Best Nikon lenses for landscape photography in 2021

Aching after a long hike in the mountains I thought it was about time I started to scale down my camera gear, unfortunately I am not getting any younger and these long hikes carrying a heavy rucksack is really starting to take its toll.  With that in mind my greatest weight saving is to reduce my lenses which got me thinking what are the best Nikon lenses for landscape photography?

I have been shooting with Nikon cameras for over 10 years and have tried pretty much every lens going and to my wife’s great displeasure own many of them.  The trouble is I am a great believer in the right tool for the job and lenses are the most important tools a photographer has at his disposal to capture those quality landscape images we all crave but if I have to choose only one which Nikon lens would it be?

First of all I have to point out that there is no one lens that fits all and you have to match the lens to a scene and how you want to capture it.  What I am talking about here is what I believe to be the best all rounder and if I could only purchase one lens then which would I choose above all others.  What lens is best for me might not necessarily be the best lens for you as this all depends on what you want to capture and your particular style.

Here I will go through all the Nikon Lenses I have used or still use regularly, when and why I use them and give you my overall thoughts on each after years of using them in the field.  It is worth bearing in mind that I shoot full frame so will focus on Nikon FX lenses and not DX APSC or Mirrorless lenses in this post.

The lenses that I will be focusing on are in order of focal length and not preference are:

1. AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G ED
2. AF-S Nikkor 16-35mm f/4G ED VR
3. AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED VR
4. AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED
5. AF-S Nikkor 24-120mm f/4G ED VR
6. AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 ED VR II
7. AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/4 G ED VR

Here you can skip straight to my conclusion The best Nikon lens for landscape photography

Explanation of Nikon Lens Abbreviations

I thought it best just to give a brief summery of exactly what the letters and numbers on each lens means as I know for some this can be confusing.

A-FS: Auto Focus Silent

Focusing on these lenses is driven by what is known as “Silent Wave” motors within the lens rather than a focusing drive motor within the camera body.  AF-S lenses will give you faster focusing than standard AF lenses and almost completely silent.  Do not get this confused with AF-D where the D means the lens can report focus distance information to the camera body which the camera can use for for determining exposure which most Nikon lenses have.

Nikkor

This is simply the Nikon branding for their lenses that are produced by the Nikon Corporation

Focal length and Angle of View

The next set of numbers you will see on a lens such as 14-24mm is the distance between the lens and the image sensor on the camera when the subject is in focus which is usually stated in millimetres.  Here in this example there are two numbers and this is for zoom lenses giving both the minimum and maximum focus lengths.

The angle of view is how much of the scene is captured by the image sensor and stated as an angle.  Simply put wide angle lenses capture larger areas of a scene than a smaller angle lens.  This is important because changing the focal length changes the angle so a Wide angle lens such as 14mm will capture more of the scene than a 50mm.  Therefore the longer the focal length the smaller the angle of view which leads to less of the scene captured by the image sensor.  One final key factor to understand with focal length is that as the the focal length increase the subject appears larger to the image sensor.

Maximum Aperture – Minimum F Number

This number such as 1:2.8 on a lens identifies the maximum diameter of the lens opening referred to as its maximum aperture or minimum f number.  The f number is the minimum f number that can be selected for the lens.  This is also often referred to as the speed of the lens where a larger diameter with a smaller f number is faster than a lens with a smaller diameter with a larger f number.  For example a f2.4 is faster than a f4 lens.

If a lens has two number markings such as 1:3.5 – 5.6 this indicates that the lens has a variable aperture which will change as the focal length changes indicating its minimum and maximum aperture on some zoom lenses.

‘G’ Abbreviation

If you see the letter G (Gelded) on a lens it means that it does not have an aperture ring like on the old Nikon lenses.  All modern Nikon lenses are G simply because the aperture ring is only needed for old manual focus camera bodies.

‘ED’ Abbreviation

This stands for Extra-low Dispersion glass which is an optical glass that Nikon developed to aid the correction of chromatic aberrations.  Most modern top of the line Nikon lenses contain ED glass, which also claims to delivers better sharpness and colour fringing in photographs.

‘VR’ Abbreviation

VR stands for Vibration Reduction which is image stabilisation technology to minimise blur by camera shake.  This is used for static subjects in low light condition and mostly used when shooting handheld.  In landscape photography where a camera is fixed to a tripod this should be turned off however I have used it in extreme weather condition with large lenses that are getting buffering from the wind to remove camera shake.

