Your top 3 "bang for buck" lenses?

Well, due to the fact that it's all I own:

Canon 85mm
Sigma 17-70 f/2.8-4 (love the thing but I like primes more. For sale in my sig!!!)
Thrifty Nifty Fifty

bump...

tamron 2470 2.8
tamron 70200 2.8 vc
sigma 35 1.4

My best bang for the buck are:

tamron 17-50 nonVC used $275
canon 50mm f1.8 Mk1 used $150
canon 200mm f2.8 used $500

All in excellent + condition, will little or no signs of use. All very sharp. All are "keepers".

I've looked through about half of the pages in this thread and am shocked nobody has mentioned the 40mm pancake. Weird.

Canon 17-40 - lightning fast AF, small, light, cheap (for an L)
Canon 70-200 f4 - lightning fast AF, small (for a 200mm zoom), light (for a 200mm zoom), cheap (for an L)
Sigma 24-105 - more because when I buy it, it will fit well into my kit.

85L is enormous bang for buck!

17-40/4.0
40/2.8
50/1.8
85/1.8
70-200/4.0

FarmerTed1971 wrote in post #16600713
I've looked through about half of the pages in this thread and am shocked nobody has mentioned the 40mm pancake. Weird.

Dito !?!!

Tamron 24-70 vc
Sigma 35
Rokinon 14

Well I've only got two Canon lenses.. and I'll vote for both

100mm F2.0
18-55 kit lens (not great but not awful).. I got mine for £50 in mint condition and they remain cheaply available second hand, hence it's here.

Any nifty fifty should also be on this list, so I'll add the 50f1.8 although I've never used canons one.

canon 100 f2, about 300$ but has less ca than 85 1.8
canon 28-70 3.5, got my last one for 35$ shipped mint, better than tamron 28 75 except at 2.8
canon 70 210 3.5 usm (50$ on ebay often, blows my mind), i only sold my mint copy cause i needed extra reach)
18-55 is, amazing lens for about 75$

kenwood33 wrote in post #16600651
tamron 2470 2.8
tamron 70200 2.8 vc
sigma 35 1.4

This.

1. 40mm Pancake
2. 135L (Because so sharp and great lens with L quality for a less than L price)
3. Sigma 35 Art

smorter wrote in post #16601186
85L is enormous bang for buck!

riiiiiight.....