Want to shoot fantastic pictures of people without spending a fortune? Jeff Meyer and the AP team pick the best budget lenses for portrait photography.
Lens choice is vitally important in portraiture. We think that a good portrait can be coaxed out of pretty much any DSLR or mirrorless camera with a functioning sensor – provided it has the right lens.
Portrait lenses can be very expensive – but don’t have to be. Plenty exist for all the major mounts and systems that deliver great portraits at a fraction of the price of professional lenses. Maybe not as pin-sharp, and they won’t feature super-wide maximum apertures, but they produce a great-looking image. From our broad experience of testing and reviewing lenses for every major system, we have assembled this guide to finding the best one on a budget.
If you’re entirely new to portraiture, you could start with our complete guide to portrait photography and discover what makes a captivating portrait.
Not sure how to choose the best lens for portraits? Read our helpful tips at the end of this guide on how to choose the best budget portrait lens.
Best budget portrait lenses – our quick list
Here are all the lenses we’ve picked for budget portrait photography, along with links to the best prices:
- Best budget Canon RF lens for portrait photography: Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM – buy now
- Best budget Canon EF lens for portrait photography: Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM – buy now
- Best budget Sony FE/E-mount lens for portrait photography: Sony FE 50mm F1.8 – buy now
- Best budget Nikon Z-mount lens for portrait photography: Nikkor Z 40mm f/2 – buy now
- Best budget Nikon F-mount lens for portrait photography: Nikkor AF-S 85mm f/1.8G – buy now
- Best budget Fujifilm X-mount lens for portrait photography: Fujifilm XC 35mm F2 – buy now
- Best budget Micro Four Thirds lens for portrait photography: Olympus 45mm f/1.8 M.Zuiko Digital – buy now
- Best budget Pentax K-mount lens for portrait photography: Pentax SMC DA 50mm f/1.8 – buy now
- Best budget Sigma lens for portrait photography: Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary – buy now
- Best budget Tamron lens for portrait photography: Tamron 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC – buy now
- Best budget Laowa lens for portrait photography: Venus Optics Laowa 60mm f/2.8 2X Ultra-Macro – buy now
Read on to learn more about each budget portrait lens, including pros and cons and key specs, as well as to find out how they fared in our testing and review process,…
Best budget Canon RF lens for portrait photography: Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM
At a glance:
- Canon RF Mount
- Elements/groups 6/5
- Minimum focus distance of 0.3m
- Weighs 160g
- Price $199 / £198
Canon’s RF 50mm F1.8 STM is the most budget-friendly portrait lens in its RF mount lens range at just $279 / £219, AND doesn’t compromise on optical quality. The lens is a complete redesign of the original EF 50mm f/1.8, with new aspherical elements and a Super Spectra Coating for improved image quality and reduced aberrations.
The RF 50mm F1.8 also employs an STM focusing motor that helps keep the price lower, but still delivers quiet, precise AF. The large f/1.8 aperture allows for plenty of control over depth of field, and its minimum focusing distance of 0.3m is also shorter than the EF version.
Those looking to economise may wish to buy the lens in used condition. Mint condition secondhand examples fetch around £170 / $200
Pros:
- Very affordable
- Image quality punches above its weight
- Knurled focus ring
Cons:
- Susceptible to flare (a hood helps here)
- Focal length a little wide on full-frame
Read our Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM review.
Best budget Canon EF lens for portrait photography: Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM
At a glance:
- Canon EF Mount
- Elements/Groups 9/7
- Minimum focus distance of 0.85m
- Weighs 425g
- Price $499 / £420
Canon’s EF-mount 85mm f/1.8 USM is a classic. Priced affordably and lightweight and portable, it’s a must-have portrait lens for any Canon DSLR shooter.
The lens’ optical construction consists of nine elements in seven groups, while Canon’s Super Spectra coating on the front element helps reduce ghosting and flare.
With its f/1.8 aperture, you can capture impressive detail in a subject’s eyes as well as nice bokeh in the background. Lastly, the lens uses a ring-type ultrasonic AF system, which is fast, quiet and accurate.
You’d be hard-pressed to find another portrait lens that offers the potential for such great image quality at such a respectable price tag.