1.  AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G ED

The Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 AF-S is an ultra wide zoom lens intended for use on FX and 35mm cameras.  There is no reason why you can’t use this on DX format cameras, I have done in the past but its a whole lot of lens to just use the centre and the Nikon 12-24mm f/4 AF-S DX would be a much cheaper option.

This lens I have to say is pretty incredible with superb image quality and sharpness and is one of best lenses for producing high quality images that I actually own.  In my experience of using this lens over the years it nocks the socks of prime lenses within it focal range such as the Nikon 14mm f/2.8 AF-D ED.  The edge to edge image sharpness is crazy and has no coma or softness throughout its entire aperture range.  Under extreme scrutiny you could say the lens is slightly softer at the extreme edges of the frame at f2.8 but definitely something you would never notice.

So after me singing its praises and in my opinion probably one of the best ultra wide zoom on the planet it does have its drawbacks.  The first issue is its price but it has come down now and you can get it for £1,479 or cheaper if you shop around and this is certainly not a deal breaker for the quality of images it produces.

Due to its design it has a huge bulbous front element which has always made me extremely cautious when using it as not to damage it.  The biggest drawback due to this design is not having the possibility to use filters and although it is possible a specific system will need to be purchased and also the actual ND filters required are large, cumbersome and very expensive.

The greatest issue of this lens for me above all is its physical size and weight.  This is a huge lump of a lens with the front element measuring 98mm in diameter and overall length coming in at 132mm.  Weighing 970g this is not a light lens you wouldn’t want it in your rucksack trekking 6 miles up a mountain no matter how good it is and for me is its greatest issue.

I still use this lens as I can’t find it in myself to part with such a magical piece of engineering but the uses now have become limited due to other lenses I own.  Its greatest use now is astrophotography if I don’t have far to walk and even with a maximum aperture of just f2.8 I find this sufficient in most cases.  If I have a long hike to my destination then I leave it at home and take my Samyang lenses which are brilliant and although produce fantastic results they can’t live with the quality produced by the AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G ED.

2.  AF-S Nikkor 16-35mm f/4G ED VR

Now after my glowing reference of the last lens you would think that it is impossible to get any better but the AF-S Nikkor 16-35mm f/4G ED VR is a very special lens indeed.  There has been numerous comparison tests between the two with lab results showing that this lens is actually sharper than 14-24mm.

I am not a big fan of lab tests in all honesty but comparing images I have took out in the field with both lenses it would be very difficult to spot the difference if anything I would say that the 14-24mm was slightly sharper but that’s just splitting hairs and certainly nothing worth noting in comparison.  I also like the extra zoom of 35mm over the previous lens at it gives me that little bit of extra reach which has saved me on several occasions.

This lens is ultra sharp, I do notice a little fall off at the edges down at 16mm and also distortion is noticeable at 20mm and below but all easily fixed within a photo editing suite.  The VR is great so it will give you an extra stop or two in low light with static subjects.

The weather sealing on this lens is superb and anyone who follows my work will testify I use and abuse my gear by exposing it to the elements.  I have never had an issue with this lens even out in torrential rain and it has become one of my most used lenses.

ND filters and Filters systems can also be fitted to this lens with its attachment ring of 77mm which is a huge improvement over the 14-24.

Weight and size of this lens is fantastic with a front flange diameter of approximately 82.5mm and overall length 125mm.  Weighing in at 680g it feels great in the hand and fits into a camera bag with ease.

I use this lens extensively in my landscape photography and I find myself using it over and over again.  Due to the zoom range and quality of this lens it totally removes the requirement for me to carry prime lenses below a focal length of 35mm when out shooting landscapes.  Yes it would be great if it was faster like f2.8 but beggars cant be choosers and f4 is fine for most of my photography other than Nightscapes.

This lens I would have absolutely no problem in recommending to anyone due to its versatility and quality of the images it produces and also come at a reasonable cost of around £1000.

3.  AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED VR

Where do I start with this lens, well maybe by the nickname I call it “The Tank”.  I can well and truly say I have a love hate relationship with this lens simply because it is my most unluckiest lens by that I mean I always seem to have mishaps when using it!

I have dropped it, had tripods blown over in severe winds whilst using it and got it absolutely soaked in torrential rain too many times to count.  Obviously no fault of the lens but something always seems to happen whenever I use it but after all the abuse it has had it still works without a problem and why I call it the Tank.

Nikon strengthened the construction of this lens over its predecessor and added fluorine coating to the front and rear elements of the lens to actively repel water, dust, and dirt without compromising any image quality.  This coating is designed to make cleaning easier without scratching the glass.

