Hello guys! One of the most important questions you will have if you are a budget-conscious photographer starting with a Sony camera is: which lenses should I get without going broke?
Selecting the correct lens might be a little daunting, particularly if you have to strike a compromise between cost and quality. Still, you won’t have to shell out a fortune to get great pictures. Many reasonably priced lenses are available that provide the performance you require without emptying your pocket.
What therefore specifically should you search for in a reasonably priced lens? All without breaking the bank, the objective is to identify something with good build quality, adaptability for many kinds of photography, and solid image quality.
There is a cheap lens for you whether your project is a portrait, landscape, or something in between. Let us dissect it now..
What We Look for in Cheap Lenses?
Searching for cheap lenses is mostly about striking the ideal balance between cost and performance. The following should help you keep things in perspective:
- Optical Quality:
You still want your pictures to be crisp and vivid even if you’re cutting expenses. Still, cheap lenses should provide reasonable clarity, particularly in the middle of the frame. - Aperture:
For low-light conditions and building that dreamy, out-of-focus background, a larger aperture—like f/1.8—allows in more light. For portrait photography, this function truly revolutionizes the process. - Autofocus:
Reliable and fast autofocus is crucial even from a budget perspective. The lens couldn’t keep up, so you desire not to miss the shot! - Portability:
For photographers on the run, lighter and more compact lenses are perfect. They also make more sense for you to tote around during a long day of shooting. - Build Quality:
A budget lens should be robust enough for daily usage even if you might not receive the quality feel of high-end lenses.
Best Cheap Lenses for Sony Cameras
Let’s explore some of the most reasonably priced Sony camera lenses for which you should include to your toolbox..
1. Sony FE 50mm f/1.8
First on list is the Sony FE 50mm f/1.8. If your Sony mirrorless camera is brand-new, this lens is most likely one of the greatest initial buys you could make.
For a reason—its great adaptability—the 50mm is sometimes referred to as a “nifty fifty”. It can be used for street photography, portraits, even some landscape work.
Why is this lens so much sought for? Its f/1.8 aperture first performs really well in low light and lets you create wonderful bokeh—those creamy, blurred backgrounds that highlight your subject.
This allows you to capture amazing images even in poorly lit environments. And given what you receive, for about $250 it’s rather reasonable.
Though for the price it’s a value even if it’s not the fastest or sharpest lens available. For daily shooting, it is light-weight, small, and provides good picture quality.
This lens is a great inexpensive choice whether you’re photographing your friends and family or a wedding.
2. Samyang 35mm f/2.8
The Samyang 35mm f/2.8 is next on list; another great affordable lens for Sony users, particularly if you use an APS-C camera, Just 95g, this tiny man is incredibly light and ideal for travel or street photography when you want to avoid lugging about bulky equipment.
Though not the fastest lens available at f/2.8, it is still adequately suitable for most shooting conditions. For environmental portraits, landscapes, even some inside photography, the 35mm lens length is excellent.
It is rather more flexible for general use than the 50mm since it offers you a larger field of view.
The pricing of this lens—about $250—and its small size are among its better features. The Samyang 35mm f/2.8 is a no-brainer if you enjoy keeping things light and portable.
It’s a good choice for casual shooting even though its build quality is not the toughest.
3. Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8
For APS-C Sony cameras, the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 is a great alternative if you want a zoom lens with more flexibility. With a constant f/2.8 aperture that permits improved low-light performance and more creative depth-of- vision control, this lens is essentially a step up from the standard kit lens.
The 18-50mm range is quite flexible; it spans wide-angle views to conventional portraiture. This lens will handle landscape, portrait, or even some light macro work (with a magnification ratio of 0.35x).
Though it’s a little more costly than the primes we have discussed, at roughly $549 you get a lot more adaptability.
Though it lacks picture stabilization—something to take into account if you are holding in low light—the construction is good. For those who want to replace the kit lens with something with a bit more punch, however, generally it’s a fantastic all-in-one lens.
4. Sony 11mm f/1.8
The Sony 11mm f/1.8 is a great tool for anyone wishing to play about with ultra-wide-angle photography. If you enjoy shooting the night sky, ultra-wide lenses are ideal for catching vast vistas, architecture, or even astrophotography.
Excellent for Milky Way photography, this lens is fast enough for low-light conditions at f/1.8. The remarkably broad field of view provided by the 11mm focal length will help your compositions to seem highly dramatic and energetic.
It’s not exactly the cheapest, but for an ultra-wide with such a quick aperture, it’s a great buy for about $550.
One thing to keep in mind is that this lens does have some distortion, which is rather typical of ultra-wides; fortunately, post-processing readily fixes this. If you enjoy playing about with broad compositions, this lens is absolutely worth looking at.
5. Sony 10-20mm f/4
Another great choice is the Sony 10-20mm f/4 if you would want the freedom of a zoom at ultra-wide focal lengths. Although the f/4 aperture is a little slower than the Sony 11mm f/1.8, the zoom range allows you more freedom for many kinds of images, from architecture to vast landscapes.
Using a simple rocker switch on the lens, the Power Zoom (PZ) technology of this lens lets you effortlessly zoom in and out. If you enjoy videography particularly, this is extremely helpful since it gives your zooms a lot more professional appearance.
Though it’s a little more costly at about $750, the adaptability and seamless zoom make it well worth the investment—especially for video shooters. This lens will be an excellent addition to your collection if you enjoy shooting wide yet wish additional flexibility.
6. Tamron 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3
Let us now consider telephoto. For those who desire a longer reach without the heavy price tag, the Tamron 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 is a great, reasonably priced choice.
For sports, wildlife, or even distant scenery photography, telephoto lenses are fantastic; this Tamron lens provides good performance for a tenth of the cost of Sony’s own 70-300mm models.
Although it lacks some of the sophisticated tools like picture stabilization or super-fast autofocus, for casual use—such as zoo walks or recording your children’s sports events—it is more than suitable. For a telephoto lens, it is also quite light, which makes carrying it about for long shooting sessions simple.
For those who require a telephoto zoom without going broke, this lens is a great budget choice at just about $500.
7. Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8
Finally, although still somewhat more reasonably priced than Sony’s own 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses, the Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 is the priciest choice on this list. Thanks for its quick f/2.8 aperture and amazing zoom range; this lens is ideal for portrait, sports, or action photography.
Excellent for both shooting sports from the sidelines and tight portraits with lovely background blur, the 70–180mm lens length is quite flexible. For low-light conditions, too, the f/2.8 aperture is perfect.
Although it’s clearly an investment at over $1200, for photographers who require a high-quality telephoto zoom without paying for the Sony 70-200mm, this Tamron lens provides great value for the money.
It also fits far more compactly and is far lighter than some of the more expensive substitutes.
Conclusion
Finding the best cheap lens for your Sony camera ultimately requires more than just choosing the one with the lowest cost. It’s about maximising value for your money. There is something out there for you that won’t empty your wallet whether your search is for a flexible zoom for travel or a lens to capture great pictures.
For their cost, these budget lenses give amazing performance. Therefore, try not to worry too much about the expenses; the most important thing is how effectively the lens lets you catch the event. Cheers to happy shooting!