There are too many choices in the lens market at the moment. There are not enough valuable sites to guide you through choosing the right Nikon D5000 lens.

Considering that these lenses can cost quite a lot, you start to realize why making the right choice is critical.

Luckily for you:

After reading this Nikon D5000 lens guide, you will know how to choose the right lens.

I will also show you our best picks for each lens type. So no matter your favorite kind of photography, you will find the best Nikon D5000 lens.

Let’s get started!

These are the 5 Most Important Lens Types:

• All-in-one lenses – Also known as all-around lenses, they are best when you can only use one lens for different photographing types or when you can’t carry a bag full of different lenses, such as when traveling.
• Prime lenses – Also known as portrait or standard lenses, they are most often used when shooting portraits or weddings.
• Macro lenses – These are best for macro photography, where you must capture tiny objects such as insects and flowers.
• Wide-angle lenses – This type of lens is best suited for photographers who love taking photos of nature, landscapes, or interiors.
• Telephoto lenses – Telephoto or zoom lenses are the best for photographic opportunities when you need a powerful zoom, such as in sports, wildlife photography, or astronomy.

There is also another type called Fisheye lenses, or “ultra-wide.” They are most commonly used for panoramic shots, cityscapes, or abstract photography.

However, I am not going to include them in this guide.

Here are my picks for the best lenses for Nikon D5000 in 2023!

Best All-in-one Lens for Everyday Photography

If your main priority is the lens’s versatility, look no further! Nikon 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G is one of the best all-in-one lenses for the Nikon D5000 camera. It offers premium quality for different types of photography. This beauty from Nikon captures stunning photos from macro to telephoto photography.

While it won’t offer you the same performance as the dedicated lens designed with a single purpose in mind, it will still provide you with sharp photos with precise details.

This is probably one of the best Nikon D5000 lenses for beginners and people just starting in photography. It will give you a better feel for different types of photographic situations. Nikon 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G is also a great travel lens as it will enable you to save space, and you won’t need to carry a bag full of camera equipment.

The focal length range is one of the main features of Nikon 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G. This will allow you to capture beautiful photos from 18mm to 300mm.

Build quality is excellent, and this lens is a premium Nikon product. You can also expect many additional features that will assist you in making your photography experience even better.

Here’s the thing:

If you are looking for a versatile Nikon D5000 lens that will offer high performance, this is the best travel Nikon D5000 lens in 2023!

1. Sigma 18-300mm F3.5-6.3

2. Nikon 18-200mm F/3.5-5.6G

Best Prime Lens for Portraits

You will need a prime lens if your main focus is on shooting portraits. They are designed for optimal portrait performance.

Prime lenses are usually cheaper than other lens types as they contain fewer moving parts. One of the main attributes is sharpness, which is the most crucial factor in capturing stunning-looking portraits.

Nikon 85mm f/1.8G is one of the sharpest prime lenses in its price range, so you can expect that photos you capture using this high-quality lens will look beautiful with precise details and vibrant colors.

Look:

Nikon designs this lens gives the best performance in portrait photography; it is versatile enough to be used for different types of photography if needed. But, just like the all-in-one lens above, don’t expect the same quality as a dedicated lens for a specific kind of photography.

Generally, this lens will perform great in any event you need to photograph one or more people. It also performs well in street photography.

Sure, this is an expensive lens if you consider it prime, but considering that you get excellent build quality, beautiful bokeh, and sharp images, it is worth the investment.

While testing this lens, we found out it has some minor issues with corner softness, which can easily be fixed by software.

If you are serious about becoming a better photographer, Nikon 85mm f/1.8G is your go-to choice and one of the best prime lenses for the Nikon D5000 in 2023.

1. Nikon 50mm f/1.8G

2. Nikon 35mm f/1.8G

Best Macro Lens for Macro Photography

For photographers primarily interested in macro photography, the Nikon 40mm f/2.8G is an excellent choice as it offers high performance. It is also versatile enough to allow you the flexibility to do other types of photography, such as portraits.

This is one of the reasons we highly recommend this lens, as it is best suited for beginners just starting with macro photography.

One of the areas where this macro lens performs best is in low-light conditions. The f/2.8 aperture will let through the right amount of light, which results in pictures with precise details, even in a pitch-dark environment.

