The Nikon D7200 is the latest addition to the company’s professional DSLR lineup, and it comes with a host of new features that make it an attractive option for photographers looking to upgrade from their current camera system.
Whether first time amateur photographers, or seasoned veterans of the craft, the d7200 makes the perfect companion whatever the requirement.
Of course, the camera alone can only get you so far, but luckily there are ample lens options on the market, catering for a variety of situations and styles.
Be it wide range, long range, super long range, or extreme close up photography, we have you covered on the best lens for your specific set of needs.
Top Five Lenses For The Nikon D7200
Now onto the lenses. It is no secret that the market is saturated with options, all with different claims, pros, cons, and options. It can certainly prove confusing, particularly if you are new to the game.
But fear not, here is our list of the top five lenses for the Nikon d7200, suitable for the five main lens types used for generalized photography, including wide-angle/fish-eye lenses, telephoto lenses, zoom lenses, macro lenses, and standard prime lenses.
Standard Lens
With a mid-range focal length (usually 35mm to 85mm), these lenses are designed to portray a fairly accurate depiction of what the human eye sees, making them perfect for casual use, or for beginners in the field.
Generally used for street photography, documentary-style photography, or for close-up portrait photography, standard lenses are perfect for situations that require a more human-like perspective for that down to Earth feel.
Expertly designed for both amateurs and professionals alike, and a mainstay in the go bag of most photographers, standard lenses are just a solid, all-round piece of equipment suitable for a range of different environments and situations.
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This standard lens released by Nikon provides 35mm of aspherical focal length, an aperture range of f/1.8 to 22, and a lens construction of 8 elements in 6 groups.
Whilst this particular lens does not have a zoom feature, it does have auto-focus, making it a great starting point, or neutral state, for your photography, and the rounded seven blade diaphragm works to create a natural, human-like feel for low-key situations.
However, that’s not to say it isn’t a versatile piece of equipment.
With a close focus to one foot of the subject, it allows the user to take a more artistic approach with close-up shots, something suited to close range photography of people and animals, albeit with that creative flare most people look for.
Infinitely more suited than the standard “kit” lens provided with a Nikon camera, the 35mm offers a silent wave motor AF system, as well as manual focus override should the situation demand it.
With its compact, lightweight design, and a ring type offering smooth, quite autofocus transitions during use, the Nikon is perfect for lifestyle or landscape photography with a representation similar to that of the human eye.
The fast, f/1.8 lens is perfect for general photography, especially low-lit situations, travel photography, and environmental portraits, and the aspherical lens element expertly minimizes light aberrations, such as lens flares, making it a great all-rounder for on the go shooting.
- A range of included packages, including polarizers, b&w filters, and SD card additions
- Extremely versatile range of uses
- Crystal clarity
- Adaptive, transitionary focus
- Potential to underexpose on extremely sunny days
Wide-Angle/Fish-Eye Lens
The wide-angle lens is a type of photographic lens that gives the camera more room to capture an image, usually in landscape or portrait format. The term “wide” refers to the fact that this type of lens can be used for both close and far shots.
Opteka 6.5mm f/3.5 Ultra-Wide Angle Lens
Boasting an “expansive 180 degree view”, allowing panoramic photography and video, adding another dimension of quality to your shots.
With a hybrid aspherical element in the lens to create consistently sharp images, the Opteka eradicates abnormalities, and provides maximum illumination for the entire image.
With a maximum focal length of 6.5 millimeters, combined with a focal length of 11.8 inches, the Opteka produces HD super multi-coated optics, giving you the best defense against light flares and ghosting during fast-paced moving photography (for example, during sports photography).
This can be further enhanced thanks to the included petal-shaped lens hood, helping to shield the lens from persistent light rays during highly-exposed environments.
Compatible with a wide range of Nikon products, including the d7200, the Opteka offers crystal clear quality, housed in a heavy duty, metal package to maximize effectiveness and reduce the risk of damage.
- Inexpensive, and good value for money
- Easy to use, making it perfect for all skill levels
- Extremely durable product, made of high quality materials
- Excellent picture quality
- Excellent auto focus that adapts smoothly to alterations in angle, lighting, and environmental change
- Risk of blurring on micro four thirds wide aperture
Zoom Lens
Zoom lenses are used by photographers because they allow them to change the focal length without changing the composition of an image. However, this feature makes zoom lenses less than ideal for many other purposes.
