Over the past several years, Nikon has maintained a formidable reputation in the world of interchangeable lenses and camera systems. The Nikkor line in particular remains a firm favorite of photographers around the world. This begs the question – what are the best Nikon lenses for landscapes?
There’s a mountain of choice out there when it comes to the lens you choose for your camera. While this is far from a bad thing, it can make choosing a new accessory a bit overwhelming. That’s where we come in.
This page contains our top picks for the best Nikon lenses available in 2021. We also touch on what to look out for when picking a landscape photography lens and how to make sure a specific product will fit with your setup.
Ready to become a Nikon lens pro? Great – let’s get started.
Nikon Mount Types
When shopping for any new lens, it’s important to make sure it will be compatible with your camera. The last thing you want to do is splash out hundreds on a shiny new product only to realize that it won’t play nicely with your gear.
We outline the most common Nikon mounting types below to help you stay savvy when shopping.
F-Mounts
If you’re using a Nikon DSLR or more traditional film camera, this is likely the mount you’ll be using. The bayonet-style system was first introduced by Nikon in 1958 and remains one of their most common mounts for DSLR lenses.
If you’re unsure which lenses will use this system, check out Nikon’s helpful guide here.
Z-Mounts
First introduced in 2018, the Z-mount system is compatible with more modern mirrorless lenses. If your camera is a more recent mirrorless Nikon product, this is almost certainly the system to look for.
Amazon ConfirmedFit
Most of our lens recommendations on this page provide links to affordable Amazon listings for your convenience. For added peace of mind, make sure you use the handy ConfirmedFit feature to verify that a given lens will work with your gear.
It can be found at the top of most listings and can save you a ton of time with unnecessary returns.
Best Nikon Lenses for Landscapes
The selection below contains some of our favorite Nikon landscape lenses. We’ve covered a broad range of potential use cases and budgets so there’s something for almost everyone here.
If you’re unsure what you should be looking out for with this kind of lens, be sure to check out our buyer’s guide further down this page.
How We’ve Picked This List
Photography Focus is dedicated to providing product reviews and comparisons that are genuinely helpful. We’ve assessed the following when making these recommendations:
- Landscape lens suitability and performance
- Online reception, reviews, and comparisons
- Price
- Reliability
- Durability
- Compatibility
If it’s on this page, we truly believe it’s worth your time.
Nikon AF-S FX Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8
At the top of the list is this stunning zoom lens. With a focal length range of 24-70mm, you’ll have plenty of ‘wiggle room’ to adjust your setup when taking landscape photos. Overall, this thing delivers exceptional levels of optical performance for the price.
It should serve you very well for landscape photography. One thing in particular that stands out to us is its impressive low-light performance. Even when shooting outdoors later in the day, your images should still look great.
Something that can let lenses like this down, especially when it comes to landscape shots, is edge-to-edge sharpness. Fortunately, Nikon has done a great job of tackling this issue with this lens. Your photos will be razor-sharp throughout every single pixel, even in low light.
In our opinion, this lens offers a fantastic blend of performance, versatility, and affordability. It gets a huge thumbs up from us.
Pros:
- Very versatile for landscape photography
- Excellent sharpness
- Great low-light results
- Nice zoom range
Cons:
- Not ideal for those on a budget
Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 ED VR II AF-S Nikkor Zoom Lens
If your landscape photography work captures dynamic subjects like wildlife or sports, then this Nikkor lens is definitely worth considering. It offers a zoom range of 70-200mm and impressive optical performance across a broad spectrum of lighting conditions.
Nikon’s anti-aberration and distortion technologies are in full force with this lens. A combination of high-performance coatings and a great optical design means that your photos will deliver the results you need far more consistently.
This landscape lens can handle practically anything that you throw at it. Its autofocus performance deserves special praise too. It’s super quick, surprisingly versatile, and operates very quietly for when you’re at sporting events or capturing skittish wildlife.
While it might not be the cheapest Nikon lens around, it’s definitely one of our favorites for landscape photography.
