The ranking of the best Nikon telephoto lenses with an excellent quality/price ratio.
Are you looking for a telephoto lens to improve your photographic captures? Do you want to take sports and nature photos professionally? These objectives are essential in the life of a photographer, whether amateur or professional. They are the perfect objectives for working with a multitude of photographic disciplines, such as nature photography, bird photography, sports photography, or astrophotography. Why buy a telephoto lens? Well, because they allow you to get close-ups of scenes that are far away from you without losing details! So, do not miss this comparison of the eight best telephoto lenses for Nikon that we have prepared for you with the best products of this year. Let’s start!
But which are the best? Are there only expensive telephoto lenses, or can you also find cheap solutions? After hours of research, we have come to the conclusion that at Nikon, you can find telephoto lenses for all tastes. Excellent for professionals but also for amateur photographers who have been preparing for this art for a short time.
What is a telephoto lens for?
A telephoto lens is a lens whose focal length is much higher than normal; that is, it will bring us very close to our point of interest. Although there is no specific measurement, a telephoto lens is usually considered to be a lens that covers a focal length greater than 70 mm (in its equivalence with 35 mm photography). While there are lenses that cover these focal lengths as well, we’re going to focus this time on lenses that are specifically designed to function as telephoto lenses.
The most frequent uses for a telephoto lens are:
- Photography of birds and wildlife allows us to get very close to the animals without scaring them, fully capturing them in their natural habitat.
- Sports photography: In many sports, we will not be able to be close enough to the players or athletes, so a telephoto lens will be essential if we want to capture them in a full shot or even in closer shots. The same happens with photography in car or motorcycle races.
- Photography of the moon: You will have already realized that the kit objective is not suitable for capturing the moon in all its splendor. To be able to photograph a large moon with great detail, you will need a telephoto lens; the longer the lens, the better.
- Portrait photography: Normally, in portrait photography, we try to blur the background to give our subject more prominence. A telephoto lens will help us a lot in this task and will also not distort the face of your model.
- Street photography: Although on many occasions it is preferable to use small lenses, for certain shots in street photography, a telephoto lens will come in handy. So you can capture people without your camera conditioning their reactions.
- Landscape photography: But don’t you need a lens for landscape photography? The wider the lens, the better. Yes, it’s correct. But a telephoto lens will help us capture certain parts of the landscape that are far away, such as a lonely tree, a rock in the middle of the sea, or a medieval castle on top of a mountain.
Buy the best telephoto lenses for Nikon
High-quality photos and videos depend a lot on the lenses you wear. Like any other DSLR camera accessory, price is a deciding factor. Here are our picks for the best cheap Nikon zoom lenses with high-performance features to get the most bang for your buck. Let’s see them below.
Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM (C)
Our guide to the best telephoto lenses for Nikon opens with one of the most popular zooms of the moment, the Sigma 100-400mm. It is compatible, among the various attachments, with the reflexes of the Japanese company.
The main strength of this super telephoto lies in its very strong maximum focal length. It will allow you to obtain excellent magnification even for subjects located at a considerable distance.
We can use this lens on both the FX and DX reflexes. In the latter case, it will behave like the equivalent of 150–600 mm. Precisely by virtue of its range but also its compactness, the lens finds its main field of application in photo hunting, an area in which it constitutes one of the most interesting options on the market.
However, nothing prevents you from using it for other photographic genres, such as sports photography or even landscape photography, to isolate details in the distance and play with the compression of the planes typical of long focal lengths.
Pros
- Good image quality over the (almost) entire range
- Compact and lightweight
- Competitively priced
- Programmable with USB Dock
Cons
- Slightly less bright than competition
- Bit distortion on longer zoom positions
Nikon 18-300mm
A multi-purpose lens that switches from 18 to 300mm focal length, equivalent to a 27-450mm in Full Frame format. It is one of my favorite telephoto lenses due to its vast use. With such a wide focal length, different lengths can be covered. From street photography up to collecting details from greater distances,.
The optical lenses are of excellent workmanship, with 3 ED glass lenses, which have a very low dispersion index, and 3 aspherical lenses, which guarantee a high value in the resolution and contrast of the images.
That VR symbol next to the lens name indicates vibration reduction, which is useful for minimizing imperceptible camera shake. The motor is a very quiet SWM, allowing fast and accurate autofocus.
Recommended for those who are still undecided about their photographic style or, rather, are not satisfied with shooting only at large distances but still want to be covered in every situation. One of Nikon’s best-selling lenses ever due to its versatility.
Pros
- Good sharpness in the centre, especially when stopped down
- Extreme 16.7x zoom range
- 1:3 macro magnification.
- An effective VR system
- Good build
- Relatively compact and lightweight
Cons
- Shows significant distortion.
- Some edge softness when zoomed.
- Pricey.
Tamron SP 150-600mm
The best telephoto lenses are usually very expensive. But don’t worry. There are options on the market like this, ready for all budgets that want excellent quality at a good price. This model works well, focusing on long-distance objects with great efficiency, compensating for vibration well, and allowing you to take pictures on the go. If you decide to choose it, you will have the most exceptional value for money.
Tamron’s telephoto lens includes fast focus for capturing objects that move at high speed. The level of sharpness is really good, bringing color and life to your images and the long focal length allows you to photograph wildlife, birds and other often difficult-to-capture moments We are confident that Tamron’s model is one of the best telephoto lenses you can choose.
Pros
- Great value for the price point
- Very good build quality
- Center sharpness throughout the range
- Well-damped focusing
- Very quiet operation
- Low distortion and chromatic aberration
Cons
- Image shifting when VC (IS) engages
- Focus speed decreased at longer focal lengths
- Edge sharpness falls off at 600mm on a full-frame body.
