Best Nikon Landscape Lenses for Zoom 2022
Widest to Longest (Full Frame + DX)
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1. Nikon 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED (DX Only)
The Nikon 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED is more or less your default option if you have DX camera and want widest zoom available.
It’s not the cheapest, but it’s well worth the money if you like the range and don’t really care about low-light shooting. For landscape and most outdoor photography, f/3.5 to f/4.5 is a lot of light, especially if you’re using one of the more recent Nikon cameras which can handle high ISOs quite well.
Mounted on Nikon DX cameras, the field of view is equivalent to 15-36mm, which is the most common wide-angle length on FX cameras.
Image quality and colors are very good, but you may notice some distortion and softness when shooting wide open at ~10mm. This is to be expected and common with all extreme wide-angle lenses, and the Nikon really does an excellent job for the price.
There are 2 Extra-Low Dispersion elements that reduce chromatic aberration and other lens problems, 3 Aspherical elements to reduce coma, and SWM for fast and quiet autofocusing.
If you don’t care about low light, and want max zoom for your DX camera, no other lens beats the 10-24mm.
You can buy it on Amazon or see more reviews here.
2. Nikon 11-16mm f/2.8 Pro DX II (DX Only)
For low-light, indoor, and astrophotography, the Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 is a great choice.
It’s actually a very good lens for landscape and outdoor use, but it comes down to whether you’re okay with the 11 to 16mm range. It’s not much, so you’ll always be “stuck” with extreme wide angles.
It costs a lot less than most of the other lenses on this list, has a good build quality and lets you shoot at f/2.8. As you’ll see with other lenses, f/2.8 makes zooms a lot more expensive, which is why Tokina is so popular with Nikon photographers.
Compared to the 10-24mm above, the Tokina feels sturdier and also looks sharper when you get to the same aperture size. On the other hand, it displays more flare and chromatic aberration, so you’ll need to correct that in post, especially if you’re shooting RAW.
In short, get Tokina if you want to spend less, shoot at f/2.8 (also for low light) and don’t mind having a lot of zoom.
You can buy it on Amazon or see more reviews here.
3. Tamron 15-30mm f/2.8 Di VC USD
The wide zoom of a third-party lens that will challenge Nikon’s more expensive zooms is hard to find, but the Tamron 15-30mm f/2.8 Di VC USD does just that.
It was built to rival Nikon’s acclaimed 14-24mm f/2.8G series and Canon’s 16-35mm f/2.8 series. None of this has added stabilization, and that’s probably Tamron’s strongest selling point to date. That, and the low price combined with great image quality! See a Dpreview comparison between the 14-24mm and the Tamron 15-30mm here.
We had a hard time deciding whether we should put the Nikon 14-24mm and the Tamron on this list, but seeing how close (and even better somewhere) they are to the Tamron, we had to. It’s cheaper, has more zoom at the far end (although you do lose 1mm, which may be important for some) and offers Vibration Reduction which is especially useful if you’re shooting handheld video.
A Vibration Reduction (VC) mechanism assists up to 3 stops (you can see that in the TDP review here), meaning you can shoot at 1/8 where you would normally have to choose 1/60.
Thanks to the USD (Ultrasonic Silent Drive) focus is quiet and accurate. Third party lenses have never been as good as Nikon ones, so you may be hunting occasionally in low light, but this lens is very fast and can also be used for action!
You can buy it on Amazon or see more reviews here.
4. Nikon 16-35mm f/4G ED VR
The Nikon 16-35mm f/4G ED VR is another great lens, even though it’s only about $100 cheaper than the Tamron.
What are the pros and cons compared to the 15-30mm?
- You can use normal filters at 16-35mm f/4
- 16-35mm is much smaller and lighter (almost twice as little)
- 5mm more on the telephoto end.
Many people consider dimensions to be very important, so if for your travel needs you want to be as light as possible, the 16-35mm wins big here.
On the other hand, the Tamron lens for Nikon is a bit more expensive, it gives you an aperture of f/2.8, slightly better image quality in corners and an extra 1mm which is very useful when shooting in tight indoor spaces.
Both lenses have Vibration Reduction, so it will ultimately come down to whether you find the 3 advantages of the 16-35mm f/4 essential for your needs.
