Every photographer needs a zoom lens in their backpack. Some may choose wide-angle zooms, while others will stick to telephoto zooms. From travel to portrait to wildlife photography, a zoom lens helps you capture your subjects with a great depth of field that can make them stand out. Since zoom lenses can be quite expensive, we have collated a list of a few mirrorless options that are perfect for anyone on a budget. These focal ranges can help you with your varying needs.
Tamron 28-200mm f2.8-5.6 Di III RXD
Tamron makes some of the best zoom lenses, and the 28-200mm is an example of that. It has a 0.32x magnification ratio, a 0.6-foot minimum focusing distance, and just 1.27 lbs of weight. It is small and lightweight, has a great focal range, and there is also a lock at the wide end of the lens. Moreover, it has good sharpness and better distortion control. The only caveat is the lack of image stabilisation.
Price: $649
Tamron 35-150mm f2-2.8 Di III VX
From shooting portraits to everyday scenes on the street, the 35-150mm can handle this and much more. It has nine rounded aperture blades, a 13-inch minimum focusing distance at the wide end, and a 33.5-inch distance on the tele end. It measures 6.2 inches in length, has a maximum magnification of 1:5.7, and a USB port for firmware upgrades. The lens has several good points, making it perfect for many: “The autofocus is fantastic, and that’s thanks to the fact that Sony owns part of Tamron. The image quality is unique enough while still also being more than satisfactory. There’s solid weather sealing, and Tamron even did the brave thing of putting a USB port on the lens. It feels good in the hands. It’s built solidly.”
Price: $1,699
Fujifilm 70-300mm f4-5.6 R LM WR OIS
The Fujifilm 70-300mm is one of the versatile zoom telephoto lenses for X series users. It features weather resistance, fast autofocus, a minimum focusing distance of 83cm, 5.5-stop image stabilization, and 0.5x of magnification. In addition, the lens is a great performer. It has some quirks, such as slower autofocus in low light or high contrast scenes, but it offers great images, good build, and ergonomics, and works well in many situations. It is perfect for wildlife, nature, still life, sports, weddings, and portrait photography, too.
Price: $799
Canon RF 100-400mm f5.6-8 IS USM
The Canon RF 100-400mm is one of the buget zoom lenses that features 12 elements in nine groups, nine rounded blades, and a 2.9feet minimum focusing distance. With this, you get not only great image quality but also a fast autofocus, lightweight built, and image stabilization. The challenge is the lack of weather sealing, which means you must be extra careful when taking it outdoors.
Price: $649
Tamron 150-500mm f5-6.7 Di III VC VXD
The Tamron 150-500mm is an ideal choice for sports, wildlife, and bird photographers on a budget. The zoom lens was created with 25 elements in 16 groups, has a 1:3.1 maximum magnification on the wide end, and weighs 1,725g. It has a 7-bladed aperture, an 82mm filter size, and a 0.6m minimum focusing distance on the wide end. Despite its size, the lens is manageable, has great stabilisation without a tripod, colors are excellent, and one can see good background separation.
Price: $1,199
Sigma 150-600mm f5-6.3 DG DN
One of the super telephoto zoom lenses, the Sigma 150-600mm, is designed for the L-mount alliance. It comes with 9 rounded diaphragms, a 4.3-inch diaphragm, a 1:2.9 maximum production ratio, and a 1.9-inch minimum focusing distance. As we said in our review: ” The images are excellent, with that ultra-telephoto compression and bokeh, solid sharpness, and little aberration. While heavy, it’s lighter than similar competing lenses, and the weather-sealing survived a snowstorm.” However, in our test with the Panasonic S5, we found the autofocus a bit of a challenge.
Price: $1,499
Sony 200-600mm f5.6-6.3 G OSS
One of Sony’s reasonably priced zoom lenses, the 200-600mm, can focus solely up to 2.4m, has a 0.2x magnification ratio, and comes with an 11 round bladed diaphragm. However, it is heavy, weighing 211g, and measures 12.6 inches in length. But despite that, the lens is quite compact for a super telephoto, is built really well, has excellent autofocus in well-lit conditions, and you get superb image quality. The only struggle is the low light performance and the variable aperture.
Price: $1,998