Pros:
- Great for moving landscape subjects
- Superior anti-aberration design
- Super speedy autofocus
- Killer dynamic range
Cons:
- Not the best for super close-up shots
Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 10-24mm f/3.5 Zoom Lens
Right off the bat, the super wide angle of this lens means it takes fantastic landscape photos. You’ll have tons of room to fit your subject(s) into frame. It gets to almost fish-eye levels of reach. While this won’t be ideal for everyone, it could be exactly what your nature shoots need.
We love how versatile this lens is. Despite its substantial FOV, it can still focus sharply on subjects as close as 0.8ft. This makes it a great contender for the best Nikon lens for landscapes out there in 2021, especially if you’re always making adjustments on the fly.
Whether you’re shooting landscape nature photos, capturing city skylines, or jumping around to a different subject every second, this option is unlikely to let you down. The speed, dynamic range, and overall optical performance of this product are all excellent in our opinion.
Check it out if you haven’t already.
Pros:
- Super wide angle for sweeping landscapes
- Surprisingly versatile
- Fast autofocus
- A versatile lens
Cons:
- The almost fish-eye look won’t be for everyone
Nikon Lens Nikkor AF-S 14-24mm f/2.8 ED
This is another Nikon lens that offers a super wide FOV. If you’re the right kind of photographer, the level of versatility this brings can be a Godsend. Something we noticed almost immediately when researching this lens is how bright it is.
Nikon has clearly put a lot of effort into delivering the results you should expect when investing in premium camera equipment. Their “nano-crystal” coating, anti-flare technologies, and overall design mean that your landscape photos will consistently look great, even in low light.
For an ultra-wide product, this thing is exceptionally sharp from the centre of the frame through to every edge. This is quite the achievement when you consider how much you can fit into frame when shooting with this thing.
If your main goal is to take better landscape photos, we strongly recommend this Nikon lens.
Pros:
- Super bright, gorgeous results
- Exceptional edge-to-edge sharpness
- Awesome for landscapes
Cons:
- Perhaps a touch too expensive
Nikon Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 Ultra-Wide
If you liked the two lenses above but are using a mirrorless Nikon camera, you’ll definitely want to check out this Z-mount option. It offers the mirrorless portability you love without compromising on optical performance. We’re huge fans of this one.
If you already have a ton of gear to bring with you for your landscape shoots, you won’t notice much difference if you add this lens. It can collapse down to just 3.5 inches when not in use for ultra-portability. If you need consistently strong results, this accessory is unlikely to let you down.
A 14-30mm zoom range, fixed f/4 aperture, and impressive optical design all work in tandem to deliver outstanding results with great levels of consistency. While it’s not the cheapest lens around, it’s well worth it in our opinion.
Pros:
- Excellent landscape and video performance
- Super compact and lightweight
- Fully compatible with Z-mount cameras
Cons:
- The FOV may be a bit too wide for some tastes
Sigma 14-24mm F/2.8 DG HSM
For decades now, Sigma has maintained an excellent reputation in the world of interchangeable lenses. This Nikon compatible wide angle lens certainly does the family name proud. We’ll level with you – it ain’t cheap. That said, we think it more than earns its price tag.
If you like to use creative bokeh effects when taking landscape photos, this lens might just be for you. Its impressive 9-blade rounded diaphragm makes it trivial to achieve the attractive blurred backgrounds you’re looking for.
A ton of landscape photography takes place outdoors. For this reason, it’s important to make sure that any lens you consider can sufficiently stand up to the elements. Fortunately, this Sigma lens comes with some very impressive weatherproofing that’s significantly better than the industry standard.
Dust, water, and other debris should be no match for this product. If you can afford this option, you’re unlikely to be disappointed by its levels of precision or optical performance.
Pros:
- Excellent bokeh results
- Sigma’s trademark quality
- Strong weatherproof design
Cons:
- It’s heavier than some users will like
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Nikon AF-S FX Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 G ED
Next up is an option that still offers a comfortably wide angle while remaining versatile enough to also take “normal looking” photos. If the ultra wide angle options mentioned above aren’t for you, this 16-35mm lens might be more your speed.
In our opinion it gets a lot of things right. 17 elements in 12 groups work tirelessly to deliver the results you’ll need for your landscape photography. If you don’t know already, Nikon is reaching legendary status when it comes to their anti-shake technologies.
