Just as we did yesterday with our ‘Top 3 Under $500’ post for Canon’s EF Mount, today we are taking a look at some of the best value available to Nikon F Mount Shooters. The hard part with Nikon is the fact that some many of their vintage lenses are still usable on their newest bodies.

Just as with our Canon article, we are limiting this post to full frame or FX lenses only, and we will revisit this topic later looking at APS-C or DX lenses specifically. The other caveat to this list is that we will be looking at modern lenses only, since the majority of Nikon’s old manual focus vintage glass could probably fall in the ‘under $500’ criteria.

1. Nikon 50mm F/1.4G – $419

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Just as with our Canon post, we begin our Nikon list with a 50mm. The difference being, we actually hold the Nikon 50mm F/1.4G in a high regard, unlike the Canon 50mm F/1.4, so on this list Nikon’s 50mm F/1.4G makes the cut – barely.

That being said, the Nikon 50mm F/1.8G is also an excellent option for those who want to save a little more and are not worried about a little extra light, and slightly beefier build.

You can find the Nikon 50mm F/1.4G over on B&H now for $419.

2. Nikon 24mm F/2.8D – $359

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If you are looking for a relatively fast and fairly wide prime with auto focus, then look no further than the Nikon 24mm F/2.8D. This lens is sharp, has an excellent image quality, and while it may not be a low light demon, its F/2.8 aperture should be plenty for most situations.

There are, of course, other faster and wider primes available under out $500 mark, but most, if not all, of these, either fall into the ‘Vintage Nikon’ or ‘No AF’ category. Since we feel like most of you would probably like AF, this is your best best for a budget wide angle prime on the F mount.

You can pick one up today over on B&H for only $359.

3. Nikon 60mm Micro F/2.8D – $469

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It looks like we are going to be rounding out this Nikon listing with a micro (macro) lens as well. Though this time, a slightly wider one. Nikon’s 60mm Mirco is a great little macro lens that can make for a ton of fun on photo walks.

You could also go with the F Mount version of the Tokina 100mm macro that we featured in our Canon post, which would actually save you some money, but for this list, we decided to go with the Nikon branded macro lens.

You can get your hands on the Nikon 60mm Micro 2.8D today over on B&H for just $469.

What are your top three Nikon F Mount lenses under $500? Do you agree with our list, or do you have your own ideas? Leave a comment below and let us know what you think!