camera gear

My Top 5 Recommended Canon Lenses Under $600

Earlier this month I posted my top 5 Nikon lenses and now it's Canon's turn! If you are wanting to add a few lenses to your arsenal and you shoot with a Canon DSLR, check out my recommendations below. Please note that both of these articles are geared towards those who own a cropped sensor (for Canon, an APS-C) camera; if you own a full-frame camera (such as the Canon 5D Mark iii), you should be well on your way to understanding lens selection and will be in a whole different budget ball-park. However, I do note that some of these are compatible for both camera bodies AND I give just a few options that are closer to the $1,000 range. 

For those of you just getting started or wanting to find better image quality, here's a few lenses that can help! 

  • Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 - Portrait/Fast Lens

    • If you're looking for a great affordable lens that can dramatically improve your photography, this is the one to start with. It's a no brainer at the price of only $125 on Amazon! I'm blown away at how great that price is; it is even $100 cheaper than the Nikon equivalent! With this prime lens (a lens that has a fixed-focal length or no zoom which means sharper images) you can get those beautiful blurry backgrounds or bokeh. If you've got a little more to spend and want to take it a step further towards great image quality and great performance in really low light settings, check out the 50mm f/1.4 for $349 on Amazon. Both of these lenses are compatible with Canon full-frame and APS-C DSLR cameras. 

  • Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 - Portrait Lens

    • My good friend is a fantastic wedding and portrait photographer and this is her favorite lens. The extra focal length in the 85mm creates Bokeh that is absolutely beautiful. It is a great portrait lens! Once again, this is a fixed/prime lens and will offer sharp images with great quality. You'd be surprised at the image quality with this compared to your kit lens (if you have the 18-55mm lens)!  This lens is compatible with Canon full-frame and APS-C DSLR cameras. Find this lens for $369 on Amazon. 

  • Tamron AF 28-75mm f/2.8 - Everyday Lens

    • Okay if we were talking perfect lenses here, the next option of an 'all-around, every-day lens' might be the Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 L. BUT that lens costs FOUR TIMES the amount of this Tamron lens! The reviews about it are all over the place; it is a great lens, especially at the lower price. It's not as heavy and well-built as the Canon L lenses, but it is well made and the image quality is pretty dang close. To have a versatile lens that offers a good zoom range AND the ability to shoot in low light with that lovely f/2.8, that's a pretty happy thing. This one is worth looking into. Get it for $499 on Amazon. If you have the budget and want to find the next best 'walk-around' option, one of the greatest is the Canon 24-105mm f/4 L lens that goes for $999 on Amazon. Photographers love the reasonably fast aperture, a great focal length and very sharp images. 

  • Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L - Telephoto Zoom Lens

    • If you need more zoom than your everyday lens, this telephoto lens is a great buy. The f/2.8 version is $600+ more than this version, but the consistent aperture of f/4 even at it's maximum zoom is a good thing to have. The image quality of this L series lens is awesome; it yields sharp images, has fast focusing and is lighter than the more expensive versions. Keep in mind that this lens will be fantastic for well-lit settings such as outdoor sports where you can plan to use a fast shutter speed. Find it for $599 on Amazon. This lens is also compatible with both Canon full-frame and APS-C cameras. 

  • Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 - Wide Angle Lens

    • This lens is a great intro lens for wide-angle photographing (such as landscapes or interiors). It is also at a great price of $279 on Amazon. This lens will only work on an APS-C camera, not full-frame. At the top of our price line is another option, the incredible Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L wide angle lens ($999 on Amazon). Photographers rave that this lens boasts even greater image quality and sharpness than the 16-35mm f/2.8! If you're serious about landscapes or real estate images, this will give you a lot of bang for your buck. 

As always, be sure you consider your subject matter and then your budget to find out which lens is the next best choice for your camera bag. I hope these options can send you in the right direction for improving your photography! So much of it has to do with your lens. Don't forget that!

 

Sony Alpha A5000 - Review of a Compact Mirrorless Camera

Who wants a great camera but doesn't love the idea of hauling around a heavy bag full of lenses and a big' ol DSLR!? If you're in the market for an easier on-the-go option, today's post is for you. We're going to hear from another Mom who happens to be my lovely sister! She has sent me photos from this point-and-shoot camera and I am impressed. I never really LOVED previous point-and-shoot cameras I owned, so my first thought about them was always a big "no thanks"! Her experience with her Sony is definitely changing my mind. Check out her opinion and user review of the small but powerful Sony Alpha A5000. 

Hi! My name is Aarika and I wanted to share with you how much I have LOVED my Sony Alpha A5000. We got it for three hundred somethin' from Best Buy on Black Friday a couple years ago. It usually retails for $450 so we scored a good deal. 

What I love MOST about it:

  • It is smaller than a standard DSL-R camera so I take it everywhere in my purse all the time. I know sometimes people get really nice expensive cameras and they hardly use them because they're bulky and hard to lug around. That's why we settled on a mirrorless camera.  

  • Although it is smaller, it has a great lens. I think the lens and camera quality give it the ability to take really great pictures that exceed the quality, depth and interest of a standard point and shoot. 

  • I use it on auto (always) and get great photos.  

  • I LOVE the videos it takes. The focus on the subject and the blurred background make the videos so interesting and beautiful.  

  • It has an awesome share feature where it can send photos and video right to your phone or computer.  

  • Although I don't own any other lenses, I like the idea that I could change out the lens if I ever became more interested in photography.

  • We purchased the three year warranty that covers drops, spill and loss and that gives me such peace of mind (especially having young kids).  

  • ALL the point-and-shoot cameras we used prior to having the sony never captured the kids in motion! So many shots were blurry. This camera can take pictures mid-sword fight that are clear and show the expression and detail of their faces (I usually I use the flash in those moments and am pretty happy with the outcome)!

Cons

  • I did have a hard time finding the right sized case for it and ended up buying one from a British seller on eBay which has been perfect!

  • My camera seemed slower to start up when I would turn it on after a year of owning it. I called SONY and learned the reason was that I needed to reformat my SD card. After doing that it is it back to it's usual snappy self.  

To read more about mirrorless cameras, check out this great article. Here's a quote from that article explaining the benefit of mirrorless cameras: 

"Mirrorless cameras are interchangeable lens cameras that don't have the mirror and optical viewfinder that define a DSLR. In most other respects, they're extremely similar: with only a few exceptions, most mirrorless cameras these days are built around the same sized sensors as DSLRs, increasingly have similar lenses available, and can offer the same image quality."

If you're looking for a compact camera that quality-wise still packs a punch, the Sony Alpha models are definitely worth looking into! Check them out!

PIN IT!

 

Better photos await.