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Time to go beyond your kit lens? For the Canon DSLR users who are looking for a reasonably priced lens to add to their gear bag, we’ve put together this list of lenses that will let you explore photography beyond where your kit lens can take you! We think that these lenses represent some of the best value for the money, giving outstanding results without costing an arm and a leg.Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM Lens
Ultra-wide angle lenses tend to be very expensive, and finding one for your Canon DSLR is no exception, especially if your DSLR has a crop sensor like the T4i or 7D. For the best value for you money, we recommend the Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6. While Canon’s 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 lens is an outstanding lens, it’s priced nearly twice as high as the Sigma 10-20mm lens. The Sigma 10-20mm brings ultra-wide angle results into the budget of semi-pro and hobbyist shooters. The focus motor is fast and accurate and the color, contrast, and sharpness of this lens are very good.
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Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens
Every serious photographer should eventually add a 50mm lens to their bag — they’re called nifty 50’s for a good reason! The Canon 50mm f/1.8 II is a very affordable lens at around $100. The results it produces are excellent, with great sharpness and contrast. It’s constructed of plastic and is extremely light, but it holds up very well even with heavy use. For photographers not willing to spend more than 3 times as much for the Canon 50mm f/1.4 lens, the f/1.8 provides similar results at a much lower price.
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Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS II Telephoto Zoom Lens
For use with crop sensor cameras like the Canon T3, T4i, 7D, and many others, the Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS II telephoto zoom lens is a great piece of glass that will get you closer to the action than your kit lens can. With the 1.6x crop factor that comes with a crop sensor, this lens is the equivalent to a focal length of 88-400mm, more than adequate for zooming in on far away subjects like birds and wildlife. Canon’s Optical Image Stabilizer technology allows this lens to be handheld at slower shutter speeds in lower light conditions.