2 Of The Best Zoom Lenses For Nikon D3100 Cameras!

In this article, we will be taking a look at what we feel are the best zoom lenses for Nikon d3100 cameras currently available on the market right now. We have published a number of articles based on different types of lenses for the d3100 and today it is the turn of the zoom or telephoto lens.

We would like to quickly point out that we have chosen lenses that we feel will fit the budgets of the majority of our readers while also offering them the best overall mix of functionality, performance, build quality, and price. You can click here if you would like to see a full list of zoom lenses that will fit your Nikon d3100.

Both of the lenses we will be covering are great quality, especially for their prices and they have managed to earn and maintain themselves an excellent reputation amongst the photography community. We also feel that both of the lenses in this article will be within the budgets of the majority of our readers and they will make excellent accessories for your d3100.

Click Here To Check For Prices On High-Quality, Budget Friendly Zoom Lenses For Your D3100!

The Tamron Auto Focus 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3

In our opinion, the overall best zoom lens for Nikon d3100 cameras out there right now is the Tamron Auto Focus 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 (Click here to check for product prices and availability). We feel that it offers the best mix of performance, functionality, build quality, and performance and over the years all of these features have enabled the lens to become very popular and earn plenty of third-party, independent reviews from photographers.

Its zoom range of 18-270mm makes it a very versatile zoom lens with a variable focal length. Depending on your photography niche this can help you by reducing the number of lenses you have to carry around with you and switch over to using just this one while still maintaining an excellent level of image quality.

An example of the kind of performance that you can expect from your d3100 when using the Tamron 18-270mm at its lower end zoom range.
An example of the kind of performance that you can expect from your d3100 when using the Tamron 18-270mm at its lower end zoom range.

Although the lens is relatively low price considering the overall functionality and level of performance it offers you, the autofocus motor included outperforms most expectations. It is fast as adjusting focus levels while its motor also remains quiet making it an ideal choice if you are planning on doing any type of run and gun photography.

The included image stabilization in the lens is also very good and will help improve your overall image quality. That said, if you are planning on using the lens at its higher levels of zoom then we would highly recommend that you pick up a high-quality, budget-friendly tripod (Click here to check for product prices and availability) as it will offer superior stabilization at the higher ends.

As many people choose to further customize the performance of their lenses with filters, we would like to point out that the Tamron 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 uses a 62mm filter thread making it easy to pick up a range of filters. If you are looking for budget-friendly filters for your lens then we would recommend that you check out the Gobe 62mm range for your needs (Click here to check for product prices and availability).

An example of the type of image quality you can expect from your d3100 with the Tamron 18-270mm at its higher levels of zoom.
An example of the type of image quality you can expect from your d3100 with the Tamron 18-270mm at its higher levels of zoom.

All in all, we feel that the Tamron Auto Focus 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 really is an excellent lens that can tick a lot of boxes that we feel that our readers will expect from a zoom lens for their Nikon d3100. The lens has a great reputation and you can read a bunch of reviews of the lens left by third-party photographers via the link below if you like.

Click Here To Read Independent Third Party Reviews Of This Product!

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The Sigma 18-200mm F3.5-6.3

The next zoom lens that will fit your Nikon d3100 that we feel our readers should check out is the Sigma 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 (Click here to check for product prices and availability). Although we do feel that the Tamron lens is better overall, the Sigma lens is preferred by a number of photographers although it is not as popular as the Tamron, it still has an excellent reputation.

Again, it is a telephoto lens with a variable focal length that is suitable for a number of photography niches while still offering great overall image quality. With its minimum focus distance of around fifteen inches, you can even use the lens for some up close photography niches and still get some excellent performance.

An example of the type of image quality offered by the Sigma 18-200mm at its mid zoom range.
An example of the type of image quality offered by the Sigma 18-200mm at its mid-zoom range.

In our opinion, one of the best things about the 18-200mm zoom capability lenses is they offer great high-level zoom capabilities while also offering some great wide angle performance down at their lower zoom. If you are planning on doing any kind of travel photography then these lenses could be perfect for you. The just ticks so many boxes with one lens and can massively reduce the amount of kit you have to take with you.

An example of the wide angle capabilities of the 18-200mm lenses and what you are able to expect from your Nikon d3100.
An example of the wide angle capabilities of the 18-200mm lenses and what you are able to expect from your Nikon d3100.

We would recommend that our readers check out both of these lenses in more detail when they have time. Although we favor the Tamron lens and it is much more popular than the Sigma lens we still feel that you should check both out as some photographers do prefer the Sigma range.

Click Here To Read Independent Third Party Reviews Of This Product!

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