Nikon 40mm f/2.8G is made out of plastic, but the build quality is excellent, and you can expect a long-lasting lifetime from this Nikon product.

Finally:

One of the attributes we noticed while comparing the results from our tests on a high-quality monitor was the sharpness this lens offers. You might not realize this right away, but when you zoom in on the photo, you start to see the broader picture of how sharp this lens is.

Combining this with a low price tag, I recommend you check this lens out. It might just be the best macro lens for the Nikon D5000 camera.

1. Tamron 90mm f/2.8

2. Nikon 105mm f/2.8G

Best Wide-Angle Lens for Landscapes

For landscape photography, you want a lens with a wide angle that will allow you to put more of the view in a single photo. When talking about the Nikon D5000 camera, the winner in this category is Nikon 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G.

This lens has a wide angle that allows for an entire field of view, but it also offers excellent image quality, and you can expect precise details from most images you take. It also works great indoors, as the wider angle allows more things to take their place in one frame.

One thing I would like to be better is the narrow focal length range, which only goes from 10mm up to 24mm. Still, even if the small focal length doesn’t allow for too much versatility if your main interest is in nature photography, this lens delivers perfect images combined with a Nikon D5000 camera.

Honestly, this is one of my all-time favorite lenses and is worth considering.

However:

One thing to notice is that this is a premium wide-angle lens intended for hardcore photographers looking for a powerful lens that delivers excellent results. All considered, it is the best Nikon D5000 wide-angle lens.

If you are not willing to pay a premium price, or if this lens is out of your budget, feel free to check the alternatives below.

1. Nikon 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G

2. Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8

Best Telephoto Lens for Wildlife Photography

Telephoto lenses are often quite expensive and are intended for photographers looking to perform better in wildlife and action photography. They contain many moving parts and are often bulky and heavy.

That said, telephoto or zoom lenses are beneficial as they have a powerful zoom, allowing you to get closer to the subject without moving physically.

If you are looking for a telephoto lens with decent performance but don’t want to spend too much, I highly recommend you check out Nikon 70-300mm F/4.5-5.6E as it offers good quality without breaking the bank. It will produce beautiful photos with vibrant colors and minimal distortion, even at the higher end of the zoom range.

While testing this lens in a natural environment, we realized that it has superb autofocus, which is fast and almost entirely silent. Build quality is also excellent; you can expect great results from this telephoto lens.

Since this is kind of on a low-budget end, at least when comparing them to other high-performance telephoto lenses, you expect Nikon to cut some corners short. But in this case, the only thing that I would like to see improved is the focal length range, which goes only up to 300mm.

Now:

This is plenty for most regular photographers; some may even call it the best Nikon D5000 telephoto lens.

Still, if your main priority is photography at a long-range, such as bird photography, you might consider some alternatives below that offer even better zoom properties. Remember that you will have to pay a higher price if you need a powerful zoom.

1. Sigma 150-600mm 5-6.3

2. Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6E

Nikon D5000 compatible lenses

Nikon D5000 is a DX-format camera, and it uses F-mount lenses. This means that AF-S and AF-P Nikon lenses are fully compatible with the Nikon D5000 camera.

Even though the Nikon D5000 is a DX camera, it works great with more premium FX lenses.

As long as you remember, that 50mm FX lens will act like a 75mm lens on a DX camera (X1.5 multiplier).

Other lenses, such as older AF Nikon Lenses, will also work on Nikon D5000; autofocus won’t work correctly, so you must turn the focus ring manually.

Nikon D5000 Ultimate Guide – Wrapping Up

Hopefully, this ultimate Nikon D5000 lens guide will help you decide when buying Nikon D5000 lenses. Our team has thoroughly tested each lens on our list, which should help you buy the best for Nikon D5000.

Still:

If you are unsure what the right lens is for you, feel free to contact us or comment below to get a faster response. I will do my best to help you pick the best lenses for Nikon D5000 for your personal needs.

Also, read other guides on our blog, as it will help you be a better photographer by expanding your knowledge about photography. Our most popular guides are Nikon D7500 lenses and Nikon D5500 lenses guide.

Happy shooting!