Best Lenses for Nikon D7000

In this article, the 9 best lenses for Nikon D7000 have been discussed along with their user guide, key features, and drawbacks. You can pick the one according to your needs and go along the guidelines before you consider buying.

If you ask one most important thing that a camera must be capable of doing to any photographer, his/her answer will be a syncing of the camera with the subject in front of them. It is a basic anomaly that the camera should be able to adjust its properties as per the subject that a photographer is going to shoot and this is actually the section where most of the problems arrive.

While most of the cameras are proficient in getting every glimpse of an image for which they are specialized, it is not easy to capture different subjects in different scenarios, that too by maintaining the same quality of production by a single camera.

That’s why the thing that we call versatility holds a lot of importance and in this day and age, if your camera isn’t versatile, you will fall behind others.

Nikon D7000 is set out to fulfill this requirement of photographers by offering commendable versatility in the camera. For photographers, to excel in multiple types of photography is considered an elite level and that’s the reason why this particular camera is loved by professionals a lot.

But that doesn’t mean that it isn’t any help for beginners. It is easy to use and its accessibility isn’t that complex. Once you are acquainted with it, you can do wonders. So even if you are a novice, there isn’t anything that can stop you from doing different types of photography.

Now that we’ve seen its overview, let’s put a little light on its features. The variability of settings in this is astonishing and just what a photographer would desire.

Customizing various parameters to enhance the quality of images is at your fingertips and when you’ve used the camera for enough time, you will be easily able to differentiate between the aspects that cause the image to raise its standard or make the image fumble.

Courtesy of its resolution display, you can achieve the desired crop of an image; let it be small scale photography like macro photography or large scale photography like landscape photography or architectural photography.

The only thing you have to do is get the best lens for the required type of photography for Nikon D7000 and you are good to go.

So these are some of the lenses that can provide adequate support to your photography experience.

9 Best lenses for Nikon D7000 you can buy

1. Tamron SP 15-30mm f/2.8 Di VC USD Wide-Angle Lens – Best for Landscape Photography

This full-frame lens is among the super performance lenses by Tamron. Many photographers were really excited when it was announced that this lens was releasing and upon releasing it surpassed the expectations of many by establishing a reputation that can’t be shattered in years to come in the field of photography.

The build quality of this lens is pretty solid. Actually, if you compare it to some other previous models of Tamron, you will find miles of difference in the exterior and that’s where this lens knocks out others.

Though the body is fully made of plastic that doesn’t take away the fact that it is strong and sturdy and contributing factor to its strength is its weight. Some people might not like the weight of the lens because of its lot more than modern-day lenses.

Also, the lens is bulky so there is that con. But to compensate for that, the lens gives an excellent amount of robustness which any photographer would usually desire.

Moreover, for resistance over water or dust particles, a fluorescent layer of coating is applied to the frontal element that repels these particles that may cause damage to the lens. So you get the freedom of using the lens in various circumstances.

The autofocus in this is pretty good, in fact, it is one of the best by lenses so you aren’t going to be disappointed in this section. It is quick, accurate, and does its job pretty well in different conditions. Tamron has done a great job in autofocus and it is never going to hold you back in getting the best of the zoomed images.

There are two switches over the barrel for switching between autofocus and manual focus. Even during autofocusing, you can override manual focus at any point so there are no issues there.

Opposite to the image stabilizer of Canon, Tamron has introduced its own vibration compensation technology which extensively eliminates the shakes. The vibration compensation in this is somehow greater than that of Canon and adding the wide aperture of 2.8 and you get a glorious combination that boasts of supremacy.

It’s not necessarily required in wide-angle lens to possess vibration compensation technology but this turns out to be pretty useful when you are doing handheld photography, this completely eliminates the need for tripods.

2. Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G Prime Lens – Best for Macro Photography

Popularly known as a “Nifty-Fifty” this 50mm lens by Nikon is everything a portrait photographer could ask for. If you are a kind of a photographer who’s just started doing photography or want to upgrade to the next level then this lens right here is a perfect choice because it can fulfill most of the requirements of a beginner.

