I was never too happy with the 18-55 kit lens either on my 7200...also never been too happy with the 28-300 lens at the extremes and it's a much more expensive lens....I've come across this list of lenses recommended for DX Nikons....the comments are not mine - the Angry Photographer. There are many versions of the 70-300 from Nikon - the one he recommends is the ED VR G FX first version AF-S not AF-P or DX versions....it's about 300-500 used or refurbished. I've been very happy with the Tammy 90mm macro SP and 150-600 G2 even though not on his list. I will eventually get the 60mm 2.8, 70-300, 300 f/4 and a wide prime or two such as the 20 1.8 and 10.5 fisheye. I can feel the weight of the glass
nikkor 16mm f/2.8 D
Beats the hell out of every other fisheye.
nikkor 105mm f/2 D-C
King of portraits lens. Produces the best bokeh. This is the best lens that Nikon makes.
tamron 15-30mm f/2.8
The nikon 14-24 its an exelent lens but this lens beats it, its sharper and have better corner to corner. Who would think Tamron would come out with a better version that nikon?
nikkor 300mm f/4 AF-S
It has better color saturation, better rendition, makes better images than the 300mm frasnel lens. It´s not as fast but it´s more than fast enough for anything you want to do. For 600 dollars this is the best value. No one has ever complain about it for birds in flight or any action work.
nikkor 85mm f/1.8 G
The sharpest, best purchase 85mm. However the best 85mm is the Zeiss planar 85mm f/1.4
Zeiss planar 85mm f/1.4
This lens is still made, silk sex and sugar. I got two of these for a reason. Usually you can grave them for like 850 dollares used.
nikon 35mm f/2 D
This lens is 200 dollars all day long, produces the most amazing, beatifull saturation, best rendition images you have ever seen. Usually you can get them for 180 dollars on ebay. Anyone that has this lens and is less than extremely happy about the output, its just a falt out idiot. Either that or they got aa broken copy of it. This is still made for a reason, this lens is absolutelly pure silk sex and sugar. Its incredible, the cats ass. Its a screwdrive. Is this the actual ultimate 35mm? No, the utimate is the Zeiss distagon f/2. They dont make that lens anymore, you can grave them used for like 8 or 9 hundred dollars. The melvis its not replacement for it, they decided to change it "upgrade it" and they killed that lens.
Tokina 100mm f/2.8
I love dual purpose lens, great portrait lens, great macro lens.
nikkor 20mm f/1.8 G
Absolutely the best ultra wide angle lens you can buy, regardless of price. Zeiss absolutely sucks ass when it comes to ultra wide lenses. I dont care how much money you spend, you are not gonna finer lens for astro or landscape use. It just kick you in the ass, its that great.
nikkor 24mm f/1.8 G
This is not only a perfect street lens, wide angle, this is also the perfect normal lens to use on DX crop sensor, 38mm, whatever to use on the crop sensor. Actually this is the lens i like to keep on my D500.
nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 G
You dont want the current version, you dont want the VR version, it has more elements and its bigger. They took a prefectly fine lens and made it worse. Dumbasses.
nikkor 180mm f/2.8
You can find them all day long. I got 6 of these for a reason. Do i need 6 of these? Absolutely not. Finest prime lens imaginable.
nikkor 60mm f/2.8 D
Quad-purpose lens. Its a macro lens, its a normal, its a portrait lens on DX. Its sharp as crap, it is just razor sharp. lens Its a The best lens for a full frame. The most usefull damn lens. Not the G series, the D series, doesnt matter if its a pre D or a regular D. One lens to keep on the camara that never leaves the camera. If you dont own this lends you are an idiot.
nikkor 70-300mm f/(missing) VR-G
Fast as snot. Pretty damn cheap, not cheaply made, cheap. The problem is sometimes people buy the wrong lens, ONLY GET THE VR-G VERSION. No one that has this lens complains.
tamron 70-200 f/2.8 V-C
All nikons 70-200 f/2.8 SUCK. Even if money its not concern this is the recomendation, even if money its no object this is the recomendation.
nikkor 200-500mm f/(missing) VR
Here is the behimot. This is the only lens i made a misktake on, i just thought "another super zoom nikon lens". Now i have two of these. What is so amazing of these lens? The VR alone its just pornographic. Its just pornographic the level of VR, i think its like 5 stops of VR. I took a picture at 500mm, handheld, very lowlight, indoors, at 1/13 of a second, tack ass sharp, this lens is the tits. I enmediatly bought a second one. But is it worth the money? Yes, its that damn good. It is that damn good.
DX Lenses
80-200mm 2.8D ED - Just don't use it for portraits because of Iron face
18-200mm DX - One lens that covers a large spectrum
12-24 DX - Good Wide Zoom
135mm 3.5 OR 2.8 - Great glass and good for portraits
60mm 2.8 - Bee's Knees, Macro/portrait/general you're an idiot if you don't have this.
35mm 1.8 DX - Chinese BUT still fantastic and CHEAP. Everyone must own one of these.
The following are optional:
70-300 ED VR - Cheap, Silent AF, has VR, Sharp!!
10.5 Fisheye DX - fun fun fun and works fine on FX in APC-S mode
24-85 FX VR ED - underrated, Cheap, Tack Sharp
I was never too happy with the 18-55 kit lens eith... (