Photographers and filmmakers spend a significant amount of time looking for affordable lenses without compromising the quality. This can be a tough task for people who are just beginning their photography careers. To help you choose the right lens that offers superior quality without breaking your bank, we have compiled a list of lenses that you can buy on a budget.
The list includes a versatile and diverse set of lenses, covering everything from a wide range to a long zoom lens with manual and autofocus settings. There are undoubtedly other quality lenses in the price range, but the ones which made to this list are highly recommended, and definitely deserve a place on your shopping list.
Now, for the list of the best canon lenses under 100
Understanding Canon’s Naming:
When looking for a canon lens, many people find the letters and abbreviations quite confusing. So, before we get into the nitty-gritty of best canon lenses, it might serve us well to unravel all those confusing letters and abbreviations in the lens’ name.
As an example, consider the ‘Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS II USM Lens’. Terms like IS, f/4, and USM can be complicated, particularly for the beginners, so let’s take a closer look at these abbreviations and explain what they actually mean.
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EF – these lenses cover the full 35mm image and are compatible with all Canon EOS cameras. Beside the EF lens, there are lenses specifically designed for other Canon cameras, including:
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EF-S – lenses designed for APS-C sensor cameras
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EF-M – lenses designed for EOS M mirrorless cameras
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RF – lenses designed for EOS R full-frame mirrorless cameras
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70-200mm indicates the focal range of the lens
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f/4 is the total aperture
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The letter ‘L’ designates the Canon pro-grade lenses
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‘IS’ – Image stabilization is a technique to reduce blurring and help you capture still images
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‘II’ shows the version number
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USM stands for ‘Ultrasonic Motor’ – a fast and powerful motor focusing motor
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STM is short for ‘Stepper motor’. It reduces autofocus vibrations and noise during videography
After getting yourself familiar with reading a Canon lens, you are in a better position to review the following list and make an informed decision.
So, without further ado, let’s dive into the subject.
#1 Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM Zoom Lens:
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The 18-55mm is a compact, lightweight, and fairly reliable lens for both photography and video capture. It features the optics, autofocus, and image stabilization that allows you to shoot in various situations. Its high precision aspheric lens reduces chromatic aberration, and the optimized lens coating ensures excellent color balance. The EF-S 18-55 also features a new stepping motor and focus mechanism that delivers smooth and continuous AF while shooting. With the Optical Image Stabilizer (OIS), the lens offers exceptional and highly versatile shooting experience, all at an affordable price. To further increase stability make sure to you have a tripod, as well as all the accessories you need. You can find the best of the best here Top 10 Must Have Canon 80D Accessories in 2019.
#2 Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens:
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The EF 50mm It is a versatile lens that is both faster and smaller. It features a stepper motor (STM), which makes it ideal for still and video shooting alike. The EF 50mm is a tested lens design that supports the Movie Servo AF mode for precise focusing. Chromatic aberrations, which can be seen as blue or purple fringes along the edges, are well controlled, which makes it an impressive lens in the price range. With its enhanced autofocus features, this lens is perfect for everyday shooting in various conditions. If image quality is your priority, than you can’t go wrong with this prime lens.
#3 Yongnuo YN 50mm f/1.8 Lens for Canon EF:
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Yongnuo is an unfamiliar name for many, but they make some stellar lenses for attractive prices. The Yongnuo YN 50mm is a compact prime lens designed for Canon EF-mount DSLRs. It also makes an ideal portrait lens on a camera with an APS-C sensor.
The lens pairs a 50mm focal length with a set of diaphragm blades that let you adjust your aperture up to f/1.8 maximum, which ensures excellent results in any number of situations. It features multi-coated glass elements that increase contrast and minimize ghosting and lens flare without sacrificing on the color accuracy. The AF/MF switch on the lens barrel that allows you to switch between auto and manual focus settings.
With its compact size, the YN 50mm is a highly versatile lens for everyday shooting in a variety of lighting conditions. For amateur photographers who want to play with background blur/bokeh, the Yongnuo YN 50mm f/1.8 is an ideal choice.
#4 Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III Lens:
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Another inexpensive lens you may want to add to your shopping list is the Canon EF 75-300mm USM lens. It is a relatively small and light lens that extends considerably when zooming to 300mm but doesn’t pose any issue when carrying around. The lens features Ultrasonic motor (USM), which ensures speedy and quiet operation. Though it produces good images, it suffers from significant CA (Chromatic Aberration) in high contrast situations. A seven-blade aperture is a decent feature for a lens in this price range.
#5 Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 III Lens:
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If you are one of those who want to start exploring DSLR photography, this lens is for you. The 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 III is an affordable version of Canon’s standard zoom lens for APS-C format DSLRs that covers an effective focal length range of 28.8-88mm. The lens has a pretty wide zoom ring and a switch that allows you to change between autofocus and manual focus. Image stabilization is absent in this lens, so novice photographers with poor shooting technique may initially face issues in capturing quality photos.