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If you’re interested in photographing landscapes, you’ll need to choose one of the best Nikon lenses for landscape photography. Having the best lens is arguably more important than having the best camera.
The lens you choose will heavily influence how you compose your shots, which part of the image is emphasized, and much more. We’ll deal with the important aspects of what makes a lens good for landscape photography as we make our way through the reviews.
It’s important that you choose a lens that works to your strengths and complements your style. This isn’t to say that you should only stick to one style and never try to broaden your skillsets, but getting really proficient at one thing at a time is essential if you want to get professional grade photographs.
It’s all about focus and intentional learning and improvement. Landscape photography may not be your passion, but taking the time to focus and build your skills up with one lens at a time will be fruitful. You might discover that you have a good creative eye and nick for landscape photography. You’ll never know if you don’t give it a good go.
We’ll take a deeper look at the lenses that have made the list, their strengths, and weakness, what makes them unique and how they perform in the real world.
Let’s get into the reviews.
10 Best Nikon Lenses for Landscape in 2023 – Comparison
Image | Product Name | Features | Price |
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Nikon 10-20mm Ultra-Wide Angle Zoom Lens |
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Nikon NIKKOR 35mm Prime Lens |
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Tokina 11-16mm Wide Angle Zoom Lens |
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Nikon Landscape and Macro 2 Lens Kit |
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Nikon 18-105mm Zoom Lens |
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Nikon 40mm NIKKOR Close-Up Prime Lens |
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Sigma 10-20mm Super-Wide Angle Lens |
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Altura 8mm Ultra-Wide Angle Fisheye Lens |
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Nikon 18-300mm Zoom Lens |
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Rokinon 10mm Ultra-Wide Angle Lens |
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Here Are Our the Best Nikon Lenses for Landscape Photography
1 Nikon 10-20mm Ultra -Wide Angle Zoom Lens
- Weight: 8.2 ounces
- Dimensions: 2.9 x 3 x 3 inches
- Focal Length: 10-20mm
- Aperture: f/4.5 – f/5.6
- Lens Type: Ultra-wide angle
- Format: DX
- Motor Type: AF-P
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This lens prides itself on good value for money. It’s an affordable option that has the ability to get you some good photos when starting out in landscape photography.
It’s a great lens if you’re exploring your first stages of landscape photography it’s not too expensive and delivers quality and good performance where it matters.
The aperture isn’t particularly wide and this means that it isn’t a fast lens. The good news though is that you’re capturing landscapes and not the 100m dash at the Olympics.
It’s very well suited to landscape and also doubles as a relatively decent macro lens thanks to the short 22cm focal length.
You’ll be able to get complex scenes that capture a lot of detail and a wide viewing angle. It’s a great lens to learn the ropes while getting some interesting and good quality photos along the way.
Key Features:
- 10-20mm ultra-wide-angle zoom lens
- Vibration reduction (VR)
- Maximum aperture of f/4.5
- 22cm minimum focus distance
- Accepts screw-on filter types
- Short minimum focal length
- It’s worth the money and gives you reliable performance and results
- Very wide angle view to get more into your shots
- Autofocus stepping motor is near-silent and smooth – great for videos too
- Lightweight and easy to carry around
- It’s quite slow when used at the 22mm focal length as the aperture is rather narrow
- It’s not a full frame lens and will give you a cropped image regardless of the camera used
2 Nikon NIKKOR 35mm Prime Lens – Editor’s Choice Best Nikon Lenses for Landscape
- Weight: 7 ounces
- Dimensions: 2.1 x 2.8 x 2.8 inches
- Colour: Black
- Focal Length: 35mm
- Aperture: f/1.8 – f/22
- Lens Type: Standard prime
- Format: DX
- Motor Type: AF-S
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Nikon is well-known for making lenses that deliver great image quality and performance at very affordable prices – and that holds true for this lens.
You’re going to get sharp and accurately colored images – even more so with this lens, as it’s a prime lens. You’ll get hard to match image quality from prime lenses like this.
