What lens to get for your Nikon D7200?
Released in April 2015, the Nikon D7200 is a 24MP CMOS SLR that succeeds the Nikon D7100, with enhancements including a new Expeed 4 processor, and Wi-Fi/NFC to share photos and trigger the camera remotely using the Nikon application.
From a design point of view, it’s roughly the same thing… we have a double memory card slot, the case offers a quality of manufacture that inspires confidence, it is quite heavy and imposing, with a pleasant grip. The 8 cm screen remains the same, quite clear and precise, but not tactile or orientable. Regarding video features, we have a dedicated menu and we can shoot in 1080p at 60 frames/second (sorry, no 4K).
- 24.2 MP DX-format CMOS image sensor
- No Optical Low-Pass Filter (OLPF)
- 51 point autofocus system
Overall it’s a good camera, very responsive and rather robust, which will suit the so-called “advanced” photographers provided they are not bothered by its weight and size (675g). Compared to some hybrid devices, it is a mastodon. A more recent version, the Nikon D7500, makes a lot of changes for its part.
This article presents a selection of the best lenses compatible with the Nikon D7200, to help you find the best lens for your type of photo.
Any ideas to improve this list? Do you disagree on the choice of lenses? Please leave a comment!
Note: Product links in this article lead to Amazon.com
How to choose your lens for Nikon D7200?
Some aspects to be taken into account:
What is your budget: be careful, prices rise quickly for a quality objective and they can represent a significant budget.
What type of photo do you want to take: portrait, landscape, animals, sport…… choose a lens adapted to the right situation.
Weight and size: the more bulky a lens is, the less you will want to take it with you and therefore take pictures. The weight of each objective is therefore indicated. Combined with the Nikon D7200, this can make the camera and lens assembly very heavy!
Vibration Reduction (VR): not necessarily integrated on each lens, it corrects camera movements and thus avoids blurry pictures.
Aperture: indicated by the letter ‘f’ followed by a number: f/1.8, f/2 etc…. to make it simple, the smaller the number, the more beautiful you can take pictures when the brightness is low (and have a beautiful background blur or ‘bokeh’).
To choose a Nikon D7200 compatible lens, you can also view examples of images taken with the lens you are interested in on Flickr.com. You will be able to see the rendering of the lens you would like to get and see what type of image can be made with it.
Finally, if you buy a lens from a third party brand such as Sigma or Tamron on Amazon, be sure to select the “Nikon mount” carefully so that it is compatible with your D7200.
Summary
- Street Photography/Standard
- Portrait
- Wide angle (landscape, architecture)
- Versatile (for travelling)
- Macro
- Zoom lens
- Comparative Table
- Useful accessories & links
1. Street Photography/Standard
Nikon AF-S DX 35mm f/1.8G
Weight: 200 g
Filter size: 52 mm
If you have a very small budget to buy your first lens, the 35mm f/1.8 should interest you. It’s small, lightweight, and above all it allows you to make a superb image for a really affordable price (it is the cheapest of this selection).
The images delivered are clear, with a nice bokeh. Since it is a fixed focal length, you will have to learn to move around to frame your subject, but the difference in image quality with a lens sold in a kit is obvious. The autofocus does the job, in short it offers great performance at its price and I highly recommend it to you. It is not stabilized or tropicalized, however.
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☛ OTHER OPTION
- The Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM ART: three times more expensive but very bright and its sharpness is incredible (it’s designed for full frame cameras, so we get a 50mm on the D7200). Highly recommended.
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2. Portrait
Nikon AF-S 50mm f/1.8G
Weight: 187 g
Filter size: 58 mm
Optimized for full-frame FX sensor bodies, this 50mm f/1.8 is also compatible with APS-C/CMOS sensor cameras such as the Nikon D7200, which produces a 75mm focal length, ideal for portrait photography. Don’t worry, we won’t lose any image quality at all! It’s one of the best lenses of this selection in terms of sharpness, but also one of the lightest and cheapest.
Its f/1.8 aperture provides a very nice background blur that gives your photos a professional look. It’s very suitable in low light situations (wedding, concert…).
Whether you are an amateur photographer or a complete beginner, this 50mm f/1.8 is a must have for your Nikon D7200.
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Nikon Nikkor AF-S 85mm f/1.8G
Weight: 350 g
Filter size: 67 mm
Yet another lens optimized for FX cameras but which can be used on a DX camera. Thanks to its slightly longer focal length, it can be used for portraits but also for sports events or concerts. In short, it offers very good results in low-light situations.
It’s twice as expensive as the 50mm and it’s also twice as heavy, a point to take into account when buying… but if you decide to switch to a full size camera later, it may be a good choice.
3. Wide angle
Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM
Weight: 520 g
Filter size: 82 mm
A very good wide-angle lens that allows you to take quite spectacular pictures. Relatively compact and with a good quality of construction, its autofocus is fast and it delivers very sharp images, even if there is a little distortion visible at 10mm. The fixed aperture of f/3.5, without being exceptional, also allows you to take pictures where the brightness is not very good or where it is impossible to use a flash.
It’s also one of the cheapest wide angles for Nikon APS-C cameras and is supplied with a protective pouch and sun visor.
If you want to take pictures of landscapes, architecture or interiors, this is the lens to buy.
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Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X PRO DX II
Weight: 550 g
Filter size: 77 mm
An interesting alternative to the Sigma 10-20mm, in the same price range, with a good construction and which offers very sharp images. However, it’s a little heavier than Sigma and the distortion is visible up to 16mm (although reasonable). It is possible to fix this problem by using image editing software such as Lightroom, for example.
Its constant aperture of f/2.8 is brighter than the Sigma 10-22mm and will be more suitable in low-light situations. You can even use it to take a picture of a starry sky!
