In this video, Arthur R buys the top 10 best-selling lenses on Amazon that cost under $100 and pits them against one another. So, if you're looking for something affordable to play with, perhaps this is exactly what you need!
There was a time when buying a lens for $100 meant one of two things: it was a vintage lens you needed an adapter to use, or it was a nifty-fifty. Now, you can get myriad brand-new lenses for under $100. But, just because you can, does that mean you should?
When I started photography and for a good few years after, I was either at university and had no money, or starting out my self-employed life and... well, had no money. So, like many photographers, I had to get creative with my budget if I wanted to experiment with equipment and my path was vintage lenses. I still love vintage lenses, and some that I managed to acquire for under $100 (like the 135mm "Bokeh Monster") were a dream, but most were not worth the space they took in my office. Now, for the same price, you can get something fresh out of the box and in all honesty, some of them aren't bad at all! Brands like 7artisans have really lowered the barrier of entry to new lenses.
Have you used any of these lenses? What's the best lens you've ever found for under $100?
