Best Camera Lenses for Prime Telephoto

Analyzing reviews from 57 Sites…

16 out of 16 products found

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Nikon AF-S DX 35mm f/1.8G Lens

$225.00 Est. at Amazon

from www.amazon.com
it has been a long time since i owned a prime lens and i had forgotten what they could do.
from www.amazon.com
i would recommend this lens to anyone looking for a "prime" lens....if you have the d40 or d60 this lens is a must have.
from www.amazon.com
i know i am looking to upgrade to the d90 soon, so that wasn't as much of an issue, but something to consider as i purchased a prime lens.
from www.amazon.com
i hadn't tried a fast prime lens in a long time (probably not since i shot on 35mm film), and probably had unrealistic expectations about what a lens like this could do.
from www.amazon.com
the picture quality and bokeh quality are comparable with the other nikon prime lenses (50mm f/1.8, 50mm f/1.4, 50mm f/1.4 af-s etc) lens which are famous for being sharp.

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Positives: Great Affordability, Excellent Image Stabilization, Lightweight, Fixed Focal Length Lens

2 RECOMMENDED by 5 people for PRIME TELEPHOTO

Nikon AF-S DX VR 16-85 mm f/3.5-5.6G Lens

$665.00 Est. at Amazon

from www.amazon.com
i really am a fan of prime lens but have wanted to finally try a vr and with the 16 to 85 it seemed like a jack of all trades to me.
from www.amazon.com
first, when i got the body i tried it with my old nikkor 50mm f1.8 prime lens.
from www.amazon.com
the lens is nearly as sharp as the two primes, build quality is good, and vr works as advertised.
from www.amazon.com
i wanted to add a lens to my bag that took me through the wide-angle range without losing the image quality i was used to from my prime lenses.
from www.amazon.com
approximate this range you would need to get both nikon's 17-35mm f/2.8 and 24-70mm f/2.8 at a combined cost of $3k, and would still need to add either a 70-200 or an 85mm prime at the long end.

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Positives: Nice Zoom, Lightweight, Good Image Stabilization, Zoom Lens

3 RECOMMENDED by 4 people for PRIME TELEPHOTO

Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM Lens

$2,033.00 Est. at Amazon

from www.buydig.com
stopped down to f/2.8, this lens can hold its own against any l zoom and most canon primes.
from www.amazon.com
i have no other experience with other l or "non l" lens- but i am happy with this 50 mm prime lens.
from www.amazon.com
it's the ultimate prime, and it is noticeably such.
from www.amazon.com
the 50mm field of view is very versatile for a prime.
from www.amazon.com
indeed, it was, this would be my first "l" prime lens and maybe my only one, unless i sell it for the 85mm f/1.2, but for the price, i'll just settle with the 50mm.

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Positives: Great Image Quality, Good Image Stabilization, Excellent Focus, Fixed Focal Length Lens

4 RECOMMENDED by 6 people for PRIME TELEPHOTO

Sigma SMC-A 50mm f/1.4

$487.00 Est. at Amazon

from www.amazon.com
it is sigma premium prime lens ($475 street) the build quality of this lens is very sturdy.
from www.amazon.com
- lens are larger and heavier than prime lens of equivalent specs; this may intimidate your subjects.
from www.amazon.com
this lens lives up to its billing as a solid portrait prime lens.
from www.amazon.com
while not having been a prime person, i wanted to give it a try.
from www.amazon.com
the first section which is 1 page in length does not cover this lens in particular but rather goes into lens basics such as primes vs.

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Positives: Good Focus, Excellent Affordability, Good Image Quality, Focal Length: 50mm

5 RECOMMENDED by 5 people for PRIME TELEPHOTO

Canon EF-S 55-250mm AF Lens

$335.00 Est. at Amazon

from www.amazon.com
canon kit very well (aside from the 18-55mm kit lens, the bargain price lenses i usually recommend to folks who want a decent assortment of them is the 50mm f 1.8 prime lens for [...] and this one).
from www.amazon.com
since i tried out the amazon prime 2 day shipping, the package came really fast so i wasn't able to cancel but returned it as soon as i got it.
from www.amazon.com
i mainly use prime lenses but my longest lens maxes out at 85mm.
from www.amazon.com
the picture of this lens cannot be compared with those prime lenses, of course.
from www.amazon.com
i provide sharp image compare with the kit lens, but i don't think i can come close to that of an prime or l lens.