The 35mm lens is great for landscape photography because it teaches you how to compose your shots better and is zoomed in enough to let you zero in on a subject and bring it to life in your image.
It’s excellent for landscape shots that feature an interesting subject like an alluring tree with slightly shrouded mountains in the background. You can get unique and sharp photos once you get a feel for using this lens.
The bokeh effects are also smooth and pleasing thanks so the f/1.8 aperture. It’s one of the best prime lenses for Nikon cameras at this price.
Key Features:
- 52mm (35mm equivalent) prime lens
- Silent Wave Motor AF system
- Variable aperture from f/1.8 to f/22
- The F-mount lens with AF-S motor
- 30cm minimum focal range
- Great bokeh and shaping of distant lights in your landscape shots
- The compact design makes it a pleasure to use frequently
- It’s a prime lens so the image sharpness is excellent
- The lens works fast when focusing on closer objects
- Very cost effective option
- The 35mm lens is cropped to a 52mm prime (at the 35mm equivalent); meaning you’ll have to do more legwork to get the same shots as a 35mm full frame lens
- The image stabilization could be better – mount up for your landscape shots if you want sharp photos
3 Tokina 11-16mm Wide Angle Zoom Lens
- Weight: 1.21 pounds
- Dimensions: 4 x 4 x 4 inches
- Focal Length: 11-16mm
- Aperture: f/2.8 – f/22
- Lens Type: Wide angle zoom lens
- Format: DX
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Tokina is a slightly lesser known lens brand, but don’t let that dissuade you. It’s a solid lens at an affordable price that delivers a high quality build and steady performance.
The aperture isn’t as wide as some of the other wide angle lenses on this list, so if you’re planning on doing astrophotography, the f/2.8 aperture of this lens may not be wide enough for you.
Mount your camera on a good tripod and you’ll get superbly sharp photos and well exposed landscape shots. It a great lens to help carry you over the early stages of landscape photography and get you some very high quality images and get your work looking more professional.
It’s a little more expensive than the 2 lenses we’ve already looked at, but the extra investment will be worth it when you put this lens to work.
The build quality is surprisingly sturdy and it has a premium feel to it. You’ll enjoy using this lens and the photos you take will keep you wanting more.
It’s a fantastic wide lens for landscape photography and a reliable new member for your kit collection.
Key Features:
- 11-16mm wide angle zoom lens designed for APS-C cameras
- Variable aperture from f/2.8 – f/22
- 3 year Tokina warranty
- 2 super low dispersion lens elements
- 77mm filter thread and a multi-layer coating on the glass
- Very good image quality to rival far more expensive wide angle lenses
- Very good build quality and durability – perfect for outdoor use
- The image stabilization is actually quite good
- It excels at landscape photography
- Filter thread size is larger than usual at 77mm – if you like filters then you’ll need to have adaptors handy most of the time
- The autofocus isn’t as good as several of the lenses it competes with
4 Nikon Landscape and Macro 2 Lens Kit
- Weight: 2.75 pounds
- Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.6 x 5.5 inches
- Focal Length: 10-20mm and 40mm
- Aperture: f/4.5 – f/5.6 and f/2.8
- Lens Type: Landscape and macro kit
- Format: DX
- Motor Type: AF-S
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This 2 lens kit has been included in this list because the wide angle lens checks all the boxes for what we’re looking for in a landscape lens – and then you get a 40mm macro lens that works great as an everyday carry lens.
The versatility is ridiculous and you’ll be covered for almost all of your common photography needs. It’s excellent because many of the weaknesses of the narrow aperture landscape lens are covered by the wider aperture of the macro lens.
The main selling point of this kit other than its versatility is its value. You’re getting 2 fantastic and highly compatible lenses for a great price. You’ll be able to take amazing pictures with each lens that are vastly different from the others.
Make sure you focus on learning and mastering one lens at a time to get the best results from your effort.
