The Best Wedding Photography Lens Nikon Produces
The best wedding photography lens Nikon produces is the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8E FL VR. It’s perfect for capturing wedding ceremonies and portraits, the 2 most important parts of wedding photography.
Ideally, you’ll pair it with a wider lens as well. We recommend the Nikon 24-70mm F2.8G ED VR. Either of these 2 lenses could be considered the best wedding photography lens that Nikon produces, but when used together they truly are the total package.
If want to learn more or look into some budget lens options, then read on!
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Best Wedding Photography Lens Nikon
When it comes to photographing weddings, it’s likely that you’ll want to use more than just one lens. That makes figuring out the best wedding photography lens Nikon produces a question of which lenses you should pair together.
You’ll want a lens that is wide enough to capture the whole wedding party, the venue, and show some larger scene/setting type images. You also want a lens that’s tight enough get those more intimate and detailed photos.
Most importantly though, the best wedding photography lens Nikon produces will have to be able to capture sharp images while also being versatile. This means a zoom lens with an aperture like f2.8 is going to be ideal.
Once you factor in how high your budget can go, you’ll have a much more clear answer on which Nikon lens or lenses are right for you and your wedding photography business.
Best Wedding Lens for Nikon Overall
Nikon 24-70mm F2.8G ED VR
Easily one of Nikon’s best lenses available today. This lens is excellent for a lot of different types of photography, including wedding and portrait photography.
It produces very high quality images across the board and is one of those lenses that you can purchase once and use for the next decade, regardless of what genre you photograph.
Pros:
- Premier Nikon lens
- Excellent build quality
- Ideal focal lengths
- Superb image quality
Cons:
- Slightly expensive
Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8E FL VR
Probably the best wedding photography lens that Nikon produces, period. This lens is beloved by wedding photographers, especially when it comes time for the ceremony.
It’s extremely sharp and has the ideal focal lengths to capture every part of the ceremony, regardless of the venue set up.
Pros:
- One of the best Nikon lenses on the market
- Ideal focal lengths
- Extremely sharp
- Excellent build quality
Cons:
- Heavy
Nikon 85mm F/1.4G
The Nikon 85mm f1.4 is an absolute favorite amongst wedding photographers due to the extremely sharp images it produces and the world class bokeh.
It’s ideal for those more intimate settings and details shots. Prime lenses aren’t for everyone and you’ll definitely need to pair it with another lens, but it will captures some amazing images as well.
Pros:
- Excellent image quality
- Very sharp
- Great bokeh
- Top build quality
Cons:
- Only one focal length
Best Wedding Lens for Nikon: Budget Options
NIKKOR 50mm F/1.8G
The best affordable option from Nikon. This Nikon 50mm f1.8 will produce some sharp images, some really beautiful bokeh, and come in at an extremely low price.
However, it can only be considered an intro level lens and won’t work during a ceremony. This lens should only be considered for intimate or detail type photos.
Pros:
- Inexpensive
- Sharp images
- Nice bokeh
Cons:
- Cheap build quality
- Limited to one focal length
Nikon 70-200mm f/4G ED VR
Similar to the 70-200mm above, but with an aperture of f4 rather than f2.8. While this definitely helps to drive the price down, it’s also going to be less capable in low light situations.
Many weddings go into the night, so if the venue is outside and not well lit, this could be an issue depending on your camera.
Pros:
- Somewhat inexpensive
- Solid image quality
- Lighter than 70-200mm f2.8 version
Cons:
- Will need to pair with a wider lens
- Not ideal for low light
Nikon 24-120mm f/4G ED VR
This 24-120mm f4 lens is one that you can consider a budget friendly, all-in-one type wedding photography lens.
Although it won’t produce the sharpest images and it’s not the best in low light, it’s focal lengths and overall quality make it a worthy budget option.
Pros:
- Inexpensive
- Solid image quality
- All-in-one answer for wedding photography
- Decent value for price
Cons:
- Not ideal for low light
- Will probably want to upgrade eventually
Best Wedding Lens for Nikon: Mirrorless Options
Nikon Z 70-200mm F/2.8 VR S
This Z series 70-200mm F/2,8 is very similar to the non-mirrorless version that is listed above.
It’s sharp and gives you the ability to be further away from the subject, which is obviously extremely helpful for wedding photography.
Pros:
- One of the best Nikon lenses on the market
- Affordable
- Produces sharp photos
- Excellent build quality
Cons:
- Tighter zoom would be ideal
NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S
Very similar to the DSLR version listed above, this Z 24-70mm is easily one of Nikon’s best lenses available today. It’s excellent for a lot of different types of photography, including wedding and portrait photography.
It produces very high quality images across the board and is one of those lenses that you can purchase once and use for the next decade, regardless of what genre you photograph.
Pros:
- Premier Nikon lens
- Excellent build quality
- Ideal focal lengths
- Superb image quality
Cons:
- Slightly expensive
Recommendations on the Best Wedding Photography Lens Nikon Produces
The best wedding photography lens Nikon produces is the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8E FL VR since it’s perfect for ceremonies and portraits. Ideally, you’ll pair it with the Nikon 24-70mm F2.8G ED VR to have the best lens combo possible. Purchase these 2 lenses and you’ll be completely covered.
The same can be said for their mirrorless counterparts. If you have a Nikon mirrorless camera, pairing the Nikon Z 24-70 F2.8 S and the Nikon Z 70-200mm F2.8 VR S is a dream combination.
If you are on a tighter budget or you’re only considering getting into wedding photography, the best budget lens is the Nikon 24-120mm f/4G ED VR. It’s an all-in-one type lens that can get the job done, but will likely need to be upgraded eventually.
Finally, check out our Gear page to read more articles just like this with up-to-date product reviews for gear across all photography genres.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which lens is best for wedding photography?
A lens that is sharp, works well in low light, and is versatile will be best for wedding photography. For this article, the best wedding photography lens Nikon produces is the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8E FL VR.
Which Nikon lens is best for portrait photography?
The best wedding photography lens Nikon produces is the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8E FL VR since it’s perfect for ceremonies and portraits.
What camera do most wedding photographers use?
The Nikon d850 is one of the most popular cameras for wedding photography.
What size lens do I need for wedding photography?
A zoom lens is best because you’ll need versatility. Focal lengths between 24mm – 200mm work well for wedding photography.