10 Reviews: Best Telephoto Lenses for Nikon (Apr 2024)

The Nikkor AF-S 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR is Nikon’s longest telephoto zoom lens in the F-mount lineup, and it is the mother of all Nikkor tele zooms. With Nikon cameras, this lens is great for aviation, sports, and wildlife photography. This lens makes quick work of distant, tiny things, and the flexibility to zoom in and out produces recomposing images a breeze. Furthermore, this lens has a fixed f/5.6 aperture rather than a variable aperture range, which is customary in tele zooms. Despite this, it is reasonably priced.

"I bought this lens for a trip to Yellowstone. It met all my expectations and then some. I've used it for sports too. It's fast focusing and sharp as a tack. Great lens for the price!"

by Thomas

Nikon’s 70-300mm full-frame compatible lenses have been hailed since the days of 35mm film cameras, but this latest version is by far the best. The 4.5-stop stabilizer increases effectiveness by two full stops and includes Nikon’s more recent ‘Sport’ mode, while the stepping motor-based focusing system is faster and quieter in operation. Moreover, the lens has an electromagnetically controlled aperture diaphragm, providing the best exposure uniformity while shooting in rapid continuous drive mode. On the other hand, the autofocus system and aperture mechanism make the lens incompatible with numerous prior Nikon DSLRs, most notably the D3000 and D5000.

"I purchased this FX lens as an upgrade from the DX 55-300mm for a D7500. The VR feature has 3 settings, off, normal and sport. I use the sport VR setting for photos at soccer games. So far so good!"

by bobbyamroz

The Nikon Z 50 comes in an appealing twin-lens set that contains both this telephoto lens and the Z 16-50mm standard zoom. It shares the latter’s space-saving retractable shape and is pleasantly lightweight, thanks to the addition of plastic rather than a metal mounting plate. In addition, it has a ‘pulse’ stepping motor autofocus system that is quick and virtually silent, as is typical of Nikon Z-mount lenses, and an electromagnetically controlled aperture diaphragm. Furthermore, the aperture narrows to a relatively narrow f/6.3 at the long end of the zoom range, which helps to keep the size and weight down.

"Good 8mage quality. Fast focus. Long reach. VR to make up for the aperture. Cost is amazing. On Z fc this thing rocks."

by Roger the Consultant

This Tamron lens fully frames compatible. However, its effective zoom range on full-frame Nikons and DX-format DSLRs is 105-315mm, similar to 70-200mm in full-frame terms. Additionally, the optical image stabilizer of the Tamron is equally effective for static images but less so for panning. This lens performs well while photographing from an idling car or another unstable platform. Even better, the picture quality is outstanding in every way. The front part is constructed with weather sealing and a keep-clean fluorine finish. Ths, if you looking for the best telephoto lenses for nikon, loo no further than this Tamron 70-210mm F/4.

"Amazing lens. Pretty versatile for any photography and super sharp. I use this lens on my D7500 which replaced my cheaper 70-300 non vc Tamron. All I can say is amazing."

by Blake DeStasio

If performance is critical and money is no problem, Nikon’s excellent 120-300mm f/2.8E lens is unrivaled. It has an odd focal range, sitting between the trusted 70-200mm and 300mm combination utilized by professional sports photographers. As a result, it provides a quick in-between option for capturing mid and long-range objects. Furthermore, this lean has no flaws and is constant in its performance, with excellent clarity throughout the frame, focal range, and apertures.

"Excellent in low light and very fast focusing. A bit over priced, but a very nice lens."

by Thrifty Ed

The Tamron SP 70-300mm has ring-type ultrasonic autofocus and incredibly efficient optical stabilization. It’s not weather-sealed like many of Tamron’s more modern, higher-end lenses, but the overall build quality is still quite outstanding. Furthermore, the sharpness and contrast levels are desirable, thanks to incorporating both an LD (Low Dispersion) and an XLD (eXtra Low Dispersion) element. Even better, the color fringing is kept under control.

"Great lens with Stabilization with long zoom and good quality. Pretty fast for the price range. Still a bit slow for my tastes, but I'm a prime girl. Overall worth the price."

by Holly Harrison

The Sigma 100-400mm includes a dual-mode zoom mechanism that you may use by twisting the standard zoom ring or pushing and pulling the barrel. The lens hood included with the latter option is specifically tailored for such use. In addition, there are switchable auto/manual-priority AF modes, and incorporating four SLD (Special Low Dispersion) components contributes to the camera’s exceptional picture quality. In addition, you may apply the two custom settings through Sigma’s optional USB port to adjust the autofocus and stabilization systems to your needs.

"My picture taking has improved so much with this lens. I'm loving the quality of the photos and the ability to crop severely and make them look like I'm right next to the birds."

by M.V.

The Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM is a ‘Sport’ lens in Sigma’s Global Vision lineup, designed for speed and maximum performance. In addition, this lens offers sophisticated features such as a manual override focus option, which allows you to switch to manual focusing by turning the focus ring without waiting for AF to first lock onto an object. Also, the dual-mode stabilization offers static and panning modes that you can switch, and the zoom lock switch works at any focal length setting indicated on the barrel. Furthermore, the picture quality is good, and the sport lens better preserves sharpness at the zoom range’s long end.

"That’s my first time with thelephoto lens. To be honest those was my first pictures, I’m impressed how sharp it is even without a tripod. Probably will be my main lens for wildlife for long time. Thanks for the great product and fair price."

by Matheus

With a little over a kilogram weight, this Tamron is far lighter than other 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses, yet it has double the telephoto reach at the long end of its zoom range. In addition, if you’ve moved from a DX camera with a 70-300mm lens to an FX body and are missing the 1.5x crop factor, this lens might help you regain some of your lost reaches. The lens is durable and robust despite its small weight compared to the Nikon AF-S 80-400mm f/4-5.6 ED VR. Super-fast autofocus, 4-stop dual-mode stabilization, and an autofocus limiter that allows you to pick either the short or long segment of the focusing range improve performance.

"Great sharpness, reasonable price, and lightweight. I'm very happy with my purchase!!!!"

by Frank

The Sigma 70-200mm lens for Canon cameras is one of the greatest telephoto lenses available. Although it is not a Canon brand, the quality is higher than some believe. It accepts Canon EF lenses. This lens works with most Canon EOS DSLR cameras, including APS-C and full-frame. Moreover, this lens has 9 Fluorite low-dispersion glass components, which offer excellent optical quality. The lens is also lightweight and weatherproof. Furthermore, the autofocus is driven by a Hyper Sonic Motor, which makes it quick and dependable. This telephoto zoom lens handles fast-paced action with ease.

"The image stabilization is amazing on zoomed in shots especially! The cost is great in comparison with the canon equivalent! Very happy with my purchase and would recommend to others!"

by Travis G.