Best Lenses For Nikon D5200

In this article, we have reviewed the 10 best lenses for Nikon D5200 in the market including portrait, telephoto, wide-angle, and zoom lenses along with a comparison table and a detailed buyer’s guide to help you choose the best lens for your Nikon D5200.

Photography is one of the most popular hobbies for individuals of all ages around the world. Whether you are going to school or you run your own business, nothing will ever stop you from clicking a picture of a beautiful moment.

However, there are also some people who take photography very seriously and pursue it as a professional career as well. Whether you want to do photography only for the sake of a hobby or you want to build a career around it, you will need a good camera to click good pictures.

With so many DSLRs available in the market in today’s time, you will have no difficulty in choosing a camera.

When it comes to DSLRs, Nikon is a big name in the industry. With millions of users around the world, it is without any doubt that Nikon has some of the best camera products currently. Among all the different kinds of cameras that the brand has released over the last few years, the Nikon D5200 has gained some very serious popularity.

This camera comes with stunning features and brilliant specifications that help you to take your photography to a whole new level.

So today we will be discussing some good quality lenses that you can use with the Nikon D5200 and click amazing pictures. As there are different kinds of lenses that are available in the market, you might get confused in choosing the right one. So we have handpicked the best lenses for Nikon D5200 that promise good service.

10 Best Lenses for Nikon D5200 in 2023: 

In this segment, we are going to talk about the top 10 lenses that you can purchase for Nikon D5200. Lenses are of different kinds – portrait, telephoto, wide-angle, etc. So you need to understand which one is suitable for your needs.

We have tried and tested all these lenses and only after careful observation, we have placed them on this list so that you can purchase them without any hassles.

Without further delay, let us dive in.

Best Portrait Lenses for the Nikon D5200

1. Nikon AF-S DX 35mm f/1.8G Lens

Enhanced for DX-design cameras, the minimized, lightweight AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G helps you to click more reliable and dazzling pictures that you will be anticipating from a prime focal lens. It has a quick f/1.8 aperture that is absolutely ideal for low-light shooting and provides soft and sharp blurred backgrounds.

The maximum aperture also helps to isolate the subject completely and provides a stunning depth of field while clicking pictures. This portrait lens with its exemplary ‘normal’ point of view (approximating what we see with our eyes) makes it an extraordinary all-around portrait lens.

The AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G has an optical design that provides really good portrait imagery. The dimensions of this lens are ideal for discrete pictures and landscape shooting with a picture angle that is able to approximate close to that of the human eye.

With the rounded seven-blade diaphragm opening integrated into the lens, most of the out-of-focus elements appear more natural when compared with pictures clicked on other lenses.

The autofocusing system is fast and accurate which allows you to track your subject conveniently. The Aspherical lens element minimizes helps to reduce the several aberrations that can bring down the quality of the image you click with this lens.

It is undoubtedly one of the best lenses for the Nikon D5200 in the portrait category. We saw that the images are really clear and have a nice balance between the brightness and contrast levels which provides an appealing look to the pictures that you click.

The exclusive Nikon Silent Wave Motor (SWM) enables fast, accurate, and quiet autofocus which can also track moving objects in the most suitable manner.

2. Nikon AF S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G Lens

Available at a price of around $500, the Nikon AF S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G is one of the best lenses for the Nikon D5200 if you are serious about portrait photography and clicking close-range images.

The quick and very smooth aperture of f/1.8 performs splendidly under any lighting conditions and conveys excellent natural blurred backgrounds that help draws out the best in any subject. Due to such an impressive depth of field because of the f/1.8G, the portrait shots that you take are crisp and clear without any kind of soft edges or vignetting.

Weighing only 350 grams this Nikon lens is absolutely lightweight, thus allowing you to carry it wherever you would want to go.

The Nikon Internal Focusing (IF) System with autofocus controlled by Silent Wave Motor and a separate focus ring for manual focus, provides an exemplary performance that has an all-round impact on any picture that you are going to click with this.

