3 Budget Lenses for Students

If you are a student you probably won’t be able to afford professional gear, and will most likely be looking for the cheaper options. Below are three lenses that are relatively cheap compared to a 24-70 mm f2.8 or a 70-200 mm f2.8 for example. The three lenses below cover most of bases for what a student would be working on.

The wide: 18-55 mm f3.5-5.6 vr Kit Lens

AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR Source

If you are just starting out in photography or video and you have decided on a DSLR you most likely opted for the kit lens bundle. If you just got the body you can pick one up for around $60 used. The 18-55 mm is a great all purpose lens as well as a wide angle lens at 18 mm. On a crop sensor it is a 27 mm due to the crop factor(1.5x). There is a slight distortion at 18 mm but that can be fixed in post . These kit lenses may not be the sharpest but if you are a student on a budget this is a great option. If you have a bit more of a budget a much sharper lens would be the 24 mm f2.8 for around $300.

The walk around: 35 mm f1.8G

The 35 mm is one of the best lenses you can get for around $200, or under $200 used. It is one of the best lenses at this price range. The f1.8 aperture means it has great low light capability and allows for an extremely shallow depth of field. This kit lens does cover the 35mm focal length but what it lacks is the low light capability that you gain from this lens. The 1.8 aperture will allow you to blowout the background and isolate your subjects. This lens is also considerably sharper when stopped down to a smaller aperture, compared to the 18-55 mm kit lens. This lens is great for street photography and video due to its light weight and small form factor. Its focal length is roughly equal to the human eye, meaning that what ever you see is roughly the same size on a crop sensor body. On a crop sensor it would be equal to roughly a 53 mm focal length.

The telephoto: 70-300 mm f4.5-5.6 Vr

The 70-300 mm gives you a lot of reach giving you the capability to shoot wildlife, sports, and portraits. The 70 mm end (105 mm on a crop sensor) makes for a great focal length for portraits. This doubles as a macro lens, it’s not fully 1:1 but due to its 300 mm focal length it can zoom really close on subjects. This lens is sharpest between 70-200. From 200-300 its doesn’t perform as well but does give you more reach and versatility.  You can pick this lens up from amazon for around $600.

With all of this in mind when choosing the right lenses for you, you need to realistically think about what type of work you are actually going to do. The kit lens does cover the 35mm focal length so if you don’t need the f1.8 aperture, you should save your money and spend it elsewhere. That way you can spend your money on something you use often and doesn’t sit on a dusty shelf thinking maybe one day you’re going to use it.