đź’ˇ Thinking about buying a lens? Do not miss our guide with all the advice when buying one and our best recommendations.
In photography, as in life itself, there is always something to discuss: Who takes the photos: the camera or the photographer?, Where to invest: in the camera or in the lens? Etc. The discussions are constant, endless and tedious and you know what? As Mario said:
“It makes no sense to engage in almost ideological debates, to the death, trying to prove that one or another opinion is ALWAYS correct, because it simply is not.”
The one who makes the difference in photographic art is nobody else but you! All the equipment that you can acquire will only be a means for you to translate the ideas that you have in your head into impressive photographs. Without your ideas, there would be no photos!
So, who said that only the most expensive lenses from the top brands will give you professional results? In today’s article I bring you a list of 13 first class objectives, of “second” brands, so that you take into account when making your next objective.
Alternative brands?
It seems that in the world of photography everything that is not Canon or Nikon belongs to another world, in this case, to the “secondary”. Nothing could be further from the truth, in fact there are “third-party brands” that manufacture much higher quality lenses than these two giants, such as Leica and Carl Seiss, are capable of.
Now, there are a lot of alternative brands (not second-hand) and cheaper with which you can take your best photos. Brands like Sigma, Tokina or Tamron offer a large quantity and quality of lenses that have nothing to envy to the “big brands” and are compatible with most of them.
Here is a list of 13 lenses from “alternative” brands ordered according to the type of focal length so that, the next time you see them in a shop window, you have them as an option:
Note: If you are just starting out in this beautiful world of SLR photography or are thinking of doing so, you may feel a bit overwhelmed with so many numbers, acronyms and letters. I recommend that you have the following articles on hand so that you can better locate yourself among all of them: “Lens Abbreviations of the Most Popular SLR Cameras” and “SLR Lenses… What Do So Many Numbers Mean?”.
Fixed Focal Lenses
1. Samyang 85mm f1.4 IF MC
This 85mm prime lens (approximately 130mm on non Full Frame cameras) is extremely bright and ideal for taking stunning portraits. It is completely manual, that is to say, you will have to do everything yourself: managing the diaphragm or focusing the image will be your sole and exclusive responsibility. You may see it as a disadvantage, but it can also be an opportunity for you to learn to take photos with 100% responsibility in your hands. In any case, thanks to its price and quality ratio, it has become a very interesting alternative for you to consider: 220 euros in stores and it is available for the four most popular manufacturers: NikonCanyon, Sony and micro 4/3 cameras.
2. Sigma 50mm f1.4 DG HSM
The quality of Sigma lenses has ceased to be a surprise to become a known reality and this lens is no exception, in fact it is “the king of goals” that gives a firm fight to be crowned among the giants. Among its main features are the construction, the sharpness and the incorporation of the HSM focus motor that will allow you to focus quickly and quietly in automatic mode. It is the ideal companion for every photographer who loves portraits.
You can get one of them for approximately 700 euros in stores and it is available not only for the main brands of SLR cameras (NikonSonyCanyon) but also, if you use evil or 4/3 cameras, Sigma offers a version for them.
tele lenses
3. Sigma 70-300mm DG Macro
This lens is ideal if what you like is to photograph nature or if you are a lover of action and sports photography. For its price, it is an ideal option for you to consider. This lens is ideal if you are thinking of purchasing a telephoto lens but do not have much money to do so. In stores you can get one for less than 200 euros. Despite not being internally stabilized, which can affect the sharpness of your photos if you dissipate at slow shutter speeds, you can easily fix this with a tripod. Despite not being its strongest point, you’ll be able to take macro photos without any problem and with more than surprising results.
for Nikon and for Canon.
4. Tamron 70-300mm, f/4-5.6, Macro, AF.
Simple and lightweight (for this type of lens) yet elegant in construction, this Tamron telephoto lens will blow your mind if you’re willing to give it a try. Despite this, its appearance is impressive and even more so if you put the sunshield on it, although it does not have the robustness of its main competitors. With a focus motor and stabilizer built into the body, you can use it with almost any camera, and despite not being a professional lens, its performance is excellent at medium focal lengths (200mm) and acceptable at maximum focal length (300mm). Its excellent quality and price ratio, approximately 120 euros, make this lens a serious competitor for its rivals in this segment. If you don’t believe me, take a look at the following photo taken with this lens:
for Nikon and for Canon.