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Positives: Good Zoom, Excellent Affordability, Excellent Image Stabilization, Zoom Lens

Sigma 150-500mm f/5-6.3 AF APO DG OS HSM

$994.00 Est. at Amazon

from www.amazon.com
a prime 500mm nikon this isn't, however, it is still impressive.
from www.amazon.com
sure, i'd love to have a 500mm canon prime lens, or 600mm or 800mm, even a zoom.
from www.amazon.com
you cannot get any 500mm prime or zoom from canon at less than 1k usd.
from www.amazon.com
a final note: most lenses (except prime non-zoom lenses) are a bit soft at the widest aperture (f/5) - this sigma included.

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Positives: Good Zoom, Lightweight, Great Image Stabilization, Zoom Lens

Sigma 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM LENS f/SONY/MIN 310205

$487.00 Est. at Amazon

from www.amazon.com
it is sigma premium prime lens ($475 street) the build quality of this lens is very sturdy.
from www.amazon.com
this lens lives up to its billing as a solid portrait prime lens.
from www.amazon.com
- lens are larger and heavier than prime lens of equivalent specs; this may intimidate your subjects.
from www.amazon.com
while not having been a prime person, i wanted to give it a try.
from www.amazon.com
the first section which is 1 page in length does not cover this lens in particular but rather goes into lens basics such as primes vs.

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Positives: Excellent Image Stabilization, Great Focus, Excellent Affordability, Fixed Focal Length Lens

Sigma 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM Lens

$499.00 Est. at Amazon

from www.amazon.com
it is sigma premium prime lens ($475 street) the build quality of this lens is very sturdy.
from www.amazon.com
- lens are larger and heavier than prime lens of equivalent specs; this may intimidate your subjects.
from www.amazon.com
this lens lives up to its billing as a solid portrait prime lens.
from www.amazon.com
while not having been a prime person, i wanted to give it a try.
from www.amazon.com
the first section which is 1 page in length does not cover this lens in particular but rather goes into lens basics such as primes vs.

Read more reviews

Positives: Nice Image Stabilization, Great Focus, Nice Affordability, Fixed Focal Length Lens

Sigma 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM Lens

$492.00 Est. at Amazon

from www.amazon.com
it is sigma premium prime lens ($475 street) the build quality of this lens is very sturdy.
from www.amazon.com
this lens lives up to its billing as a solid portrait prime lens.
from www.amazon.com
- lens are larger and heavier than prime lens of equivalent specs; this may intimidate your subjects.
from www.amazon.com
while not having been a prime person, i wanted to give it a try.
from www.amazon.com
the first section which is 1 page in length does not cover this lens in particular but rather goes into lens basics such as primes vs.

Read more reviews

Positives: Good Image Stabilization, Good Focus, Nice Affordability, Fixed Focal Length Lens

Pentax 21mm F/3.2 AL Limited Lens

$282.00 Est. at Amazon

from www.bhphotovideo.com
i wanted a compact, semi-wide prime, and this is one of the few manufacturers making tiny lenses.
from www.amazon.com
it is well worth the price you will pay for it, and i have no doubt that it will be the "prime" lens affixed to my camera most of the time.
from www.amazon.com
this lens (and any member of the pentax limited series, for that matter) to anyone who wishes to push the boundaries of their photographic experience and invest in some superior quality primes.
from www.amazon.com
i would highly reccomend this lens (and any member of the pentax limited series, for that matter) to anyone who wishes to push the boundaries of their photographic experience and invest in some

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Positives: Great Image Quality, Great Image Stabilization, Fixed Focal Length Lens, Focal Length: 21mm

PENTAX SMC P-DA 16-50 f/2.8 ED ALSDM

PENTAX SMC P-DA 16-50 f/2.8 ED AL(IF)SDM

$1,108.00 Est. at Amazon

from www.amazon.com
i can't compare the bokeh to the fast primes.
from www.amazon.com
-bottom line: the best zoom glass you can get other then the (new digital) * primes.

