City photography is probably one of the most interesting, and rather challenging, types of photography; It can also be hard to find the Best Nikon Lens for City Photography. Cities are not just skylines and buildings but rich, beautiful and ever-changing playgrounds filled with people, emotions and situations.
So you should just play it safe, pick up your Nikon camera and shoot everything that moves and stands tall in your way. But to be a great urban photographer, you will need some great lenses with your gear and this list will help you make a choice before you venture out.
If you find this article interesting also check out our article on the 5 Best Nikon Lenses for Butterfly Photography!
Best Nikon Lens for City Photography
1. Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G
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With street photography, it is best to have a prime or fixed angle zoom lens, not just for the better image quality, but because critical moments that happen in front of you are so fast moving. Now this can be frustrating at times but working with several focal lengths within one lens is not an advantage in the streets.
This compact, lightweight prime lens is a must have for any DX-format DSLR camera and will help you get great images at any skill level. In so few words, it’s a great lens. The 35mm focal length is ideal for a classic “natural” angle of view. With a fast 35mm f/1.8 aperture, with such a large aperture you can focus sharply on your subjects in low light and create beautifully blurred backgrounds. This lens also has great shutter speeds.
Fixed lenses are faster and offer a wider aperture than zoom lenses which is particularly important when shooting in low light condition. This lens provides a complete depth-of-field control to isolate the subject and create stunning portraits, and also to shoot in more situations from morning until night.
2. Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 50 mm f1.8G AF
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For most street photographers, the 50mm is the ideal and most versatile lens. It has the most applications of any focal length that closely matches the field of view of human sight allowing you to work closer to your subject. There is also barely any distortion as compared to the 35mm and are incredibly affordable.
This makes this lens the standard must-have for portraits and city photography, so if you are starting with nothing more than a kit lens then this is great to have in your camera bag.
The 50mm focal length with a fast f/1.8 aperture allows you to capture stunning images with a shallow depth of field, and is also perfect in low lighting situations or blurred backgrounds.
However, this is effectively a wide angle lens and the photographer has to be careful of what to include or exclude from composition of the frame. This also demands courage from the photographer to take city photography from one level to another.
3. Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art lens
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If you have a Nikon then it is advisable to use official lenses, but some third party lenses such as Sigma provide similar or even better performance, even though they are more expensive than Nikon lenses.
The 35mm f/1.4 was designed for full-frame cameras but can also be used with Nikon DSLR cameras as well. It was also the first addition to the Art category by Sigma and includes new features based around a unique lens concept and design.
This optically advanced wide angle prime lens mixes a comfortable focal length to produce sharp images. The bright f/1.4 aperture provides shallow depth of field making it ideal in low light and must have for any camera and a variety of situations including city photography.
4. Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art lens
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Fast prime lenses took a backseat to zoom lenses several years ago, and so Sigma identified the niche and launched the 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM with a rather unconventional design, large and heavier lens and the ability to accommodate various mounts including Nikon.
For the most part, this is a fast lens with excellent results, minimal distortions, while corner shading isn’t much of an issue. This lens also produces a fast and near-silent autofocus, while a solid weight makes it ideal to mount and take excellent city pictures.
However, this lens is slightly bulkier than it similar lenses particularly when mounted on a DSLR. The deciding factor whether it is for you is the slightly better wide-open performance, otherwise this is an excellent addition for your camera bag while you are in the city.
5. Tamron SP 45mm f/1.8 Di VC USD for Nikon
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In street photography, it is ideal to have lens between 35-50mm, and the lens from Nikon and Sigma should be sufficient to choose one, but it necessary to have more choice to make an informed decision.
Tamron launched a new series of SP lens by combining the latest advancements in digital photography to bring a technologically advanced camera system with the best performance.
The f/1.8 lens delivers crisp and sharp images at any setting, while the 45mm lens allows urban photographers to move in closer to subjects than ever before and shoot at close range, opening a new world of creative opportunities while maintaining image quality.
Best Nikon Lens for City Photography Conclusion
The reason why we don’t recommend anything beyond 50mm for city photography is that either the crop will be too tight or you will have to move a lot backwards.
This can be rather daring as many people are intimidated by shooting strangers, but the whole point of urban photography is to get out of your comfort zone and onto the streets.
There is no answer to which is the perfect lens or focal length for city photography. You may change or upgrade your camera after a few years, but the lens would remain for a long time.
Once you found the lens that meets most of your needs, then you will likely stick with it. You should master the focal length and see the world in it, familiarize yourself with the edges of your frame, improve your composition and you will soon take excellent city photographs with your Nikon camera.