There are not enough valuable guides on the internet about this subject, and the lens market in 2023 is flooded with so many options that it can get confusing even for professional photographers.

And unless you have time and resources to test all of these choices personally, you wouldn’t know where to start.

But don’t worry:

In this ultimate Nikon D7100 lens guide, I will show you the best picks for each of the five main lens categories and explain each lens’s benefits and drawbacks.

You will also see what alternative lenses will work best with your Nikon D7100 camera, and all of that in a simple way that even beginners will understand.

Why is choosing the right Nikon D7100 lens so important?

The high-quality lens can help you take a beautiful photo or ruin the shot, so choosing the right camera lens to go with your Nikon D7100 is crucial if you want to improve your photos’ quality further.

Also, high-performance lenses are costly; some can even cost over a thousand dollars, which is a meaningful investment. The last thing you want to do is to spend that kind of money on a lens that won’t perform as you would like it to.

Not everybody can visit a local lens shop to check how specific lenses work with their camera. And, since there are not enough valuable guides on this important topic, I am happy to inform you that you will learn all of this, plus more, in this ultimate Nikon D7100 lens guide.

I will show you what lens is best for a specific type and some alternatives you might want to check out.

Without more hesitation, let’s get straight to the point.

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 are used for macro photography or photographing tiny objects such as insects and flowers.
• Wide-angle lenses are best suited for photographers who love taking photos of nature, landscapes, or interiors.
• Telephoto lenses – Telephoto or zoom lenses are used for photographic opportunities when you need a powerful zoom, such as in sports, wildlife photography, or astronomy.

There is also one more type called Fisheye lenses or well-known as “ultra-wide,” and 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 D7100 in 2023!

Best All-in-one Lens for Everyday Photography

This lens performs well in all photography types, and if I could take only one lens on vacation, it would be Nikon 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G.

It offers enormous versatility and is a perfect choice for photographers who need one lens for different occasions.

Speaking of versatility, the focal length range is 18mm on the low side, and it goes up to 300mm, which is plenty for most people. Also, I was surprised that the entire range is valid and delivers high-quality results.

Except for some minor ghosting issues when you zoom out, there aren’t any problems performance-wise. Sure, you will not get the same quality as with a dedicated lens for a specific type of photography. Still, considering the image quality you will get throughout the spectrum, I would say this lens is an excellent choice.

Is this lens for you?

If you want one lens that will perform excellently in different situations, then Nikon 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G is the right choice for you. As far as the all-in-one lenses go, this one is probably one of the best all-in-one lenses on the market in 2023.

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

2. Nikon 18-200mm F/3.5-5.6G

Best Prime Lens for Portraits

If you are looking for a prime lens that will offer crazy sharpness and high performance in any condition, you should probably go for Nikon 85mm f/1.8G.

This is a versatile portrait lens, which means it will work great for portraits and other photography events, such as weddings, family gatherings, or even street photography.

One thing to remember:

Prime lenses usually cost less than other lens types as they don’t have additional moving parts.

However, you will have to pay a premium price for this beauty, but you can also expect to get high performance in return.

One thing I found helpful while using it on my Nikon D7100 camera was a beautiful bokeh that will make your backgrounds look amazing, which results in high-quality images.

Also, low-light performance is excellent, more than I expected, even from a lens with an aperture of f/1.8.

However, I did notice one minor thing that bothered me: corner softness at wide apertures. But considering this can be fixed in post-processing, it is not an issue.

Build quality is excellent. Yes, it is made out of plastic, but it still feels like a premium product.

This is one of the best prime Nikon D7100 lenses, but if you are not ready to invest in this lens, check out some cheaper alternatives below.

1. Nikon 50mm f/1.8G

2. Nikon 35mm f/1.8G

3. Nikon 50mm f/1.4G

Best Macro Lens for Macro Photography

The answer for beginners or even professional photographers looking for a high-performance macro lens is Nikon 40mm f/2.8G.

The aspect I liked the most about this macro lens is its versatility, allowing you to use it in most photographic situations.

It has a decent focal length, making it great for beginners looking for an easy-to-use macro lens.

Low-light performance is excellent, and while it can sometimes be sluggish, it is performing just fine.

There aren’t any huge issues with this macro lens that I noticed while performing real-world tests. Build quality is excellent, and even tho this lens is made out of plastic, that is to be expected from a macro lens in this price range.

Sharpness is fantastic, and you will get great-looking photos with precise details and vibrant colors.

You need to consider if you decide to get Nikon 40mm f/2.8G because this is not a top-of-the-line macro lens. Even tho there are macro lenses that offer higher performance and better quality; this one should be good enough for most photographers.

If you are looking for an expensive high-performance lens, go for a masterpiece Nikon 105mm f/2.8G.

But if you consider the value/price ratio, then Nikon 40mm f/2.8G is the best macro lens for Nikon D7100.

1. Tamron 90mm f/2.8

2. Nikon 105mm f/2.8G

Best Wide-Angle Lens for Landscapes

This wide-angle lens is great for photographers primarily into nature photography and landscapes.

One thing I liked about this lens is the image quality, which was fantastic, and I wish I had discovered this lens much sooner, as it works amazingly when combined with the Nikon D7100 camera.

The focal length range is not that great, considering it goes only from 10mm up to 24mm, but I did find a unique perspective at the 10mm range quite helpful. On the other hand, at 24mm, you can expect tiny distortions, but like in the previous cases, it can be fixed in post-processing, so it’s not an issue.

Build quality is excellent, and you can feel that this is a premium product from Nikon. Other features, such as fast and silent autofocus, proved very useful while testing. I also found that contrast and color reproduction are excellent, and as far as the lens quality goes, I didn’t find any objections to point out.

One thing you need to remember:

This is a premium prime lens with unique attributes.

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

2. Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8

Best Telephoto Lens for Wildlife Photography

Unless you are looking for a telephoto lens with a crazy focal length range (600mm or more), the Nikon 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G is a great choice.

It offers excellent performance, while image quality is superb with precise details. Autofocus is one of the fastest lenses I tested, and it works almost perfectly in all situations. Also, it is almost entirely silent, and you won’t hear anything besides a tiny clunk sound.

I must point out that sometimes the focal range of 300mm isn’t enough, and you will probably want to go for a Sigma 150-600mm 5-6.3 if you plan to shoot from a far distance.

But for 99% of situations, I found this telephoto lens quite pleasing and easy to use, and I was getting excellent results without much effort.

To make this easy:

Everything about this lens is excellent; build quality, features, and even image quality is fantastic with high sharpness. The only reason you wouldn’t want to buy this telephoto lens is that you are looking for a more powerful zoom.

For example:

If your main priority is bird photography, this lens is not for you, as you need a higher focal length of 500mm or more.

But for most other photographic opportunities, this is the best Nikon D7100 telephoto lens.

1. Sigma 150-600mm 5-6.3

2. Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6E

Nikon D7100 Ultimate Guide – Wrapping Up

Hopefully, if you read this entire Nikon D7100 lens guide, you know to make the right decision and choose the best lens suitable for your needs.

Feel free to check our other content on this blog, as it will help you become a better photographer. Guides such as Nikon D3100 lenses and Nikon D5500 lenses will help you choose a particular camera.

For any questions, feel free to contact us or comment below.

All the luck in finding the best Nikon D7100 lens for you!