Best Lenses for Nikon D5500

Nikon D5500 is one of the best entry-level DLSR cameras on the market. It features 24.2 MP crop sensor camera that produces amazingly detailed images. Articulated LCD touchscreen brings you ease of use, and 39 AF points give you flexibility in choosing where to focus.

This lightweight camera with a battery life of 820 shots and great ergonomics, is a perfect choice for anyone. But every great camera deserves a great lens. So, we decided to do the work for you, and choose the best lenses for this amazing camera.

Best Nikon D5500 Lenses

• Kit Lens:  Nikon 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6 VR
• Budget All-in-one:  Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 Macro OS
• Best Prime:  Nikon 35mm f/1.8 DX
• Budget Wide Angle: Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 PRO DX II
• Best Macro:  Nikon 85mm f/3.5 VR
• Best Telephoto:  Nikon 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6 VR

Nikon D5500 Lens Comparison

Nikon D5500 Kit Lenses

A kit lens is a starter lens often sold packaged with a DSLR camera.  They are typically inexpensive lenses which make a good choice when getting started.

Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 VR II

Nikon 18-55mm is a compact and lightweight lens, great for travel and everyday use. This introductory lens can produce amazing photos in almost any situation. Optical quality and Vibration Reduction II image stabilization will bring you clear and sharp images.

This lens features Silent Wave Motor for quick and silent autofocusing, which is very important if you use it for video recording. If you love shooting long distance photos, you could expect some distortion, but that can be corrected with a built-in option. Only negative aspect, 18-55mm doesn’t perform well in low light settings. Other than that it’s a great lens.

Check the Nikon 18-55mm lens price on Amazon.

 

Best Kit Lens

Nikon 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6 VR

Nikon 18-140mm is one of our top picks for an all-in-one lens. This versatile lens covers everything from wide angle to telephoto, although it doesn’t cover the full telephoto range. Vibration Reduction system gives you up to 4 stops of image stabilization for handheld photos. It features manual focus override, and with it, you can easily switch to manual focus without looking away from your subject. This lens will work well in just about any situation, from landscapes to close-ups on the sports field, with good image quality across the zoom range (7.8x). One negative that deserves mention, there is a lot of distortion which can be fixed in-camera.

Check the Nikon 18-140mm lens price on Amazon.

 

All-in-one Lenses

An all-in-one lens is a lens that covers a wide focal length range.  They can be used to shoot close up or far away (telephoto).

Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 VR II

Nikon 18-200mm is one of the best all-in-one lenses for Nikon DX-format cameras. This well-built lens, with vibration reduction technology, will enable you to always get sharp, high-quality images throughout its range. Nikon 18-200mm is fantastic for sports and landscape photography. But, it’s not the best solution for wildlife photography because of its limited zoom range.  Here’s a list of some great camera gear for wildlife photography.

Check the Nikon 18-200mm lens price on Amazon.

Nikon 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 VR

This all-in-one lens will cover the almost full range of different focal lengths. Nikon 18-300mm is a highly versatile lens with a 16.7x zoom range, perfect for wildlife photography. This lens is perfect for just about anything, portraits, sports, interior or landscapes. With VR technology you will get sharp, high-quality images in any setting.

Check the Nikon 18-300mm lens price on Amazon.

Budget All-in-one

Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 Macro OS

If you are on a budget, go with Sigma 18-250mm Macro OS. This lens doesn’t perform as well as those above, but it’s two times cheaper. Sigma 18-250mm has decent enough optics, fast and precise autofocus and effective image stabilization. Also, close-ups are pretty impressive. It’s a great all-in-one lens if you’re looking for something cheaper.

Check the Sigma 18-250mm lens price on Amazon.

Prime (portrait) lenses

A Prime lens is a fixed focal length lens which is a good choice for portrait photography.

Best Prime Lens

Nikon 35mm f/1.8 DX

Nikon 35mm DX is one of the sharpest lenses Nikon has to offer. 35mm DX performs amazingly in low light situations, which makes it a great choice for clubs and night photography. Also, Nikon 35mm will bring you high-quality images in almost any situation except for wildlife, so with this lens, you are covered if you shoot portraits, weddings or just casual photography. All in all, a fantastic lens for the inexpensive price.

Check the Nikon 35mm lens price on Amazon.

Nikon 50mm f/1.8 DX II 

Nikon 50mm DX II is very similar to Nikon 35mm DX, but due to a longer focal length, 50mm DX’s background blur looks more satisfactory. So, if you love having a shallow depth of field on your images, this would be your best choice. Nikon 50mm is sharp, performs well in low light situations, and has a fast and precise autofocus. All this makes an excellent lens for portraits.

Check the Nikon 50mm lens price on Amazon.

 

Wide-angle lenses

Wide angle lenses are short focal length lenses with a wide angle of view and are popular for architectural and landscape photography.

Nikon 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5

Nikon 10-24mm is sharp and has fascinating color and contrast. This lens zoom range can cover everything from ultra-wide to normal field of view, which makes it perfect for architecture and landscape photography. Nikon 10-24mm is the best wide-angle lens there is. However, you still get some distortion at the wide end, as do all wide-angle lenses. Also, in low light situations, it doesn’t perform as well as some prime lenses.

