If you bought one of the cameras that we recommended in our best digital cameras post, then you’re probably going to need a few lenses to go with it, too! The kit lenses that come with most cameras work pretty well, but they don’t give you a ton of artistic flexibility. Today we’ll be talking about a few different lenses you can purchase for your new camera that will allow you to experiment with macro photography, portraiture, astrophotography, and more.
If you’ve outgrown your camera’s kit lens and you’re ready for an upgrade, then keep on reading to find out what the best camera lenses of 2019 are!
Click the following links to head directly to the best camera lenses for the camera you own:
Best Canon Camera Lenses
3. Canon 35mm Lens
This is a great introductory lens that’ll give you a lot more artistic flexibility than your kit lens!
Main Features
- Image stabilization
- 35mm focal length
- Aperture range of f/2 to f/22
- Has 10 elements; 2 are aspherical
- Good quality autofocus
Design & Usability
This camera has 10 elements, which makes it a fairly complex lens. Elements are the individual panes of glass within the lens. A complex design with more elements doesn’t always translate to better images, but it’s a pretty good sign that this lens is high quality!
One of the cool things about this camera is that it includes 2 aspherical lens elements. This kind of element reduces distortion and improves the focus of your images, making them sharper. It’s an especially good feature to have if you’re going to be using a wide aperture in a low light situation, because distortion tends to happen most when the aperture is wide.
Many reviewers mentioned that this camera lens feels sturdy and rugged, which is a definite plus.
Quality & Performance
One of the things we like about this camera lens in the large aperture range. Because this lens has lower aperture settings than a lot of other models, you’ll be able to take photos in low light situations and experiment with macro photography.
Macro photography just means that you’re taking photos of small things close-up so that they appear larger. A lot of people take pictures of bugs and flowers this way.
This camera also has higher aperture settings, so it’s great for things like portraiture, street photography, and landscape photography. The wide aperture range makes this a really versatile camera lens.
The other things we appreciate about this lens are the focal length, the fast, accurate autofocus, and the image stabilization. Focal length is the distance between those elements in the lens we talked about earlier and the camera’s image sensor. Focal length affects how close or how far away things look when you snap the image.
This focal length is probably the most popular one out there and is used by wedding photographers, photojournalists and other professionals. It’s particularly good for taking photographs in tight spaces because of its wide angle, which is why it’s one of the best wedding camera lenses Canon makes.
The high quality autofocus and image stabilization will help you take great photographs just like the pros even if you don’t have a lot of experience handling cameras.
- Compatible with all Canon cameras
- Versatile focal length
- Good aperture range
- High quality autofocus
- Not as durable as Canon’s professional lenses
2. Canon 70-200mm Lens
This is one of the best camera lenses for Canon cameras. Its features make it extremely versatile—you can use it for everything from sports photography to portraiture. You’ll have a tough time finding something this lens can’t do!
Main Features
- Super Spectra Coating
- Aperture range of f/2.8 to f/32
- Image stabilizer
- Good autofocus
Design & Usability
One of the things we love about the design and construction of this lens is the weather proofing. It’s sealed to protect against dust and moisture, so you won’t have to worry about taking this lens out and about with you in less than ideal weather.
We also really like how the elements of this lens were designed. They’ve used different types of glass to reduce something called chromatic aberration that can sometimes happen in high contrast lighting situations. Chromatic aberrations are colored edges that sometimes appear around the objects in your photos. It’s also called color fringing or purple fringing, and it’s definitely something you don’t want to happen, so this is a great feature.
Another thing we like is the Super Spectra Coating that reduces ghosting and lens flare. Lens flare can sometimes happen in bright lighting conditions when light bounces and reflects off of the different lens elements. It causes a reduction in contrast that makes your photo hazy. Bright light can also cause unwanted orbs of light to appear in your photographs, which is called “ghosting.”
Canon has a special coating they use to prevent this from happening when light enters the lens, which is something we definitely appreciate.
The only drawback of this camera’s design is that it’s pretty bulky.
Quality & Performance
This telephoto lens is part of Canon’s professional series, and it performs just like a professional lens should!
