Making the jump from a compact camera to a DSLR can be daunting, but the Nikon D3100 makes it relatively easy. This entry-level DSLR camera is simple to use and produces great results. Once you’ve bought the body of a D3100, then you have to consider which lens is suitable for your style of photography. While keeping your budget in mind, we’ve chosen 5 of the best nikon d3100 compatible lenses for this camera.
Keep reading to see our detailed account of how each lens fulfills a particular photographic purpose. Knowing the best lens for Nikon D3100 cameras will set you up for a photographic partnership that will last many years.
Best Lenses for Nikon D3100
Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX Lens (Best Budget Lens)
Nikon AF-S 50mm f/1.4G Nikkor lens (Best Portrait Lens)
Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM ELD SLD (Best landscape photography Lens)
Nikon Nikkor AF-S DX 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR Lens (Best All-Purpose Lens)
Nikon NIKKOR 70-300mm AF-P DX f/4.5-6.3G ED VR (Best Image Stabilization Lens)
Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX Lens
PROS
CONS
- Widest aperture of f/1.8
- Aperture ranges from f/1.8 to f/22
- Easy Switch between autofocus and manual focus
- Some linear distortion
All good photographers understand the value of having a prime lens attached to their camera. And this piece of fast glass featuring an aperture of f/1.8 is fantastic for the D3100 camera. Even though the Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX lens is very inexpensive, it contains precision elements that provide sharpness and clarity.
At its widest aperture of f/1.8, it produces sensational photos with a very shallow depth of field that blurs the background. Attached to the crop sensor of the D3100 the lens becomes the equivalent of a 50mm lens on a full frame camera. Through the viewfinder the field of view looks similar to how you see a scene with your eyes.
The aperture ranges from f/1.8 to f/22, so at the widest settings you can use lower ISOs and faster shutter speeds to freeze motion and eliminate camera shake, while changing to a small aperture gives you a broad range of focus. You can use the focus ring at any time to instantly override autofocus and switch to manual-focus. The only disadvantage of the Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX is that there is some linear distortion, causing a slight bulging of the image.
Nikon AF-S 50mm f/1.4G Nikkor lens
PROS
CONS
- Highly accurate autofocus
- Nikon’s Silent Wave Motor
- Amazing image quality and edge-to-edge sharpness
- Ultra-fast prime lens
- Obvious distortion
On a Nikon D3100 with its small APS-C sensor, a 50mm lens acts like a 75mm portrait lens, filling more of the frame with the subject. It delivers excellent value for money. On a DX camera such as the Nikon D3100, it becomes a superb close portrait lens. This camera lens is also a best lens for Nikon D3100.
This lens features Nikon’s Silent Wave Motor, giving smooth, quiet, and fast auto-focusing which is very useful when photographing fast moving children and when shooting sport or action. Nikon’s multilayer lens coating enhances the performance of the lens by reducing ghosting and flaring.
Being the equivalent of a 75mm lens means you have a comfortable working distance between yourself and your subject, allowing more natural reactions when shooting portraits. It has amazing image quality and edge-to-edge sharpness, making it ideal for general photography and video recording. If you are looking for an ultra-fast prime lens that gives you a standard angle of view, superior color reproduction and smooth, natural background blur (bokeh), this is the lens for you.
The only reason this lens doesn’t get a 5 star rating is because of the obvious distortion you’ll find when trying to photograph objects with straight lines.
Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM ELD SLD
PROS
CONS
- Flexible ultra-wide range
- Effective focal range of 15-30mm
- Advanced internal optics
- Heavy lens
- No weather sealing
- Limited use
Everyone needs a wide angle lens at some stage, so keep this one in mind if you mainly want to photograph architecture and wide open spaces. The price of this one pushes the budget-barrier, but it’s worth paying that little bit extra for this lens, which is considered as one of the best lenses for Nikon D3100.
It covers a flexible ultra-wide range that is essential if you intend to hire yourself out for (exterior and interior) real estate photography. On a Nikon D3100, this lens has an effective focal range of 15-30mm which makes it an obvious choice for photographing nature shots, especially sweeping landscapes.
It has advanced internal optics that reduce barrel distortion and color fringing, making images that are sharp and precise. But It loses a couple of stars for three reasons: it’s a heavy lens, it doesn’t have weather sealing, and it has limited use unless you are often shooting landscapes.
Nikon Nikkor AF-S DX 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR Lens
PROS
CONS
- Excellent image stabilization system
- General-purpose lens
- Quiet autofocus
- Plastic barrel
If you’re the type of photographer who likes to have an all-purpose lens attached your camera for the versatility it provides, this lens can handle everything from wide-angle to telephoto.