When the focal length is changed, the depth of field decreases, causing the background to be out-of-focus.
Therefore, zoom lenses are often used for close up photography, such as macro photography.
Other uses include making portraits, landscapes, and low light photography.
Tamron AF 18-200mm All-In-One Zoom Lens
This zoom lens, available through Amazon.com, offers clean, clear transition quality, with vibration compensation to avoid ghosting or issues surrounding the clarity.
Incorporating an aspherical lens element to avoid aberrations and light flares, the Tamron delivers a solid, all-round piece of equipment that is perfect for beginners and professionals alike.
The clear, ease of transition between shots, and the ability to perfectly adjust and adapt the depth of field during motion means that the Tamron can be used during high-speed activity, such as shooting moving targets during sporting events, achieving quick and effective details during portrait or wedding photography (where time is of the essence), or for tricky wildlife photography where the subject could scurry, swim, or fly away at any given moment.
- Extremely versatile
- Great value for money
- Excellent picture quality
- Adaptive autofocus, even at close zoom
- Brilliant for poor weather conditions and changing situations
- Reportedly poor for use in low lighting conditions
Macro Lens
The Macro lens is designed to focus at very short distances, allowing close-up magnification of the image, and macro photography is done by reversing the normal lens mount and screwing a smaller lens in front.
Macro lenses are predominantly used during close-up photography, usually to photograph insects, flowers, and other tiny objects, such as the close-up details of a snowflake.
D&F AF Extension Tube Set
Including macro tubes with lengths of 12mm, 20mm, and 36mm, all with auto-focus capabilities, the D&F macro lens set is the perfect starter kit for budding close-up photographers.
Modestly priced, but promising high quality, effective transitioning, and perfect syncing with the Nikon d7200’s existing equipment, the D&F can be used individually, or in any combination with each other, to achieve the desired degree of magnification.
This is done by positioning a tube between the camera’s eye, and the chosen lens, enabling a focus more intense than that of the standard lens, merging perfectly with the camera’s automatic diaphragm.
The farther away the lens is from the camera’s eye, the greater the degree of magnification.
Lightweight and portable for photographers on the go, the D&F offers greater magnification without the risk of blurring or other problems for image quality, as the tubes do not have optics inside that can cause distortion.
- Inexpensive and value for money
- Durable and versatile
- Useful range of tubes for varying lengths of macro focus
- Sturdy product, especially for the low price tag
- Perfect for amateurs, not suited for professional use
Telephoto Lens
Used for high-detail wildlife photography, and even photographing heavenly bodies, such as the Moon, telephoto lenses allow the photographer to shoot zoomed-in shots to a greater degree than the standard zoom lens.
This works by placing the outermost element (used for gathering light) at a much shorter length, and then incorporating a separate set of elements close to the sensor pane to increase the cone of light, so that it appears to come from a lens with much greater focal length.
Whilst that may sound complex, the gist is that it creates a shorter depth of field, allowing focus on one specific focal point, such as someone’s face, or indeed the Moon, and soft focusing on the surrounding things in the shot.
Nikon AF-S FX Nikkor 200-500mm Telephoto Lens
This super compact telephoto lens is perfect for wildlife photography (especially bird watching), astronomical photography, sport photography, or portrait photography.
With 4.5 stops of vibration reduction, making it the perfect long-distance lens for most environments or situations, this sturdy yet lightweight product is perfect for on the go photography, where otherwise heavy equipment would prove cumbersome.
With glowing reviews from happy customers, many of whom praised the level of quality offered from such a modestly priced product, the Nikon boasts consistently sharp images, an adaptive aperture that gives beautifully out of focus backgrounds and sharp focal points, and an effective transitionary adaptation, making it perfect for capturing birds mid-flight, or equally tricky subjects.
With no issues of focal clarity reported at any f-stop or length, the sports mode makes it perfect for high-speed photography, making it especially suited for filming Formula One, or similarly fast-paced sporting events.