It’s a great zoom lens because it has a large focal range. You’d have a hard time finding a type of photography that this lens doesn’t work for, but it’s especially great for sports photography and portraiture. If you’re sitting in the bleachers and you’re far away from the action on the field, this lens can help you capture photos that make it look like you were in the front row.
It has a very large aperture range that will allow you to take photos in low light and bright light. It also has great autofocus and image stabilization that’ll help you produce crisp, clear images.
This is one of the best camera lenses for Canon cameras. The only downside we can find about it is the price. It’s pretty expensive at $1,299, but that’s to be expected for a professional lens of this quality. It just might not be right for all photography enthusiasts at this price point.
- Wide aperture range
- Good autofocus
- Versatile focal length
- Well-designed elements
- It’s expensive
- It’s bulky
1. Canon 50mm Lens
This lens is one of the best camera lenses for Canon if you want to take pictures at night. It has the best maximum aperture of any of the Canon camera lenses on this list, so it’ll help you take sharp, clear images in low light. It also produces nice bokeh, which we’ll tell you about in just a minute.
But first, let’s look at the main features!
Main Features
- Aperture range of f/1.8 to f/22
- Near-silent autofocus
- Super Spectra Coating
- 50mm focal length
- 7 aperture blades
Design & Usability
One of the things we like about this camera is the 7 aperture blade design. The blades produce nice bokeh, which is a trend in photography where distant lights appear as orbs in images. It’s kind of like ghosting, but done at night and intentionally! Other aperture blade designs can produce bokeh with harsh edges, but this design produces smooth bokeh that lovers of this trend will appreciate.
Another plus is that this lens features Canon’s Super Spectra Coating, which reduces ghosting and lens flare, allowing you to take better photos in bright lighting conditions.
The last feature we want to highlight is the super quiet autofocus. There’s nothing worse than loud, noisy autofocus! It annoys you and everyone else around you, especially if you’re taking photos at an event. With this camera lens, that won’t be an issue!
One of the only drawbacks of this lens is the focus ring. It works great for autofocus, but we saw several reviewers say that it just doesn’t work as well for manual focus. But with an extremely affordable $125 price tag, we can’t really complain—otherwise it’s a great lens.
Quality & Performance
This is one of the best camera lenses for Canon cameras if you want to take photos at night or in low light conditions. In addition to producing nice bokeh, it has a maximum aperture of 1.8, which is better than any of the other camera lenses from Canon on this list. This maximum aperture will let a lot more light into the camera, allowing you to take better photos in low light conditions.
The focal length of this camera is another thing we like about it. It’s ideal for portraits and landscapes, and creates photos with minimal distortion. What you see is what you get with this camera lens—however your subject looks in real life is how they’ll look in the photos you take with it.
- Produces nice bokeh
- Great aperture range
- Super quiet autofocus
- Super Spectra Coating minimizes ghosting
- Great camera for nighttime photography
- Focus ring isn’t the best for manual focus
Here’s another cool guide I wrote:
Best Nikon Camera Lenses
3. Nikon 35mm Lens
Just like all camera lenses, this one has some pros and cons. It doesn’t have image stabilization, and its elements don’t eliminate chromatic aberrations as well as some of the other lenses on this list. But all of the other features are fantastic, and this lens only costs around $200, so it really is a great value.
Main Features
- Aperture range of f/1.8 to f/22
- Silent Wave Motor for quiet autofocus
- Super Integrated Coating reduces ghosting
- Minimum focusing distance under a foot
- 1 aspherical element
Design & Usability
One of the things we really like about this camera is the manual focus override feature. If you’re in the middle of taking a picture and the autofocus just won’t work, you can simply turn the focus ring to enable manual focus instead of having to flip a switch. This feature can save you some time and ensure that you don’t miss great shots while fiddling around with your lens or camera settings.
Another feature we appreciate in this lens is the super quiet autofocus. Nothing ruins a peaceful morning nature walk than noisy autofocus, so we really like the Silent Wave Motor!