The “VR II image stabilization” on this lens does a fantastic job of keeping your photos razor sharp. Even in poor lighting conditions, this thing performs surprisingly well. Color accuracy, stability, and overall performance are handled very well by this lens.
Pros:
- Exceptional sharpness
- Great low-light performance
- Solid anti-vibration technology
Cons:
- The build quality is okay but should be better
Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 16-85mm f/2.5-5.6
This is a solid budget option for those who need a great landscape Nikon lens that won’t break the bank. It might not deliver the pro-level results that some photographers need, but it’s no slouch either. Expect great sharpness, a responsive autofocus, and reasonable levels of vibration reduction.
Color correction and anti-ghosting are also handled very well here. Even in more affordable lenses like this one, Nikon does a spectacular job of delivering on their promises. For most landscape photographers, this option will be more than enough in our opinion.
The 16-85mm zoom range gives users plenty of versatility to adjust their shots on the fly. For nature shoots in particular, this should come in handy.
Pros:
- Great price
- Still performs very well
- Perfect for most landscape scenarios
- Decent zoom range
Cons:
- Autofocus could be faster
More: Best macro lens for Nikon
How to Find the Best Landscape Nikon Lens – Our Buyer’s Guide
We believe the lens recommendations on this page represent fantastic value for money. That said, it doesn’t hurt to get clued up on the basics. This section will run you through some things to keep in mind when shopping on your own.
Your Requirements
One of the first things you should ask yourself is what you actually need your lens to achieve for you. The clearer you are about what you expect from your Nikon landscape lens, the easier it will be to make the right decision.
While more premium options can be great for the pros, you might not be able to take advantage of their features if you’re a newbie.
Budget
Once you’ve got an idea of what you expect from your new lens, it’s time to establish a rough budget. Deciding your max spend before looking at your options can be a great way to immediately filter out products that aren’t for you.
You can find great lenses as low as $500 but it’s important to remember that most accessories in this category will run you somewhere between $750-$1200. While cheaper options can certainly be enticing, they’re usually a recipe for disappointment in our opinion.
Stabilization (Vibration Reduction)
Most Nikon lenses come with pretty great image stabilization, but it’s always worth double checking. The longer-than-average exposure times for many landscape photos means that you’ll need a lens that will reduce image noise that results from camera shake.
If you haven’t already, we strongly recommend picking up a decent tripod to use when taking photos. It can really elevate your photography game by keeping everything nice and stable.
Weatherproofing
A huge chunk of landscape photography takes place outdoors. For this reason, it’s definitely worth double-checking that any lens you consider can stand up to the elements. Water, dust, and dirt resistance are all a must in our opinion.
The last thing you want is your lens to break down on you after just a few months because it isn’t adequately protected!
Portability
How much gear are you already carrying with you when taking photos? Do you have space for a big new lens or will something more portable be necessary? Answering questions like this can make it much easier to find the right lens.
If portability is a priority for you, it’s worth looking into Nikon’s line of mirrorless cameras. They’re considerably lighter and smaller than most DSLRs.
Wide Angle Options
We like to recommend wide-angle lenses for most landscape scenarios. They give users a ton of room to fit everything into frame. Just make sure that the specific products you look at offer good edge-to-edge sharpness.
This means that your entire photo will be in focus without unwanted distortion or blur. Some lenses can disappoint in this category so it’s definitely worth making sure. The products recommended on this page all deliver great edge-to-edge sharpness.
Compatibility
We know this seems obvious, but it trips plenty of people up. Make sure that any new lens you buy is fully compatible with your existing camera. With Nikon lenses, you’ll likely be working with either a Z-mount (mirrorless cameras) or F-mount (DSLRs).
Best Nikon Lenses for Landscapes – Final Thoughts
The best landscape lens will look a little different for everyone. It all depends on the type of photographer you are and the subjects you like to capture. That said, we believe our list above contains something for almost everyone.
Check whether your camera uses an F-mount or Z-mount before purchasing to avoid disappointment.
Take the time to think about your specific requirements and you’ll have a great new shooter in no time. Whichever lens you choose, we hope it helps you take amazing landscapes!
