If you are basically a newbie to photography, it’s easy to get confused and spoiled for choice when it comes to picking a good portrait lens for your Nikon camera. While it’s true that the market is saturated with different lenses, it doesn’t mean that you can’t get a good quality lens for your photography needs.
A good portrait lens should be able to shoot sharp portraits at high speed and produce quality images. In addition, they should focus on the subject and have a blurred background as well as have the ability to produce quality photos even in dimly lit settings. If you ask any photographer, they’ll tell you that a lens for your camera is the most important arsenal you can invest in.
That said, we’ve reviewed some of the best portrait lenses for Nikon that you can purchase for your photography projects. Let’s take a look.
1. Nikon AF-S DX 35mm F/1.8G Lens
Intro
This lens is one of the best for DX shooters as users get to enjoy a tight feel that can be compared to a 50mm on a full-time camera. This DX lens is ideal for any beginner that’s looking for a DX lens for their photography.
Pros
- Boasts of sharp quality images and solid bokeh
- F1.8 aperture is fast and can be used indoors in rooms with low lighting
- Excellent build quality, value, and tight lens
- The internal focusing is not only fast but quiet
- Ideal for portrait and headshot photography
- Best buy for beginners
- The manual to autofocus override
- Reasonably flexible especially on a DX camera
- Available in six different styles
Cons
- Not suitable for a full frame camera
- It does not have a manual aperture should the camera fail to communicate with the lens
- Professionals photographers might benefit from a more expensive lens than this one
2. Nikon AF S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G
Intro
This Nikon AF S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G is a great value lens for your money at it has exceptional optical quality with very high-quality optics coupled with fast focusing. This is a quality lens that is priced reasonably.
Pros
- The Nikon AF S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G offers great images with a fast focus
- It weighs about 350g and is affordable
- It’s the smallest lens in its class
- Comes with a weather sealed mounting which means you don’t have to worry about shooting in harmful conditions
- Soft bokeh and users love the fact that it is durable which also means reliability
- It has the manual to autofocus override which comes in handy for photographers
- Has a faster autofocus than those found in most 50mm lenses
- The lens comes with a hood and doesn’t easily break even when dropped on concrete
- Comes with a one-year standard Nikon warranty
Cons
- The f/1.8 lens can’t produce great images when used in wide angles like the f/1.4 apertures
- The bokeh isn’t as exceptional as it is in other lenses
- It has a plastic build
- Some users reported issues with chromatic distortion
3. Nikon AF-S 105mm f/2.8G
Intro
If you want a lens that is both suitable for a portrait as well as macro, then you definitely can’t go wrong with the Nikon AF-S 105mm f/2.8G lens.
Pros
- Boasts of excellent speed
- Results in an amazing contrast and color
- High-quality images that are also sharp
- It is a dual lens – both macro and portrait lens – making it a more desirable option for photographers
- It has a focusing distance of one foot which means that the images will be sharp and crisp
- Known to handle low light pretty well
- Amazing bokeh
- Suitable for event photography as it can perfectly produce amazing shots even with low light
- Comes with a one-year warranty from Nikon and four years of extended service at no extra cost
Cons
- It is a bit heavy
- Some users have issues with focusing which may not apply to all
4. Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG
Intro
Weighing 1.7lbs and released in 2024, the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 GD is another great portrait lens for Nikon that is relatively expensive. However, it is worth every dime as it boasts of some amazing features.
Pros
- Takes very beautiful shots that are of great quality
- It has a creamy bokeh and is a splash and dust proof lens
- The aperture works superbly well and is fast even when shooting indoors in low light
- Works superbly well when it comes to taking portrait shots
- Nicely blurs out the background with the main focus being on the subject
- Little chromatic aberration which is better than that of the Nikon 105mm f/1.4
- Happens to be the highest rated lens in the whole DXOMark series
- Can be used on the E mount cameras as it is compatible with Mount-Converter
Cons
- No image stabilization
- Quite pricey
- It is slightly heavy
Final Thoughts
Picking the best portrait lens for your Nikon camera can be a hassle given the many options that are available in the market. Typically, the choice for what lens to go with usually comes down to one’s personal preference. If you are still debating on what lens to get, it may be ideal to choose a few lenses that you are considering and take them for a test before investing in them.
By testing out the lens, you will be able to see how well it mounts on your camera and whether it suits your photography needs. You can do this by renting out lenses and taking them for a spin so that you are sure about your purchase decision. Also, a lens should be fit tightly on your camera this will ensure that you don’t end up with faulty equipment especially when going for professional client shoots
Consider additional factors such as the aperture, weight, chromatic aberration, bokeh, focal length, zoom vs. prime lenses, number of lenses as well as the price. Whatever your budget, we believe that you will always be able to find something that suits your needs.