Best Nikon Landscape Photography Kit
Last Updated: June, 2026
When it comes to landscape photography gear, I don't believe there's a single perfect kit.
The best camera and lens combination isn't always the one with the highest specifications or the absolute best image quality. It's the combination that best balances image quality, versatility, portability, and features for the way you actually shoot.
Throughout my own photography, I've found that practical considerations matter just as much as technical performance. After all, gear only provides value if you're willing to carry it with you. In most cases, I believe landscape photographers are best served by either a two-lens kit or a three-lens kit. Both kits can cover everything from ultra-wide to telephoto, with the Two-Lens Kit prioritizing size and weight and the Three-Lens Kit prioritizing image quality. The recommendations in this guide focus not only on image quality, but also on real-world usability and practicality.
Disclaimer: Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Choosing a Camera Body
While this guide is focused on landscape photography, I understand that many photographers, including myself, also shoot other subjects such as wildlife, street photography, travel, portraits, and video. For that reason, the camera bodies I recommend are generally well-rounded hybrid cameras that can produce excellent landscape images while also performing well in a wide variety of other situations.
For my lens reviews and image quality comparisons, I often use higher-resolution camera bodies because they make it easier to identify subtle differences in lens performance. While high-resolution cameras certainly have their advantages, I find that modern midrange cameras offer an excellent balance of image quality, features, versatility, and value. If I were building a landscape photography kit today, I would choose a midrange body and invest the savings in lenses, travel, and other accessories. Modern midrange cameras still provide plenty of resolution for online publishing, prints, and moderate cropping while remaining highly capable for a wide variety of photographic and video applications.
Recommended Nikon Landscape Photography Gear
If I were building a Nikon landscape photography kit from scratch today, this is the gear I would buy as well as recommend to others. I prefer the Two-Lens Kit for long hikes or backpacking, travel, and other situations where I want to keep size and weight to a minimum. The Three-Lens Kit is the setup I prefer when image quality is the priority and carrying additional gear isn't a concern. Many photographers may find that the Two-Lens Kit provides everything they need, while others may choose to expand into the Three-Lens Kit.
Camera
Nikon Z5 II
Two-Lens Kit
Tamron 16-30mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2
Nikon Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR
Three-Lens Kit
Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S
Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S
Nikon Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S
Astrophotography Lenses
Nikon Z 20mm f/1.8 S
Nikon Z 35mm f/1.8 S
Why These Cameras & Lenses Made the Cut
Nikon Z5 II
All of Nikon’s full-frame mirrorless cameras are capable of professional-level photography. If I were purchasing a Nikon camera today for my own photography, the Nikon Z5 II is the camera I would choose. It offers excellent image quality, is packed with practical and useful features, and is capable of handling a wide range of photography and video applications. The Z6 II is another camera I would consider, but I prefer the articulating screen on the Z5 II over the Z6 II’s tilt screen, along with its more modern feature set.
Check Price: B&H Photo | Amazon
Tamron 16-30mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2
The Tamron 16-30mm f/2.8 G2 serves as the wide-angle recommendation in my Two-Lens Kit. It offers the ultra-wide focal lengths that are often useful for landscape photography while also providing a fast f/2.8 aperture that allows it to double as a landscape astrophotography lens. Combined with its relatively compact size and attractive price point, it's one of the most compelling wide-angle options currently available for Nikon Z-mount.
Check Price: B&H Photo | Amazon
Nikon Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR
The Nikon Z 28-400mm is what makes the Two-Lens Kit possible. Rather than carrying separate standard and telephoto zooms, this lens provides coverage from wide-angle to super-telephoto in a single package, making it an excellent choice for hiking, travel, and photographers who prefer carrying less gear. Superzoom lenses like this tend to compromise a bit of image quality in exchange for their extensive zoom range, with much of that compromise typically appearing near the edges and corners of the frame. One way to minimize this weakness is to shoot slightly wider than your intended composition and then crop during post-processing.
Check Price: B&H Photo | Amazon
Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S
The Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S is one of my favorite Nikon lenses for landscape photography. It combines excellent image quality with a compact design while providing an ultra-wide 14mm field of view that can be very useful. One of the biggest advantages of the lens is its ability to accept standard 82mm filters, making it significantly more practical for landscape photography than larger ultra-wide zooms that require specialized filter systems. While it lacks the faster aperture of the Nikon Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S, I believe the smaller size, lower weight, and easier filter compatibility make it the better choice for most landscape photographers.
Check Price: B&H Photo | Amazon
Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S
The Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S combines excellent image quality with an extremely useful focal range, making it one of the most versatile lenses in Nikon's lineup. In most camera systems, I tend to prefer a 24-105mm or 24-120mm lens over a 24-70mm because the additional reach is often more useful than a wider aperture for landscape photography. It has become a core part of my own landscape photography kit and is the standard zoom lens I would choose today.
Check Price: B&H Photo | Amazon
Nikon Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S
Although landscape photography is often associated with wide-angle lenses, telephoto lenses are equally important. The Nikon Z 100-400mm allows you to isolate distant subjects, simplify compositions, and capture scenes that would be impossible with a wider lens. Combined with excellent image quality throughout the zoom range, it's the telephoto lens I would choose when image quality is the priority.
Check Price: B&H Photo | Amazon
Nikon Z 20mm f/1.8 S
The Nikon Z 20mm f/1.8 S is one of the lenses I would choose when astrophotography is the priority. The wider aperture allows more light to reach the sensor, making it easier to capture cleaner images of the night sky while keeping ISO values and exposure times under control. For landscape photographers interested in astrophotography, it's one of the best lenses available in Nikon's lineup.
Check Price: B&H Photo | Amazon
Nikon Z 35mm f/1.8 S
The Nikon Z 35mm f/1.8 lens is the other dedicated astrophotography lens I’d choose. The narrower field of view can create a different perspective compared to an ultra-wide lens, and the f/1.8 aperture is fantastic for astrophotography. A 35mm lens is also useful for creating panoramic images of the night sky, allowing for larger, higher-resolution final images. For photographers who enjoy landscape astrophotography, the Nikon Z 35mm f/1.8 S is an excellent complement to the 20mm f/1.8 S.
Check Price: B&H Photo | Amazon
Final Thoughts
If I were building a Nikon landscape photography kit today, this is the gear I would choose. While there are certainly other excellent options within the Nikon system, the kit I prefer isn't necessarily the one with the highest specs. As long as it can produce excellent images, is enjoyable to use, and has the features I need, I'm happy.
Whether you prefer a two-lens kit that prioritizes size and weight, a three-lens kit that prioritizes image quality, or access to both, the goal is to build a system that you're excited to use and willing to carry into the field. After all, even the best gear only provides value if it's with you when the light gets good.