5. Tokina AF 50-135mm f2.8 AT-X 535 PRO DX
This lens is not very popular due to its unusual focal range, 50-150mm, which makes it almost an intermediate lens between a portrait lens, as well as nature and action. Like all the lenses of the brand, its strong point is the construction, in fact, it is so robust that its weight is almost one kilogram. The sharpness that you will be able to achieve with this lens will also leave you speechless. Extremely bright for this type of lens and with spectacular colors and contrasts, this Tokina is an option to take into account, especially for its price: you can get one for around 400 euros.
6. Tamron SP AF 70-200mm f2.8 Di LD (IF) Macro
This telephoto lens is living proof of the progress made by the “second” brands compared to the “main” ones: an excellent alternative at less than half the price of its competitors, around 600 euros. With it, and thanks to its large diaphragm opening (f/2.8), you can take pictures in situations where it would be impossible with other lenses without degrading the quality of the image. Its strong points include its construction, its luminosity, the exceptional quality of its optics and its minimum focus distance: less than one meter. Oh don’t worry as it is available for both Canon and Nikon as well as Pentax and Sony.
Wide Angle Lenses
7. Tokina AT-X 116 PRO DXII
The Tokina AF11-16 is one of the best wide angles you can come across in a store. One of its strengths is its robust construction, just like all the lenses offered by the macara. The other great strength is its optics: very bright throughout its range (2.8) it is ideal for use in low light situations or in night landscapes and its sharpness make this lens one of the main options when it comes to getting a wide angle Unfortunately (and something bad must have) it is only available for Canon cameras and Nikonbut if you have one of them, you can get one for around 450 euros.
Fisheye Lenses
8. Walimex pro 8mm f/3.5
This unknown brand for many, not long ago began to attract the attention of many photographers to be offered in large electronics stores around the world. Sturdy in construction, this wide-angle fisheye lens is excellent if you want to achieve spectacular effects at a low cost: around 250 euros. In fact, it is the cheapest fisheye lens on the market and the best value for money. In fact, given its image quality, robustness and stunning photos (see example) make this lens a “must have.”
9. Tokina 10-17mm f/3.5-4.5
This lens, the first fisheye with “zoom”, is one of the “fisheye” preferred by photographers in recent times. Despite being more expensive than the lenses with which it competes in its segment (approximately 320 euros), it is an ideal option if you want to carry a reliable fisheye with you in your backpack. This lens is completely automatic or manual depending on your preferences, with a great construction and excellent image quality, which, for its price, is not so easy to get, even in the big brands.
Multi focal lenses
10. Tamron SP AF 17-50mm F/2.8 XR Di II VC
This lens has become one of the main options for those photographers who want to replace the kit lens that comes with the factory camera for something more versatile and professional. This lens will be useful for both social photography and landscape photography, or why not, thanks to its diaphragm opening (f/2.8 along the entire range), spectacular portraits with incredible bokeh. Designed for APS-C sensor cameras, it is one of the best options at a very low cost, approximately 380 euros for a semi-professional lens. One of its weak points is its construction: light and plastic, which makes it seem not very resistant, although the key is to be careful with it. It is available in stores for Nikon, Canon, Pentax and Sony.
macro lenses
eleven. Tamron SP AF 90mm F/2.8 Di VC USD Macro
This excellent prime lens is known as “the macro portrait lens”. Ideal for use on both Full Frame or APS-C cameras, this lens surprises both for its luminosity and for its definition and which, combined with the built-in image stabilizer, will allow you to take macrophotographs even if the light conditions are not optimal. ideals. This excellent lens costs almost half of what its Canon or Nikon equivalents cost, although it has little to envy them. You can only criticize its plastic construction (common today in all brands) and that the focus is not one of the fastest, although it is very precise.
12. Tokina AF 100mm f2.8 AT-X M100 PRO D
This spectacular fixed lens of 100mm (in 35mm), more than an alternative is one more opponent when choosing your next macro lens. With top-of-the-line construction and optical quality, its sharpness and minimum focus distance (30mm), this lens from the Japanese manufacturer is not only excellent due to its physical characteristics, but it is also excellent thanks to its price, around 400 euros. One of the few drawbacks is that it is only available for Nikon and Canon cameras.
By the way, not only the “alternative” can be your objectives, but also the way of saving them can be. With a little imagination and very little money…