Pros:
- Nice and small for an 85mm
- Solid image quality
Cons:
- No weather seals
- Hood costs extra
Best budget Sony FE/E-mount lens for portrait photography: Sony FE 50mm F1.8
At a glance:
• Sony FE Mount
• Elements/Groups 6/5
• Minimum focus distance of 0.45m
• Weighs 186g
• Price $198 / £159
This is the cheapest Sony lens you can buy for your full-frame E-mount camera, and its large f/1.8 aperture can produce beautiful bokeh and shallow depth of field effects. At 186g, it’s incredibly lightweight and portable. Due to this, it’s the type of lens you can pop into your bag and take anywhere.
The Sony FE 50mm F1.8 is constructed of six elements in five groups and offers a minimum focus distance of 0.45m.
What’s more, the FE 50mm F1.8 is also compatible with Sony’s APS-C bodies. Mounting it to a Sony A6600, for example, will thereby achieve an equivalent focal length of 75mm; making it even better suited for portraiture.
At a sub £200 price tag, this budget portrait lens seems like a no-brainer for any Sony Alpha shooters.
Pros:
- Incredibly light
- Provides optimal portrait FOV on APS-C bodies
Cons:
- Vignetting at widest aperture
- Not weather sealed
This Sony lens is now available for almost half price.
Best budget Nikon Z-mount lens for portrait photography: Nikkor Z 40mm f/2
At a glance:
• Nikon Z mount
• Elements/Groups 6/4
• Minimum focus distance of 0.29m
• Weighs 170g
• Price $227 / £214
At these prices, the Nikon Nikkor Z 40mm f/2 is the perfect budget lens for portraits for shooting with a Nikon Z series camera. It’s small, great value and produces some pretty outstanding images.
The lens is constructed of six elements in four groups. Two of these elements are aspherical lenses that help produce sharp images across the frame. There’s also a nine-blade aperture with curved blades to help produce more attractive bokeh.
Inside is a stepping motor that delivers fast and silent autofocus, and close focusing is possible from 0.29m. What’s more, its 170g, 1.8-inch body is sealed against moisture and dust – another nice detail at this price point.
You’ll find a good number of secondhand examples of this lens available online. Those deemed to be in ‘excellent’ condition typically sell for around £215-£240 / $240
Pros:
- Weather-sealed body
- Punchy image quality
- Small and portable
Cons:
- Quite wide for full frame (works great with APS-C)
- Bokeh at f/2 is a little busy
Read our Nikon Nikkor Z 40mm f/2 review.
Best budget Nikon F-mount lens for portrait photography: Nikkor AF-S 85mm f/1.8G
At a glance:
• Nikon F mount
• Elements/Groups 9/9
• Minimum focus distance of 0.8m
• Weighs 350g
• Price $427 / £489
Weighing just 305g, the Nikkor AF-S 85mm f/1.8G is very competitively priced for an own-brand lens, and is one of the best best Nikon F-mount lenses available on a budget.
Inside, there are no aspherical or Extra-low Dispersion elements, but both build and optical quality are excellent. Nikon included a rubber seal on the mounting plate to protect against water ingress.
The aperture has just seven diaphragm blades, rather than nine, but bokeh is smooth and overall image quality is very good. Images from the Nikkor AF-S 85mm f/1.8G are generally sharp, though at wider apertures you do see some softness in the corners.
There’s also little distortion. It may not beat some of the other options on our list of best portrait lenses when it comes to image quality, but the Nikkor AF-S 85mm f/1.8G punches well above its weight, offering great images in a light, portable body at a refreshingly inexpensive price point.
Pros:
- Pitch-perfect 85mm focal length
- Impressive sharpness for the price
- Well-built and durable
Cons:
- 7-blade aperture, not 9
- Some corner softness wide open
Best budget Fujifilm X-mount lens for portrait photography: Fujifilm XC 35mm F2
At a glance:
• Fujifilm X mount
• Elements/Groups 9/6
• Minimum focus distance of 0.35m
• Weighs 130g
• Price $199 / £189
The XC 35mm F2 is Fujifilm’s budget standard prime lens for its APS-C X-series cameras and provides an equivalent focal length of 35mm.