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Positives: Excellent Affordability, Excellent Zoom, Nice Image Stabilization, Zoom Lens

Pentax SMCP-67 55mm f/4 Lens

$540.00 Est. at Amazon

from www.amazon.com
i've already ordered another lens (1.4 50mm pentax prime lens) and look forward to many years of use out of this camera.
from www.amazon.com
that lens (18-55mm) is fine for outdoor snapshots, but to really get the most of this camera, get a fast prime lens (50mm f1.4, 50mm f1.7, 50mm f2.0, 35mm f2.0, 28mm f1.8, 20mm f1.8, etc.) this

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Positives: Lightweight, Great Image Quality, Good Affordability, Fixed Focal Length Lens

Sony SAL-1680Z 16-80mm f/3.5-4.5

$837.00 Est. at Amazon

from www.amazon.com
it is as sharp as a prime at 80mm.
from www.amazon.com
if you really really care about sharpness, resolution, mtf, then get multiple prime lenses.
from www.amazon.com
compared to the zeiss lens made for the contax system, hassy and even the current zeiss lens made for the nikon f mount, and the two zeiss sony primes along with the 24-70mm--> this 16-80mm appears

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Positives: Great Zoom, Good Image Stabilization, Excellent Detail, Zoom Lens

Pentax smc DA* 50-135mm f/2.8 ED IF SDM Lens

$1,424.00 Est. at Amazon

from www.amazon.com
the f/2.8 when wide open makes a great macro lens to block out the background and i also use it as my prime portrait lens.
from www.amazon.com
tho i would be just a little concerned with the lens in drop/kick/knock situations but most zooms are prone to misalignment in that situation, here is where a prime would be better.
from www.amazon.com
image quality of a prime throughout its zoom range.
from www.amazon.com
like other reviews on the 50-135 lens, a little more reach would be nice ...but then there's the pentax f2.8 200mm prime (tempting).

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Positives: Excellent Image Stabilization, Great Focus, Lightweight, Focal Length: 50mm - 135mm

Olympus SWD 12-60mm 1:2.8-4.0 ED Lens

$969.00 Est. at Amazon

from www.amazon.com
i tried the prime 50mm but i wanted more flexibility.
from "Igelfeld", www.bhphotovideo.com
until this lens, i was not a big fan of zooms preferring primes but this one really shines even in comparison with really fine primes that i have used.
from www.amazon.com
by way of general background, i'm used to good quality optics: in the film era, i used contax zeiss primes (21mm, 28mm, 35mm, 50mm, 60mm macro) and the xpan with the 45mm and 30mm.

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Positives: Good Zoom, Great Image Quality, Lightweight, Zoom Lens

Canon EF-S 18-200mm f3.5-5.6 IS Lens

$715.00 Est. at Amazon

from www.amazon.com
there is and has to be an improvement compared to a simple prime lens that uses less than half the elements.
from www.amazon.com
oh well, i make better shots with a prime lens anyway (makes me work harder to frame shots).
from Lane, www.newegg.com
pros: i used to carry around a couple primes and a zoom lens but this thing makes them feel unneeded.

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Positives: Good Zoom, Lightweight, Nice Focus, Zoom Lens

Electronics

Camera Lenses

Best Camera Lenses for Prime Telephoto

Nikon AF-S DX 35mm f/1.8G Lens

Nikon AF-S DX VR 16-85 mm f/3.5-5.6G Lens

Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM Lens

Sigma SMC-A 50mm f/1.4

Canon EF-S 55-250mm AF Lens

Sigma 150-500mm f/5-6.3 AF APO DG OS HSM

Sigma 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM LENS f/SONY/MIN 310205

Sigma 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM Lens

Sigma 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM Lens

Pentax 21mm F/3.2 AL Limited Lens

PENTAX SMC P-DA 16-50 f/2.8 ED ALSDM

Pentax SMCP-67 55mm f/4 Lens

Sony SAL-1680Z 16-80mm f/3.5-4.5

Pentax smc DA* 50-135mm f/2.8 ED IF SDM Lens

Olympus SWD 12-60mm 1:2.8-4.0 ED Lens

Canon EF-S 18-200mm f3.5-5.6 IS Lens

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