The Nikon AF S Nikkor 85mm F/1.8G provides transcendental true-to-life color in most of the images you capture. The seven-blade diaphragm and the 85mm lens are two of the most important reasons why the lens performs so well.

It gives fantastic color accuracy and brightness levels that give a strong overpowering feel to the image. The low light performance of this lens is not the best that we have seen in the past few years, but it is also not that bad, considering the produced images that are much less grainy.

The aspherical lens element helps to reduce the amount of coma and ghosting, which never fails to deliver images free from any external interference.

Best Telephoto Lenses for the Nikon D5200

3. Nikon 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G ED VR AF-S Lens

If you want to capture some mesmerizing street photographs and also not comprise on the zoom levels, then the Nikon 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G is the best option you can choose. The lens promises to deliver some excellent shots when you are out-clicking pictures on the street.

The device is one of the best lenses for street photography. It comes with a compact body and in spite of the elongated looks, the camera does not have too much weight. The framing and vignetting are good and crisp.

You get blur-free and extraordinarily sharp images even in the low light conditions and all the credit goes to this amazing VR Technology.

The autofocusing system is fast and accurate which allows you to track your subject conveniently. Even in hand-held condition, you can get an amazing Telephoto range. The AF-S Technology has a brilliant reason why professional photographers use this lens and it is because of the Silent Wave Motor (SWM) that allows the waves to travel in rotational energy to put the focus on the optics.

The high-speed autofocusing is accurate and also very super quiet. The Nikon’s in-house Vibration Reduction System allows you to capture amazing photographs even when you stretch the lens to its maximum zoom.

This is a brilliant integration that will help all photographers, especially beginners to stabilize their frames and click beautiful images.

Nikon has integrated the new VR technology that enables users to shoot pictures at ultra-low shutter speeds without any blurred phenomena.

Undoubtedly, with so many amazing features, the Nikon 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G ED VR AF-S is one of the best lenses for the Nikon D5200 if you want to do street photography or need a telephoto vision.

4. Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 Macro OS Lens

The Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 Macro OS is one of the best lenses for the Nikon D5200 available on the market. This 18-250mm focal length lens is easily compatible with several DSLRs and the D5200 is one of them.

The lens comes with an excellent Micromotor-type AF motor which provides both automatic and full-time manual focusing. The Image Stabilization integration in the lens allows the users to get more stable and clear pictures without too many hassles.

If you are worried about the flaring and ghosting in the images, then the Super Multi-Layer Coating allows the lens to reduce the flare by significant margins.

So the brightness and contrast levels of the pictures are much more enhanced and balanced than ever. The Thermally Stable Composite (TSC) prevents the lens body to contract in varying temperatures. Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) provides a really quick auto-focusing performance which is fast and quiet.

Sigma has ensured that the 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 Macro OS will serve your needs perfectly in the long run by including a brass-made bayonet applied to the surface of the DSLR for reinforcing the strength and long-term usage. The build quality is one of the best that we have seen in the past few years in the lens market.

Image distortion has been reduced to a serious extent and from now you will be able to capture soothingly balanced images. Therefore, if you are looking for an all-rounder lens for Nikon D5200, this can be one of the best options for you.

5. Sigma 150-600mm 5-6.3 Contemporary DG Lens

This 150-600mm Sigma Contemporary boasts a refreshed Sigma innovation. For example, the calm and streamlined Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) and another Optical Stabilizer (OS) with an accelerometer for improved panning photography both vertically and on a level plane, which is fundamental for birding, natural life, and engine photography.

So users are going to experience much better image quality and get much higher convenience while clicking pictures. The Sigma 150-600 Contemporary likewise comes with another zoom lock switch that can be bolted at any central length and another Manual Operation (MO) switch is also integrated for improved centering control.