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4. Versatile
Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4 DC Macro OS HSM
Weight: 465 g
Filter size: 72 mm
One of the best all-round lenses, stabilized, with a precise and fast autofocus, silent, with an interesting amplitude. As compact as an 18-55mm lens supplied as a kit. It delivers very good image quality over the entire focal range. Its aperture is relatively fast and allows to photograph in low light conditions.
The only downside, however, is that the image quality is lower at 17mm, with low dive angles and quite noticeable distortion. The title’s Macro name is not as crazy as it sounds, but the results are correct if you want to take pictures of flowers. The minimum focusing distance is 22 cm.
☛ OTHER OPTIONS
- The Nikon 16-80mm f/2.8-4 AF-S Nikkor VR, quite expensive but with high overall performance.
- The Sigma 17-50 mm f/2.8 DC EX OS HSM, fixed aperture of f/2.8 over the entire focal range, but quite heavy (570g).
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Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S IF ED VR II
Weight: 570 g
Filter size: 72 mm
Very good choice for anyone who wants a versatile lens and quality results. Be careful, its weight is significant even if it is quite compact in size. It has a large focal length, and for this budget it is one of the best all-in-one zoom lenses. It will be suitable for those who do not want to change lenses several times during the trip (for fear of putting dust on the sensor).
It offers beautiful images, with natural colors and a correct sharpness. In low light the VR system saves the setting by reducing the risk of blurry pictures. A good price-quality ratio, which will give beautiful images.
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☛ OTHER OPTION
- The Tamron 16-300mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD MACRO (a less heavy and less expensive lens, with a bigger focal range but the autofocus is a little slow)
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5. Macro
Sigma 105mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM
Weight: 725 g
Filter size: 62 mm
The lens to get if you want to take beautiful macro photos (insects, cooking…) but also beautiful portraits. It works on both full-format and APS-C cameras, so you can keep it with you if you decide to switch to full-format. On a Nikon D7200, this Sigma 105mm f/2.8 gives a focal length equivalent to 160mm. Its minimum focusing distance is 31cm.
The constant aperture of f/2.8 allows to have a rather soft bokeh. On a big positive note, the highly effective Sigma OS stabilizer is extremely practical for the macro. Its weight, on the other hand, is quite heavy, but if you want outstanding image quality to make macro with your Nikon D7200, it’s great. It is the ideal option for macro photography.
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Nikon 40mm f/2.8 AF-S DX Micro
Weight: 235g
Filter size: 52 mm
One of the lightest lenses in this selection, at an affordable price and with a correct finish, equipped with a silent autofocus system. In addition, it’s tropicalized with a metal frame with a gasket. It is ideal for macro photography but can also be used to take portraits thanks to its 40mm focal length.
Images are very sharp even in low light thanks to the maximum light aperture of f/2.8, which also makes it possible to make beautiful background blurred images. Its minimum focus of 16.3 cm allows to capture complex details on flowers, jewellery or insects but unfortunately it does not have integrated stabilization.
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☛ OTHER OPTIONS
- The Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G (expensive, heavy – 750g – but tropicalized and superb image quality)
- The Nikon Micro 85mm f/3.5G ED VR II (Heavier, more expensive and less bright than the 40mm but has VR vibration reduction and offers very sharp images)
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6. Zoom lenses
Nikon AF-S DX 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6 ED VR G
Weight: 580 g
Filter size: 58 mm
A very practical lens to have in addition to a standard lens: it allows you to zoom up to 300mm to get as close as possible to the subject of the photo but it is also suitable for portrait photography. Stabilized and silent, it’s a very good zoom for beginners who would like to take distant shots (animals, sports…).
Beware of Sigma and Tamron zooms sold at low prices, most of them do not have a vibration reduction system! This is an important point to take into account to avoid missing every other photo, so choose Nikon directly if you want to avoid disappointments!
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Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Contemporary
Weight: 1930 g
Filter size: 95 mm
An ideal super zoom for nature or sports photographers, who have received numerous praise in the specialized press and on the web: for just under 1000€ it offers excellent image quality with an impressive level of detail. Its construction quality is top-notch, the autofocus very precise and its OS optical stabilization works flawlessly.
A few negative things to note: its weight (nearly 2 kg), and the aperture that requires to climb in ISOs. There is also some vignetting on all focal ranges. But these are the few compromises to make to enjoy a super telephoto lens that will not scare the animals! In short, this Sigma 150-600mm is an excellent choice for animal photography.
An optional USB dock is available for updates and to set up autofocus and other settings.
There is a ‘sport‘ version, tropicalized and more solid but much heavier than the contemporary version (1kg more). Otherwise, the image quality is the same.
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☛ OTHER OPTIONS
- The Tamron 150-600 mm f/5.0-6.3 SP DI VC USD G2 offers similar performance to the Sigma 150-600mm, perhaps a little better from 500mm.
- The Nikon AF-S DX 55-200mm f/4-5.6, very light and sold at a very fair price.
- The Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G AF- S NIKKOR ED VR II, extremely high price but superb image quality.
- The Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6 AF-S NIKKOR E ED VR, more affordable, with a crazy focal range and a super sharpness.
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7. COMPARATIVE TABLE
All of the Nikon D7200 compatible lenses mentioned above are included in this comparison chart to help you choose the right equipment. You will be able to compare them according to their price, the weight and the utility of each one to choose which will suit your budget and your style of photo.
Note: the links lead to Amazon.com
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8. USEFUL ACCESSORIES & LINKS
A small selection of useful accessories to have in addition to your lenses and your Nikon D7200:
Useful links
- The best lenses for for D7200 on Nikon USA
- The best lenses for Nikon D7500
- The best Nikon DX lenses to buy