Check the Nikon 10-24mm lens price on Amazon.

Budget Wide Angle 

Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 PRO DX II

Not everyone can afford Nikon 10-24mm above, but for half the price you can get a great alternative from Tokina. Optics and focal length range are not as impressive as Nikon’s above, and distortion is noticeable all the way through 16mm. However, Tokina offers better low light performance and surprisingly sharp images. Tokina 11-16mm is best for shooting large groups of people, like parties and weddings.

Check the Tokina 11-16mm lens price on Amazon.

Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM

If you want to get a bargain on your wide-angle lens, Sigma 10-20mm is the one you should get. Sigma 10-20mm is sharp, but there is some softness in the corners. This is a great lens for clubs, landscape, and architecture photography.

Check the Sigma 10-20mm lens price on Amazon.

Macro lenses

A macro lens is a lens optimized for close-up photography.  An example of typical use is taking close-up photos of flowers.

Nikon 40mm f/2.8 DX Micro

Nikon 40mm is an affordable, high-quality macro lens that can also be used for portrait and low light photography. It offers clear, sharp and detailed images at a close distance. Nikon 40mm is perfect for photographing food, flowers or products. However, if you need a macro lens for shooting animals and insects, you should buy a bit pricier Nikon 85mm f/3.5.

Check the Nikon 40mm lens price on Amazon.

Best Macro Lens

Nikon 85mm f/3.5 VR

Nikon 85mm features VR image stabilization system, which is ideal for macro close-up shots. Autofocus is quick and accurate, perfect if you shoot moving subjects. With this lens, you will capture crystal clear, razor-sharp details at a close distance. Whether you like shooting food, products or insects, Nikon 85mm will deliver great images.

Check the Nikon 85mm lens price on Amazon.

Telephoto lenses

A telephoto lens is a long focal length lens used for capturing close-up shots of distant subjects.  Popular in sports and wildlife photography.

Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6 VR (lens price $156)

Nikon 55-200mm VR will be the perfect addition to your kit if you own Nikon 18-55mm VR II. With this combination of lenses, you will cover everything from wide to standard to telephoto. Nikon 55-200mm VR will perform well in any situation. This lens is compact and lightweight, perfect for travel.

One thing, though, this model is no longer produced by Nikon, it has been replaced by a newer version with about the same specs. With that said, we encourage you to get this older model, it’s cheaper, and you will get everything you need.

Check the Nikon 55-200mm lens price on Amazon.

Best Telephoto Lens

Nikon 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6 VR

Nikon 55-300mm VR is one of the top telephoto lenses. It’s sharp, autofocusing is fast most of the time, and the zoom range is impressive. This is a perfect lens for those who are interested in wildlife and sports photography, but it’s a versatile lens, and it will work wonderfully in almost any situation.

Check the Nikon 55-300mm lens price on Amazon.

Check out our roundup of the best budget Nikon telephoto lenses.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which are the best combination of lenses for a Nikon D5500?

The Nikon 18-140mm lens would be an affordable place to start.  It’s pretty versatile and covers wide angle to telephoto.  Next, add a solid prime lens like the Nikon 35mm.  If you find yourself shooting wildlife or sports, consider adding a telephoto lens like the Check the Nikon 55-300mm f4.5/5.6 VR lens.  It covers a wider zoom than the Nikon 18-140 and has good performance.

Whats a good lens compatible with the Nikon D5500 for video?

Like anything, the answer is it depends on what you are shooting.  A good place to start would be the Nikon 18-55 mm.  It offers some versatility for framing your shots.  If you become more advanced, consider prime lenses for more control and better quality.

Can I use a Nikon D5300 lens on a D5500?

Yes.  They are both DX (crop sensor) cameras.  AS-F autofocus lenses will work on both.

What is the cheapest prime lens available for my Nikon D5500?

For a genuine Nikon lens, it is probably the Nikon AF FX NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8D Lens.  It’s a very popular lens as well.  

As far as the cheapest, the YONGNUO YN EF 50mm f/1.8 AF Lens YN50 Aperture Auto Focus for Nikon Cameras as AF-S 50mm 1.8G with EACHSHOT Cleaning Cloth is pretty affordable.  The optics are not as good as the Nikon 50 mm, but it works well.

Conclusion

Nikon D5500 is a fantastic entry-level DLSR camera that will produce amazing images no matter what lens you put on it. However, to get the best out of your camera, you should equip it to your exact needs.

If I had to choose my perfect photography bag for Nikon D5500, I would go with Nikon 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6 VR for a kit lens. 18-140mm is a versatile, affordable lens, which covers a great range from wide to telephoto. It does have some distortion, but it’s far better than Nikon 18-55mm VR II.

For portraits and walk-around lens, my choice would be Nikon 35mm f/1.8 DX. This is a fantastic lens for travel and street photography, and it does perform wonderfully in low light settings. I wouldn’t go anywhere without it.

And last addition to my photography bag would be Nikon 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6, for capturing faraway objects. Nikon 55-300mm offers 300mm of zoom, and still, it retains sharpness and clarity in images.