Most people just switch their cameras in order to get elevated quality images but with this lens, you won’t have to buy a new camera since it will provide a perfect platform for you to hone your photography skills.

Also one of the reasons why you should choose this lens if you are just starting is that it is one of the cheapest lenses in the market at the moment that is user friendly as well as encompasses some smart features.

As this is a prime lens, the focal length is fixed which is 50mm. So there isn’t any versatility like you get in zoom lens or wide-angle lens. But even after that, it allows you to get some nice portrait shots that can’t be taken by using any other type of lens.

Courtesy of its f/1.8 aperture, you can get some amazing shots even in low light conditions without any degradation in the quality so there is a good scope of night photography in this lens.

The distribution of weight in the lens is handled pretty well. It isn’t exactly light nor is it heavy. There is just the right amount of balance within it which makes the lens a great asset to carry around. Though the lens is basically plastic it doesn’t feel cheap.

Just upon touching it, you can derive the premium feeling out of it. For the price at which the lens is available, it is really well built. The lens contains various aspherical elements that are useful to eliminate aberrations, some flair, and coma.

The trademark silent wave motor is used in this which provides good support to the autofocus by making it accurate and precise, in addition, it is faster in operation so the quality of images that you get become optically enhanced.

3. Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G Prime Lens – Best for Macro Photography

Another prime lens in our list of best lenses for Nikon D7000 is Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G Lens. Just like the previous lens, this one right here could be a perfect choice for beginners because of its ease of access as well as its price point.

Around 200 USD isn’t really much of a price if you have just started out doing photography. This lens was intended to be a light and fast lens back when it was released in 2009 and it has lived up to the expectations of photographers by providing quality shots of portraits.

Just like most of the prime lenses, the material of this lens is plastic but there is a quality in it. No way will you feel cheapness in quality when you touch the exterior of the lens. It’s also really compact and can be wrapped even in your palms. Also aligning the lens with the camera is pretty easy.

Both autofocus and manual focus switches are available over the barrel but you can always do manual overriding while.

The focus ring is fitted perfectly and it is made out of rubber. There are grooves over it for gripping and there isn’t any loose contact between it and lens’ body. There is a metal lens mount over the lens which is quite unlike for prime lens.

Compared to plastic mounts that most low-end lenses employ these days, the metal mount provides longer durability by protecting the lens.

The focal length of 35mm is fixed which means that there isn’t any freedom of zooming the lens so you have to move in order to capture the image of your subject.

But the aperture of f/1.8 compensates for this uncertainty. Compared to kit lenses this aperture of f/1.8 allows more light to be gathered in and hence lens can be effectively used even in the low light situations.

4. Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 Pro DX-II Wide-Angle Zoom Lens – Best for Sports and Architectural Photography

Now that if you are done with portrait shots it’s time to get more creative and try out different stuff. To do that this zoom lens of Tokina could be just what you should be using. As this is not a prime lens, it isn’t going to be a cheap one.

It has a relatively higher price and the aesthetics of this are pretty good as well. Though, if we keep its price in mind, the look of the lens isn’t really that astounding. They could’ve improved the build quality of the lens to some extent but nevertheless its performance outshines the look of the lens.

A basic idea when getting a wide-angle zoom lens is selecting the most suitable focal length. The focal length in this Tokina lens is just perfect and offers a pretty wide angle of view.

For a photography genre like landscape photography where wide angles are required, this proves to be a pretty helpful factor but in general photography, this isn’t desirable. The composition of images that you obtain with this super wide-angle lens is amazing and this results in making your whole photography a fun experience.

The thing you have to keep in mind is that you have to keep the subject as close as possible if you want it to appear standout. That’s why landscape photographers love this amazing prospect by Tokina. This lens is also very useful in architectural and automobile photography.

One thing that most of the wide-angle lenses lack is higher aperture but this lens doesn’t face that problem. It has a maximum aperture of f/2.8 which is more than enough for it to work under low light conditions. In fact, it is equivalent to some of the prime lenses.

