Photography may seem expensive from time to time, but there’s plenty of of affordable lenses with excellent image quality out there. We’ve selected the best Canon has to offer, with lowest prices taken from Amazon.
- Under $300
- Under $500
- Under $1000
Lenses Under $300:
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM
Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM
Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM
Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM
Lenses Under $500:
Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM
Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X Pro DX II
Lenses Under $1000:
Canon EF 100m f/2.8 USM Macro
Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM
Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM
Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM
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Best Canon Lenses Under $300
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM
You’ve probably seen the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM in almost every lens guide on the internet, including ours, but that’s simply because there will never be a better deal out there for those who want the best image quality at such a low price.
For slightly over $100, you get a prime lens with excellent optical quality, great colors and contrast, a quick and silent auto focusing system at a focal length that’s perfect for almost any situation. Because of STM, the lens focuses silently and that makes is it great for videographers as well.
If you’re new to the DSLR world and want to get yourself a lens that will immediately make your shots look more professional, you absolutely need the 50mm f/1.8! Take a look at our aperture guide and its effect on photography to see why the f/1.8 opening is such an awesome feature; it makes your subject stand out and also allows you to shoot in extreme low light situations.
Who is this lens for? Portrait, wedding, concert, food, product, animal photographers, you name it! Because of its great focal length and big aperture, it’s also perfect for traveling and street photography.
You can buy it at Amazon or read more reviews here.
Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM
Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM is your best choice if you want to photograph wildlife, sports or things that are quite far away. If you own the 18-55mm kit lens or are also planning on buying the 50mm above, this telephoto lens continues right where they both stop, so you’re covered on all ends!
First of all, it’s not heavy (13.2oz/375g) like the majority of telephoto lenses, meaning you won’t be tired after shooting with it for hours. It obviously doesn’t come with the best build design but then again, it feels solid and well-built.
Then there’s the Image Stabilization system which helps you up to 3.5 stops, but this works only for subjects that are still. If you don’t know how it works, it basically allows you to shoot at slow shuter speeds without getting blurry shots because your lens is smart enough to correct your unwanted movement/shaking.
It’s sharp from 55 to 250mm, has silent and quick auto focus thanks to the Stepping Motor (STM) and is designed to work only on APS-C cameras because of its EF-S mount.
Who is this lens for? Anyone who feels their current lens just doesn’t get them close enough. Length wise, it’s great for races, outdoor sports (indoors you’ll have to increase your ISO speed), pets and wild animals, but 250mm might still be a bit short for serious bird photography.
You can buy it at Amazon or read more reviews here.
Canon EF 24mm f/2.8 STM
As unusual as the Canon EF 24mm f/2.8 STM looks, it’s actually a fully functional, high quality wide-angle prime lens. The flat type of design has a name; we call them pancake lenses because they’re so short and lightweight.
Like the lens above, the 24mm f/2.8 is only compatible with APS-C type cameras, where the small size makes a lot of sense (otherwise a small lens on a huge camera would be pointless). It weighs a mere 4.4oz/125g and measures 2.7 x 0.9in/68.2 x 22.8mm, making it the slimmest EF-S lens!
Even though it’s super cheap, it still comes with FTM (Full Time Manual focus), a feature that allows you to focus manually at any time, even when set to AF mode. It’s got a minimum focusing distance of 0.5 ft (16cm) and a 7-blade circular aperture which results in quite okay background blur at f/2.8, but this is not the reason why one would buy the 24mm f/2.8.
Who is this lens for? It’s great for landscape shooters, club/indoor photographers and street photographers. Since its field of view on APS-C is equivalent to 38mm, it’s also a great walk-around and travel lens.
You can buy it at Amazon or read more reviews here.
Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM
Released in 2014, the Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM is an amazing choice for anyone looking to do landscape, architecture or real estate photography. It’s designed to work on APS-C cameras, but it’s still equivalent to a 16-29mm lens, making it the widest Canon EF-S lens available!
Replacing the older and much more expensive 10-22mm version, the 10-18mm comes with Image Stabilization up to 4 stops, an STM motor for silent and accurate auto focus (this applies to videos as well) and the same high image quality. The Image Stabilization is perfect for those who plan on shooting at night or generally without a tripod, as you can shoot with speeds you otherwise couldn’t (assuming you want a sharp photograph).
Who is this lens for? At such wide angles, you see the whole world differently, which is why I think every photographer should own a wideangle lens! It’s great for landscape, traveling, architecture, real estate, clubs/indoor and group shots.
You can buy it at Amazon or read more reviews here.
Best Lenses Under $500
Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM
How to describe the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM? Beautiful colors, razor sharp images, superb quality, creamy bokeh and most importantly, affordable! For less than $400 (at Amazon) you get one of the sharpest prime lenses Canon has ever made.
Featuring an Ultra Sonic Motor, it’ll quickly focus on your subject, even when in darker conditions (better cameras offer better AF systems as well). With f/1.8 and 85mm focal length you can’t even imagine what kind of amazing photographs you’ll be able to take!
Where this lens truly shines at is portrait, wedding and concert photography.
Often shoot in low light? At f/1.8 you’ll be able to get crisp shots without having to raise your ISO speed to extreme sensitivities, although if you own a newer DSLR you don’t have to worry about noise as much as with older models.
Who is this lens for? Portrait, concert, street, animal and even sport photographers. If you’ve never used anything but your kit lens, you’ll be blown away by what the 85mm f/1.8 can do. Hands down my favorite prime lens for its price/performance, I’ve been using it for years and love it.
You can buy it at Amazon or read more reviews here.
Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X Pro DX II
Tokina may not be the most famous third-party lens company, but their Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 Pro DX II is cheaper than anything around this focal length (let alone such a big aperture) and offers same, or even better image quality than competition!
Like the rest of their lenses, this one is built like a tank and feels solid in hand. It’s 1mm longer than Canon’s 10-18mm at the wide end, but in return you get a much larger aperture. Not really a deal breaker unless you often photograph in low light, or want to photograph in clubs/indoors without raising your ISO too high.
The auto focus is also louder compared to 10-18mm, meaning your videos will pick up the AF noise if you will keep the original audio. As I said before, if you want to use the AF while recording, get yourself a lens with STM!
Who is this lens for? Landscape, sky/night, indoor, club photographers. Get it only if you know you need the f/2.8 aperture for low light, since you’re mostly paying for that.
Price: Click here to see it on Amazon
Best Canon Lenses Under $1000
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro
Macro lenses are notorious for being sharp, and the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro is no exception! The focal length is perfect; not too short so you won’t easily scare your subjects, and it’s not too long either (even when on an APS-C camera).
A lot of people think macro lenses are only for small products or animals, but you could honestly use this lens for almost anything, from portraits to sports. With f/2.8 maximum aperture and telephoto length, your backgrounds will look creamy and colorful, and you will also be able to shoot in darker conditions.
Focusing wise, the Ring USM offers very quick and silent auto focus, a must for photographing in the nature. Its closest focusing distance is 1 foot (0.30m), it takes 58mm filters and weighs 21.1oz/598g. There’s no IS, but if you need Image Stabilization for macro photography, check out the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro here (under $1000).
Who is this lens for? Portrait, product, bugs, animal photographers. I’ve used it for sports and action as well (subjects far away) and had no complaints regarding the AF speed.
You can buy it at Amazon or read more reviews here.
Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM
The Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM is the most affordable 70-200mm telephoto zoom from Canon (out of 4 versions, ranging from $600 to $2,000). This one comes without Image Stabilization, meaning you’ll have to bump up the ISO speed when photographing in low light situations. On the bright side, that makes it the lightest lens of those 4.
For any outdoor situation, it will be perfect. It’s one of the sharpest Canon’s zoom lenses, even when used at f/4, let alone when stopped down. Ring USM results in very fast and accurate auto focusing, and it also features Full Time Manual focus.
If you need the Image Stabilization, check out the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM here. It offers just as good image quality and good build quality, but is heavier and costs a little bit over $1000.
Who is this lens for? Sports, portraits, anything outdoor, animals (200mm is too short for serious wildlife), landscape, traveling (although not as light as many other lenses). It’s also good for indoor action, but only with ISO above 1,600/3,200. You shouldn’t worry about noise so much if you own one of the latest DSLRs.
You can buy it at Amazon or read more reviews here.
Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM
Cheapest entry-level DSLRs come with the 18-55mm kit lens, which is alright for starting out, but if you have the budget and know you want something with even more reach and better quality, go for the Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM.
There’s quite a few versions of this lens out there, but the STM one offers great image quality, fastest and near silent auto focusing (perfe-ct for those who record videos), is built better and offers the same image quality as the Canon EF-S 15-85mm (more expensive, less reach, also used to be a kit lens).
It covers wide, standard and telephoto ranges, making it an excellent all-around/travel lens. Paired with the Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/3.5-5.6, you’re covered for from 10mm all the way to 135mm! The 18-135mm lens is designed for APS-C cameras only, if you own a FF model, check out the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS STM (affordable and similar field of view, plus a fixed aperture).
Who is this lens for? It’s a perfect walk-around/travel lens because of its quality and reach. Sports, action, people, landscape, videos
You can buy it at Amazon or read more reviews here.
Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM
A couple of years ago, large apertures were only possible on prime lenses, but Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM changed that in 2013. You’re looking at an optically superb, wide-to-standard large aperture lens that could save you a lot of money and weight (1 zoom with f/1.8 instead of 3 primes with f/1.8).
Designed for APS-C cameras only, its field of view is equivalent to 29-56mm. While it may not zoom as much as some other lenses, the range it covers is still extremely common for a whole lot of situations (in return, we get a bright f/1.8 opening).
Not familiar with Sigma’s terms? The lens features HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor), which means the lens is very quick and accurate at focusing. You can also expect beautiful background blur thanks to 9 diaphragm blades, especially when wide open. Besides amazing quality in still photography, the lens is perfect for videos as well, thanks to its smooth focus and zoom rings.
The lens weighs 1.79 pounds (810 grams) and is quite long, meaning your neck will probably get tired after a couple of hours of shooting. If you want ‘pancake’ like lenses (24mm f/2.8 STM) and something super light, the Sigma 18-35mm is not for you. However, in a way, it’s like 3 x f/1.8 lenses in one so it’s just something you have to live with.
You can buy it at Amazon or read more reviews here.
What About Other Lenses?
First of all, don’t buy the Canon EF 75-300mm (any of them). They might be cheap, but if you care about quality and auto focus speed you’ll be disappointed and only wasting your money.
If this was 2015, we’d also recommend the Canon EF 50m f/1.4, but the new, improved f/1.8 version is simply a better deal. Yes, those who need the extra larger aperture will love it, but it’s simply not the best option if you’re looking to get a lot without spending too much.
Same goes for the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM. A wonderful lens, but gets soft after 200mm. The 55-250mm STM above is cheaper, sharp from 55 to 250mm and has AF that’s more appropriate for videographers as well. Plus, we’re expecting Canon to update the 70-300 it in July-September 2016.
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