What's the best cheap lens you've bought?

guangong · Mar 20, 2021

Cheaper than cheap. Somebody tossed a thouroughly busted up Canon lens my way with a sm collapsibleElmar. The lens looks really ugly with peeling chrome and lots of nicks. But lens is early coated version with perfect glass. Ugly, but rest lens.

Huss · Mar 20, 2021

Horatio said:
I picked up one of these recently for $30. It’s mounted to my N2000. Small world!

That's a perfect combo, and the N2000 is a superb, underrated camera.

Horatio · Mar 20, 2021

Huss said:
That's a perfect combo, and the N2000 is a superb, underrated camera.

Yeah, but mine has a light leak that needs fixing. Pretty sure it's at the door hinge interface.

Alan Johnson · Mar 21, 2021

Canon EF 50mm f1.8 II.
https://www.kenrockwell.com/canon/lenses/50mm-f18.htm
I paid the full price but it has had so much use, especially as a super light outfit with a Rebel Ti.

NB23 · Mar 21, 2021

Huss said:
That's a perfect combo, and the N2000 is a superb, underrated camera.

the N2000 is among the best street cameras.

benjiboy · Mar 21, 2021

A legendary Canon FD 35mm f2 Thorium lens attached to a Canon EF body all for £90, I thought at the time the price on the ticket in the shop was just for the lens, which was much cheaper than the market price at the time, but it was for the whole shooting match, so I made them an offer of £70 that they eventually accepted.

MattKing · Mar 21, 2021

benjiboy said:
A legendary Canon FD 35mm f2 Thorium lens attached to a Canon EF body all for £90, I thought at the time the price on the ticket in the shop was just for the lens, which was much cheaper than the market price at the time, but it was for the whole shooting match.

I clearly remember someone posting that they had no need for another camera.

benjiboy · Mar 21, 2021

Matt, my friend I "do not need any more cameras" than the 5 Canons I currently own ( 2 New F1- AE's, 2 F1n's and 1 EF). It's more than eleven years since I bought the EF and FD 35mm f2.
My total camera holding of five I don't consider to be excessive after being a photographer for more than sixty years.

Sirius Glass · Mar 21, 2021

MattKing said:
I clearly remember someone posting that they had no need for another camera.

You tempted him. You enticed him. He had no change.

darinwc · Mar 24, 2021

I think the OP means the best (normally) cheap lens.
Most of the slower name-brand prime lenses are great bargains.
Ill throw in a few of my favorites that you should find for under 50$

Pentax Super Multicoated Takumar 55mm f1.8. -Way better in my opinion than the f1.4
Pentax Super Multicoated Takumar 35mm f3.5. -a fantastic lens, super cheap because its only f3.5, but that covers 98% percent of situations.
Olympus OM Zuiko 50mm f1.8 -Absolutely one of the finest nifty 50's ever made.
Minolta Rokkor 58mm f1.4 -one of the better f1.4 lenses in my opinion. I only paid $20 for mine, though I'm not sure what the going rate is.

Zathras · Mar 24, 2021

darinwc said:
I think the OP means the best (normally) cheap lens.
Most of the slower name-brand prime lenses are great bargains.
Ill throw in a few of my favorites that you should find for under 50$

Pentax Super Multicoated Takumar 55mm f1.8. -Way better in my opinion than the f1.4
Pentax Super Multicoated Takumar 35mm f3.5. -a fantastic lens, super cheap because its only f3.5, but that covers 98% percent of situations.
Olympus OM Zuiko 50mm f1.8 -Absolutely one of the finest nifty 50's ever made.
Minolta Rokkor 58mm f1.4 -one of the better f1.4 lenses in my opinion. I only paid $20 for mine, though I'm not sure what the going rate is.

I can certainly agree with most of what you wrote here, but the 50mm f1.4 Super Tak ain’t a bad lens once it’s been de-yellowed, although the 55mm f1.8 is a little better. The 35mm f3.5 Super Tak is a monster, and the 58mm Rokkor f1.4 is just plain outstanding. I can’t comment on the Zuiko though, I’ve never had the opportunity to use Olympus.

Autonerd · Mar 24, 2021

Great question. I got a Sears KS Auto (rebadged Ricoh) with a Sears (Rikenon) 50/1.7 for $7 plus $8 shipping. Also bought a friend's Nikon N8008 with four AF lenses (28-85, 35-135, 70-210 and a 50/1.4) for $100. That's gotta be some kind of a good deal on the 50...

darinwc · Mar 24, 2021

Zathras said:
I can certainly agree with most of what you wrote here, but the 50mm f1.4 Super Tak ain’t a bad lens once it’s been de-yellowed, although the 55mm f1.8 is a little better. The 35mm f3.5 Super Tak is a monster, and the 58mm Rokkor f1.4 is just plain outstanding. I can’t comment on the Zuiko though, I’ve never had the opportunity to use Olympus.