Key Features:
- One 40mm macro lens and one 10-20mm ultra-wide-angle zoom lens
- 2 Nikon online school lessons are included for free along with the kit
- Broad compatibility with several cameras
- f/2.8 aperture on the macro lens and f/4.5 – f/ 5.6 on the wide angle lens
- an amazing value-for-money deal that gives you a very well rounded lens kit to fill in the gaps from only using the stock lens
- great aperture range when using both lenses
- fantastic macro performance from the 40mm lens
- images are crisp, colorful, and generally very high quality
- It’s a more significant investment and you may not end up using one of the lenses often
- The landscape lens is rather slow at shorter focal ranges
5 Nikon 18-105mm Zoom Lens – Best Landscape Lens for Nikon Dx
- Weight: 1.5 pounds
- Dimensions: 3.5 x 3 x 3 inches
- Focal Length: 18-105mm
- Aperture: f/3.5 – f/5.6
- Lens Type: Zoom lens
- Format: DX
- Motor Type: AF-S
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These zoom lenses are almost unmatched in their versatility. There is a slight trade off in quality and sharpness in order to achieve this level of usability. This can be counteracted through good technique, smart editing, and a good quality tripod.
This lens can take care of nearly all your photography needs. It specifically performs well at the wider end of its range. This makes it a great lens for landscape photography.
It’s an excellent lens for you to build up your skills because you have access to a huge range of focal lengths. You quickly become familiar with what it takes to get awesome photos at different focal lengths.
Focusing on improving one of your abilities at one focal range will be your quickest path to success. Overall, this lens is extremely versatile and of the most useful landscape photography lenses.
Key Features:
- Large zoom range (5.6x) from wide angle through to telephoto
- f/3.5 – f/5.6 variable aperture
- Vibration reduction for sharper handheld shots
- Includes a 67mm clip-on front lens cap
- 45cm shortest focusing distance
- Broad versatility and nearly unmatched usability
- Excellent value for money – it’s seriously affordable
- Great bokeh effects thanks to the circular aperture
- It’s lightweight for a zoom lens that’s this capable
- Image quality and sharpness need careful attention to get right
- Can be difficult to learn to use well
6 Nikon 40mm NIKKOR Close-Up Prime Lens – Best Nikon Lens for Landscape and Portrait
- Weight: 8.3 ounces
- Dimensions: 2.6 x 2.7 x 2.7 inches
- Colour: Black
- Focal Length: 40mm
- Aperture: f/2.8
- Lens Type: Portraits and close-ups
- Format: DX
- Motor Type: AF-S
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Prime lenses are widely accepted to produce higher quality images that are sharper than the ones produced by zoom lenses. Many photographers believe that prime lenses are better than zoom lenses.
The 40mm offers a unique landscape photography experience. They are excellent at isolating a subject while still bringing the scene and the background to life.
They’re great for shooting silhouettes and well composed landscape shots. Your composition skills will be developed quickly as the prime lens forces you to do the legwork and plan your shots more carefully.
You’ll be able to get very unique and interesting landscape shots and you’ll learn to expand your creative thinking and general photography skills.
This lens will give you exquisitely sharp images that you’ll be able to print out and display it in large sizes. These lenses can be used in tons of other situations – not just landscape photography – but that’s not in the scope of this review.
Key Features:
- Maximum reproduction ratio is 1.0x
- Autofocus to 64 inches
- Features a close range correction system (CRC) and a silent wave motor
- 40mm DX-format prime lens
- 9 element lens construction
- Sharp and crisp images from a reliable prime lens
- Unique landscape photography results that only a 40mm prime lens can offer
- Robust build quality and amazing durability
- It’s good at late afternoon/early evening shots
- Better than several more expensive prime lenses
- The minimum focus length is not as short as some competing models
- Autofocus is quite slow and makes some errors
Also Read: Best Lens for Nikon D5100
7 Sigma 10-20mm Super-Wide Angle Lens
- Weight: 1.15 pounds
- Dimensions: 3.5 x 3.4 x 3.4 inches
- Focal Length: 10-20mm
- Aperture: f/3.5
- Lens Type: Super-wide angle
- Format: DC (designed for APS-C)
- Motor Type: HSM
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Sigma wide angle lenses are very good at bringing out and accentuating scenes that have more than one subject. This is done without sacrificing the peripheral brightness and details in the background.
