The Best Affordable Nikon D5200 Lenses

The D5200, and other cameras in that series sold millions of units. Unfortunately, few people bought additional 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 D5200. 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 D5200 for less than $200 with a kit lens. Expensive lenses are going to be ignored.

Nikon D5200 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 D5200 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 D5200. 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 D5200.
• AF & AF-D These lenses have autofocus, but the AF system needs to be driven by an in-body focus motor. The D5200 does not have a built-in focus motor, so AF will not work with these lenses.

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Best Value - Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR

• Get a version with VR!
• Incredibly good value.
• Useful zoom range for landscapes to portraits.
• Was the “kit” lens for the D5200.

Be careful because there are 5 different versions of the lens. Do not get an AF-P or Z-mount lens, they will not work.

Try to get a lens with VR. You should be able to find a deal where a lens with VR is the same price as one without.

If you have a 18-55 without VR, don’t worry about upgrading.

Best Lens - Nikon AF-S DX 35mm f/1.8G

• Same field of view as a 50mm full frame lens.
• Fast aperture, good for low light.
• Small and light weight.
• Excellent value used.

This is my favorite field of view. The fast aperture will be helpful for low light, like indoors and at dusk.

It’s great focal length for street, portraits, and general photography.

The small size and light weight make it easy to always have with you. You can leave it on the camera, so you can just grab it and go. It’s the first lens I would buy.

Cheap Sports and Wilflife - Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED IF AF-S DX VR

• Cheap and easy to find
• Make sure it’s a version with VR.
• Birds, Wildlife, Sports, Action, and Portraits
• Relatively small and light.

The Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6G is the least expensive entry point into outdoor daytime sports and wildlife photography.

There are versions with and without VR. Get one with VR. You’ll get sharper images when hand holding the lens. It’s a great feature for longer focal lengths.

It was bundled as the second lens in two lens kits for many entry level models. That means there are tons of used copies out there.

Better Birding - Nikon 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR

• 100mm more reach. (BIRDS!)
• More expensive.
• Heavier, which is bad.

If you want to photograph birds, the 55-300 is a better choice than the 55-200. It can also be a better choice for sports if you’re going to be in one spot on the sidelines.

The weight of the lens will become more noticeable the longer you carry it around. I wouldn’t want to carry this and another lens, in addition to the D5200 around all day.

There are plenty available. It was a second kit lens option for the Nikon D3400, D5500, and D5600.

Cheap Reach - Tamron 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 Di LD

• Cheaper and harder to find.
• No image stabilization.
• Good for sunny shooting.

The Tamron 70-300 doesn’t have optical image stabilization. Because of that, I would only recommend it if you are going to be shooting in sunlight.

You want lots of light, so a fast shutter speed can be used. That will prevent camera shake from causing blurry images. It will also help freeze action. A shutter speed of 1/500th of a second or faster will likely be needed.

With practice hand holding, you could reduce that. Stabilization, like a monopod, can also help.

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.
• 77mm filter threads.
• Focus clutch.

The Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 is fast and sharp. With a large aperture, it’s a good entry point into astrophotography.

The ‘focus cluth’ allows switching from manual to autofocus by pushing or pulling the focus ring. That’s convenient if you’re in the dark or wearing gloves.

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 has 6 lens abbreviations, how could it not be good?
• Internal focus.
• Can distort perspectives.
• 82mm filter threads.

The Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM ELD SLD Aspherical is loaded with marketing terms incredible technology.

It’s in the same price range as the Tokina, but filters will be more expensive. If you need a circular polarizer or ND filters, check on the price of those. Big filters can be expensive.

Avoid lenses that have noticeable cosmetic wear. Sigma has spent decades improving the quality of their lenses. Now they are a premeire optics company. When the 10-20mm was made, they were known to fail.

Don’t beat up the lens and it’s a good value. Make sure you get a Nikon F and not a Canon EF, Sony A, or Pentax K-mount.

Best Telephoto Lenses

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 85mm f/1.8G

• Designed for portraits.
• Full frame lens.

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

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.

Macro Lenses

Nikon Micro-Nikkor 40mm f/2.8G

• Ideal for close-ups
• Can to 1x magnification
• Cheapest option with autofocus

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

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.

When to Upgrade Your Camera

The Nikon D5200 was released in 2005. It should be come as no surprise that there are many Nikon D5200 upgrade options available. One of the nice things is that you can still use the same lenses with a more recent camera, the bulk of with seamless compatibility.

Having access to different focal lengths, a fast prime, or a recently released lens will do more for you than a new camera. However, it is difficult to overlook the high resolution available from a recent APS-C camera body as well as fast continuous shooting speed and more white balance options.

The price of a used Nikon D5200 replacement is a fraction of the price when the camera was just released. That same drop in price also applies to recent camera models.

An upgrade that is a perfect fit for your requirements is likely more affordable than you would think if you’re prepared to sell your D5200 camera once you have an upgrade.