Image quality and sharpness is second to none over its focal range producing amazing clarity and sharpness edge to edge of the frame on my copy.  I say my copy because I have read reports where other people are finding it soft in the centre but I do not have this issue with mine.

I do find that there is quite a bit of vignetting with the aperture wide open and even at f8 there are slight signs of it at the extreme edges of the frame.  This is not much of an issue for me though as I find that photo editing suites do a very good job of removing it with their built in lens profiles.

It has a front filter thread of 82mm which makes it compatible with ND filters and most Filter systems which is a great plus and something you would expect in this day and age.

The VR (Vibration Reduction) on this lens is fantastic with Nikon’s latest version giving you up to 4 stops and have hand held it shooting down to quarter of a second without issue.

However, this lens is not small and certainly not light at a size of 88 x 154.5mm and weighing in at 1070g again another lens that is fantastic but a burden to carry on long demanding treks.

The only other chink in its armour is its price, although it has now come down in price slightly it still carries a hefty price tag of around £1749 but its like everything you get what you pay for.

If you want a robust, fast, sharp wide to medium telephoto lens and can cope with the weight then there is no need to look any further at other Nikkor lens within this focal range as this lens is so sharp care needs to be taken not to cut yourself.  It seriously is that good!

I use this lens as and when required from grand vistas to coastal and woodland work and find it extremely reliable and one of my main lenses I use often.

4.  AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

This lens could be a more cost effect option to the newer f/2.8 VR listed above and although a much older lens in my opinion still an option worth considering.

The lens had been the main choice for many Nikon photographers for years until the new version came out in 2015 which does not make this a bad lens and still produce top quality pin sharp images throughout its entire focal range.

With most of my Landscape photography being carried out with the camera firmly fixed to my trusty tripod and rarely using VR when taking my landscapes unless in extreme conditions having no VR is not necessarily a deal breaker.  Therefore the lack of it on this trusty old friend is really not a problem for me and I would not upgrade to the newer version unless I needed it.

I will say I do find the newer version marginally sharper and produces deeper colours than this lens which I can’t really explain but it is noticeable when I place the same image side by side taken with both lenses.

This lens is slightly smaller and lighter than the newer version at 83 x 133mm and weighing in at 900g so has this as an advantage.

Obviously being older and not having VR it is cheaper where you can pick one up for under £1300 if you shop around.

Again this is a solid lens with weather sealing but does have a different filter thread of 77mm and is fine with most FD Filter kits and reducer rings if required.

All in all like a say it is still a good lens and you could probably get a good second hand example to really cut the cost down so for anyone on a limited budget I certainly would not dismiss it.  However if I had the choice and could afford it then I would purchase the latest version for all round performance improvements and the added VR.

5.  AF-S Nikkor 24-120mm f/4G ED VR

Yes that’s right its a consumer lens but don’t let lens snobbery put you off this is truly a fantastic lens!

This lens is a highly popular lens due to its focal range of 24-120mm and fixed aperture of f4 and let me just say is pretty damn sharp too.  I do see a small amount of light fall off towards the edges of the frame at 24mm with the aperture wide open at f4 but it is much more manageable at f5.6 and above.

I say pretty sharp its not at the level of the other pro lenses mention but neither would I expect it to be but it is sufficient and has never caused me any issues in the years I have been using it.

The build quality is as good as you would expect from a Nikon consumer lens but obviously not at the level of all the other lenses I have mentioned here and has a complete plastic outer body with a mixture of plastic and metal internals.  My biggest gripe with the lens is the zoom tube with the 1st extension being metal but the second that fixes to the lens being plastic and on full extension this is the weakest part of the lens.

No surprise, but I have damaged mine during a big storm at the end of last year where it got blown over and took a knock.  I now get pixel shift when I focus in and out and the front element is a little loose so I need to get it off to be repaired when I get round it but it is still usable.

Although not weather sealed to the level of the pro grade lenses it does have a dust/rain gasket at the mount and I have used it in some pretty bad weather without any problems but I do try to use a rain jacket where ever I can.

The filter thread is 77mm so there is no problem in fitting HD filters and most filter kits with use of reduction rings if required although I would be cautious of hanging heavy filter combination on the end when fully zoomed in while it gets buffered by high winds.

This lens also has VR II with two setting Normal and Active which is claimed to give up to 3.5 stops and on the limited times I have tried it I have been very please with the results.  Usually I would take the AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED VR if I know I am going somewhere to shoot static subjects in low light handheld.

