Budget Lenses (under $200.00 US)

[Saralonde]

Photography can be an expensive hobby and, bargain hunter that I am, I'm always looking for the best bang for my buck. Sure I'd love to own a bunch of Canon L lenses and a full frame camera, but I'm not rich or a pro photographer, just a serious amateur that wants a variety of lens options with decent optics at a price I can afford. So these are my choices of lenses to buy if you have a DSLR and little money left to expand your range. I have, or had, all of them.

I started with the Canon Rebel XT and the kit lens 18-55 mm. The kit lens is generally panned by a lot of people, but it is really a decent lens to start out with, particularly since it is less than $100.00 US. It is still the only wide angle lens I own.

1. Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II ($85.00 US) for Nikkon users Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D ($108.00 US)
Rating: 9/10
Pros: great for low light, lightweight and compact, sharp, ideal for portrait photography, nice background blur
Cons: plastic build, can focus slowly
Known as the "nifty fifty" or "thrifty fifty", this lens is sharp at 1.8 and even better at 2.8. Really a great lens to have in situations with low light, especially if you can't use a flash. With no zoom to depend on, this prime gives you a chance to develop your skills. I found myself being more careful about framing and perspective. A lot of people use this as their walk around lens, but it does have its limitations. I used this lens so often that when it broke I bought its big brother, 50mm f/1.4.

2. Sigma 70-300mmf/4-5.6 Macro APO DG (under $200.00 US) Must be the APO version ( Mounts for Canon, Nikon, Pentax and Minolta cameras)
Rating: 8/10
Pros: inexpensive, comes with a lens hood, can function as a macro (1:2), versatility
Cons: needs good light (can hunt for focus), soft above 200mm
If you want an inexpensive zoom lens, look no farther then this. It can be used for portraits, outdoor sports, and nature/macro photography. This lens is nice for trying out macro, even though it is not true macro which is 1:1, not the 1:2 this lens has. It can manage some outdoor sports, but if this is something you shoot a lot, a faster lens might be better.

If you are new to photography and not sure if you want a zoom or a prime lens, this is a low cost way to find out. Are there better lenses then these? Certainly, but there are not many for under $200.00. Of course there are other options. You could save money for a more expensive lens or buy used.

If anyone has a budget lens they would like to add or their own opinions about these lenses, please add to this thread.

Edit: Trying to post sample images from each lens, but encountering some problems at the moment.

[Nicole]

Quick note on the Nikon 50mm f/1.8, mine actually feels really well constructed compared to the kit lens (18-55mm) since it has a metal mount (the kit lens has plastic). Perhaps this accounts for the price difference between the Canon and Nikon lenses?

[Saralonde]

Very possible. The Canon lens has a toylike feeling. My 50 f/1.4 is much more substantial.

[Morca007]

I <3 my Nikkor 50mm.
It sees more use than anything else I own.

[Saralonde]

Wanted to add sample images from each lens.

Taken by my daughter Kayt, 1/60, 5.0, ISO 400:


1/60, 5.6, ISO400:


1/250, 8.0, ISO400:

[Saralonde]

Sample images of the 50mm f/1.8.

1/1000, 9.0, ISO 400:


Taken by my daughter's boyfriend. 1/500, 6.3. ISO 400:


Other samples here What is the best camera for Portrait Photography? #20

[Saralonde]

Sample Pictures using Sigma 70-300mm Macro APO DG. All sharpened and cropped in Picasa.

1/100, 8.0, ISO 100, focal length 300mm:


1/80, 5.6, ISO 100, focal length 300mm:


1/500, 5.6, ISO 200, focal lenth 263mm:


Macro sample. 1/100, 5.0, ISO 100, focal length 214mm:

[omega]

Thanks, this thread is a great resource and I'm sure it will help plenty of SLR users.

What is yellow glow from on the moon shot? Dirty lens?

[NaturesPixel]

while the sigma is soft as Saralonde states.. there is work around by shooting with aperture of f8-f11 but this means it must be a nice bright sunny day... AND a tripod is a MUST with the focal length at 300mm

both taken just other day with my sigma 70-300 APO

[Saralonde]

Much better examples then mine! That bird is really nice.