The 55 1.8 Tak fits the description of a 'cheap lens that is excellent' a bit more than the 50 1.4 Tak.
The 50 1.4 can be had for cheap if you search, maybe find one on a camera, but the prices have gone up a bit. the 1.4 has more 'character' - meaning heavy curvature of field at larger apertures.
The 55 1.8 has a very nice flat field of focus, is generally sharper, and the extra 5mm gives it a bit more 'reach'. Also a very neutral color balance!
Here are some samples of different lenses at f2: https://flic.kr/s/aHskPgV7dv

mawz · Mar 28, 2021

Vivitar 70-150 f3.8, for $25. Cheap when new, cheaper now and shockingly good. The optical design was the basis for the Nikon Series 75-150 f3.5, but the Vivitar doesn't suffer from the notorious zoom creep the Nikon does. This lens was also sold directly by Kiron as a 70-150 f4.
All 3 versions were designed by Kiron. I'm not sure if Kiron merely designed the Series E or made it for Nikon as well, I suspect the latter.

RalphLambrecht · Mar 28, 2021

Horatio said:
For me, it's the Nikkor 35-105 AI zoom, $25 shipped. Really sharp and minimal distortion. Second in line would be a Canon 50mm f1.8 in LTM mount, which I got cheap ($40) because of fungus.

a Nikkor E-series50mmf/1.8 for $35;built like a tank and pin-sharp

gone · Mar 28, 2021

A Makinon Macro 135 2.8 makes great portraits for the price (I paid $35, and they run up to $90 or so). It's very small and light for a 135, has decent bokeh, and is softish wide open.

RokkorZ · Apr 27, 2021

Best for me has been a Nikkor 135mm 3.5 AI. It is so under appreciated and seems to stay in the shadows of the 2.8. It's quickly become my favourite lens, gives a 3D rendering and cost the pricey sum of £55. Thank you eBay.

narsuitus · Apr 27, 2021

RokkorZ said:
Best for me has been a Nikkor 135mm 3.5 AI. It is so under appreciated and seems to stay in the shadows of the 2.8.

I agree !

I have never had the 135mm f/2.8 because I have the 135mm f/2. I do, however, also have and appreciate the 135mm f/3.5.

Colin Corneau · Apr 27, 2021

Samyang 14mm f.2.8 -- nothing fancy, I know it's not rectilinear and corrected etc etc but it is quite sharp and entirely useable for a lot of very wide angle shots. I've had some great results shooting landscapes and astrophotography with it.

oxcanary · Apr 28, 2021

When they were unfashionable a Pentax 40mm 2.8 Pancake lens for £15 approx 30 years ago. On an MX the ultimate compact SLR package!

jamesaz · Apr 28, 2021

50mm M42 mount zeiss ultron attached to a zeiss ikon sl 706 for ten dollars at a yard sale. The lens is just awesomely sharp, even wide open. My walking around camera/lens is a fujica 801 with a fujinon 43-76 zoom. That was $30 and the meter still works though the back is covered with gaff tape as it needs new seals. If I don’t print over 7x9 I can get away with shooting tri x at 1250 (hb-110b for 15min) so it covers most lighting situations which is why it’s my walking around rig.

benveniste · May 1, 2021

Horatio said:
For me, it's the Nikkor 35-105 AI zoom, $25 shipped. Really sharp and minimal distortion. Second in line would be a Canon 50mm f1.8 in LTM mount, which I got cheap ($40) because of fungus.

If it's an AI lens and not an AI-s lens, you have a previously unknown prototype. I paid full retail for my AI-s copy . . . in late 1983 or early 1984. The biggest issue I have with the lens is that in non-macro mode, a 1.4 meter MFD really limits the usefulness at wider focal lengths.

I've gotten three lenses for under $25 each -- a 24mm f/2.8 for the Pentax 110, a 30-60mm IX-Nikkor for Nikon's Pronea APS camera, and a 43-86mm f/3.5 AI Nikkor. None are deserving of the adjective "best." I have bought a couple of very nice $100 zooms, though, a Tokina 60-120mm f/2.8 and a 80-200mm f/4 AI-s Nikkor.

David Reynolds · May 4, 2021

At auction I purchased a M3 kit with three lenses for $900.00 . Sold the M3 for $800.00 so three Leica lenses for $100.00 was a good deal. Then sold one of the lenses for $600.00 so in the end I purchased 2 lenses for minus $500.00. Can't beat that.

Horatio · May 4, 2021

David Reynolds said:
At auction I purchased a M3 kit with three lenses for $900.00 . Sold the M3 for $800.00 so three Leica lenses for $100.00 was a good deal. Then sold one of the lenses for $600.00 so in the end I purchased 2 lenses for minus $500.00. Can't beat that.

Now that's the way to do it!

Cholentpot · May 4, 2021

Are we talking good deals or cheap lenses that are underrated?

Recently got a Pen F kit with three lenses. I didn't need three lenses but looking up the price of Pen F lenses I think I got a good deal.

What's the best cheap lens you've bought?

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