Discover more and the price here
Also, please see the best compact cameras with GPS and WiFi on the market.
Nikon AF-P 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6E
Nikon pays close attention to detail with this telephoto model, resulting in high image sharpness and focal range. Images are not distorted or discolored by distance, and you get the best balance between delicate and precise work and a high-strength device.
The telephoto lens includes several important features, including fast focus, which is useful for capturing fast-moving and slow-moving photos such as birds in flight and sports. However, one of the most appreciated features in the opinions of users is its better resistance to bad weather. Taking good pictures in difficult climates without fear of damage will now be possible with the Nikon telephoto lens.
Pros
- Fantastic construction and image quality
- Efficient image stabilization
- Beautiful bokeh
- Sharp from corner to corner, from 70 to 300mm
- Fast and accurate AF
- AF-P stepper motor is fast and quiet
Cons
- Soft edges at 70mm.
- AF-P does not work on older cameras.
- Limited light-gathering capability.
Discover more and the price here
Also, please see the best Superzoom camera models.
Tamron SP 70-200MM F/2.8 DI VC USD
It is a telephoto lens from the Tamron SP line, or “Super Performance.”. And it’s actually really good.
Its optical design features four LD and one XLD (Extra-Low-Dispersion) low-dispersion element, as well as a multi-layer anti-reflection coating. It is stabilized, with a gain of about 4 stops, and has a 9-blade diaphragm that allows for excellent bokeh. Also, it weighs about a kilogram and a half and is tropicalized.
The optical qualities are excellent, making it, in my opinion, not the best lens among those in this article but probably the best from a quality and price point of view.
Pros
- Excellent resolution through most of the range.
- Optical stabilization system.
- Bright f/2.8 aperture.
- Sturdy build quality.
- Teleconverter compatibility.
- Integrated tripod collar.
- Available for Canon and Nikon cameras.
- Affordable.
Cons
- Weak flare resistance.
- Dimmed corners.
- Sharpness drops off at 200mm.
Discover more and the price here
Nikon 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6 VR DX
It is good and covers a wide focal length up to super telephoto at 300mm. If you already have the Nikon 18-55mm lens delivered in the kit with your case, it will be perfect to offer you the best potential for your camera, provided it is recent and capable of climbing in ISOs. Indeed, f/4.5 is not bright, and you will be harmed after sunset or indoors, as well as bringing back memories of a music concert. If you are really limited in budget, for half its price, do not hesitate to buy the Nikkor 55-200mm version, which is very efficient too.
Its only weak point is the rather slow autofocus on the trigger. Were you thinking of getting the AF-S DX Nikkor 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR? Good idea, comparable quality; it is simply 10 times more expensive than the 55-200mm… In the same category, the Nikon 18-200mm lens is also out of the running since it costs roughly the same price as the Nikon 18-300.
Pros
- a decent optical performer
- Good build quality for a consumer lens
- Useful focal length range
- Good resolution
- Lightweight
Cons
- Resolution drops off fairly rapidly above 200mm
Discover more and the price here
Also, please see the best 360 cameras on the market.
Nikon 1 NIKKOR 30-110mm f/3.8-5.6 VR
This is another of the best telephoto lenses for Nikon reflex cameras. The Nikon 1 NIKKOR VR model of 30-110 mm is a compact, easy-to-carry telephoto with instant operation. It offers professional-quality image quality and multiple functions.
This device is capable of providing a focal length of 81-297 mm at an aperture of f/3.8, ideal for taking pictures of distant elements in the foreground as well as portrait images with a shallow depth of field. For its part, the STM engine offers great benefits to making videos with your Nikon 1 because it provides very silent autofocus.
It has a stabilization system that allows you to use up to 3 points less in the shutter speed without blurring the image, as well as a smooth opening mechanism ideal for unfocused backgrounds or focusing on a delicate transition for video.
Pros
- good optical performances
- compact, especially in transport mode
- integrated, effective image stabilization
Cons
- visible distortion, especially at 30 mm
- vignetting at full aperture
Discover more and the price here
Also, please see the best memory cards for 4K video recordings.
What should I keep in mind when buying a lens?
There are several factors that you should analyze before deciding to buy a new lens:
- Brightness. The brighter a lens is, the easier it will be for you to focus in low-light conditions. Also, if you don’t have a tripod, having a brighter lens allows you to take shorter exposures, reducing the possibility of shaking, something unavoidable with these focal lengths. Now you are thinking that you are going to buy the brightest, right? Well, beware; the brighter, the more expensive.
- focal range. The focal length that the lens covers is another aspect to take into account. It is very tempting to choose a telephoto lens that is “very zoomable,” because that way you get a wide focal range with a single lens. Here, you must also be very careful, because the quality declines. Some lenses work better at one focal range than another, so you might want to think about which focal length you’ll be working with most often. You should also keep in mind that if your camera is not a full sensor, in practice, the focal length will be different. You will have to count on the conversion factor. And if you have a full-format camera, my advice is not to opt for the cheapest optics; your camera deserves a lens to match it.
- Stabilizer. Especially if the subject is not very bright, a stabilizer will help you when using slower speeds, especially if you do not have a tripod, to minimize the happy judder.
Conclusion: telephoto lenses for Nikon reflex cameras
In our opinion, these are the five best Nikon telephoto lenses for you. In pursuit of these objectives, we have taken into consideration these characteristics:
- Value for money
- Focal lengths reached
- Brightness
- Opinions of those who actually use them
- General reviews
Do you agree with our choices, or do you have other favorite telephoto lenses from the big Japanese house? Leave us your favorite Nikon telephoto lenses in the comments!