The Best Canon Bargain Lens for 2023

What is the ultimate Canon bargain lens?

About Canon Bargain Lenses

Want a lot of lens for a little price?
This list is for you.

A lens with no purpose in your kit is not a good value — and a waste of your money at any price.
While not all of the lenses I include on this page have everything going for them, they all can have a purpose in your kit.
Good image quality is a minimum requirement, and an attractive price is a requirement.

These are the great value lenses — the Canon lens deals.

The Best Canon Bargain Lenses

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1. Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM Lens

Very Good Image Quality, Tiny Size, Feather Weight, Decent Build Quality, Incredible Price

I was very skeptical of this lens when it was introduced, but the 40 STM is the real deal.
The image quality and performance of this lens are impressive for a lens costing even many times the price tag of this one.
There are very few downsides to this lens, and everyone can add this lens to their kit.
I think it is the best bargain in Canon’s lens lineup.
It’s a no-brainer.
Throw it in your pocket for a backup lens, or use it for a camera body cap.

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2. Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM Lens

Very Good Image Quality, Tiny Size, Feather Weight, Decent Build Quality, Incredible Price

That is what I said about the EF 40mm STM Lens, and the EF-S 24 STM is nearly identical to that lens in all aspects.
The exception is the focal length and mount compatibility.
Being an EF-S lens, the 24 STM mounts only on APS-C/1.6x DSLRs, and on these cameras, the 24mm focal length nearly matches the 40mm’s angle of view on a full-frame body.
This lens is a great option, especially for the price.
Throw one in your kit.

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3. Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens

Light, Small, Cheap

The 50 f/1.8 II was a highly popular introductory prime lens for many photographers, and the 50mm f/1.8 STM takes this lens up a solid notch in build quality and features.
While this lens is not high on the wish list of most professionals, delivering good stopped-down image quality while having the lowest price of any Canon lens lands the 50 STM at the top of Canon’s best sellers list.

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4. Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM Lens

Excellent Value, Very Good Image Quality, Pro-Grade Build Quality, Fast AF

Welcome to the Canon L Lens Series — I’m sorry, but you can never go back.
The 70-200 f/4L is an entirely pro-grade lens with image quality, build quality, and AF performance that will draw you into the L-Series forever.
All of this comes at a price that is not far from consumer zoom lens pricing.

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5. Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM Lens

The Entry Level Canon Telephoto Zoom Lens You Want

This lens does not have the ultimate build quality or the ultimate image quality, but it is a very good lens for the ultra-low price.
The EF-S (APS-C/1.6x format mount only) lens is compact and light.

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6. Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM C Lens

Long Focal Lengths, Great Image Quality, Great-Value Price

Wildlife photographers and others looking for long focal lengths on a tight budget need to look no further than the Sigma 100-400 Contemporary lens.
For a value price, this lens avails the reach-out-and-touch focal lengths so greatly needed for this purpose.

Landscape photographers also want great image quality, and long focal lengths are often needed for this pursuit.
In this case, great image quality comes in a light and compact (relatively speaking) package that will also be appreciated.

The aperture doesn’t open wide, but this lens is a great value for sports photography, especially for the larger fields, and this lens is great fun for following the family.

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7. Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II Lens

Attractive Price, Sharp Image Quality, Wide f/2.8 Aperture, Compact Size

The APS-C format-only Tamron 17-50 non-VC has been a long time favorite due to the sharp image quality it delivers in a widely desired general purpose focal length range.
The wide f/2.8 max aperture over the entire focal length range will not leave you wanting.

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8. Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM Lens

Impressive Image Quality, Wide Apertures, Relatively Small Size/Light Weight

The 200 f/2.8L II gives you a wide f/2.8 aperture in an impressively built lens with fast Ring USM AF.
The image quality from this lens will impress.
As will the price.

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9. Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens

Small Size, Light Weight, Impressive f/2.8 Image Quality, Great Price

While you could buy a few EF 50mm f/1.8 lenses for the price of one EF 50 f/1.4, the f/1.4 version is still a very good deal.
It is soft at f/1.4, but it is razor-sharp at f/2.8 — which is still a rather wide aperture.
The price, size, and weight of this lens are all very attractive attributes.
Build quality and AF speed are not, though it is better than the f/1.8 in these regards.

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10. Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Lens

Good Image Quality, Wide aperture, Fast Ring USM AF, Nice Price

The Canon 85 f/1.8 is a low-priced, wide aperture compact prime lens with good image quality and fast autofocus.
It makes a great portrait or indoor sports lens.
The price is right.

 
A cheap lens is not complete without a cheap camera behind it.
Check out our Cheap, Budget, Bargain, Best Deal Camera Recommendations page to get our recommendations.

Visit the Canon Lens Recommendations page for more lens advice.