Shooting with this super-wide angle lens will let you capture difficult and complex scenes. You’ll get a lot of details and a very wide viewing angle.
The ability to shoot at 10mm gives you unique photos that emphasize the most important parts. You’ll be able to zoom in and out a little, which will save you from having to move around and set up in another spot.
This can save you a lot of time and also give you some creative leeway.
It’s a top wide angle lens for Nikon cameras and one of the best landscape photography lenses at this price.
Key Features:
- Hyper-sonic motor for extra smooth and silent performance
- Super-wide angle 10-20mm zoom lens
- f/3.5 aperture, high contrast images, and good peripheral brightness
- Aspherical lens for aberration correction
- Super multi-layered coating for enhanced light penetration
- High quality images with reduced distortion when shooting at 10mm
- The aperture is wider than many other super-wide angle lenses
- Low light performance is better than many similar lenses
- It’s a solid and compelling choice if you don’t have the budget to buy a high end lens
- The peripherals are bright and detailed
- A wide angle prime lens would give you better image quality and won’t cost too much more
- Image stabilization isn’t super-consistent
8 Altura 8mm Ultra – Wide Angle Fisheye Lens
- Weight: 1.14 pounds
- Dimensions: 3 x 3 x 3 inches
- Focal Length: 8mm
- Aperture: f/3.0 – f/22
- Lens Type: Ultra-wide fisheye
- Format: DX
- Motor Type: No autofocus
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Fisheye lenses can get you beautiful shots that normal lenses aren’t able to do, this lens is no exception. If you remove the lens hood, you’ll be able to capture a 180° view.
You can create some eye-catching photos using this feature. It’s perfect for snapping cityscapes and broad landscapes. You’ll be able to inject some variety into your photography and have fun doing it.
It’s a prime lens too – meaning you’re getting excellent image quality, clarity, and sharpness.
It’s not a versatile lens and its use is relatively limited; though it’s really easy to bring along thanks to the provided lens case.
It’s an affordable lens that can have a huge impact on your work and landscape shots. It’s compatible with a wide range of Nikon cameras and fun addition to your kit.
In terms of uniqueness and viewing angle, it’s one of the best prime lenses for Nikon cameras.
Key Features:
- 8mm ultra-wide angle fisheye lens
- Variable aperture from f/3.0 – f/22
- Manual focus only with the removable lens hood for 180° view
- Compatible with all Nikon APS-C cameras
- Comes with a custom designed lens case
- Get awesome 180° shots with a fisheye effect
- This lens can help breathe life into your landscape photography
- The wider aperture makes it pretty decent in low light
- Compatible with a wide range of Nikon cameras
- Having to remove the lens hood to get the full viewing angle can be bothersome
- There is no autofocus at all
9 Nikon 18-300mm Zoom Lens – Best Nikon Lens for Landscape and Travel
- Weight: 1.21 pounds
- Dimensions: 3.9 x 3.1 x 3.1 inches
- Colour: Black
- Focal Length: 18-300mm
- Aperture: f/3.5 – f/5.6
- Lens Type: Zoom lens
- Format: DX
- Motor Type: AF-S
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This is hands down one of the best Nikon lenses for landscape photography is you’re looking for something versatile.
It takes awesome landscape shots because of the 18mm end of the lens. The aperture is wide enough to make is relatively fast at the shorter focal ranges.
You’ll be able to zoom in all the way to telephoto if you want to get shots that are unique to telephoto lenses.
The versatility of this lens can’t be overstated. It can cover you in pretty much all situations. It’s a solid lens that’s a little on the heavy side, which will help your handheld image stabilization and give you sharper photos.
It’s an effective lens across its entire focal range and will give you sharp images consistently.
