Buyers Guide: Best Budget Lenses For New Creators

Photography and videography are exciting fields to explore. While it’s easy to experience the basics of capturing images and video with your phone, stepping up to a mirrorless camera opens a whole new world of creative potential. To truly take advantage of what these cameras offer, though, you’ll need a solid set of lenses that can bring your vision to life.

It’s easy to spend thousands of dollars on lenses—especially if you’re eyeing pro-level gear—but for new creators, that can be overwhelming. Thankfully, there are plenty of affordable options available, with more hitting the market every month.

With so many choices out there from so many brands, we wanted to break down some of the best budget lenses you can buy—especially if you’re just getting started. We’ve selected a variety of focal lengths and apertures to suit different shooting needs and creative goals. This guide will be updated as more lenses are released, so you’ll always have a solid reference to help make your mirrorless journey more rewarding.

Brightin Star 35mm F0.95

Brand: Brightin Star
Price: $200
Amazon Link: Link
Author: Brendan Frye

The selection of great budget lenses keeps growing, and options like the Brightin Star 35mm f/0.95 stand out as some of the best prime lenses for up-and-coming creators seeking strong low-light performance and creative depth of field. Priced between $179 and $200, this all-metal manual lens offers a rare mix of an ultra-fast f/0.95 aperture and solid sharpness. Unlike many low-cost, large-aperture lenses—which often lean into glow and softness at wide settings—the Brightin Star delivers surprisingly crisp images even wide open at f/0.95, with smooth, creamy bokeh that flatters both portraits and product shots. While it doesn’t offer autofocus, it features a well-built focus ring and can produce truly stunning results.

In testing, we used the lens with an E-mount Sony A7C, and it performed impressively. Its compact form and sleek build make it an excellent match for small mirrorless camera bodies—staying portable without giving up that solid, premium feel. Manual focusing is precise and smooth, helped by modern cameras’ focus assist tools. It’s a great way for new content creators to hone their skills without depending on autofocus. 

While its “night god” aperture shines in low light and creative shots, newcomers should be aware of a few minor drawbacks: visible chromatic aberration, some barrel distortion and noticeable flare when shooting toward strong light sources. These issues were easy to manage in most cases and only showed up in a handful of shots during testing—despite taking hundreds. For creators looking for an outstanding prime lens that delivers striking results, the Brightin Star 35mm f/0.95 is hard to beat. It offers cinematic imagery and creative flexibility at a price that’s nearly unheard of for f/0.95 glass.

Laowa 15mm f/5 Cookie FF Lens

Brand: Laowa
Price: $399.99
Amazon Link: LINK
Author: Matt Keith

The Laowa 15mm f/5 Cookie FF is an ultra-compact wide-angle lens with impressive close focusing. Unique for its class, it offers an expansive 110-degree field of view despite a remarkably small 53 mm barrel width (Sony E mount). It’s perhaps the smallest wide-angle lens I’ve ever used—extremely light at just 138 g, and small enough to fit in your pocket.

This full-frame 15mm lens supports auto aperture with Sony E and Nikon Z, and manual aperture with Canon RF, L mount and Leica M. Its minimum focusing distance of just 12 cm is remarkable for such an ultra-wide, manual-focus lens, and opens up creative shooting options that are usually difficult to achieve at this focal length.

While the f/5 aperture might seem high for low light, Laowa has designed a 10-blade diaphragm that produces a striking starburst effect in night scenes. Thanks to its electrical contacts, the 15mm f/5 Cookie also records detailed lens data and passes it to the camera body.

A uniquely compact, ultra-wide lens that fits in your pocket is a piece of kit worth considering, and Laowa has achieved this in the 15mm f/5 Cookie. Priced competitively, the 15mm Cookie is a unique and functional lens.  

TTArtisan AF 35mm F1.8 II

Brand: TTArtisan
Price: $125.00
Amazon Link: LINK
Author: Matt Keith

The TTArtisan AF 35mm F1.8 II is a budget-friendly prime lens that offers a shooting experience well above its price point. This 35mm APS-C prime lens is lightweight, compact and ideal for those looking for an affordable solution for everyday shooting. Leveraging the smaller APS-C sensor, the TTArtisan AF 35mm offers a solid alternative to full-frame sensor lenses.

