping them cleaner and fingerprint-free. This is useful for having such a large frontal element.

What Do Reviewers Say?

Reviewers like this lens and were excited to have such unique functionality with such high-quality performance. Images taken with this lens are tack-sharp and contrasted nicely, with lots of details throughout the shadows and highlights.

The lens itself is also solidly constructed, weighing just about a pound and having a good amount of glass elements to cut down on reflections, ghosting and flares.

Like a majority of fisheye lenses, this lens can focus really close to a subject (great for Nikon Macro lens users), with sharp images up to six inches away. At the longer end of the zoom range, the lens took more classic wide-angle shots that have slight distortion but are still professional camera quality. There was also very minimal chromatic aberration in final images.

While this isn’t a lens most reviewers used every day, it is certainly high-performance and robust enough to make it into a respectable wide-angle camera bag. The high-quality technology also justifies the higher price tag, and the fast autofocus and sharp performance are reliable and consistent. Overall, this lens is a great value if you have a use for it.

Features and Considerations

Fisheye lenses and other extreme wide-angle lenses are generally only good for very specific uses, making it less versatile than any other lens on this list. If you have a need or an affinity for full circular or fisheye images, however, this lens is a great option.

It is also a little expensive for having such a specific purpose, but again, the performance is high enough to justify the cost. Overall, photographers who had a use for this lens were a big fan of the technology and consistent performance, and had very few complaints about it.

Most Versatile Lens: Nikon AF-S 16-35mm f/4G ED VR

• Focal Length: 16 – 35mm
• Minimum Focus Distance: 11.5 inches
• Weight: 1.5 lbs
• Filter Thread: 77mm
• Image Stabilization: Yes

Pros: Image stabilization, versatile zoom range, ED dispersion and Nano Crystal Coating, Weather sealing

Cons: Expensive, narrow maximum aperture, heavy

What Makes this Lens Special?

This lens is built well, with 17 elements arranged in 12 groups, including three aspherical elements and two Extra-low Dispersion ones, and VR II vibration reduction up to four stops.

It is also probably the most versatile lens on this list, with the most “normal” focal length at the upper end of its zoom range of any camera on this list. This allows photographers to take wide-angle and more normal angle shots with the same lens, making it a great addition to any stylish camera bag.

This lens is considerably smaller than other FX lenses from lens manufacturers with similar focal length ranges. While image quality suffers slightly at the long end of the zoom range, it is professional throughout and is tack-sharp at the shorter end of the range.

The Vibration Reduction is a nice addition but is outperformed by Tamron’s newer 15-30mm G2 lens, meaning you should consider the latter lens if you tend to photograph primarily in low light situations.

The autofocus motor is fast, silent and accurate, and while there is some distortion at 16mm, it can be easily corrected in Lightroom or Photoshop. Front-mounted filters are supported by this lens, which helps with long exposures in environments where lighting is a challenge.

What Do Reviewers Say?

Reviewers found this to be an impressive, consistent lens as long as the lighting was sufficient enough to support it, and praised the lens for being versatile and consistent. They also loved that this lens is weather-sealed to protect against dust and moisture, allowing photographers to use it in a number of different situations.

The nine-blade circular aperture helps create smooth, consistent bokeh, and the AF-S silent wave focus motor is lightning fast and silent. Reviewers particularly praised this lens for travel or landscape photography, and love the sharp, well-contrasted images it produces.

Reviewers also particularly liked the vibration reduction and praise this lens for being the first wide-angle lens to include image stabilization.

The VR is so impressive that photographers claim they have been able to get tack-sharp images by hand holding their camera down to 1/2 second shutter speed at night. This is harder to do zoomed in to the narrower end of the zoom range, but is very handy at the wider end focal lengths.

Features and Considerations

The f/4 maximum aperture isn’t wide enough to do well in low light situations without a tripod, which is a bit of a drawback. The price is low enough and the range is versatile enough in sufficient light that many photographers are willing to make this trade-off.

The lens is also quite large and heavy, at 1.5 pounds. While it is distinctly larger than other lenses in a similar range, it does include a number of glass and high-tech elements that can account for the added ounces.