When looking for the best Nikon lens for butterfly photography the main lens type you’re going to want to look for is macro. Macro gives you a close and crisp image of your subject and is perfect for getting all the subtle details you see on a butterflies wings. Now the issue comes down to which lens works best for you. Here we go over several options at different price and performance levels so you can make an informed purchasing decision. Now that we have all that jazz out of the way lets get into the list.
The Best Nikon Lens for Butterfly Photography
#1 Nikon AF-S DX Micro-NIKKOR 40mm f/2.8G Close-up Lens for Nikon DSLR Cameras
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Starting off the list is an old reliable model. This particular lens has been featured in a number of lists here on Flutter Lens including our Best Nikon D3400 Lenses article. For good reason too, at a fixed focal length you don’t need to fiddle with zoom and because it’s static you end up with an extremely clear image. It’s perfect for beginners and runs at a fair price without sacrificing any of the nice features you’d expect like autofocus. It has stellar reviews as well, so you won’t need to worry about needing to returns. If you happen upon a stroke of bad luck and end up with a problem, the customer service from Nikon is A+. It’s for these reasons that this lens takes the number one spot for the best Nikon lens for butterfly photography.
#2 Tokina at-X PRO M 100mm F2.8 D Macro Lens – Nikon AF Mount
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Here we have another static focal length lens. It’s very common for macro lenses to be prime as it allows for a greater aperture range and crisper image quality. This particular lens is designed for life-sized 1:1 reproduction of your subject. Which makes it perfect for photographing butterflies with amazing detail. You get a 100mm focal range which means you have a minimum focus distance of 30mm or 11.8 inches. Keep this in mind if you plan to photograph anything closer than that, as you won’t be able to put it into focus properly. The aperture is able to adjust between f/32 at the lowest and f/2.8 at the highest. As I mentioned earlier, this is a very wide range due to its lack of zoom functionality. This lens uses an AF mount, so check to make sure your camera is compatible before buying.
#3 Nikon AF-S FX Micro-NIKKOR 2177 60mm f/2.8G ED Standard Macro Lens for Nikon DSLR Cameras
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So far, we’ve covered some middle of the road lenses. Nothing too fancy or high quality, but here we have something a little more special. This lens is just about as good as it gets when it comes to prime macro lenses. If you are a professional photographer or a very dedicated hobbyist then look no further than the Micro-Nikkor 2177. As with most prime lenses, we get a crazy aperture range of between f/2.8 and f/32. Allowing for as much, or as little light as you need. Along with this, we get auto-focus and an SWM (Silent Wave Motor). The silent wave motor will really only be useful if you plan to use this lens for video, but the auto-focus is always nice to have. What you really get this lens for, however, is the image quality. You’re not going to get this level of quality from lower cost lenses, which is why it comes at a more premium price.
#4 Nikon AF FX NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8D Lens for Nikon DSLR Cameras
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What makes this lens a great contender for the best Nikon lens for butterfly photography is it’s focus on budget performance. This entry comes in at a far lower price than the previous options. Now you will be giving up a bit of performance here, but that doesn’t mean this lens is bad. In fact, this is still a very high-quality lens and if you have the skill you can produce professional grade images using it. You’ll be stuck with the 50mm focal length, however, so you’ll need to be nice and close to your subject to get a clear shot. Surprisingly, you still get autofocus and an SWM in this model. Fairly uncommon for something at this price point.
#5 Sigma 18-300mm F3.5-6.3 Contemporary DC Macro OS HSM Lens for Nikon
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If you’re interested in something with a bit more versatility than this Sigma lens might be the right fit for you. Instead of the fixed focal length you see on prime lenses this guy comes with a focal length range of between 18-300mm. Now you are giving up some of the benefits that come with a prime lens but for most, the ability to zoom in and out is worth more than a small amount of quality and aperture range. This lens offers a 1:3 macro ratio, which is great for taking photos of butterflies when you’re out and about. You also get a fast and quiet auto-focus system and an angle of view between 76.5 and 5.4 degrees.
Conclusion for Best Nikon Lens for Butterfly Photography
Whichever Nikon lens for butterfly photography you pick you’ll be getting a great piece of equipment that will serve you for years to come. If you decide to look for other lenses outside of this list for butterfly photography remember to look for a macro lens and pay attention to the glass quality, angle of view, and mounting type to make sure it works well with your particular camera. Other than that we hope you have a great time shooting with your new lens. We’ll see you in the next article 🙂
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