Nikon has been designing, manufacturing and selling camera lenses under
the Nikkor brand since 1932, more than a decade longer than they've made Nikon cameras. Offering both Autofocus (AF) and Manual Focus lenses, the optics and
quality that comes with a Nikkor lens is second to none. In fact, most professional photographers who purchase a Nikon SLR go out of their way to make sure they
have a complementary set of Nikkor-brand lenses that covers the range of images they want to capture.
Choosing A Lens
When deciding which specific lens to buy, it is essential that each photographer truly understands his or her needs. The choice of lenses actually becomes quite easy when the specific use of the lens is decided first. For example, nature photographers may specialize in landscapes (where a wide-angle lens may be most appropriate), or close-up shots of flowers or butterflies (when a high-quality macro lens would obviously be the most helpful choice). For those photographers that do not have narrowly specific needs, there are now lenses available, such as the 18-200mm lens listed below, that have the capability to focus on objects less than two feet away, as well as zoom in on distant subjects with magnification and sharpness better than many binoculars. So remember... first decide on your most important need for the lens, and then select the best lens to fill that need.
Nikkor Auto-focus Lenses
Nikkor AF (Autofocus) lenses are specially designed to perform and communicate optimally with Nikon SLR cameras. Nikkor offers an extremely wide collection of lenses to match the entire gamut of photographic needs; from macro to telephoto lenses... from wide-angle to extreme zoom lenses.
Nikkor autofocus lenses are offered in the following lens categories:
Nikkor DX Lenses
Specifically designed to work with the advanced features of the Nikon DX-format digital SLR cameras
Nikkor (Nikon) AF-S DX VR Zoom Lens -
18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED (11.1x)
Released in 2005, this is one of the most versatile and sought-after Nikkor lenses ever made by Nikon Imaging. This lens can focus in as close as 20 inches or out to infinity, and also magnify distant scenes over 11 times. The integrated Vibration Reduction system keeps shots steady and crystal clear even at maximum zoom.
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| Price / Buy the Nikkor (Nikon) AF-S DX VR 18-200mm Zoom Lens |
Nikkor (Nikon) AF-S DX Zoom Lens -
18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED (7.5x)
Released in 2006, this lightweight Nikkor zoom lens is a slightly less robust version of its 18-200mm cousin. This lens can focus in less than 18 inches from the subject, and can magnify 7.5 times. It does not include the integrated Vibration Reduction system, but if you don't feel you need this feature, you will see the savings in the price.
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| Price / Buy the Nikkor (Nikon) AF-S DX 18-135mm Zoom Lens |
Nikkor (Nikon) AF DX Fisheye Lens - 10.5mm f/2.8G ED
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| Price / Buy the Nikkor AF DX Fisheye Lens |
Nikkor (Nikon) AF-S DX Zoom Lens - 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED (3.6x)
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Features:
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| Price / Buy the Nikkor (Nikon) AF-S DX 55-200mm Zoom Lens |
Nikkor (Nikon) AF-S DX VR Zoom Lens - 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED (3.6x)
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| Price / Buy the Nikkor (Nikon) AF-S DX VR 55-200mm Zoom Lens |
Nikkor (Nikon) AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 12-24mm f/4G IF-ED (2.0x)
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| Price / Buy the Nikkor (Nikon) AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 12-24mm Lens |
Nikkor (Nikon) AF-S DX Zoom - 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED (3.2x)
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| Price / Buy the Nikkor AF-S DX 17-55mm Zoom Lens |
Nikkor (Nikon) AF-S DX Zoom - 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED (3.8x)
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| Price / Buy the Nikkor AF-S DX 18-70mm Zoom Lens |
Nikkor (Nikon) AF-S DX Zoom Lens - 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED (3.0x)
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| Price / Buy the Nikkor AF-S DX 18-55mm Zoom Lens |
Normal Lenses:
Micro Lenses:
Nikkor Fisheye Lenses:
Nikkor Wide-angle Lenses:
Nikkor Telephoto Lenses:
Nikkor Zoom Lenses:
Autofocus teleconverters:
A teleconverter is an optical device or adapter that sits between the camera body and the lens. It increases the focal length of the lens. Nikkor AF teleconverters are designed to work correctly with the Autofocus systems built into Nikkor AF lenses. Be sure to visit the Nikon product specs pages listed below to see if a teleconverter is compatible with a specific Nikkor lens.
Nikkor Manual-focus Lenses
Nikkor manual focus lenses contain the same high-precision optics and manufacturing quality as the autofocus lenses. The only difference is that these lenses take more manual intervention; they must be focused by hand by twisting the ring around the lens body, and they do not work with the auto-focus zones or other advanced features on Nikon's more recent cameras. The biggest advantage is that these lenses typically work well with Nikon's older digital and film SLR cameras.
Nikkor manual-focus lenses are offered in the following lens categories:
