A Guide to Fun Affordable Lenses for the Nikon D3200
The D3200, and other cameras in that series sold millions of units. Everyone stuck with the kit lenses. People that bought these cameras did not buy more lenses.
Nikon didn’t produce a large variety of DX lenses, which were designed for APS-C cameras. This was also done to push hobbyists into the more expensive full frame (FX) lenses and camera bodies.
F-mount lens compatibility is a mess. Not even all DX lenses are compatible with the D3200. The newest AF-P lenses are not fully compatible! Only buy a Nikon lens if you see AF-S.
I would expect to be able to find a D3200 for less than $250 with a kit lens. Expensive lenses are going to be ignored.
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- Best Zoom Lens - Nikon 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR
- Best Wide Angle Lens - Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X116 Pro DX II
- Best Telephoto Lens - Nikon AF-S Nikkor 85mm f/1.8G
- Best First Prime - Nikon AF-S DX 35mm f/1.8G
- Best Macro Lens - Nikon Micro-Nikkor 40mm f/2.8G
- Best All in One Lens - Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED AF-S DX VR
Nikon D3200 Lens Compatibility
Nikon F-mount lens compatibility is a mess. Dealing with it is annoying.
Manual focus and older autofocus (AF & AF-D) lenses are not fully compatible.
Choose AF-S or G lenses for full compatibility.
The D3200 can use DX and FX lenses. DX lenses were designed for the APS-C sized sensors.
FX lenses are for full frame cameras and will have a 1.5x crop factor when used on the Nikon D3200. This means that a 50mm lens will have the field of view of a 75mm lens on a full frame camera.
- AF-S Lenses: These lenses have a built-in Silent Wave Motor (SWM) that allows for quieter autofocusing.
- G Type: These lenses do not have an aperture ring, and aperture must be controlled from the camera itself.
- VR This stands for vibration reduction. It is a form of optical image stabilization that will help you capture sharp images.
Not compatible:
- AF-P Lenses: These lenses feature a Pulse motor or stepping motor that makes autofocus even smoother and quieter than AF-S lenses. Unfortunately, they are not compatible with the Nikon D3200.
- AF & AF-D These lenses have autofocus, but the AF system needs to be driven by an in-body focus motor. The D3200 does not have a built-in focus motor, so AF will not work with these lenses.
Best Zoom Lenses for Nikon D3200
The best value and most useful lens is the Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G. It was the kit lens. There are more of them than any other lens. If you need a cheap lens, this is the one to get.
Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED IF AF-S DX VR
- Cheap
- Easy to find
- Has image stablization (VR)
- Birds, Wildlife, Sports, Action, and Portraits
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The Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6G was a second kit lens option sold with the D3100, D3200, and D3300. It’s a incredible deal used.
It is the least expensive entry point into outdoor daytime sports and wildlife photography.
Hand holding the lens is easy. It isn’t heavy enough to require additional support from a tripod or monopod.
My one tip would be to make sure you buy a version that has VR, vibration reduction. That is Nikon’s name for optical image stabilization. It will help you get sharper images by reducing the effects of camera shake.
Small sellers often treat all versions of the lens the same. Version with and without VR often sell for the same price.
Nikon 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR
- 100mm better
- More expensive
- Heavier
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You can’t go wrong with 100mm more reach. There are plenty of these around as it was a second kit lens option for the Nikon D3400, D5500, and D5600.
It is going to be more expensive, larger, and heavier than the 55-200mm.
If those things don’t bother you, it will be better for bird, wildlife, and sports. Having the extra reach to be able to fill the frame is a big advantage.
Tamron 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 Di LD
- Cheaper
- Still good becaues +100mm
- Harder to find
- Better price to performance
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By giving up 15mm on the wide-end, you can save money.
Most people are going to use the lens at 300mm for the majority of their shooting. A bird will only let you get so close. Sidelines are a thing. Planes fly in the sky.
One big shortcoming is the lack of image stabilization. This means you’ll need to use fast shutter speeds to get sharp images. You want to prevent blur from camera shake.
Best Wide Angle Lenses
These lenses are handy for landscapes, astrophotography, architecture, group photos, and real estate photography.
