Looking for the best wideangle lenses for your Nikon DSLR?
We’ve looked at a ton of lenses and ended up with the 5 best choices in terms of high image quality, great value for the price and usefulness (appropriate for many types of photography).
Wideangle lenses are mostly used for landscape and indoor photography, but they’re just as good for traveling, architecture, streets, clubs, concert and group shots.
All of these are razor sharp and are excellent for low light photography as well because of their large apertures.
Best zoom lenses we covered:
Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 Pro DX II
Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G ED AF-S
Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM
Best prime lenses we covered:
Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S
Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM
You automatically support us if you order anything through our Amazon links, and we highly recommend them because of their low prices, fast delivery and top support, especially when it comes to camera equipment.
Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X Pro DX II
Tokina may not be the most famous third-party lens company, but their Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 Pro DX II is cheaper than anything around this focal length (let alone such a big aperture) and offers same, or even better image quality than competition!
Like the rest of their lenses, this one is built like a tank and feels really solid. Aperture f/2.8 makes it easy to photograph in low light, clubs/indoors without raising your ISO too high.
Nikon doesn’t have a wideangle lens at this price, let alone an f/2.8 wideangle zoom. It works perfectly and also focuses on all Nikon’s DSLR cameras.
Who is this lens for? Landscape, sky/night, indoor, concert, club photographers.
You can buy it at Amazon or read more reviews here.
Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G ED
The Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G ED is a huge, relatively heavy, amazingly sharp wideangle lens.
If you own an FX body and want as little distortion as possible, with great colors, contrast and overall performance, the 14-24mm is worth it.
It’s got a closest focusing distance of 0.9ft/0.28m, 2 ED elements for making sure there’s little to no chromatic aberration, and Nano coating for reduced ghosting and flares.
Since it’s got an f/2.8 aperture, you can use this lens for both indoor and outdoor situations, and if you own one of the latest FX DSLRs with great high ISO performance, you’re gonna love it.
Who is this lens for? I’d recommend it to FX users looking for super high image quality, almost no chromatic aberration and distortion when compared to similar lenses. It’s great for landscape, cites, architecture, concerts etc.
You can buy it at Amazon or read more reviews here.
Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM
A couple of years ago, large apertures were only possible on prime lenses, but Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM changed that in 2013. You’re looking at an optically superb, wide-to-standard large aperture lens that could save you a lot of money and weight (1 zoom with f/1.8 instead of 3 primes with f/1.8).
Not familiar with Sigma’s terms? The lens features HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor), which means the lens is very quick and accurate at focusing. You can also expect beautiful background blur thanks to 9 diaphragm blades, especially when wide open.
Besides amazing quality in still photography, the lens is perfect for videos as well, thanks to its smooth focus and zoom rings.
It weighs 1.79 pounds (810 grams) and is quite long, meaning your neck will get tired after a couple of hours of shooting. In a way, it’s like 3 x f/1.8 lenses in one so it’s just something you have to live with.
Who is this lens for? Anyone who shoots around the 18-35mm range but wants to stick with 1, high quality lens that offers f/1.8. That includes street, night, sky, club and indoor photography, but it’s just as good for traveling if you’re okay with carrying it for such long periods.
You can buy it at Amazon or read more reviews here.
Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX
The Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX is small, optically great and also the most affordable Nikon lens out there.
Because of its large f/1.8 aperture, the lens gathers a lot of light and is perfect for low light situations (parties, clubs, night photography etc.). This means less blurred shots and more high quality images when shooting in dark places.
Another reason why f/1.8 is so good is because it allows you to completely blur the background, making your subject stand out (called shallow depth of field). It’s the easiest and quickest way to make your shots look professional.
Who is this lens good for? Wedding, portrait, casual, low light, indoor photographers. The focal length is actually perfect for almost everything except for wildlife, and combined with the f/1.8 the quality of your shots will look absolutely stunning.
You can buy it at Amazon or read more reviews here.
Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM
The Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM is sharper than the majority of prime lenses on the market.
It’s tack sharp even at f/1.4, features a Ring-type AF motor for fast, silent and accurate focusing with Full Time Manual Focus, and has a closest focusing distance of 0.30cm/11.81″.
Mounted on an DX camera, its field of view is equivalent to a 50mm lens, a length that’s perfect for almost any type of photography, especially for portrait, wedding and extreme low light photography.
Great bokeh, beautiful colors and optical quality, plus it’s built like a tank so you don’t have to worry about easily damaging it.
Who is this lens for? Often shoot in low light and/or want super sharp photographs with amazingly shallow depth of field? The 35mm f/1.4 is a dream come true for many photographers, at a highly affordable price.
You can buy it at Amazon or read more reviews here.
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I just picked up a new 20mm f/1.8, mostly for night sky photography. What a beauty!..I will continue to carry and use my awesome 16-35 f/4 Nikon, odd neither are listed here…..
Hey, thanks for pointing this out, we published this post based on an older article we had and planned on re-writing it soon. Yes, both of those lenses are amazing, especially the 16-35mm if you’re looking for a cheaper alternative to the f/2.8.
We’ll make sure to include both, as well as probably one of Sigma’s new prime wide lenses. Hopefully you’re enjoying those two lenses!