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 doesn't make any sense to engage in almost ideological debates, to the death, trying to prove that one opinion or another is ALWAYS the correct one, because it simply isn't”.
The one who makes the difference in photographic art is no one but you! All the equipment that you can acquire will only be a means for you to capture the ideas that you have in your head in impressive photographs. Without your ideas, there would be no photos!
Therefore, who said that only with the most expensive lenses of the first brands will you get professional results? In today's article I bring you a list of 13 first-class lenses, from “second-class” brands, so that you can take them into account when it comes to getting your next lens.
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 is further from reality, in fact there are "third brands" that manufacture much higher quality lenses than these two giants are capable of doing, such as Leica and Carl Seiss.
Now, there are plenty of alternative (not second-hand) and cheaper brands 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 "alternative" brand lenses 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 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 OBJECTIVES
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, 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 take into account: 220 euros in stores and it is available for the four most popular manufacturers: Nikon, Canon,sonyand 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 well-known reality and this lens is no exception, in fact it is "the king of lenses" that is fighting hard to be crowned among the giants. Among its main features are the construction, sharpness and the incorporation of the HSM focus motor that will allow you to focus quickly and silently 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 ( Nikon, sony, Canon)but also, if you use evil or 4/3 cameras, Sigma offers a version for them.
TELE OBJECTIVES
3. Sigma 70-300mm DG Macro
This lens is ideal if you like 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 a lot of 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 it with a tripod. Despite not being its strongest point, you can take macro photos without any problem and with more than surprising results.
For Nikonsand for canon.
4. Tamron 7 0-300mm, f/4-5.6, Macro, AF.
Simple and light in construction (for this type of objective) but elegant, this Tamron telephoto lens will leave you speechless if you are willing to give it a try. Despite this, its appearance is impressive and even more so if you put the sunshade on it, although it does not have the robustness of its main competitors. With a focus motor and stabilizer incorporated 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 its 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 Nikonsand for canon.
5. Tokina AF 50-135mm f2.8 AT-X 535 PRO DX
This lens is not very popular due to its strange focal range, 50-150mm, which makes it almost an intermediate lens between a portrait lens, as well as nature and action. Like all the brand's lenses, 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 objective and with spectacular colors and contrasts make this Tokina 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 that the "secondary" brands have made compared to the "main" ones: an excellent alternative at less than half the price of its competitors, about 600 euros. With it, and thanks to its large diaphragm aperture (f/2.8), you will be able to take pictures in situations where it would be impossible with other lenses without degrading the image quality. Among its strengths are its construction, its luminosity, the exceptional quality of its optics and its minimum focusing 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: high luminosity throughout its entire travel (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 there must have been something wrong with it) it is only available for Canon camerasand Nikon, but if you have one of them, you can get one for around 450 euros.
FISHEYE LENSES
8. Walimex pro 8mm f/3.5
This brand, unknown to many, not long ago began to attract the attention of many photographers by being offered in large electronics stores around the world. Robustly built, this fisheye wide angle 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 with the best value for money. In fact, given its image quality, ruggedness, and impressive photography (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 objective is completely automatic or manual according to your preferences, of great construction and excellent image quality, which, for its price, is not so easy to obtain, even in the big brands.
MULTIFOCAL OBJECTIVES
10. Tamron SP AF 17-50mm F/2.8 XR Di II VC
This lens has become one of the main options for photographers who want to replace the kit lens that comes with the factory camera with something more versatile and professional. This lens will be useful both for social photography, and for landscapes, or why not, thanks to its diaphragm aperture (f/2.8 throughout the entire travel), spectacular portraits with incredible bokeh. Designed for APS-C sensor cameras , it is one of the best options at very low cost, approximately 380 euros for a semi-pro 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 OBJECTIVES
11. 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 and APS-C cameras , this lens surprises both for its brightness and its definition, which, combined with the built-in image stabilizer, will allow you to take macrophotographs even if the light conditions are not the best. ideals . This excellent objective costs almost half of what its Canon or Nikon equivalents cost, although it has little to envy to 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 100mm fixed lens (in 35mm), more than an alternative, is another competitor when choosing your next macro lens. With top-of-the-line optical construction and quality, its sharpness and minimum focusing distance (30mm) this lens from the Japanese manufacturer is not only excellent for its physical characteristics but also thanks to its price, around 400 euros. One of the few disadvantages of it is that it is only available for Nikon and Canon cameras.
By the way, not only “alternative” can be your goals, but also the way you save them. With a little imagination and very little money you can make covers and protectors even better than the original ones, just with a little creativity! If you don't believe me, take a look at the following article: "DIY Photography: How to Assemble Homemade Photographic Accessories" and you will see what is possible with a little imagination.
Regardless of the brand of your lenses, the key to good durability is care. The more love you treat and care for them, the more satisfaction they will give you and the longer the time together they will walk the streets taking photos. I recommend that you take a look at the article "The Complete Guide: Cleaning Tips for SLR Cameras" so you can learn how to extend their useful life.
Thanks for reading this article. It makes me happy to think that you've stuck with reading up to this point. Please, if you have enjoyed this article, do not hesitate to give it a vote/recommendation on Facebook, Twitter or Google+.