Working with the Sigma USB dock, this focal point takes into consideration the greatest customization, for instance, the firmware updates and adjustments to the focus limiter, AF speed, and Operating system view. In spite of the big size and bulky finish, the lens is not very heavy. Low light performance is quite decent but not the best we have seen so far.

But you can make do with it. It is easier to carry and use when compared to other telephoto lenses in the segment. The body has been well constructed with a solid and sturdy design that does not creak or make funny sounds. The handle allows you to hold the lens comfortably when you are not using it.

So it is best for those who would want to keep changing between lenses while clicking images.

Best Wide Angle lenses for Nikon D5200

6. Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM Lens

Sigma is one of the top manufacturers of lenses for various other DSLR brands like Nikon. This is Sigma’s other brilliant entry into our list of the best lenses for Nikon D5200 and the product we are going to talk about is Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6.

This Sigma lens makes way for some of the most spectacular Wide Angle images which we have tested in recent times. It is affordable and even beginners can choose to buy it if they want to improve their performance in clicking wide-angle images. The lens has been priced at less than $300 and that is fantastic.

This is one of the widest lenses available for the Nikon D5200. The lens has the standard black matte finish which looks subtle. The lens also has rubber ribbed areas for a more comfortable grip and prevents slip. Sigma has claimed that the lens elements have been integrated with three SLDs and three other aspherical elements.

The zoom control of this lens is pretty nice and we did not have much problem with constantly revolving the lens. This lens is ideal for landscape photography, building interiors, group, and party pictures and so much more. The focal lengths of this lens have been long lined up as 10mm, 12mm, 14mm, 17mm, and 20mm.

Since there is pretty much enough room between the focal lengths you will be able to shoot images of different scenes using the same length comfortably.

We noticed that the Auto-Focusing system on this lens is quite tricky to master and you need to be really careful. The low-light images produced by this lens are good but not extraordinary. The flaring is quite a problem to think about because at all focal lengths, too much flare is ghosting the subject and you will get some pretty rough shots.

Lens bokeh is nice and pretty decent without any soft edges.

This lens is perfect for taking photographs with balanced lighting conditions but too much exposure can really provide you with some unpleasant pictures.

7. Sigma 20mm f/1.4 Art Wide Angle Lens

The Sigma 20mm F1.4 DG HSM Art lens has been manufactured to provide photographers with an excellent wide-angle experience at a more or less reasonable price tag. There is absolutely no competition for this lens in this price segment and it is one of the most impressive lenses on this list.

When you get the opportunity to shoot wide at f/1.4, you will undoubtedly get phenomenal images and low-light images. The Sigma 20mm f/1.4 Art comes with “F” Low Dispersion (FLD) glass and five Special Low Dispersion (SLD) glass that has been divided into a design of 15 elements in 11 groups.

The Sigma 20mm F1.4 DG HSM Art wide-angle provides splendid general execution and excellent value to the clients, one ought to get amazing pictures without a doubt. The hues are punchy, the shading interpretation is amazing and there are large amounts of sharpness that you can discover in the photos.

Indeed, even in low lighting conditions, we watched a fine sharpness in the pictures without excessively foggy or out-of-center pictures. Due to the combination of sophisticated optics and improved lens power, the spherical aberration and axial chromatic aberration is reduced to a significant extent.

Images are clear and free of any external interference. Clicking high-quality images in low-light conditions is never this smooth and impressive. The 20mm lens is a refreshing addition to your product bag when you visit anywhere. It helps to cover and bring many more objects and life into your images without much distortion.

The focus and tracking of objects are quick and there is no delay in the overall performance. If you ask us, we believe it is one of the best lenses for Nikon D5200 that has ever been made till now.

8. Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X116 Pro DX Lens

The Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X is the best ultrawide zoom accessible for Nikon DX cameras, superior to even Nikon’s very costly 12-24mm AF-S DX. If you are ever going to need an ultrawide zoom for your Nikon D5200 DSLR, this is my top recommendation available anywhere between $400 – $475.

