If you are looking for the best budget Canon prime lenses, you are in the right space. Typically, prime lenses with fixed focal length are good alternatives from your typical 18-55mm kit lens.
Canon has been one of those cameras and lens manufacturers that have always impressed us with its range of products to support the ecosystem. Especially when it comes to quality glasses in their lenses, it has been one of the providers who has ever stayed ahead.
From that perspective, we thought of listing out the best budget Canon Prime lenses you can make use of for your entry-level Canon cameras.
Best Budget Canon Prime lenses you can buy in 2020
While we can recommend all the powerful prime lenses available for the Canon camera and ask you to buy the best that meets your needs. But, the focus of this post is to recommend those lenses that would not break your bank. So, finding a lens that offers you an excellent performance along with a value for money option should be the best one you should go with.
Before you can buy a camera as for your Canon, here is what you need to understand about a lens. Let us explain this with the help of an example.
The camera lens terminology is all about explaining the features that it tries to offer you. Thus reading it should be one of the first things to begin with. Let us take the example of the model number Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS II USM. Here is what you understand about the model –
- EF (lens mount) indicates that the lens is compatible with all the Canon EOS camera and works with the 35 mm image
- 70-200 is an indication of the focal range that it will be able to cover.
- f/4 shows the maximum aperture offered by the lens.
- L denotes a Luxury lens. This designates a high standard lens that conforms to the highest standards of the camera lens build.
- IS is an indication of the built-in image stabilization compatibility of the lens.
- II is the version (or revisions) number of the particular lens
- USM is what indicates the availability of the UltraSonic motor, which is the fastest, yet quiet focusing motor.
Having understood that nomenclature of the lens and its functionality, let us now explore a few prime lenses from Canon.
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM
The features –
- Compatible with the format- EF and EF-S
- Number of diaphragm blades – 7
- Minimum focus distance – 35 mm
- Filter thread size – 49 mm
The lens should be an excellent option if you are looking for a bright bokeh and faster-focusing performance. It has been considered to be one of the best selling lenses from Canon and has lot of positive reviews from users across the globe.
The 50 mm focal length is one of the favorites for all types of photographers that includes portrait or landscape lovers out there. The lens also comes with Stepper Motor technology ensuring a smoother and quieter focusing motor. The f 1.8 aperture should be an excellent option for the active low light shooting. It can be a great value addition for your Canon DSLR with high ISO capabilities.
Ability to focus closer than most of the known Macro lenses out there should also be yet another advantage. And finally, it is quite compact and lightweight and should be one of the prime possessions for your photojournalists out there.
The lens is available at this link on Amazon.
Canon 35mm f/1.4 L
The Features
- Compatible with the format- EF and EF-S
- Number of diaphragm blades – 8
- Minimum focus distance – 30 mm
- Filter thread size – 72 mm
The Canon 35mm f/1.4 L is undoubtedly the hot favorite for the wedding photographers out there. Of course, there is an upgrade in the form of Canon 35mm f/1.4L II, but still, the older version is fond of being way better than the newer one. While it works effortlessly on almost all Canon cameras or even other compatible cameras, you would tend to get the best features and functions on the full-frame Canon cameras.
At the maximum aperture size, the lens is the best for the bokeh images and sharper performance. If you are someone experienced enough, you should ideally get the pictures that should almost provide you with a 3D effect. The availability of the USM compatibility will ensure that you will be able to override the manual focus to get the best focusing you have ever wanted.
Photographers worldwide vouch for the extreme sharpness that the lens can offer you. You can find the canon lens on the Amazon marketplace here.
Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM
The Features
- Compatible with the format- EF and EF-S
- Number of diaphragm blades – 7
- Minimum focus distance – 30 mm
- Filter thread size – 67 mm
It is one of the best Canon Prime lenses you would want to focus on. It is quite a small and uncomplicated option for all your photography requirements. Though the lenses are designed for the best use on the full-frame Canon cameras, you should also be able to use it on the APS-C camera as well. The faster f 2.8 aperture is capable of handling almost all lighting conditions with ease.
It is one of the lenses that make use of the latest STM compatibility. The technology is more polished and focussed than the older USM lenses. You can be assured of a smoother and non-noisy focussing for the best results.
It can be one of the prominent choices for the POV stills and videos. However, the lens does not come with built-in image stabilization. The sharpness is within acceptable levels. You should also be able to shoot a few great Macro shoots as well. The lens is available from Amazon.
Canon EF 135mm f/2 L USM
The Features
- Compatible with the format- EF and EF-S
- Number of diaphragm blades – 8
- Minimum focus distance – 3 feet
- Filter thread size – 72 mm
While the lens should be the right choice for use on a full-frame camera, you should also find it impressive enough for use on the APS-C system for the best portrait shots. The f 2.0 aperture should mean that you will be able to get the sharper and clearer images even in not so perfect lighting conditions. The lens comes with the older USM focussing motor, and this can create a slight noise when concentrating on your subject.
The bokeh shots are quite excellent and come with a tremendous shallow background effect for your shots. If you are looking at the sharpness degree and performance, you will find it an excellent tool for shooting at the widest aperture.
You can get access to the center and corner sharpness. One of the issues we were disappointed with is the lack of image stabilization. Interested? You can check it out at Amazon here.
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM Lens.
The Features
- Compatible with the format- EF and EF-S
- Number of diaphragm blades – 9
- Minimum focus distance – 3 feet
- Filter thread size – 67 mm
If you are someone who loves shooting macro shots, the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM Lens is an excellent option for your shooting requirements. The L lens comes with a better build than the standard construction. The ultra-low dispersion lens should be one of the best options for controlling the chromatic aberrations as well.
You will get a hybrid image stabilization options. The longer focal length should help you stand further back and even then have enough focus. However, the older USM technology for the focusing needs can produce slighter noise, though. It may take a while to lock into focus. While taking videos, if you don’t use an external mic, the motor noise would be easily captured.
Now, considering the sharpness of the images shot with the lens, it can be rated good enough at this price point. Stopping down the aperture can help assist you in improving the sharpness levels. The prime Canon lens is available at Amazon at this link.
The Concluding Thoughts
Those were a few right Canon Prime lenses that should help shoot considerably high-quality images and videos. Of course, several glasses can be added to this compilation, but since we are focussed on the lenses that offer you a good value for money, we have limited our list to the lenses that provide you a budget pricing. You can explore the other prime lenses if functionality alone is what you are looking ahead to through the official sources.
It should also be noted that there are a few prime lenses for Canon from the third party lens providers as well. However, we have not included them in our compilation because Canon themselves offer a more extensive range of lens options, and that should be enough for a budget user.
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