You can buy it on Amazon or see more reviews here.
5. Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art (DX Only)
The Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM is impressive glass; f/1.8 in zoom is something we’ve never seen before.
All of this would be useless if the optical performance was poor, but quite the opposite. It belongs to the Sigma Art series and has excellent image quality, sharpness, color and overall performance. Since this is only for the DX mount, the field of view is equivalent to 27-52mm. Not very wide, but still starts where the 18-55mm kit lens starts and is acceptable for a DX camera.
The lens is very sharp and offers fast autofocus thanks to the Hyper Sonic Motor, but at f/1.8 it is relatively large and heavy. You can see the specifications here; at 28.6 oz (811g) and 3.1″ x 4.8″ (78mm x 121mm) it isn’t compact.
It does feel very solid and professional, but it’s not weatherproof. It takes a 72mm filter and has a minimum focusing distance of 11″/28cm. If you shoot frequently in the 18-35mm range and want something to suit low light too, the Sigma wins here.
It works as a landscape and casual lens (portrait, pets, parties) thanks to its f/1.8 length and 50mm on DX.
You can buy it on Amazon or see more reviews here.
6. Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G ED AF-S
We only recommend the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G ED for FX cameras. Why? Because it would take too long on a DX camera to use as a wideangle lens.
It’s expensive, but worth every dollar. The 24-70mm range is useful for almost any type of photography, from landscapes, indoors, weddings, cities, travel, etc. 24-70mm lenses are hugely popular with every brand, and Nikon is no exception.
There’s a cheaper Tamron 24-70 f/2.8 with Vibration Reduction and similar image quality. What ultimately led us to go with the Nikon, however, was the sturdier build quality and construction, and a faster and more reliable AF system even in low light. If you don’t need the latter like a sport, you’ll appreciate the less expensive Tamron. You can see a comparison in Camera Lab, where corner and center performance looks similar for the two lenses. As of 2015, Nikon is also selling their own VR 24-70mm f/2.8 but costs around $2,200.
The 24-70mm is also slightly heavier than the 24-120mm below, but balances out well with the larger FX models (like the D810).
You can buy it on Amazon or see more reviews here.
7. Nikon 24-120mm f/4G ED VR
We found the Nikon 24-120mm f/4G ED VR to be the best bang for the buck. It does offer a lot of zoom but nothing unrealistic, the aperture stays at f/4 throughout the zoom and Vibration Reduction is a big plus when working with longer lengths.
Again, due to its 24mm starting point, we recommend it to FX users. Many people also think of wide angle when talking about lenses for landscape photography, but quite often you’ll also find something that appeals further afield, and that’s where the long 120mm comes in. Sometimes you want to catch the animal you meet, get closer to the flower or just catch a distant mountain.
There’s also a new Sigma 24-105mm f/4 that we wanted to use first, but it’s the extra 15mm at the far end that convinced us to go with the Nikon. Both are good optically and can be used as your only lens, but the Sigma is $200 cheaper (same minimum focusing distance and weight).
You can buy it on Amazon or see more reviews here.
8. Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2
The Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2 was released a few months ago and is our favorite 70-200mm lens. If you already have something that covers a wide-angle but are looking for a high-quality telephoto to capture more than just the scenery around you, up to 200mm is recommended.
Here’s why. It’s cheaper than the others, delivers almost the same image quality and sharpness, has great Vibration Reduction with 5 stops assist and great autofocus. Plus you get a 6 year US warranty! Talk about customer support.
Compared to the most expensive Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 FL, you can get two Tamrons for that price. Image quality is almost indistinguishable between the two, but the Nikon is a bit more accurate when it comes to autofocus. The Tamron is great, don’t get me wrong, precise and quiet, but few people are willing to spend twice as much to get better AF than you can get with this lens.
For landscapes, having the absolute fastest AF is not a priority, therefore it is better to save money.
The lens is perfect even for a high megapixel DSLR camera like the D810 with its 36MP sensor. The VC works great up to 5 stops so you can expect sharp results with 1/15 where you need ~1/500 normally. The lens is weather-sealed so if you’re shooting outdoors in rough weather, or happen to be near water, you don’t need to worry too much.
You can buy it on Amazon or see more reviews here.
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