Although it’s not really a pro or a con, one of the things you should note about this lens is that it’s only compatible with DX cameras. Check to make sure that you have a DX camera before you purchase it! The two Nikon cameras that we reviewed in our post on the best digital cameras are both DX, so if you have one of those, you’re good to go!
Quality & Performance
This is one of the best camera lenses for Nikon cameras in terms of price and quality. It’ll produce crisp, clear images in all kinds of lighting situations because of its great aperture range.
This camera also has a minimum focusing distance of under a foot, which is a big plus. Minimum focusing distance tells you how close you can get to your subject while still keeping them in focus. So the fact that this lens has a minimum focusing distance of under a foot allows you to get closer to your subject and capture some interesting details that you might miss out on with other lenses.
One of the drawbacks of this lens is that it doesn’t have image stabilization. This isn’t a huge deal if you’re mostly going to use this lens to take stills, but this lens definitely won’t work for handheld video because you’ll end up with shaky footage.
Another thing that this lens doesn’t do as well as some of the other lenses on this list is getting rid of chromatic aberrations. You might get some purple fringing in high contrast scenes.
- Good, quiet autofocus
- Wide aperture range
- Good image quality
- Good manual focus
- Great for low light situations
- No image stabilization
- Some color fringing
2. Tamron 70-200mm Lens for Nikon
This is a truly professional grade lens with high quality elements and a fantastic design! It’s a little pricey, but we think all of its amazing features are worth the expense.
Main Features
- Manual focus override
- Removable tripod collar
- Aperture range of f/2.8 to f/22
- Image stabilization
- 23 elements
Design & Usability
One of the things we love about this lens is the manual focus override. It’s super convenient to be able to turn the focus ring and enable manual focus instantly.
Another thing we appreciate about this camera is the tripod collar. When you use a heavy lens like this, it’s better to mount the tripod directly to the lens. It helps with weight distribution and puts less strain on the lens mount.
Another plus is that this lens is water and dust resistant. It’s not waterproof, but you won’t have to worry about using it on a windy beach or in slightly inclement weather.
This lens also has a whopping 23 elements, which shows you the quality and complexity of the design. It’s truly a professional grade lens!
We also like that this lens is compatible with both FX and DX Nikon cameras, unlike the 35mm lens we just reviewed.
One of the drawbacks of this lens is that it’s made by a third party. Sometimes you’ll get a third party lens and it won’t work with your camera, which is why it’s important to do some research and buy the lens from a store with a good return policy. As camera bodies get updated, third party lenses may not be compatible with the new versions, so that’s another thing to keep in mind when buying an expensive third party lens.
Another negative is the bulkiness. If you’re looking for a compact, lightweight lens, this definitely isn’t it!
Quality & Performance
We have nothing bad to say about the quality and performance of this lens! It’s one of the best camera lenses for Nikon… the only drawback is that it’s expensive!
This lens has a wide aperture range, so it works in all lighting situations. It’s also great for nighttime photography and bokeh because it has 9 aperture blades that produce smoother, rounder bokeh.
The autofocus on this camera is almost silent and produces crisp, clear results every time. It also has a nice wide zoom range that will allow you to take photos with lots of detail even from far away. It’s ideal for sports photography or birdwatching. You may not be close to your subject, but this lens will compensate for that and make it look like you’re right up near the action.
Another plus is that this lens doesn’t give you flares, chromatic aberrations or ghosting. The image stabilization is also superb and allows you to film videos handheld with minimal shake.
- Works with DX and FX Nikon cameras
- Wide aperture range
- Produces nice round bokeh
- Dust and moisture resistant
- Good, quiet autofocus
- It’s bulky
- It’s expensive
- It’s a third party lens
1. Nikon 50mm Lens
If you’re looking for a camera lens that produces true-to-life photos, this is it! It has several features that reduce distortion and annoying lens flares, and a focal length that produces images that are very similar to what you see in real life.
