Choosing the Best Nikon Lens for Vacation and Travel

If you’re reading this article, it’s probably because you know from experience that there’s a big difference between picking a lens for vacation purposes and a lens for just any other thing. The most important factors that usually come to play in this choice are quality of the image produced, the size of the lens in question so that it doesn’t take up much space in your luggage, and its weight, especially if you’re going to be lugging it long distances. But the truth is, it’s not always so easy to get a lens that ticks all three boxes at the same time. That’s why we’ve put together this list of the best Nikon lens for vacation photography, bringing to you only those cameras that are worth the buck.

Best Nikon Lens for Vacation and Travel

​#1 ​NIKON 28 – 300mm f/3.5 – 5.6G VR

Rating

Pros

CONS

  • Wide Angle

  • Slow Auto-Focus

Review

The clincher for me is the wide angle it offers. Instead of packing several lenses to cover different bases at once, you’ve got one that can be adjusted to fit the immediate purpose.

However, its greatest strength is also its greatest weakness. Because it has a wide range, it does not autofocus quickly. This can it a bit difficult to catch quick, sudden movements.

This Nikon camera offers great image stabilization with the Vibration Reduction (VR) technology to reduce the effects of any movement while you’re trying to take pictures of cattle grazing, a busy restaurant. The effect is that your pictures come out as sharp and lifelike as possible, instead of blurry and wasting your efforts.  It also has a reasonable aperture range to ensure that your pictures of the northern aurora lights and the sunrise from Eiffel Towers turn out with the same beauty and detail that left you awestruck when you saw it for the first time. At its smaller end, it lets in more light to ensure that your night time pictures turn out bright enough, and at its wide end, it lets in less light so that the best features of your day time pictures are not blurred out by the brightness and the flash. It also has a great focal range for long distance photography, without sacrificing detail. You can get it on Amazon here.

​#2 ​NIKON 18 – 300mm f/3.5 – 6.3G VRII 

Rating

Pros

CONS

  • Light and Compact
  • Drop in quality at longer focal length

Review

This lens is more than just a lighter version of the previous camera weighing 550grams, without sacrificing is build quality. It has a stronger vibration reduction technology, making it a good choice of cameras for vacationers who are just trying their hands on photography and don’t have a steady grip yet, so their movements do not compromise the quality of their pictures and videos. This technology also ensures that your recordings that video recordings from your vacations are not soiled by background camera noises. It has also a wider focal length, making it great for close up family shots and scenic landscapes and natural wonders with its long zoom range of up to 300mm, making it easy to shoot wide shots of tall buildings for instance. This camera is one of the best Nikon lenses for your next vacation. Its also less expensive, compared to the previous one. You can get it on Amazon here.

#3 NIKON 24 – 70mm f/2.8E VR  

Rating

Pros

CONS

  • Versatile

  • Heavy

Review

This lens comes with the standard VR image stabilization technology of Nikon. It has a fixed aperture range that makes it great for low light scenarios and evening hangouts and dinners, without sacrificing image quality. It’s also one of the most popular lenses for photographers of all types, including vacationers, so you’re in good company. One of the reasons is its narrow focal length, unlike the previous models we considered that have wider ranges. This particular range is the sweet spot for most photography, especially the close-knit version that will dominate most of your vacation. Since you’re going to be outdoors a lot, your camera lens will get exposed to the elements as you use it. That’s another reason why this lens is the best from Nikon for vacation photography. Its non-stick glass is easy to wipe clean from dirt, smudges, and fog. You can get in Amazon here.

​#4 ​NIKON DX 16 – 80mm f/2.4 – 4E VR 

Rating

Pros

CONS

  • Beginner Friendly

  • Expensive

Review

This is one of the lightest Nikon lenses out there for vacation photography, making it easy to set up and carry around. It also delivers on the promise of sharp pictures with its variable maximum aperture that can adjust to let in more light in capture your romantic, candle lit moments. It also has a great focal length, wider than the previous one, but not so wide to compromise image quality at its extreme edges. It’s great for documenting the daily excitement of your vacation, so you always look back on the images with nothing but heart-felt nostalgia.  This particular lens also has Nano Crystal Coat that eliminates glare that could cause colour aberrations in your pictures when you take pictures in open ranges. You can get it on Amazon here.

#5 NIKON 18 – 140mm f/3.5 – 5.6 VR  

Rating

Pros

CONS

  • High Image Quality
  • Edge Distortion

Review

This lens is relatively light, making it easy to pack for your next vacation. It also combines the very best in the previous cameras we’ve considered with a wide range focal length that can capture your best moments and the distant sights and sounds of the places you visit. In some cameras, shooting at the maximum focal lengths results in blurry pictures, but not with this Nikon. Its VR technology comes with 4 stops to ensure that when fully fitted as a handheld camera, your photo and video quality from the top a safari bus or in your favorite campgrounds is top notch, even when there is low surrounding light. You can get it on Amazon here.

Conclusion

So, there you have it! A comprehensive range of best Nikon lens for vacation photography. a picture they say, is worth a thousand words. Go ahead now a capture those unforgettable moments.

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