The Nikon D3000 accepts both DX and FX lenses. However, it doesn’t have an AF motor built-in so you need to make sure the lens you’re thinking of buying has DX in its name. It’s quite hard to find a lens without a motor in this age, but it doesn’t hurt to know. We made sure all lenses on this list have one built-in so there’s no need to worry.
How to tell if a lens is compatible and will fit the D3000?
Nikon -> If there’s “DX” in the name, it’s good
Sigma -> “DC” stands for crop cameras, which the D3000 is.
Tokina -> Also uses “DX” in their names
Tamron -> “Di-II” made for only crop cameras, “Di” works on all Nikon DSLRs
You can also ask us directly if you’re still confused after reading this lens guide.
Good image quality = Good Lenses
Even though the Nikon D3000 is not the latest and greatest, it’s still better to spend your money on a new, quality lens compared to buying a newer entry level DSLR.
With over 60+ Nikon lenses to choose from, and that includes wideadngle, macro, telephoto lenses and much more, you have so much freedom and different choices it’s easy to get lost if you don’t know what you should pay attention to. There are also third-party companies such as Sigma and Tamron that make awesome D3000 lenses!
Here’s what you’ll know after reading our guide:
- What lenses fit on the D3000 and how to tell
- Best D3000 lenses for most common types of photography
- What to look for in every category
Wideangle lenses
Macro lenses
Telephoto lenses
Standard lenses
Types of Lenses:
- Wideangle – Useful for capturing a lot in your scene (usually from 8 to 35mm)
- Standard – Where most photography happens (from 35 to 85mm)
- Telephoto – For subjects far away (85 to 600mm, only a few lenses that go higher)
- Macro – 1:1 ratio that magnifies your subject to real life size (usually from 60 to 180mm)
Wideangle lenses are often used for nature, landscape and indoor photography.
A standard lens is the most similar to how we see the world, and is perfect for most types of photography. Our favorite pick is the Nikon 35mm f/1.8G and if you’re looking for sharpness and good image quality, plus being able to shoot at night, you’ll love it.
Telephoto lenses are longer and often heavier because they need to make your subject appear much closer than it actually is. Sometimes moving closer does the job, but there are occasions where you need a telephoto lens; you can’t just hop on a basketball court for a few seconds to take a few pictures, let alone outside in nature with dangerous animals. An affordable and lightweight option is the Nikon 55-250mm f/4-5.6.
The last on our list are macro lenses. They act like a magnifying glass and make your subject appear as big as it is in real life (known as 1:1 magnification ratio). They’re perfect for details, bugs and product photography, especially smaller items. Nikon recently announced the Nikon 40mm f/2.8G Micro and you’ll find it on all of our lens guides.
- Zoom lenses – Focal length can be changed
- Prime lenses – Same focal length
Simply put, a zoom lens allows you to get closer to your subject by rotating the zoom ring (like a 55-300mm that goes from 55mm, everything between, and 300mm).
A prime lens on the other hand is always at the same focal length (for example, 50mm). Quality is usually better and the maximum aperture can be bigger without making the lens huge in size.