The sharpness in the center of the images that you get from the lens is pretty good and at corners, it is soft which is quite unlike any wide-angle lens but it doesn’t cause any degradation in the image. Try using the lens around the focal length of 11mm because at 16mm maintaining the quality of images becomes a really difficult task.

5. Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR Telephoto Zoom Lens – Best for Event Photography 

Capturing images of the distant subjects is an art in itself and to achieve the quality of such images, one requires a good telephoto lens. Since Nikon D7000 is such a versatile camera that it can perform photography where objects are father, there should be a lens capable of supporting it with some extravagant features.

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G is the lens that is capable of fully syncing with Nikon D7000 and can help you capture the best of the shots whether it is family events or vacations.

The build quality of the lens is top-notch and there aren’t any cut corners in its design. It is made out of hard plastic so the weight of the lens is pretty light despite being larger in size. Though, for a telephoto lens, it isn’t that big. There is a plastic mount over it which offers nice protection to the lens.

A rubber gasket is also employed within it for extended protection. This gasket is very useful as it prevents water and dust particles to enter into the lens but don’t keep it out for too much time because it isn’t that reliable.

A filter of 58mm also comes up with the lens which prevents the ultraviolet rays to cause damage to the lens elements. Though, it is recommended not to use the filter when you are capturing images at different focus ranges because it can result in tilting of the image.

The autofocus in this is accurate but it is a bit slow compared to some similar models. Moreover, it makes some louder noise, which is really undesirable. But apart from that silent wave motor in this does the job of carrying out the focusing smoothly and hence you get quality images.

There is also vibration reduction technology within it which eliminates most of the shakes that you might encounter during handheld photography. Also, ED and HRI elements bring out the best characteristics from the image and enhance their quality.

6. Nikon AF-S VR Micro-NIKKOR 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED Portrait Lens – Best for Macro Photography

After portrait photography and wide-angle photography comes the most difficult type of photography which is macro photography. There are very few people who take a step to master this particular shtick of photography and the reason is that it is very difficult to master.

In order to master this art of photography efficiently, you need a trustworthy lens, and Nikon AF-S VR Micro-NIKKOR 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED Lens ticks all the boxes in becoming that worthy lens.

This lens right here was the very first to use image stabilization technology in Nikon’s series of macro lenses and that was the reason it claimed such huge popularity upon its release because when it comes to macro photography, some provision is required that can make up for the disturbances.

Also, it is required for a photographer to get as close as possible to the subject hence it eliminates any chance of using a tripod so as a result there isn’t any option but to perform handheld photography.

The lens is very expensive that’s why it is not recommended for beginners to purchase this lens and its features are somewhat complex as well. It is quite heavy and bulky too which isn’t really something that a portrait lens is known for.

Carrying it around with you can become a big nuisance because it certainly isn’t pocket size lens. But even after that, this lens is probably the best lens for macro photography as far as the performance is concerned.

In total there are 14 elements in the lens which includes nano-coating as well. The effects of ghost and flare are reduced to a great extent due to this supreme coating. The maximum aperture of f/2.8 works pretty well under the low light condition and the autofocus works pretty fast as well.

There is also the employment of an internal focusing system which helps in capturing images of moving subjects without causing any distortion in the images.

If you observe, there isn’t any difference in the quality of images of a still subject and moving subject which is rare to come across these days. The silent wave motor is extremely silent in operation so there isn’t any possibility of life forms that may go away due to sound.

Overall this is a top tier macro lens and if you really want to dig into the world of macro photography, you should get your hands on this lens as soon as possible.

7. Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G Portrait Lens – Best for Portrait Photography

Another portrait lens in this list by Nikon is NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G. 85mm in this indicates it has a fixed focal length of 85mm and f/1.8 indicates that its maximum aperture is f/1.8. This is the lens that was made for professionals and upon its release, it proved its worth.

