Answer
What is the best budget lens?
Every system has a "nifty fifty" — a 50mm f/1.8 prime under $250 that punches far above its price. Pair it with the kit zoom your camera came with and you have a complete starter kit.
The nifty fifty by mount
- Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 — $250
- Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 — $200
- Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 S — $600 (S-line is the cheap option; not f/1.4)
- Fujifilm XC 35mm f/2 — $200 (35mm APS-C ≈ 50mm equivalent)
Why a 50mm f/1.8 changes everything
- Lets in 4x more light than your kit zoom
- Beautiful background blur for portraits
- Forces you to move with your feet, which improves composition
- Compact enough to carry every day
Beyond the nifty fifty
- 35mm f/1.8 — environmental and street ($400-600)
- 85mm f/1.8 — portraits with compression ($400-700)
- Tamron / Sigma f/2.8 zooms — pro-spec at a discount ($700-900)
More answers
- What is the best portrait lens focal length on a crop sensor?
- 85mm vs 50mm for portraits: which should you buy first?
- What is lens compression, and do long lenses really flatten faces?
- Is an f/1.2 lens worth it over f/1.8 for portraits?
- Why does bokeh look different between lenses at the same aperture?
- Pancake vs Fresnel lenses in VR headsets: what is the real difference?
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