At £159 / $199, it’s one of the cheapest portrait lenses you’ll find. Accordingly, it’s a more basic lens when compared with its Fujinon XF counterpart. However, despite cheaper construction, and without stabilisation or weather-proofing, it produces excellent results.
The XC 35mm F2 is composed of nine elements in six groups, of which there are two aspherical elements. You’ll also find a nine-blade aperture with rounded blades and a stepping motor AF system.
And while its f/2 maximum aperture isn’t as bright as some others on this list of best budget portrait lenses, it still offers plenty of capability for shallow depth of field effects and nice bokeh, thanks to the nine-blade diaphragm.
Pros:
- Much cheaper than most Fuji lenses
- Delivers great sharpness
- Beautiful bokeh quality
- Lightweight
Cons:
- Plasticky build with no weather seals
- No stabilisation
Read our Fujinon XC 35mm F2 review.
Best budget Micro Four Thirds lens for portrait photography: Olympus 45mm f/1.8 M.Zuiko Digital
At a glance:
• Micro Four Thirds mount
• Elements/Groups 9/8
• Minimum focus distance of 0.5m
• Weighs 116g
• Price $300 / £288
Compatible with all Micro Four Thirds mount cameras, the 45mm f/1.8 M.Zuiko Digital provides an equivalent focal length of 90mm.
It’s by far the smallest and lightest portrait lens in this guide, weighing just 116g and measuring 56 x 46mm. It’s the perfect take-anywhere lens that is discreet in a camera bag or coat pocket.
What’s more, the 45mm f/1.8 M.Zuiko Digital’s fast f/1.8 aperture offers excellent control over depth of field and delivers good, if not great, bokeh. Images are sharp throughout the frame, even at wide apertures, and fringing and distortion are minimal.
If you shoot with a Micro Four Thirds body and want a compact and inexpensive portrait lens, the Olympus 45mm f/1.8 M.Zuiko Digital is your best choice. OM System (which bought the Olympus imaging brand) does offer a 45mm f/1.2 option, but its price tag is much, much higher.
Pros:
- 90mm equivalent focal length
- Incredibly small and light
- Sharp images at wide apertures
Cons:
- Bokeh quality not the best
Read our Olympus M.Zuiko 45mm f/1.8 review.
Best budget Pentax K-mount lens for portrait photography: Pentax SMC DA 50mm f/1.8
At a glance:
• Pentax K mount
• Elements/Groups 6/5
• Minimum focus distance of 0.45m
• Weighs 122g
• Price from $177 / £159
Pentax lives on under the Ricoh umbrella and maintains a sole focus on the stalwart DSLR. As the world has mostly moved to mirrorless, it’s easy to forget about Pentax, but browsing the best Pentax K-mount lenses reveals some quality optics, of which the Pentax SMC DA 50mm f/1.8 is one.
Ideal for portraits, the Pentax SMC DA 50mm f/1.8 boasts a large maximum aperture and a compact, lightweight design that weighs just 122g and measures 38.5mm.
Its optical construction consists of six elements in five groups, with a rounded seven-blade aperture, and it also includes Ricoh’s Super Multi Coating to help combat ghosting and flare.
If you’re looking for a small and inexpensive K-mount lens that produces sharp images and handles well, the Pentax SMC DA 50mm f/1.8 is your best choice.
Pros:
- Rugged, weatherproof build
- Reliably sharp images
- Controls well for ghosting and flare
Cons:
- A little wide on full-frame
Best budget Sigma lens for portrait photography: Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary
At a glance:
• Canon EF-M, Sony E, Leica L, Fujifilm X, and Micro Four Thirds mounts
• Elements/Groups 9/7
• Minimum focus distance of 0.3m
• Weighs 250g
• Price $264 / £319
As part of the Contemporary line within Sigma’s Global Vision series, the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN aims to provide Sony E, Fujifilm X, Micro Four Thirds, Canon EF-M and Leica L mount users with an affordable lens option that still delivers on performance.
Equivalent to 45mm, the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary is perfect for environmental and candid portraits. Its optical design includes two aspherical elements and a high-refractive index element, which virtually eliminate aberrations and distortion.