Main Features
- Minimum focus distance of 1.48 feet
- Aspherical lens element reduces distortion
- Aperture range of f/1.8 to f/16
- Super integrated coating reduces lens flare
Design & Usability
One of the pluses of this camera is that it includes an aspherical lens element. It’ll improve the focus of your images and reduce distortion, making them sharper and clearer.
This camera also has a coating that reduces lens flare and ghosting. This coating and the lens element will ensure that your photos are sharp, clear, and as true-to-life as possible.
One of the features we like that this camera doesn’t have is manual override. To turn on manual focus, you’ll have to flip a switch, which is harder to do in the middle of taking a shot than turning the focus ring.
Quality & Performance
One of the things we appreciate about this camera is the minimum focus distance, which lets you know how close you can get to your subjects while still keeping them in focus. The minimum focus distance for this camera is a foot and a half, which is a great feature. It allows you to get pretty close to your subjects, so you’ll be able to capture some really nice details that you might miss with other lenses.
Another thing we like about this camera is the good, quiet autofocus. It produces sharp, clear images without reminding you that it’s there every few seconds by making lots of noise!
One of the things that we think could be better is the minimum aperture. Some of the cameras on this list have minimum apertures of 22—this one sits at 16. If you’re in a place with super bright lighting, your photos might come out a little overexposed.
- Works with DX and FX Nikon cameras
- Good at reducing distortion and chromatic aberrations
- Good minimum focus distance
- Quiet autofocus
- Minimum aperture could be better
- No manual override function
Best Fujifilm Camera Lenses
3. Fujifilm 50mm Lens
For the price, we think this is a great little camera lens! It has lots of useful features like fast, quiet autofocus and a coating to reduce lens flare. It’s also made out of metal instead of plastic, which makes it more durable than a lot of other lenses. Besides a few minor design flaws, this Fujifilm camera lens has a lot going for it!
Main Features
- Aperture range of f/2 to f/16
- Fast, quiet autofocus
- Weather sealed
- 1 aspherical element
- Super EBC coating to reduce lens flare
Design & Usability
This lens is constructed from mostly metal parts, which really increases its durability. It’s also weather sealed down to temperatures as low as negative ten degrees, so you don’t have to worry about using it in inclement weather.
This lens is also remarkably lightweight and compact, so it won’t add unnecessary bulk to your mirrorless camera.
One of the things that we don’t love about the design of this camera is the focus ring. There’s no manual override function, and there’s no switch, so you have to change the modes on your camera. It’s a bit of a hassle!
We’ve also seen lots of reviewers mention that it’s easy to accidentally shift the aperture ring from A to f/16. So you could end up shooting with the wrong aperture all day and not even know it… yikes!
Quality & Performance
One of the things we like about this lens is the nice round bokeh it produces. It has 9 aperture blades, which gives bokeh a smoother quality than other camera lenses with 5 or 7 blades.
We also appreciate the aspherical lens element and the Super EBC coating. They’ll help reduce distortion and increase the sharpness and clarity of your photos.
This camera lens also has solid base features like quiet autofocus and a good maximum aperture that will allow you to take photos in low light.
One of the things that could be improved is the minimum aperture. Some of the cameras on this list have a minimum aperture of 20, but this camera’s minimum is only 16. Your photos could be overexposed in bright lighting situations.
- Smooth, round bokeh
- Good autofocus
- Lightweight
- Good at reducing distortion and lens flare
- Durable metal construction
- Minimum aperture could be better
- Aperture ring shifts accidentally
- No manual override function or switch
2. Fujifilm 16-55mm Lens
If we were asked who makes the best lenses for cameras, we might just say Fujifilm! The only real drawbacks of this lens are the bulkiness and the price, which we think is justified based on all its features. This is a top-notch lens that’s designed and built really well. You won’t be disappointed with it!
Main Features
- Weather sealed
- 3 aspherical elements reduce distortion
- Coating to prevent lens flare
- Tough metal construction
- Aperture range of f/2.8 to f/22
Design & Usability
This camera’s design is pretty complex! It has 17 elements, 3 of which are aspherical. Most of the lenses on this list only have one aspherical lens, so this is a real upgrade, especially considering they’re more expensive to manufacture than regular lens elements.