As one of the best lenses for Nikon D3100, this lens has an image stabilization system called Vibration Reduction (VR), which gives blur-free results in most situations. On a D3100 camera the range of 18-140mm means you start with the equivalent angle of view of a 28mm wide-angle lens and it reaches all the way to 210mm. This gives you the convenience of a general-purpose lens with lots of photographic options from landscapes to sport and wildlife.
You can use it for portraits too, since it produces softly blurred background bokeh. Its quiet autofocus is due to the Silent Wave motor, making it useful in video recording too.
But Its quiet autofocus is due to the Silent Wave motor, making it useful in video recording too.
Nikon NIKKOR 70-300mm AF-P DX f/4.5-6.3G ED VR
PROS
CONS
- Fastest-focusing DX telephoto lens
- Suitable for many purposes
- Use is limited
A lens long needs effective image stabilization, and the Vibration Reduction system works well in all sorts of lighting conditions. And It’s the fastest-focusing DX telephoto lens around. The 105-450mm (equivalent) range is phenomenal, making it suitable for nature photographers or those who often take shots at sporting events.
It only loses a star in the ratings because its use is limited to long-telephoto shooting styles.
Lens Options
Which is the best lens for landscape photography?
Out of the selection shown above, the Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM ELD SLD is the best choice for landscapes, seascapes, and wide vistas where you want to include the whole scene. This is a generic lens manufactured by Sigma, so make sure you order the version with a Nikon mount or it won’t fit your D3100.
The Sigma lens is one of the few zoom lenses in the APS-C lens division to have a fixed maximum aperture. This f/3.5 aperture is reasonably wide and fast over the full focal length range of the lens, giving you plenty of opportunities to take hand-held landscape shots in low-light conditions such as Golden Hour.
The HSM abbreviation in the name of this lens stands for Hyper Sonic Motor, which is a ring-type ultrasonic motor designed to provide fast and silent focusing. Although being quick and quiet isn’t an essential part of landscape photography, any lack of distraction is valuable when out in nature.
This lens avoids unwanted light flare and minimizes chromatic aberrations through its ELD (Extraordinary Low Dispersion) and SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass elements which reduce refraction that normally causes these problems.
Which is the best lens for portrait photography?
The best lens for Nikon D3100 camera users who want to specialize in portrait photography is the Nikon 50mm f/1.4 G. When used on a DX-format camera it becomes a fantastic portrait lens with the same short-telephoto perspective that a 75mm lens has on a full frame DSLR or 35mm film camera.
As a bonus its 9-bladed diaphragm gives smooth and natural bokeh at every aperture, making it especially good for portraits because it helps the subject become isolated from the background, providing more stylish composition. The Super Integrated Lens Coating produces outstanding color balance, which is so important for accurate skin tones.
On a Nikon D3100 this lens has a similar range to a 75mm lens, meaning that you can stand further back from your subject when taking your portrait photos. This is important for the comfort of the person you are photographing as you don’t have to step into their personal space, and it’s an advantage in the Covid era so that you minimize the risk of virus transmission.
If you specialize in headshots, this lens is a better choice than any others. You can capture head and shoulder images from a reasonable distance, yet still do full-body shots without having to be too far back.
Which is the best lens for wildlife photography Lens for Nikon?
We recommend the Nikon 70-300mm NIKKOR VR AFP f/4.5-6.3 DX ED if photographing wildlife is your intention. This lens, the best lens for Nikon D3100, produces minimal noise when the lens is focusing, which is essential when photographing skittish animals, especially birds that take off at the slightest disturbance. And the fast and accurate autofocus helps you capture sharp images of wildlife, even in dim lighting conditions.
With its 105-450mm (equivalent) range you will get detailed shots of animals in their natural habitat without having to approach them too closely. The fast autofocus on this lens tracks moving subjects with ease. But if you want to fine-tune your focus point to lock onto their eyes, use the instant manual-focus override by simply reaching for the front ring.,
Conclusion
With its14.2 megapixels, the D3100 is a budget-friendly camera that’s ideal for all types of photography. It’s an ultra-lightweight DSLR offering precision and reliability, making it perfect for travel photography and general use. Choosing the best lens for a Nikon D3100 means you make the most of this camera’s abilities to capture fine results. If you can only afford one of the lenses listed above, we suggest choosing Nikon’s 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX prime lens for its ability to handle low-light conditions and to provide sensational shots. It’s an all-rounder that covers everyday types of shots with ease. And for its versatility, the runner-up would be the Nikon Nikkor AF-S DX 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G lens. This lens takes you from wide-angle to telephoto and is ideal for travel photography.
