Best Nikon D5200 Portrait Lenses for Stunning Portraits

If you're looking to enhance your portrait photography with a Nikon D5200, you have several excellent lens options to choose from. This camera, featuring a DX format sensor, benefits from high-quality prime lenses that can create stunning portraits with a shallow depth of field. In this guide, we will explore the best lenses for portraits and provide insights into why they perform excellently on your Nikon D5200.

Principles of Portrait Lenses

Typically, the focal length of a lens meant for portraiture on an SLR is around 85mm, which, for a cropped sensor like the D5200, equates to approximately 50-60mm. However, lenses longer than this range, such as 120mm, can also produce excellent results, especially in good lighting conditions.

Lens Recommendations

Nikkor AF 50mm f/1.8D - This lens is a budget-friendly option with an extremely fast aperture, ideal for creating shallow depth of field and emphasizing the subject. It's manual focus on the D5200 but can still produce fantastic results.

Nikkor AF 85mm f/1.8D - Another excellent choice, especially for more intimate portraits. At a similar price but with a larger aperture, this lens provides superior performance for its cost. It works well on the D5200 and can create exceptional portraits.

Nikkor 85mm f/1.4D - If budget is not a concern, the f/1.4 version of this lens provides even better performance with a wider aperture for deeper shake isolation. However, it is more expensive and requires an autofocus motor that is not present in the D5200, making it manual focus instead.

Considerations for Lens Choice

A short telephoto lens like the 50mm f/1.8 D is the traditional choice for portraiture. On a full-frame 24x36mm camera, an 85mm lens is ideal. The DX format of the D5200 means that a 50mm lens can be used to simulate a 75mm lens on a full-frame camera. The f/1.4 version is preferable due to its shallow depth of field but is also more expensive. A f/1.8 lens, like the 50mm f/1.8, is still excellent and provides very good value.

The Nikkor 85mm f/1.8 is particularly noteworthy because it provides a great focal length for portraiture on the D5200. It is not only inexpensive but also has a relatively wide aperture, making it an excellent choice for both center stage and background separation.

For portrait photographers who may upgrade to a full-frame camera in the future, the 85mm f/1.8 lens is a wise investment, as it remains a standout choice for portraiture.

Additional Lenses to Consider

50mm f/1.4 vs. 50mm f/1.8 - Both have their pros and cons. The f/1.4 version offers a slightly faster aperture, ideal for low-light conditions, but is more expensive. The f/1.8 version is a great budget-friendly alternative that still provides excellent results.

35mm and 120mm lenses - While these lenses offer flexibility for different portrait needs, they are not the optimal lengths for traditional portraiture. A 35mm lens on a DX body works as a 52mm lens, which can be too wide for head shots and requires you to be quite close to the subject.

Macro lenses - Longer macro lenses like 50mm, 60mm, 85mm, and 90mm can serve as a substitute for portrait lenses, especially if you need a very sharp image. However, they do not offer as shallow a depth of field as true portrait lenses, but they can still be useful in certain scenarios.

Conclusion

Choosing the right portrait lens for your Nikon D5200 involves considering factors like focal length, aperture, and budget. Both the Nikkor AF 50mm f/1.8D and the Nikkor AF 85mm f/1.8D are excellent choices for their respective focal lengths, providing great value and quality. The 85mm f/1.8D, in particular, is a standout option for its balance of performance and affordability.

If budget allows, upgrading to the f/1.4 version of the 85mm lens enhances performance even further, though it may not work ideally on your D5200 without an autofocus motor.

By carefully choosing the right lens for your Nikon D5200, you can capture stunning, professional-quality portraits that will impress your audience and clients alike.