- Fantastic image stabilization
- Great value for money
- Sturdy, rugged design suited for outdoor use
- Excellent picture quality
- Good under low light conditions
- Smooth, slow zooming capability
- Heavy, and occasionally cumbersome, dependent on the environment or situation
Best Lenses For The Nikon d7200 – Buyers Guide
Here’s a little about the Nikon D7200 itself, so you can make a more informed decision about what lens you may need for this camera.
Nikon D7200 Key features
Full-Frame Image Quality: The D7200 has a 24.3MP CMOS sensor that produces images with exceptional resolution and detail.
This makes it ideal for capturing high-quality still photos and HD video, even when shooting wide open.
Built-In Wi-Fi Connectivity: The D7200 can be paired with a compatible smartphone or tablet device via Bluetooth or NFC (Near Field Communication) technology. Once connected, you can use your phone or tablet to view live previews of the subject matter captured by the camera, adjust settings, and transfer files directly to social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Viewfinder Display: With the optional VF-2 Electronic Viewfinder accessory, you can see through the lens and compose shots using the LCD display instead of having to rely on optical viewfinders.
Image Stabilization: When used with certain lenses, the D7200 provides up to 5 stops of shake reduction when shooting handheld.
Viewfinder Magnification: You can magnify the viewfinder screen up to 3x while viewing the scene before taking the shot.
Metering Modes: The D7200 offers three different metering modes – Center Weighted Metering, Spot Metering, and Multi-zone Metering.
These allow you to select how much weight should be placed on each area of the frame during exposure calculations.
Focus Mode: There are two focus modes available on the D7200. One lets you manually set the focus point using the AF/MF button, while the other automatically selects one of nine autofocus points depending on where the subject is located within the frame.
Automatic Exposure Bracketing: The D7200 supports continuous auto exposure bracketing up to 10 frames per second, allowing you to capture multiple exposures of a single image without stopping to press the shutter release button.
Face Priority Detection: The D7200 will automatically detect faces and place them into the center of the frame so they stand out from the background.
Scene Intelligent Auto: Scene Intelligent Auto mode analyzes the type of scene being photographed and adjusts various settings accordingly.
For example, if the subject is moving, the camera may increase the ISO sensitivity setting to ensure proper exposure.
Time Lapse Movie Functionality: Time lapse movies are great for creating unique videos that show time passing by. The D7200 allows you to record long sequences of still images at intervals ranging from 1 minute to 60 minutes.
High Dynamic Range (HDR): HDR enables you to combine several images taken under varying lighting conditions into a single file that contains both highlights and shadows.
Built-in GPS: The D7200 includes built-in GPS functionality, which allows you to geotag your pictures and share location information along with them.
Wi-Fi Connectivity: Using either an external USB Type C™ -to-USB Type A cable or included AC adapter, you can connect the camera to a wireless network and access its functions remotely over the Internet. This feature allows you to control the camera's settings and download photos directly to your computer. It also makes it possible to send images directly to friends and family members using email or social networking services.
Nikon Creative Lighting System (CLS): CLS combines the power of artificial light sources such as studio strobes with the natural illumination of available light to create beautiful soft portraits, creative group shots, and dramatic low-light scenes.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully this article has been helpful, answering any and all questions you might have regarding the Nikon d7200 and the best lenses for a multitude of requirements.
It’s safe to say that there is plenty of information and choice online for whatever level of skill you might be, and there is always something in your price range that will suit your needs.
Whilst there are undoubtedly more expensive options on the market, this article attempts to isolate the best mid-range options to suit a mixed group of photographers, allowing amateurs and professionals alike to make more sound choices regarding their next major purchase, making them more informed regardless of their level of skill, or their specific requirements.
So take a look and see, you won’t be disappointed!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is focal length?
Focal length is the way in which we describe the focus abilities of a specific lens.
Measured in millimeters, it is a calculation of the distance between the point where light rays converge to form a sharp, clear image of the subject, and the focal plane in the camera.
This is best used to give us an indication of the field of view provided by the specific lens.
What does “field of view” mean?
Measured in degrees, a field of view relates directly to the focal length of the lens. A short focal length gives a wide field of view, and a long focal length gives a narrow field of view.
What is aperture, and why is it important?
Aperture refers to the opening of the lens, or the space where light passes through into the camera. By altering the aperture, you essentially tell the camera how much light you want to allow to pass into the camera, giving your images a varying sense of depth and reality.