For size it’s a peach of a lens measuring  approximately 84 x 103.5mm and weighs just 700g which is great for putting away in your camera bag whether attached to your camera body or not.

Price wise you can get it below £1000 which for what your getting and the options it gives you as a photographer I think it is great value.

This lens is still one of my main goto lenses and pretty much always in my bag simply because of the versatility the 24-120mm zoom gives me and I have found this invaluable over the years.

6.  AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 ED VR II

Most photographers probably would not mention Telephoto Zoom lenses as a typical Landscape Lens but I do use mine quite extensively.  It is one of those lenses that you don’t think you need until you do and once you have it in your bag will open up extra dimensions to your photography.

I will say right here that this wouldn’t be my choice as the only landscape lens you need but while I am running through the lenses I uses for my landscape work I thought it worth bringing them to the table.

The AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 ED VR II is a brilliant lens in both build quality and the images it produces.  Image colour is amazing and sharpness awesome through its range.  If you couple this with VR II and a fixed f/2.8 you have an amazing lens that will cater for any needs needing these focal lengths.

This lens is weather sealed and I have used it in absolutely atrocious weather and it has performed flawlessly.

Size and weight wise well it is a larger lens in length to the others at approximately 88.5mm in diameter and 202.5mm in length, weighing 1430g.  Yes this is a big lens to be logging round on long treks as you can imagine and I have done it countless times and it takes its toll on you believe me.

One major factor in anyone decision for this lens is the price and it will set you back around £2000 at the time of writing.  Yes it is an astonishingly good lens and I wouldn’t discourage anyone from buying it if you need a fast telephoto zoom lens with its fixed f2.8 maximum aperture.

But we are talking landscapes here and for this you don’t need f2.8 so I would highly recommend you look at my final lens the f4 version.

7.  AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/4 G ED VR

I love this lens and if you want to buy a telephoto zoom 70-200mm purely for landscape work then do yourself a favour and buy this one.  I can’t say it any other way but comparing this great lens to the superb f2.8 equivalent there’s not a lot in it.

This lens is razor sharp and I have seen lab test even though I am not fan where it compares to the f2.8 if not even surpasses it.  The colour reproduction is stunning and will give you everything you need providing f4 is fast enough for your needs and in terms of landscape photography is absolutely fine.

Weather sealing is great and again I have used this in all weather conditions and once during a hurricane I got swept off my feet by a huge rouge wave and the lens got soaked but it was absolutely fine.  Its taken knocks and bashes and pretty abused but still keeps giving.

The filter thread is 67mm and again fine with HD filters and filter kits by way of reducer rings if you need them.

You can get a removable tripod collar for the lens if you require one but I find it fine on large bodied DSLRs such as my Nikon D750 and D850 and rarely use one unless in extreme weather.

Size and weight is also an improvement over the f2.8 measuring 78 x 178.5 mm and weighing a conservative 850g.  Although not compact and super lightweight the weight to quality ratio of this lens in my opinion is superb and well worth carrying it around in my backpack when I need to.

Last but not least the price, I managed to buy mine offline for £1000 but typical price is approximately £1349 which I think is an absolute steal at even these prices £750 cheaper than the f2.8.

I use this lens for all types of landscape photography where I need to get in close to a subject and isolate it from its surroundings and is a lens quite frankly I could not live without.

My Choice for Best Nikon lenses for landscape photography

So that’s a rundown on what I feel are the best Nikon lenses for landscape photography but what if I could choose only one, which would be the the ultimate lens.

Like I said initially there is no lens that fits all and if you were starting up in landscape photography and asked me what Nikon lenses are best to get then it would be these 3 focal lengths, the holy trinity of lens.

1. AF-S Nikkor 16-35mm f/4G ED VR
2. AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED VR
3. AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/4 G ED VR

This would cover pretty much all your needs I say pretty much as you will always find instances when you will be wanting more!

So ok, without further a do and no longer sitting on the fence if I had to leave the house with just one lens which covered all my landscapes, seascapes and woodland photography the lens I would chose is:

AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED VR

OR

AF-S Nikkor 24-120mm f/4G ED VR

Sorry I couldn’t resist and would have to make my decision based on what I was going to shoot.  I know its easy for me to say because I have them both BUT if I had no lenses and could only buy just one lens then it would have to be the AF-S Nikkor 24-120mm f/4G ED VR due to its versatility and quality from just a single lens.

I hope you find this useful if ever you are looking to find the best Nikon lenses for landscape photography, happy shooting!