These lenses aren’t the easiest to learn to use and master, so take your time to learn its ins and outs and get a good grasp of how to get the best out of it.
It’s one of the best lenses for landscape photography that offers this level of versatility. It’s a slightly bigger investment than some of the other zoom lenses we’ve looked at, but it’s worth every penny.
Key Features:
- 18-300mm focal range with autofocus
- The minimum focus distance of 48cm
- Aperture range from f/3.5 – f/22
- Ultrasonic autofocus is fast and silent
- Boasts serious versatility and broad usability
- Solid and durable build with a premium feel
- Excellent for traveling as it performs well in almost all situations
- The autofocus works all along with the focal range and makes zooming smooth
- Image stabilization is better than expected
- It’s not the lightest lens out there – so prepare accordingly
- Low light performance isn’t as good as it could be
Also Read: Best GoPro Case Review
10 Rokinon 10mm Ultra-Wide Angle Lens
- Weight: 1.35 pounds
- Dimensions: 3 x 3.4 x 3.4 inches
- Colour: Black
- Focal Length: 10mm
- Aperture: f/2.8
- Lens Type: Ultra-wide angle lens
- Format: Designed for APS-C cameras
- Motor Type: EF-S
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Here’s another ultra-wide angle lens from a different manufacturer. We’ve added another option for you because these wide angle lenses are so well-suited to landscape photography.
The lens you use doesn’t always need to be the same brand as your camera. You might save quite a bit of money buying a lesser known brand that delivers equally good quality.
The aperture is fast at f/2.8 and the minimum focus distance is only 24cm. The low light performance isn’t bad either and is good enough for well-planned and set up low light landscape shots.
It’s a solid and reliable unit that performs well in its specialty and gives more expensive lenses a good run for top wide angle lens for Nikon cameras.
It’s a wise and worthy investment and will give you excellent results if you’re willing to put in the work.
Key Features:
- 25mm closest focusing distance
- 10mm ultra-wide angle prime lens
- 3 high precision lens elements used
- 110° true viewing angle
- The inner focusing system that doesn’t change the length
- Fantastic view angle for interesting and well balanced landscape photography
- Very lightweight and compact
- Image quality and sharpness you’d expect from a prime lens at this price point
- Aperture is fast and low light performance is good
- Great build quality
- Shooting during the day may take a little while as the shutter speed may need some frequent adjustments to get the right exposure
- The autofocus isn’t amazing (not that it’s very useful in low light anyway)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What Is the Best Lens for Landscape Photography
You’ve probably wondered what lens to use for landscape photography. It’s common to think that you’ll need the best lens if you want the best results.
While this is true to an extent, having an expensive lens isn’t the only thing that matters.
Seasoned photographers know the value of high-quality lenses, but they also know how important it is to choose a lens that best suits your needs and your style.
Each type of lens is going to give you very different results, so you’ll need to make sure that you’re extra clear on what you want to get out of your landscape photography.
Write down exactly what your goals are, and what kind of results you’re looking for. If you’re into astrophotography, you’ll need a lens that best suits that.
If you’re into shooting huge scenic shots, then you’d need a wide lens for landscape photography.
Take a few minutes to be intentional about defining exactly what you’re looking for in a lens, and the kind of landscape photographer you want to be.
Let this be your guide as you move forward and choose the lens that will best help you reach your goals and get the results you want.
P.S. Writing these things down helps you make your thoughts tangible. You’ll feel the difference and become even more motivated to make them happen.
Our Final Thoughts
We want you to remember to focus on building one aspect of your landscape photography at a time. Try to master – or at least become really proficient with – the lens you have.
Work on getting the best results in the niche that you choose to focus on. Developing your practical skills and your internal skills (composition, creativity, etc.) takes time and practice.
Slap your choice of the best Nikon lenses for landscape photography onto your camera and get out there and start getting the results you’ve been waiting for. Don’t be discouraged if there is a steep learning curve. Give it some time and you’ll be shooting landscapes like a pro.
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