This Tokina 11-16mm is one of the world’s quickest and most honed ultrawide focal lenses for different kinds of advanced cameras Considering its deal cost of under $500, it is the world’s best ultrawide lens for computerized SLRs. It is very well built with a superior finish and a solid framework that makes it absolutely rigid.

You may very easily switch between the auto and manual focus simply by pushing the focus ring forward or even back. The lens has been integrated with Super-low Dispersion glass, the same as Nikon’s ED and Canon’s UD. We were really impressed with the Internal Focusing system that has been provided.

Once you have focused perfectly on your subject, nothing seems to move on the outside as you focus. Tokina has done a fantastic job by providing a good amount of reflective coating which does not allow the lens to be affected with too much abrasion or ghosting.

The lens is able to capture all the edges of a wide-angle photo really well, thus providing a mesmerizing visual sense. If you want a wide-angle lens that is quick, robust, and easy to afford, then the Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X116 Pro DX is one of the best in the market.

Best Zoom Lenses for the Nikon D5200

9. Nikon Nkr 18-200mm F/3.5-5.6G ED VR II Lens

The DX Nkr 18-200mm F/3.5-5.6G ED VR II is one of the top category lenses that are available for the Nikon D5200. The lens provides much better performance than most other lenses on the market.

The Extra-Low Dispersion Glass is a brand new optical glass developed by Nikon, which provides much better quality to capture an optimum correction of the camera’s chromatic aberrations. The AS of the lens stands for the Aspherical lens elements.

This element helps to eliminate the different chromatic aberrations which can distort the images.

This lens uses the non-spherical surfaces of the glass to do so. We are delighted to see that Nikon has integrated the brand new Vibration Reduction Technology which helps to provide more stable images. When we tested the lens on the Nikon D5200 we found pretty decent images in low lighting but when the conditions are right.

The Silent Wave Motor represents the advancement of lens technology that Nikon was able to achieve. It makes way for sharper and clear images every time you press that shutter. It takes virtually a fraction of a second to change from fully automatic to full manual control of the lens.

Therefore we experienced hassle-free control of the camera without any issues. It is most suited for portraits and landscapes. So if you are looking for a reliable and all-rounder lens for both close-up and zoom shots, this is one of the best lenses for the Nikon D5200.

10. Tamron Auto Focus 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 Di Lens

The Tamron 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di LD Macro 1:2 AF Lens is the best for handheld shooting with full-frame and APS-C format SLRs. In spite of being a full-zoom lens, the product is not too heavy, thus making it much more convenient to use.

Its unsurpassed close-focusing ability makes it perfect for nature and portrait photography. Picture takers eager to bring distant sports or wildlife subjects closer, as well as bringing tiny, close-range subjects into clear focus will appreciate the standout macro function, available at focal lengths between 180 and 300mm, with a maximum magnification ratio of 1:2.

Low dispersion (LD) glass elements in a lens help reduce chromatic aberration; the tendency of light of different colors to come to different points of focus at the image plane. The overall chromatic aberration is significantly reduced, which helps to maintain high-quality sharpness and efficiency in each and every image that you capture.

The tonality of the images was sharp and very much on the brighter side. The colors are sharp and vivid with excellent accuracy between the low and high tones. The pictures had an appealing feel which was due to the excellent blurry background which was able to portray the subject and add more depth to the images in a much more efficient manner.

There is also an incredible macro mode for photographing small objects up close giving a magnification ratio of 1:2. So whether you want to capture subjects very close or at a distance from you, this lens is going to help in all situations.

We were delighted to know that the Tamron Auto Focus 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 Di lens comes with a 6-year manufacturing warranty.

So here are the top 10 best lenses for Nikon D5200 which you can on buy unhesitatingly in 2019 for capturing the best photographs easily.

Make sure to check all the lenses that we have mentioned from different categories and choose the one which suits your style of photography and preferences in the best possible manner.

All these lenses are extensively tested which allows you to purchase them without any worries. Let us know which one you liked the most.