There’s also 3 low-dispersion elements that help reduce chromatic aberrations and improve color accuracy and focus. All of these design elements lead to some pretty impressive images, especially if you’re used to older or lower quality lenses!
Another thing we love is that this lens is mostly made of metal. A lot of the lenses on this list are plastic, so this is a feature you don’t see often. It makes the lens a lot more durable, so you won’t have to worry as much about breaking it. It’s also weather sealed so you can use it in less than ideal weather conditions down to negative fourteen degrees.
One of the drawbacks of this lens is that the aperture ring has a tendency to shift accidentally, just like the last Fujifilm lens. The only other downside is that it’s bulky.
Quality & Performance
If the low-dispersion elements weren’t enough, this camera lens has two special coatings that reduce lens flare and ghosting.
This camera also has a good aperture range that will serve you well in all lighting situations.
It has accurate autofocus and a really great focal range. 50mm and 35mm lenses are both popular choices for portraiture, landscape photography and photojournalism, and you normally don’t get both of them in one lens. You’ll also get all the focal lengths below 35mm which provide wide angles that are used for more stylized and artistic photography.
The only drawback of this lens is that it’s expensive, but we think it’s worth the price considering the quality of its design and features.
- Good aperture range
- Complex design
- Durable
- Accurate autofocus
- Aperture ring shifts accidentally
- It’s bulky
- It’s expensive
1. Fujifilm 55-200mm Lens
This camera lens has a great range of focal lengths. It’s great for things like sports photography where you’re a little farther away from your subject but you want to be able to zoom in. It’s great for landscapes, too, because you can zoom in on things in the horizon.
Main Features
- Aperture range of f/3.5 to f/22
- Image stabilization
- 1 aspherical element
- 2 extra-low dispersion elements plus 1 Super ED element
Design & Usability
One of the things we love about Fujifilm lenses is that they’re mostly made of metal. They’re more durable than a lot of other lenses on the market.
We also like how many low-dispersion elements there are in this camera. They’ll improve focus and color accuracy while reducing chromatic aberrations.
The aspherical element in this lens is also a plus. It helps reduce distortion, which is particularly important when you’re using a wide aperture.
The only drawback of this lens from a design standpoint is the manual focus. You can’t enable it by turning the focus ring or flipping a switch on the lens—it has to be done on the camera body.
Quality & Performance
The low-dispersion elements in this lens paired with the Super EBC coating really cut down on lens flare and ghosting, so you’ll have nice clear images free of imperfections.
We also like the image stabilization in this lens, the fast, accurate autofocus, and the minimum aperture, which will allow you to shoot in bright lighting situations with ease.
One thing that could be improved is the maximum aperture. It’s not a bad maximum aperture per say, it’s just not as advanced as the other cameras or quite as good for low light situations.
- Good at reducing lens flare and distortion
- Produces stable images
- Good zoom range
- Durable
- Maximum aperture could be better
- No manual focus override or switch
Best Sony Camera Lenses
3. Sony 70-300mm Lens
This lens has some interesting features like a focus range limiter button that make it great for sports photography. It’s not just good for sports photography, though—its wide range of focal lengths it useful for landscape photography and lots of other applications too.
Main Features
- Aperture range of f/4.5 to f/29
- 4 aspherical elements
- 2 extra-low dispersion elements
- Smooth, quiet autofocus
- Focus range limiter button makes autofocus faster
Design & Usability
One of the things we really like about the design of this lens is its lightweight build. Compared to Canon’s 70-300mm telephoto lens, this one weighs in at nearly 200 grams less.
We also love that it has four aspherical elements. Because of them, your photos will be clear, crisp, and free of distortion and chromatic aberrations.
One of the things that we were disappointed about, though, is that this lens doesn’t have Sony’s best motor. It has a pretty hefty price tag at $1098, so we really would’ve liked to see that higher quality motor. Still, the autofocus is smooth and quiet… so we guess we can’t really complain!
Quality & Performance
Most mirrorless cameras already have image stabilization, so having an image stabilizer in the lens too will really eliminate any shakiness from your photos and videos.