Sigma has also applied its Super Multi-Layer Coating to reduce ghosting and flare. A stepping motor promises fast and silent AF performance, it boasts a nine-blade aperture and like other budget portrait lenses on this list the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 comes in a compact and lightweight body.
Sigma is all about premium quality, and this is a fantastic price point for a lens with these features.
Pros:
- Beautifully constructed
- High-quality lenses and coatings
- Great bokeh quality
Cons:
- On the wider side, even with crop factor
Read our Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN review.
Best budget Tamron lens for portrait photography: Tamron 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC
At a glance:
• Canon EF and Nikon F mounts
• Elements/Groups 16/14
• Minimum focus distance of 0.49m
• Weighs 400g
• Price $205 / £270
Tamron’s popular 18-200mm option is the only zoom lens on this list and is a versatile option for all types of portraiture. We also like how sleek and lightweight it is, making it ideal for candid street portraits and people photos on your travels.
Compatible with Nikon F and Canon EF mounts, Tamron’s Vibration Compensation image stabilisation is incorporated into the lens design. This VC stabilisation means you can capture more shots handheld when shooting candid portraits when out and about.
Its optical construction consists of 16 elements in 14 groups, of which there is one hybrid aspherical element and one low dispersion element to help control aberrations and distortion throughout the zoom range.
What’s more, Tamron has provided a moisture-resistant construction, meaning you can use it in bad weather.
Pros:
- Versatile zoom range
- Stabilised
- Weatherproof
Cons:
- DSLRs only
- Max aperture drops at tele end
Read our Tamron 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC review.
Best budget Laowa lens for portrait photography: Venus Optics Laowa 60mm f/2.8 2X Ultra-Macro
At a glance:
• Canon EF, Nikon F, Sony FE, Sony A and Pentax K mounts
• Elements/Groups 9/7
• Minimum focus distance of 0.185m
• Weighs 503g
• Price $399 / £315
Venus Optics’ Laowa 60mm f/2.8 2X Ultra-Macro is a 2:1 macro lens offering a magnification range from 0.1x to 2x. Yes, the price tag stretches our budget category a little, but the Laowa lens’ 60mm focal length is ideal for portraiture, making it a great all-in-one solution.
Why? This manual focus, manual aperture lens lets you work close up and then quickly switch to portraits, giving you the flexibility to hone in on details like eyes while taking more traditional portraits.
At current prices, it’s at the top end of our lower scale. Its versatility and superb build quality make it a worthy inclusion – and investment.
Pros:
- Allows for close-up precision
- Impressive image quality
Cons:
- Manual focus only
- On the pricier side
How to choose the best budget portrait lens
Two factors are key – getting the right focal length and a fast maximum aperture.
A short telephoto focal length is generally regarded as best for portraits; most agree that the optimal is an 85mm lens. This isn’t an absolute rule, and there’s some wriggle-room on either side. In general though, a short telephoto focal length is best because it provides a flattering perspective of a subject with minimal distortion of their features. A wider lens will require you to shoot from closer, which consequently exaggerates the width of your subject’s facial features; not desirable. This short telephoto focal length allows you to fill the frame with the subject without encroaching on their personal space.
This means if you’re using a full-frame camera, you’ll ideally want an 85mm prime lens. However, 50mm lens will also work and is often a good deal cheaper; which is why you’ll find a few of them in this guide.
If you’re using a camera with a smaller sensor, like an APS-C-format or Micro Four Thirds camera, the crop factor of their sensors will require a shorter focal length to get that equivalent look of a full-frame 85mm lens. For more on how this works, see our guide to sensor sizes.
The best budget portrait lenses will also boast a fast aperture, ideally of at least f/1.8, though we have entries on our list with f/2, f/2.8 and even f/3.5. A fast maximum aperture allows you to create a shallow depth of field, separating a pin-sharp subject from an artfully blurred background. This is a hugely important part of great portrait photography – one of the reasons so many of the lenses on our lists are primes is because they are able to field larger maximum apertures.
Those flush with cash should also read our guide to the best portrait lenses for all budgets.
Related content:
- Best cameras for portraits and portrait photography
- The best lenses for portrait photography
- Guide to portrait photography
- How to take amazing portraits on a smartphone
- Best budget camera phones
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