Best-buy lenses for DSLRs

For the DSLR faithful, these lenses will give you the most bang for your buck

- Matthew Richards

With all the mirrorless malarkey going on recently, it’s easy to lose focus on DSLRs and just how great they can be. Recent models are typically fabulous in terms of image quality and all-round performance – plus the small matter of battery life. Naturally, though, any camera is only as good as the lenses you mount on it, and that’s the subject of this month’s group test. When it comes to great glass, we all want the best we can get without spending over the odds. Sure, there are some superb own-brand Canon and Nikon lenses to choose from, but they’re certainly not always the best buys. If you’re after truly epic ‘trinity’ wide-angle, standard and telephoto f/2.8 zooms, Sigma comes up trumps. And for an ultra-wide-angle zoom for APS-C DSLRs, Tamron’s 10-24mm is the best buy. Let’s take a closer look…

The contenders

1 Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM £129/$125

2 Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS II USM £639/$599

3 Nikkor AF-P 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6E ED VR £535/$597

4 Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG HSM | A £1,269/$1,299

5 Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM | A £1,149/$1,299

6 Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM | S £1,179/$1,499

7 Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | S £1,379/$1,999

8 Tamron 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 Di II VC HLD £529/$499

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM

£129/$125

An essential prime for Canon DSLRs

Lens mount Canon EF