The lens market is saturated, and with so many great choices, finding the lens that is just right for you and your type of photography becomes harder. To make matters worse, there are not enough valuable guides where you can learn specific pieces of information that will help you make the right choice.

Also, lenses can be expensive, especially if you want high-performing lenses that will last you for years.

Listen:

In this ultimate Nikon D90 lens guide, I will show you our top picks for each lens category. By the end of this article, you will have the necessary knowledge to help you make the right decision, regardless of what type of photography you perform the most.

Without any prolongation, let’s get straight to choosing the best lenses for the Nikon D90 camera.

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 D90 in 2023!

Best All-in-one Lens for Everyday Photography

This is an all-in-one lens designed for people who want a versatile lens that will allow them to capture fantastic photos in different environments without forcing them to change between the lens throughout the process.

Image quality is excellent, and while you can’t expect the same quality in a particular photography type as you would get with a dedicated lens, it still provides users with great results and sharp images.

Nikon 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G is a perfect choice for beginners who have not yet decided on which type of photography they will shoot or for photographers who need that one lens for different photography styles.

It performs excellently with a Nikon D90 camera, giving you a fantastic user experience through the entire focal range. If you travel a lot, this might be the best Nikon D90 lens for you, as it will prevent you from carrying large bags of camera equipment all the time.

As mentioned, the focal range is excellent, and it goes from 18mm up to 300mm, giving you plenty of room to capture some stunning photos.

It has a decent build quality, and the product feels premium in hand, which can’t be said for other lenses in its price range. Speaking of which, if you consider the performance of Nikon 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G and compare it to the different lenses in the same price category, this all-around lens is the best for Nikon D90 in 2023!

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

2. Nikon 18-200mm F/3.5-5.6G

Best Prime Lens for Portraits

A prime lens is an excellent choice for photographers, primarily in portrait photography, as the main characteristics of these lenses are sharpness. And since you need a sharp lens to show precise details on the face of the objects you are photographing, Nikon 85mm f/3.5G is one of the best, if not the best, Nikon D90 prime lenses.

Sure, the price might seem a little high initially when you consider that prime lenses are cheaper than other types since they have no moving parts. But if you are serious about portrait photography, this portrait lens for Nikon D90 is worth every penny.

Photos you capture with Nikon 85mm f/3.5G are thick and sharp, with precise details and intensely vibrant colors. Since it is produced by Nikon, as expected, it has all the additional features to make your job much more comfortable.

Another attribute of this lens that I noticed while testing it on the Nikon D90 camera is its versatility. Sure, you will get stunning photos if you use those two. Still, the brilliant thing many users find out later is the ability to use this lens on many different occasions, from macro photography to indoor and street photography.

As for the downsides, I only noticed slight issues with corner softness, but you can fix those in any photo editing software, such as photoshop.

Here’s the catch:

If this lens is out of your budget, check out the alternatives below. But if you can afford it, go for it, as the Nikon 85mm f/3.5G is the best prime lens for Nikon D90 in 2023.

1. Nikon 50mm f/1.8G

2. Nikon 35mm f/1.8G

3. Nikon 50mm f/1.4G

Best Macro Lens for Macro Photography

Macro lenses are unique because they offer little versatility, as they are intended for a specific task. But this is nothing terrible, as most of the photographers who decide they need a macro lens are the ones that are into macro photography.

One of the essential features of macro lenses is the sharpness, as you will want to get details up close that you sometimes can’t even see with your own eyes.

If you are looking for the best Nikon D90 macro lens, look no further than the Nikon 105mm f/2.8G. It is one of the best macro lenses on the market, and it works exceptionally when combined with the Nikon D90 camera. It produces some of the sharpest photos out there, and you will be pleasantly surprised by the details you will get if you decide to go for this macro lens.

Even though I mentioned that most macro lenses offer no versatility, this is not precisely the case with Nikon 105mm f/2.8G. Thanks to its focal range of 105mm, it can also be used as a portrait lens, but only when you are in a hurry. A better option for you would be to get cheap prime lenses for portraits, as you will get better results.

But still, most of you are looking for a macro lens to do precisely what it was designed to do, macro photography. And in that field, the Nikon 105mm f/2.8G gives fantastic results and even better quality images.

Minimal distance of 1ft, allowing you to get even closer to the object you are shooting, and it also comes with built-in Vibration Reduction making your photos noise-free even at close distances.

Build quality is excellent; the lens is lightweight and compact, which you will appreciate if you are shooting hand-held images most of the time. There are also many other features, as you can expect from a premium Nikon product, but feel free to check it out at Amazon for more specs.

Overall:

This is the sharpest macro lens for Nikon D90 at the moment!

1. Tamron 90mm f/2.8

2. Nikon 105mm f/2.8G

Best Wide-Angle Lens for Landscapes

For the wide-angle lens, our top pick comes from a third-party manufacturer, Tokina. Some people may be discouraged by having a Nikon D90 camera but not the Nikon lens.

However, we would not place it on top of our list if it didn’t deserve to be here by its performance, build quality, and the value you are getting with Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8.

It works perfectly when combined with the Nikon D90 camera, and the landscape images you get with it are sharp and beautiful. One thing to consider is the narrow focal length range, which goes only from 11m up to 16mm.

This is not ideal as it offers minimal versatility, but if you plan to use this lens, especially for landscapes, street, and indoor photography, it is a must-own Nikon D90 lens in 2023.

Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 is also an attractive choice as it has an infinity focus, which results in a unique perspective that will make your images stand out from the crowd.

Bottom line:

If you are looking for a high-performance wide-angle lens that works great when combined with a Nikon D90 camera, this might be the best lens for Nikon D90. But if you want a Nikon lens, check out 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

Nikon D90 telephoto lenses are designed for photographers who need powerful zoom without losing quality, and they are widely used in wildlife and action photography.

Telephoto, more commonly known as zoom lenses, are expensive as they have more moving parts and are a lot more complicated to design and produce than simple primes.

That said, if you need a quality telephoto lens that will zoom in without making you move physically, Nikon 70-300mm F/4.5-5.6E is the perfect solution. It outrivals every telephoto lens in its budget range, with clean and vibrant images it produces, but also it has high performance that will satisfy even the most hardcore photographers.

Even at the highest end of the focal length spectrum (300mm), distortion is minimal, and thanks to Nikon technology, such as upgraded VR, you can expect great results.

One of the features I was positively surprised by while testing was autofocus. It is superb compared to anything I experienced before with high-speed and silent telephoto lenses in the same price range.

One thing to notice is the price of this telephoto lens, which makes it more of a budget-friendly solution for photographers who are not looking to break the bank. Don’t get me wrong, Nikon 70-300mm F/4.5-5.6E is a fantastic telephoto lens that will deliver exceptional results.

However:

If you are looking for something even more premium to satisfy the needs of even the most hardcore photographers, or if you want a higher focal length range, check out alternatives. But for most regular photographers, Nikon 70-300mm F/4.5-5.6E is considered the best telephoto lens for the Nikon D90 camera.

1. Sigma 150-600mm 5-6.3

2. Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6E

Nikon D90 Ultimate Guide – Wrapping Up

By now, you should have a general idea of the best Nikon D90 lens in 2023 for your favorite type of photography.

If you have any questions feel free to comment below for a faster response, but you can also contact us by navigating to a contact form.

Read other guides on our blog, such as the Nikon D5600 lenses and Nikon D3100 lenses guide, to improve your knowledge about camera lenses and general photography.