One advantage of a wide angle is that image stabilization is less beneficial. Little vibrations of movements are unlikely to be noticed in an image.
A large maximum aperture is needed for astrophotography. Ideally you’ll want a lens that is f2.8 or faster.
Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X116 Pro DX II
- Perfect for night photography
- Fast
- 77mm filter threads
- Focus clutch
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The Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 is fast and sharp. With a large aperture, this lens is an outstanding pick for astrophotography.
The focus clutch that controls changing between manual and autofocus is easy to use in the dark. To switch focus, the entire focus ring is either pushed forward or pulled back.
The autofocus motor is noisy and heavy.
Tokina made versions of the lens for different lens mounts. Make sure the lens is for Nikon. There are Canon EF and Sony A mount versions out there.
Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM ELD SLD Aspherical
- It’s really wide
- Internal focus
- Can distort perspectives
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The Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 falls into the same price range as the Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8. It has a larger zoom range, but smaller maximum aperture.
You might be limited by what’s available. The F-mount has been discontinued for long enough that they can be hard to find.
Be careful. Make sure the one you buy uses the Nikon F lens mount. Sigma also made copies of the lens for other DSLR camera mounts including, Canon EF, Sony A, and Pentax K mounts.
Best Telephoto Lenses
Nikon AF-S Nikkor 85mm f/1.8G
- Best lens for portraits
- Internal focus
- Great image quality
- Easy to find (Thanks Z-mount!)
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This was the go to portrait lens for Nikon DSLRs. It was the recommendation for photographers that wanted to take their photos to the next level.
It was one of Nikon’s best sellers. Now no one wants them, because everyone switched to Nikon’s mirrorless Z-mount.
As a result, they are a phenomenal value used.
The Nikon 85mm f/1.8G is one of the best Nikon portrait lenses every produced. It is a fast lens that delivers excellent images and pleasing bokeh due to the wide aperture.
The 85mm 1.8G is a full frame lens. You’ll notice two differences when comparing it against a DX lens.
First, full frame lenses are usually more expensive than DX lenses. They have larger lens elements, which translates to additional cost.
Second, the lens is larger than many DX lenses. While not a huge issue, if you plan to carry it around with another lens, you’ll definitely need a bag.
Nikon AF-S FX Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G
- Cheap
- Small and light
- Great for low light
- Impossible to dislike
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Taking crop factor into account, and this lens will have the equivalent field of view of 75mm on a full frame camera.
That’s perfect for portraits on a budget. The aperture is fast enough that you’ll be able to blur backgrounds and get beautiful bokeh.
If you ever plan on upgrading to a full frame Nikon DSLR, this would be my first lens recommendation.
Prime Lenses
Nikon AF-S DX 35mm f/1.8G
- The APS-C standard lens
- Cheap
- Best all around prime
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The Nikon AF-S DX 35mm f/1.8G is one of the few prime lenses available for the Nikon D3200. It is also the best suited for general photography.
The f1.8 aperture will allow you to isolate subjects and blur backgrounds. Unlike most of the zooms, it will be easy to use indoors with needing to use the flash.
With a 35mm equivalent field of view of 52.5mm, you’ll have a “standard” field of view. Your photos will have a perspective that is similar to what is seen by human eyes.
Macro Lenses
Nikon Micro-Nikkor 40mm f/2.8G
- Ideal for close-ups
- Can to 1x magnification
- Cheapest option with autofocus
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The Nikon Micro-Nikkor 40mm f/2.8G is the best option for getting started with macro and close-up photography.
As far as modern macro lenses go, the lens is relatively inexpensive. It also has a high-quality autofocus motor and uses current optics, which makes getting macro shots fun and easier.
It is going to be great for food, products, insects, and capturing close detail. If you can’t focus close enough with other lenses, this is what you should get.
Nikon AF-S DX Micro Nikkor 85mm f/3.5G ED VR
- Better for 1:1 macro
- Longer working distance
- More expensive
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The largest benefit of the 85mm macro over the 40mm, is a longer working distance. That’s the distance from the front of the lens to the subject.
At 1X magnification, the front of the lens is going to be close to the subject. If you are trying to photograph an insect, this may cause them to try to get away.
Another issue could be properly lighting a subject. Depending on your light source it could be difficult to get it close enough to a subject.