If are you a newcomer or a beginner in photography, and you’ve finally landed on your camera for portrait photography, it’s easy to get confused or frustrated when it comes to choosing the best portrait lens for a Nikon camera.
Yes, the market has many different lenses, with similar model numbers and specifications, but that shouldn’t mean that you can’t wade through the details to find the one you need.
If you ask any photographer, they’ll tell you that after picking your camera, the most important choice of equipment is the lens. For portrait photography, a lens should should sharp focus on the subject in the foreground, be able to produce high quality in dimly lit settings (as portraits will be shot indoors), in addition to some other important considerations we’ve covered below.
Below we’ve reviewed some of the best portrait lenses for Nikon. Let’s dive right in:
1. Nikon AF S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G
Intro
This Nikon AF S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G is a high quality optical lens with very fast focusing. It’s reasonably priced and can accommodate professional, prosumer and hobbyist photographers alike.
Pros
- This NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G lens provides high quality images with fast focusing.
- Lightweight and affordable.
- Very small size factor, so good for transporting.
- Soft bokeh.
- It is durable and reliable.
- Handy manual focus override.
- Fast auto-focus (faster than most lenses in its class)
- Weather sealed mounting (good for traveling and outdoors in rough conditions).
- 1-year Nikon warranty
Cons
- The f/1.8 lens won’t work well for wide angles (like the f/1.4).
- It has a plastic build
- Some users reported issues with chromatic distortion
2. Nikon AF-S 105mm f/2.8G
Intro
If you want a lens that is great for portrait photography but can also handle landscape, then you will want the Nikon AF-S 105mm f/2.8G lens.
Pros
- Great speed factor.
- Contrast and color are high quality, leading to very sharp images.
- Both a macro and a portrait lens, good choice for photographers with a wide range of subjects.
- Great for low light situations (such as event photography).
- Bokeh is reported to be amazing.
- Standard 1-year Nikon warranty (up to 4 years with the extended option).
Cons
- Heavy weight factor.
- Occasional complaints from users about focusing, but only some experienced an issue.
3. Nikon AF-S DX 35mm F/1.8G Lens
Intro
The top choise DX photographers as users get to enjoy a tight feel that can be compared to a 50mm on a full-time camera. This lens is ideal for beginners looking to start using DX as part of their photography arsenal.
Pros
- F1.8 aperture is suited for low light and indoor situations.
- Great value for the price.
- Quiet and fast internal focus.
- Perfect of portrait as well as headshot photography.
- Great option for beginner photographers.
- Sharp, quality images.
- Solid bokeh.
- Very flexible for a DX lense.
Cons
- Not full frame.
- It does not have a manual aperture.
- Great for beginners, but expert photographers may prefer a more advanced option.
4. Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG
Intro
Sigma 85mm f/1.4 GD is another great portrait lens for Nikon. While it is a higher price point, serious photographers will find it is worth every penny.
Pros
- Lens is both splash-proof and dust-proof.
- Great for low light situations and indoors, such as event photography and portraits/headshots.
- Bokeh has been described as “creamy”.
- Tight and quick foreground focus, leading to crisp indoor and event shots.
- Reports that chromatic aberration is very rare and better than other options such as the Nikon 105mm f1.4.
- Highest rated DXOMark Lens.
- Compatible with mount converter.
Cons
- Does not provide image stabilization
- High price point.
- At 1.7 pounds, it is heavier than some other options.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the best portrait lens for your Nikon camera shouldn’t be annoying and frustrating, although with all the options available, that’s exactly how it can seem. While ultimately the selection of lens will come down to personal preference and/or specific needs of the photography, there are some fundamental choices you can make, and we hope we’ve outlined them well above.