Providing impressively sharp image capture, the TTArtisan AF 35mm adapts well to a wide range of settings and lighting conditions. This is further supported by the lens’s wider aperture settings, which allow for a shallower depth of field—making it easier for photographers to direct the viewer’s focus.

Constructed of aviation aluminum, the TTArtisan AF 35mm feels solid and durable. Its compact 55mm design also means it fits easily in any camera bag. At only 176 grams, it balances comfortably on any camera with an E, X or Z mount.

With a fixed focal length of 35 mm, TTArtisan’s compact prime lens is an ideal everyday carry and should be a staple in every photographer’s kit. Add in smart autofocus, easy firmware updates and an included lens hood, and you’ve got a well-rounded starter lens for photographers of any experience or skill level.

Neewer 27mm f2.8

Brand: Neewer 
Price: $123.49
Amazon Link: LINK
Author: Brendan Frye

While not as shockingly good for the price as some of the other entries on the list, the Neewer 27mm F2.8 still stands out as an ultra-affordable prime lens that delivers solid results. Designed for APS-C mirrorless cameras, it’s a compelling entry point for new content creators and can produce striking images—especially if you take the time to line up the perfect shot.

Its compact profile and lightweight build make it a natural fit for run-and-gun shooting, particularly for vloggers and on-the-go creators aiming for an unobtrusive setup. The 27mm focal length (about 40mm equivalent on APS-C sensors) offers a natural field of view that’s well-suited to street photography, lifestyle shots and video content where portability and flexibility matter most.

Thanks to its decent f2.8 aperture, shooting in lower light is easier, and it’s possible to achieve pleasing subject separation for casual portraits or product shots. While the lens does offer good value, prospective buyers should be aware of a few limitations—namely, the autofocus isn’t as fast or reliable as higher-end models, and there are compromises in build quality, including basic materials and some potential for chromatic aberration under difficult lighting. None of these issues are dealbreakers, and at this price point, it still delivers excellent value.

For creators focused on affordability without sacrificing essential versatility, the Neewer 27mm F2.8 offers image quality and practical utility that can be a clear upgrade over basic kit lenses—making it an accessible and worthwhile addition for anyone looking to step up their creative workflow.

TTArtisan AF 56mm F1.8

Brand: TTArtisan
Price: $129.00
Amazon Link: LINK
Author: Brendan Frye

TTArtisan is quickly becoming a go-to choice for budget lenses, with two of its offerings appearing on this list—including the TTArtisan AF 56mm F1.8, which we had to include for its versatility and portrait-friendly quality. Designed for APS-C mirrorless systems, this compact lens delivers impressive sharpness—especially in the centre of the frame—with a bright f1.8 aperture that allows for beautiful subject separation and smooth, pleasing bokeh. Images remain crisp and detailed even when shot wide open, with colour rendition and contrast that often exceed expectations at this price point. Vignetting and chromatic aberration are both well controlled, especially compared to earlier budget options, and distortion is virtually nonexistent.

For the price, I was honestly surprised by how well-constructed the TTArtisan AF 56mm F1.8 is. It offers a robust metal build while remaining lightweight at about 245 grams. The lens balances well on smaller camera bodies, making it ideal for creators shooting handheld or on the move. Autofocus is fast, quiet and reliable for most portrait and general-use scenarios, though it’s not quite as snappy as top-tier lenses and can occasionally show minor focus hunting in difficult lighting. For video shooters, moderate focus breathing is worth noting—although it’s not a dealbreaker—and the lens delivers excellent performance for stills, especially in portrait-style compositions.

Despite the lack of an aperture ring and weather sealing, the TTArtisan AF 56mm F1.8’s sub-$160 price tag makes it an unbeatable value for anyone getting into portrait, lifestyle or creative photography on a budget. For new creators looking for professional-looking results with minimal investment, this lens is a smart and inspiring choice.

<div data-conversation-spotlight></div>