Many pros of portrait photography have cited this as one of the best lenses they had worked with and since then it is only booming. So what exactly makes this lens such a wonderful prospect? Let’s find out.

As you can see this is an upgraded version of the 85mm f/1.8D model and a lot of improvements have been made in this version. For starters, 9 elements are there in lens compared to that of 6 of the previous model.

The increase in optical elements has considerably increased the optical performance of the lens and hence as a result the quality of images is largely enhanced. The elements are grouped in such a way that it propels the level of photography when it comes to portrait photography but the same can’t be said for different genres of photography.

The lens comes up with a plastic exterior that is quite rigid and metal mount for the protection of the lens. The build quality of the lens is actually nice and its lesser in weight compared to its previous variant so it becomes easy to carry it around.

To protect the lens against dust and water droplets, a rubber gasket is provisioned but it isn’t that effective. Focusing can be done both manually as well as automatically. The focus ring is just attached at the barrel so it is easy to focus while manual focusing. Autofocus is on point but its slower speed might not be liked by everyone.

So overall, the lens is great if you want to elevate the level of your photography and its price is also reasonable so it isn’t really a bad deal.

8. Sigma 150-600mm 5-6.3 DG OS HSM Telephoto Lens – Best for Wildlife Photography

If you are into wildlife photography then you are going to love this astonishing prospect by Sigma.

When it comes to wildlife photography one expects the lens to be shorter and lighter in weight because wildlife photography is kind of a dynamic genre of photography but telephoto lenses have the problem that they must be larger in size and heavier as well.

This Sigma lens has done a tremendous job of not only reducing the size of the lens but also making it relatively lighter, hence changing the entire perspective of how a telephoto lens should be made.

In this lens, there are 20 elements and 9 diaphragm blades. With these many elements, you get a lot of options on your plate and since the focal length ranges from 150mm to 600mm, it opens a door for lots of opportunities for you.

Apart from wildlife photography, lenses can be extensively used for other types of photography where telephoto zoom is required.

The autofocus in this lens is on par with any top tier telephoto lens out there. Courtesy of hypersonic motor used in this, the autofocus does its job faster and accurately. It is also quite smooth in operation so there isn’t an issue of autofocus locking.

Also since Nikon D7000 is lower-end DX, there won’t be any problem in using this autofocus to its full potential. It is ideal to keep the focal length between the extreme values to get optimum results, but it doesn’t mean that the lens won’t perform on other focal lengths.

9. Tamron SP 24-70mm Di VC USD Zoom Lens – Best for Portrait and Landscape Photography

The very first zoom lens to make use of image stabilization, Tamron SP 24-70mm Di VC USD is one of the best zoom lenses that you can attach to your Nikon D7000 camera.

This prospect by Tamron offers huge versatility and can work for pretty much any type of photography, let it be static photography or dynamic photography. Even so, you can effectively use the lens for low light photography which is quite unlike for a zoom lens.

In total there are 17 elements within the lens which are grouped into 12 groups. Some of them are LD glass elements and aspherical elements. The lens is made to suit a full-frame camera, that’s why it will work more efficiently for Nikon D7000 camera.

It comes with an 82mm filter which does the job of minimizing flare and reflections.

The feel of the lens is just like a premium, even though it is made out of plastic. The material of this plastic isn’t cheap either so you can expect the lens to last much longer than similar zoom lenses. Also since this is plastic, the weight of a lens automatically becomes lesser.

As a trademark of Tamron, this lens features Ultrasonic Silent Drive motor which is known for producing lesser sound compared to silent wave motors used in Nikon lenses. Moreover, it is fast, accurate, and precise. Compared to some similar zoom lenses of Nikon, this lens’ autofocus is better.

Also, since this was the first lens to equip image stabilization technology, vibration reduction in this isn’t that great compared to modern compensation technologies but it minimizes the effects of shake to the extent which is enough to stabilize the image.

Conclusion

So these are some of the lenses that you can mount on your Nikon D7000 camera. If you ask me I’d recommend getting Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G Lens because of its extended features.