50mm f/1.8 AFD Nikkor
This "normal" lens costs around $100 USD, and its performance is simply excellent. Sure, this isn't an exotic design, but it works great in low light and is tack-sharp when you use it stopped down a little bit. This was one of my first AF Nikkors, simply because I figured it was cheap and I was used to the 50mm focal length on film. I used this on my old N70 and was impressed with just how sharp it was.
18-70mm DX Zoom Nikkor
This was the "kit" lens introduced with the D70. I think part of the reason that the D70 helped turn Nikon around with digital users was the quality of this lens. It pretty much put to shame the other kit lenses of the time, and I picked up a used one for around $200. I love how small and compact this lens is, and when I want to go light, I put it on my D300 for a basic landscape/portrait lens.
300mm f/4.0 AFS Nikkor
This lens is not exactly "cheap"; it costs over $1000. But what I love about this lens is just how wonderfully it performs as a budget wildlife lens. On DX, you get a 450mm equivalent field of view, it focuses fast with the AFS motor, and this lens is absolutely pin-sharp. I like the integrated hood design-- it keeps the lens profile slim in your bag. What's even better is that you can get excellent performance with a TC-14E teleconverter with this Nikkor, so that gives you flexibility if you are an FX shooter, too. I wish it had VR, but that's a small drawback for such a stellar performer in the field.
70-300 f/4.5-5.6 G AFS VR Zoom Nikkor
OK, this little lens impresses me. When you stop it down to around f/8, performance on FX is nearly as good as the 70-200mm VR, but at about 1/3 the price. Earlier versions of this lens were not nearly as good, but this new design is great. It is small, relatively lightweight, and works well on either FX or DX. Sure, you won't get the nice bokeh of the 70-200mm VR, but you won't break your bank, either. For a DX shooter, the combination of this lens plus the 18-70mm DX is a real winner.
85mm f/1.8 AFD Nikkor
This smaller cousin to the legendary 85mm f/1.4 AFD Nikkor is often overlooked, but quite frankly it performs very well and costs significantly less than its big brother. Because this lens is an older design, you will observe some CA when you shoot it at wide apertures, but you can get rid of that easily enough if you shoot RAW. If you need a portrait lens on a budget, this is a great choice.
Do you have a suggestion for a lens to add to this list? Contact me at jason(at)luminescentphoto.com
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