Cheap alternative lenses for my DSLR?

[rodleviton]

Hello All,

As the title says, can you folks recommend cheaper alternative lenses for my DSLR/500D/T1i?

For example, I've been snooping around and I have found some Contax/Yashica lenses at some really good prices. I know they're manual and they need an adapter but the prices are great! For example, I found a 50mm 1.2 in great shape for less than $50.

Can you guys and gals recommend some "other" lenses to experiment with at reasonable prices? Perhaps a link or 2 to a recommended site would also assist in my hunting.

Thanks in advance!

[20droger]

Check out the Lens Tables in the EF and EF-S Lenses forum in the equipment section. Lots of lenses, some cheap and some not.

A new and updated table will be out later this month.

Just remember, though, you usually get what you pay for. Cheap lenses are often cheap for a reason, just as good lenses are expensive for a reason.

There's a lot of glass out there that does not deserve praise of any sort.

[TiaS]

For myself personally, I am on a budget and so I got cheaper lenses. I have the kit lens (18-55mm) for my wide angle, and for my zoom I got the 100-300mm which I got used on EBAY. I also got a 50mm which I really like (from the L series). Someday I will upgrade to higher quality lenes but for now, I am just happy to have a zoom and a wide angle. They are not the best quality but with perfecting my skills and abit of sharpening in PP, I can pull of some amazing photos.

I say get what you can afford. You can always upgrade later. My lenses are all Canon, but Sigma and Tamron have many that also fit the Rebel so you can check those out as well.

[CosmoKid]

Manual Focus is a good, cheap way to go. Especially with primes in the 50mm range. C/Y and M42 mounts adapt easily to Canon. Just factor in the adapter (dont get one with AF confirm) and a new screen (so you can see better through the view finder).

Once you stray from the traditional focal lengths the MF lenses get more expensive. Go into the lens section and there are 2 good threads on MF lenses.

[argyle]

Olympus OM lenses are probably the easiest lenses to adapt for use on a Can EOS body. They don't present any known interference problems with either the mirror or mirror box, unlike certain lenses from Contax-Zeiss, Pentax, Leica, etc. The OM lenses are often plentiful, and they hold up really well from an IQ standpoint on today's cameras. All you really need is a cheap OM/EOS adapter, and you'll be set.

The OM wide angle lenses range from very good to excellent, and the price goes up along with the performance. Some inexpensive wide angles are the 28/2.8 and the 28/3.5. The 24/2.8 is excellent, and is a bit more expensive than either of the 28's. Even more expensive are the 18/3.5, 21/3.5, 24/2 and 28/2. The 50/3.5 macro is also a very good lens, and is also fairly inexpensive.

Here's how the Oly 28/2.8 looks when mounted via an adapter to a Canon 5D. I'm actually selling this particular lens, so if you're interested you can drop me a PM. Granted, 28 will not be wide at all on a crop camera. Since there weren't any such animals as crop sensors back in the day, you will not find any older lenses in the 10 to 11mm focal length since everything was pretty much based upon either 35mm or medium format. There are a few 17, 18, and 19mm lenses out there, but these will cost you a pretty penny. For example, the Oly 18/3.5 (known for its very low distortion) is one of the least expensive and sells for about $800 or so (and that's if you can find one). To go truly wide with alt glass, you'd be best served with a FF camera, such as the 5D or 5D2.

[rodleviton]

Originally Posted by CosmoKid

Manual Focus is a good, cheap way to go. Especially with primes in the 50mm range. C/Y and M42 mounts adapt easily to Canon. Just factor in the adapter (dont get one with AF confirm) and a new screen (so you can see better through the view finder).

Once you stray from the traditional focal lengths the MF lenses get more expensive. Go into the lens section and there are 2 good threads on MF lenses.

Thanks for the answers so far...

CosmoKid, why not get the adapter with AF confirm? Are there known issues?

[440roadrunner]

Originally Posted by rodleviton

why not get the adapter with AF confirm? Are there known issues?

I would personally recommend one to play with, but they are not always reliable. HOWEVER, there's a "new generation" of chips that have popped up that may have evolved from what was once known as a "Dandelion" chip----they are programmable, some for back/ front focus, and for focal length, so can be optimised for a lens.

I've actually got a couple of these, but have not had time to really ring them out.

[Tee Why]

It's s not easy to Manually Focus on the little viewfinder. Consider the Canon 50mm f1.8. It's just under $100, AF's well, great optics, is plentiful, and comes with a warranty.

Another good lens is the 35mm f2 lens, it's more expensive though.

[rodleviton]

Originally Posted by Tee Why

It's s not easy to Manually Focus on the little viewfinder. Consider the Canon 50mm f1.8. It's just under $100, AF's well, great optics, is plentiful, and comes with a warranty.

Another good lens is the 35mm f2 lens, it's more expensive though.

Thanks for the recommendation Tee Why, I already have that Lens. It's a great lens for the price

[rodleviton]

Originally Posted by argyle

Olympus OM lenses are probably the easiest lenses to adapt for use on a Can EOS body. They don't present any known interference problems with either the mirror or mirror box, unlike certain lenses from Contax-Zeiss, Pentax, Leica, etc. The OM lenses are often plentiful, and they hold up really well from an IQ standpoint on today's cameras. All you really need is a cheap OM/EOS adapter, and you'll be set.

The OM wide angle lenses range from very good to excellent, and the price goes up along with the performance. Some inexpensive wide angles are the 28/2.8 and the 28/3.5. The 24/2.8 is excellent, and is a bit more expensive than either of the 28's. Even more expensive are the 18/3.5, 21/3.5, 24/2 and 28/2. The 50/3.5 macro is also a very good lens, and is also fairly inexpensive.

Here's how the Oly 28/2.8 looks when mounted via an adapter to a Canon 5D. I'm actually selling this particular lens, so if you're interested you can drop me a PM. Granted, 28 will not be wide at all on a crop camera. Since there weren't any such animals as crop sensors back in the day, you will not find any older lenses in the 10 to 11mm focal length since everything was pretty much based upon either 35mm or medium format. There are a few 17, 18, and 19mm lenses out there, but these will cost you a pretty penny. For example, the Oly 18/3.5 (known for its very low distortion) is one of the least expensive and sells for about $800 or so (and that's if you can find one). To go truly wide with alt glass, you'd be best served with a FF camera, such as the 5D or 5D2.

Thanks Argyle, I will have a look into these lenses...