We also like the wide range of focal lengths that this lens has. It’s great for any type of photography where you need good zoom, like sports, nature, and landscape photography.
Another feature that’s great for sports photography is the focus range limiter button. It tells your camera to only pay attention to motion happening within certain parameters, so it’ll focus faster and more accurately.
One of the drawbacks of this camera is the maximum aperture. This lens won’t let as much light into the camera as some of the other lenses on this list, so it might not be quite as good for taking photos in low light situations.
- Weather sealed
- Nice elements
- Good image stabilization
- Lighter than other telephoto lenses
- Good range of focal lengths
- Doesn’t have Sony’s best motor
- Maximum aperture could be better
2. Sony 85mm Lens
This is one of the best lenses for Sony cameras. It has most of the features of the Sony 85mm f/1.4, another one of Sony’s best lenses, and it’s a third of the price! You can’t beat that value.
Main Features
- Aperture range of f/1.8 to f/22
- 1 extra-low dispersion element
- Focus hold
- AF/MF switch
- Weather resistant
Design & Usability
One of the things we like about this lens is that it’s lightweight. People buy mirrorless cameras for their compact, lightweight designs, so adding a bulky lens to it just doesn’t make sense. This lens has the compact design you want without sacrificing the features or performance.
This lens has near-zero distortion thanks to the extra-low dispersion lens element.
It also has an AF/MF switch that makes it convenient to switch from autofocus to manual, so you’ll spend less time fiddling around with your camera settings and more time shooting.
Quality & Performance
One of the features that really ups the performance of this lens is the focus hold. It allows you to focus on your subject and reframe the image without losing the focus you want. This feature allows you to create more artistic, varied compositions.
The wide aperture range also gives you a lot of artistic flexibility. It allows you to take photos in low and bright lighting situations and experiment with selective focus.
The only thing we wish this camera had is a mechanical focus ring. Electronic focus rings give you less control. Whenever you move the focus ring, the computer inside your camera interprets it and adjusts the focus. It’s like having your camera constantly on autofocus—you can never really be sure the computer is going to do what you want it to!
- Lightweight
- Conveniently switches between AF and MF
- Focus hold allows for different compositions
- Smooth, round bokeh
- Wide aperture range
- Electronic manual focus ring
1. Sony 24-105mm Lens
This camera lens has all of the focal lengths that you could want—35, 50, 80, and 100. That wide range will give you the flexibility to take all kinds of photos, from close-ups of bugs and flowers to portraits and landscapes with lots of detail.
Main Features
- Aperture range of f/4 to f/22
- 4 aspherical elements
- 3 extra-low dispersion elements
- Nano AR and Fluorine coatings
- Minimum focus distance 1.25 feet
Design & Usability
One of the things we like about this lens is that it has lots of elements that will increase the quality of your photos. The 4 aspherical elements will reduce distortion while the 3 dispersion elements improve the color accuracy and focus of your photos.
We also like the coatings that were used on the elements in this lens. They’ll further reduce chromatic aberrations like ghosting and lens flare.
We also appreciate the fact that Sony put their best autofocus motor in this lens. It makes the autofocus faster, smoother and more accurate.
Quality & Performance
One of the features of this camera that really improves its performance and versatility is the minimum focus distance. You only have to be about a foot away from your subjects to be able to focus on them, so you’ll be able to get close-up photos with plenty of detail.
The focal length range is superb and has everything you could want or need, so even though this lens is expensive, it’ll eliminate the need to buy three or four other lenses.
One of the things that could be better is the minimum focus distance. This lens would perform better in low lighting situations if it were in the f/2 range like some of the other lenses on this list.
- Has Sony’s best motor
- Good minimum focus distance
- Nice elements
- Prevents distortion and chromatic aberrations
- Great focal length range
- Maximum aperture could be better
Through the Camera Eye
Those were the best camera lenses of 2019! What do you think? Did we miss anything? Are any of them going on your Amazon wishlist? Let us know in the comments section below!
Thanks for reading!
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